Sunday 10 April 2011

Mugabe's "struggle" to disembark from Air Zimbabwe

By Gift Moyo,
A FORT-NIGHT ago, the world media beamed images of a very tired Zimbabwean dictator painfully struggling to disembark from an Air Zimbabwe jet in Zambia where he had gone presumably to attend a SADC meeting.
As the media globally beamed the images of Mr Mugabe trying hard to come out of his jet in Zambia’s border town of Livingstone, it became clear that the mass murderer’s days on earth were now some few steps away. In fact, be warned, it won’t be a surprise to get the news that the dictator died while flying. He has had more than his share on planet earth, for sure.
Gift_Moyo
Gift Moyo: Arrest Mugabe
Thanks to the media cameras in Livingstone,  Mr Mugabe clearly looked fragile, thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles at the back of his neck that we often don’t get a chance to observe. The brown blotches of the benevolent prostate cancer that ageing brings to his troubled health are definitely militating against his numbered days of existence both in office and on planet earth.
As the dictator slowly, with the help of aides scaled down the ladder of his jet, we saw the blotches that run down from his face and his hands all the way to his feet. He strenuously struggled to grip for his balance as TV cameras filmed his “struggle” to disembark from a plain in Zambia’s SADC summit last week.
Mugabe_Livingstone
Mugabe being ushered by aides into a carrier as he cant walk anymore.
Everything about him is now very old, his generals are all in their 70s, his notorious Zanu-PF is expiring with no direction to clean up the disaster they created to our beloved country. His iron fist slogan has run out fashion like a permanent flag of defeat.
The question that refuses to go away is: why is that that a dynamic nation like Zimbabwe would be represented by dying old-aged dictator? Is he being puppeteered or is he being held on ransom to remain there as a symbol of oppression of black-on-black?
Surely, the old man is too tired to engage meaningful hence Sadc leaders are hard on him, for they want him to retire. He can no longer competently represent Zimbabwe as his reflex muscles have loosened up and he always fall asleep in meetings. This is sign of tiredness. Do they send him out there to negotiate our future or on a fancy ride to experience a therapeutic high altitude nap?
Surely, Mr Mugabe has become a disgrace, a symbol of African dictatorship. He will be remembered as a  ruthless dictator who sent an army to butcher civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands areas. He will also be remembered for his brutality on those who opposed him and most importantly for refusing to hand over power despite old age.
He will be remembered for illegal farm invasions that were a violation of property rights. He will be remembered for Murambatsvina and most importantly for inflaming tribalism in 1980 in order to win elections against Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo.
I am judging Mugabe and history has already judged him so.
I often wonder what the future holds for us as Mr Mugabe journey to his grave appears to be less than a mile away. I wish Zimbabweans could rise as the Egyptians have done.
 Gift Moyo is a member of the MDC-T in Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom. He writes on his personal capacity.

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