During Apartheid Mandela, Desmond Tutu were screaming at the west about minority

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Now that Zimbabwe needs help from a dictator who is killing his own people, you don't hear a peep from them!. Mandela was at a banquet in his honour and all he could say about it was half a sentence, why are they letting Mugabe get away with it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Mugabe is seen by African Leaders and nations as a hero!. Mugabe is the only African leader ever to have succeeded in kicking out the colonial power from an African country, in this case kicking Britain out of Rhodesia and renaming the country as Zimbabwe!. Mugabe also helped other African nations to independence!.

Seeing Robert Mugabe from the point of view of him being an African hero is quite different from the despot that we all know him to have become!.

What started out as a great plan, returning the land to black farmers and owners has gone sour and this is mainly due to the fact that a great deal of the farm land was simply handed over to Mugabe's henchmen who are not farmers!. Hence the farmland remained (and remains) uncultivated!.

White farmers were simply shoved off the land!. Many have returned to the homelands of their ancestors, UK, Germany etc!. Others were swiftly snapped up by other African countries including such as Nigeria!.

Africa can only feed itself by modern farming techniques!. I have seen on TV African farmers ploughing their small holdings with oxen and wooden ploughs!. These methods (best described as Medieval at best) may supply food for a modest to large family, but they will not supply food for a nation or for export for profit!.

What people do not take into consideration is the long struggle for African independence, which gained support here in UK way back in the 19thC - yes, even from such as George Canning - that notorious and cunning Tory - he wanted to dump the Empire and go full steam ahead for free trade for all!. Didn't happen!. Pity!.

Meanwhile, the Methodist Church and the Labour Movement here in UK continued burrowing away and helping set up political education for those Africans who looked capable!.

Mugabe was fully backed by the British Labour Party - he was in effect their 'baby' - now he spits in the face of the leader of the Labour Party, Gordon Brown!.

Something has gone disasterously wrong and the root of the problem is not just Mugabe but the butchers who support him!. The original aim and purpose of the 'revolution' have been lost to corruption and gangsterism!. Death, starvation and disease stalk the promised land of Zimbabwe!.

Both UK and USA are right to keep out of this mess and not accept the election result in Zimbabwe!.

To understand the thinking behind the struggle for independence in Zimbabwe, you have to go back to the 18th and 19th centuries and study the anti-slavery movement here in UK and elsewhere!. This same movement helped also in the struggle for the independence of African nations!.

Take my own family, Welsh Methodists!. Just ordinary folk, yet my Grandfather got into the British Army in 1898 at age 16 and went off to fight in the Boer War in SA!.

Lord Kitchener was adamant in that he wanted to introduce a democracy in SA in which every man would have a vote - one man one vote as he called it!.

The British Army employed thousands of Black South Africans to drive the waggons and so forth!.

Before the British Army withdrew from SA - Kitchener issued every single one of those 'loyal volunteer Black South Africans' with a rifle and ammo!. Because as he said, "when we're gone the Boers will be back"!.

Stupidly the then British UK!.gov ordered the return of all the said rifles and ammo!. Result, thousands of Black South Africans were killed or simply murdered by the Boers!.

We all know then what happened!. Repression, apartheid and etc!.

It has taken years, generations to free SA from the yolk of slavery and apartheid!.

Little wonder then that Africans see Robt!. Mugabe as a hero!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Its to do with economics, Zimbabweans that are fleeing the rule in Mugabeland are providing a cheap source of labour for South Africa (much like the blacks did when white rule was around), South Africa has an economic interest in Mugabe and his thugs, so much is brought by them that turning the country over to a proper process of rule and straightening out there terrible economy would just be like what happened to the French in the 1920's with the german Hyper Inflation!. On top of that, Mugabe is one of the freedom fighters from ex colonial Aparthied days (remember Rhodesia and Smiths rule in the country was worse than South Africas) so they dont really want to say too much against a former partner of theirs!.
Finally even though Mandela and Tutu have voices that are sometimes heard, they do not speak for the goverment and certainley not the ruling ANC in South Africa and quite frankly since the late 90's early 00's both of them have been in the wilderness in South Africa, especially after Mandela stepped down from President!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Dr!. Tutu has spoken out against Mugabe's behaviour quite strongly, saying that he has betrayed the principles that they once shared!.

Mugabe was very important in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and achieved considerable prestige from that!. However, even before the recent political turmoil, it was becoming obvious that Mugabe wasn't quite playing with a full deck!. This isn't the location now to discuss the details, but his approach to HIV/AIDS was (to use the term in its technical sense) utterly psychotic!.

The UN has condemned Mugabe's behaviour, but what the heck can anyone do about it!? Considering widespread political upheavals and food shortages that are getting worse, what sort of intervention could African countries offer!?

Loathsome as it is to contemplate, he is still the legitimate leader of South Africa, and there are some in that country who support his regime!.

There is mounting evidence that the Commander in Chief of the Untied States and several of his cronies are guilty of war crimes, violations of the Geneva Accords!. Like Pinochet, Chile's now-deceased dictator, who was charged and tried in England, It seems that they must now be careful in their choice of their travel destinations

It's not my place to comment, but it may be that a black dictator is preferable to a white one!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I work with Zimbabwians that praise Mugabe (but then used his rule as a way to get to the UK stating they are political refugees)!!! I think he gets quite a bit of support from his own people (although this isnt shown on the news)!

Yes he is a bad man but he is also a very old man!. Hopefully he will drop dead soon!. I agree about Mandela and Tutu and also other influential Africans they need to be alot more vocal!Www@QuestionHome@Com

You have to ask the television networks why they are not broadcasting the protests of the Zimbabwe people!. They are protesting, but the networks don't feel that it is a priority to let us see them!. Mandela is 90 YEARS OLD! Give the old man a break! That is a major accomplishment living to be that age!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are South African!. You could as well ask why Americans, Canadians, French, British and every other nation on the face of the globe are letting Mugabe get away with it!. Or how about the United Nations!? Are they doing anything!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Mandela criticised Mugabe the other day, but I know what you mean!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because many have done well out of this evil man and his filthy regime!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because he is blackWww@QuestionHome@Com