LETTER: Treat them mean and rob them blind
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Justice Malala (At Home and Abroad, August 13-19) ( said it all, as did your cover story on Zimbabwe ( in the same edition: African lives in Africa don’t matter.
Zimbabwe is an utter basket case. Ruling party Zanu-PF has completely captured every ministry, as well as every strategic resource the country has to offer.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his military cronies are all "liberation" heroes from the civil war. He was minister of state security in 1983/1984 during Operation Gukurahundi, in which 20,000-30,000 people were massacred by the army’s Fifth Brigade, headed by Perence Shiri (minister of agriculture until his death last month), and assisted by "Dominic Chinenge", more commonly known as Constantino Chiwenga (now vice-president).
Because they are viewed as "liberators", they are allowed to run the country as their own fiefdom, and they would rather let it burn down than transition to rule by an opposition party that stands for the development of the country and its citizens.
They are ably encouraged and assisted by other Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders, not least our own president. Just last week, this was confirmed at the 40th ordinary summit of Sadc. What an utterly useless body of useless politicians.
Media coverage ranges from little to nothing. Valid criticism by First World countries leads to the race card being played, and criticism by any African country, apart from perhaps Botswana, is zero.
Zimbabwean-style leadership — where citizens are promised the world and nothing is delivered — is common in Africa, as Malala points out. Offer false hope to the masses and instead give a life of poverty, misery and reliance on government handouts. Treat them mean, keep them keen and rob them blind. It’s modern-day slavery.
Peter Stenslunde
Constantia
The FM welcomes concise letters from readers. They can be sent to fmmail@fm.co.za (mailto:fmmail@fm.co.za)
Zimbabwe is an utter basket case. Ruling party Zanu-PF has completely captured every ministry, as well as every strategic resource the country has to offer.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his military cronies are all "liberation" heroes from the civil war. He was minister of state security in 1983/1984 during Operation Gukurahundi, in which 20,000-30,000 people were massacred by the army’s Fifth Brigade, headed by Perence Shiri (minister of agriculture until his death last month), and assisted by "Dominic Chinenge", more commonly known as Constantino Chiwenga (now vice-president).
Because they are viewed as "liberators", they are allowed to run the country as their own fiefdom, and they would rather let it burn down than transition to rule by an opposition party that stands for the development of the country and its citizens.
They are ably encouraged and assisted by other Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders, not least our own president. Just last week, this was confirmed at the 40th ordinary summit of Sadc. What an utterly useless body of useless politicians.
Media coverage ranges from little to nothing. Valid criticism by First World countries leads to the race card being played, and criticism by any African country, apart from perhaps Botswana, is zero.
Zimbabwean-style leadership — where citizens are promised the world and nothing is delivered — is common in Africa, as Malala points out. Offer false hope to the masses and instead give a life of poverty, misery and reliance on government handouts. Treat them mean, keep them keen and rob them blind. It’s modern-day slavery.
Peter Stenslunde
Constantia
The FM welcomes concise letters from readers. They can be sent to fmmail@fm.co.za (mailto:fmmail@fm.co.za)