On the South African fora I sometimes visit, I’m astonished to see how much support Mugabe has in South Africa!With approx. 3 million Zimbabweans that fled to South Africa (from a pop of 12,5 million; another 1,5 million fled to other neighbouring states), you’d think South Africans would be wary of the policies Mugabe has promoted.Don’t under estimate fiery rhetoric, populism and appeals to past grievances not yet resolved…(i.e. read land reform in South Africa).
Mugabe would fall tomorrow if South Africa withdrew its tacit support. It depends on SA for loans , energy, fuel, food…One cannot understand SA’s stance of non-intervention in Zimbabwe (except to prop it up) when it is attempting to raise its profile by intervening all over Africa (with some disastrous results eg. Central African Republic recently). South African Realpolitik. But what it is, escapes me. They know many in SA see him as a champion of the dispossessed?
There is also a reluctance by patriotic South Africans to criticise the AU and SADC because they are “ours”.Dammmit, if they’re not up to it, don’t give them our support!They rankle at the idea that the AU is sneered at but they won’t hold it accountable. They rankle at the West’s dominating influence over their affairs, trade etc but won’t admit China is dangerously becoming a neo-colonial power in Africa themselves. I object to the West’s undue influence but I also reject that China is better, that our leaders are above reproach. It’s been a generation since SA’s 1st free elections and it’s been 33 years since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980. How Mugabe manages to twist its recent misfortunes & downfall to British interference, and is believed, is beyond me. More, why many South Africans buy into Mugabe’s excuses and don’t see his rhetoric as simply a ploy to remain popular; it’s nuts.
Do you know there are people, apart from the obvious thugs who benefit directly from the regime, actually defending this creep?Crazy.
On the South African fora I sometimes visit, I’m astonished to see how much support Mugabe has in South Africa!With approx. 3 million Zimbabweans that fled to South Africa (from a pop of 12,5 million; another 1,5 million fled to other neighbouring states), you’d think South Africans would be wary of the policies Mugabe has promoted.Don’t under estimate fiery rhetoric, populism and appeals to past grievances not yet resolved…(i.e. read land reform in South Africa).
Mugabe would fall tomorrow if South Africa withdrew its tacit support. It depends on SA for loans , energy, fuel, food…One cannot understand SA’s stance of non-intervention in Zimbabwe (except to prop it up) when it is attempting to raise its profile by intervening all over Africa (with some disastrous results eg. Central African Republic recently). South African Realpolitik. But what it is, escapes me. They know many in SA see him as a champion of the dispossessed?
There is also a reluctance by patriotic South Africans to criticise the AU and SADC because they are “ours”.Dammmit, if they’re not up to it, don’t give them our support!They rankle at the idea that the AU is sneered at but they won’t hold it accountable. They rankle at the West’s dominating influence over their affairs, trade etc but won’t admit China is dangerously becoming a neo-colonial power in Africa themselves. I object to the West’s undue influence but I also reject that China is better, that our leaders are above reproach. It’s been a generation since SA’s 1st free elections and it’s been 33 years since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980. How Mugabe manages to twist its recent misfortunes & downfall to British interference, and is believed, is beyond me. More, why many South Africans buy into Mugabe’s excuses and don’t see his rhetoric as simply a ploy to remain popular; it’s nuts.
Do you know there are people, apart from the obvious thugs who benefit directly from the regime, actually defending this creep?Crazy.