Mugabe's Parallel Universe

This afternoon, the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe made a speech at the United Nations Food Congress in Rome. It struck me a desperate ploy on Mugabe's part to appear the community of world leaders as a visionary and a responsible leader. But he failed, miserably. For one thing he talked about his land redistribution program in which farms were forcibly taken from the whites and given to the rioting black masses. That not being enough, the people who were assigned these farms had no knowledge of, wait for it...farming. This mean hectares upon hectares of farmland lies barren as I write this, no food is being grown on numerous farms across the country. His anger at the west is not entirely pointless, but his idea that the US and British governments have led to the downfall of the Zimbabwean economy is nothing but hot air. He talked off 'farm mechanisation programs' and the importance of harnessing the land. And accidentally forgot to acknowledge the humanitarian disaster that is Zimbabwe, inflations is at 165 000% as I write this. Neglected to admit major failings on his part. And even unintentionally failed to point out the hundreds of displaced, and maimed Zimbabweans living in fear - simply because they have been thought of as MDC supporters. For someone of Mugabe's stature to speak at such a global event is an achievement, he has been thrown out of most international organisations, including the Commonwealth. Apart from his speech, the one he seemed to not have written himself - seeing as he did not once take his eyes away from the pages; Mugabe is fighting fit. Walking with a youthfulness, that men half his age can only dream of. It will be a long time before Zimbabwe is no longer in his grip. It might not even happen in my lifetime.

Pascal x