Birthday Bash

Just been re-reading the blog and came across my thoughts last year on Mugabe's birthday. Well, we're here again. He's 84 and another huge party was organised accompanied by an event at a stadium in Beitbridge, a town just over the border from South Africa.

The South African media report consistently on the events in Zimbabwe and are just as outraged as the British media. Of course there is outrage.

But world leaders allow the situation to continue - South Africa's Mbeki in the spotlight here for failing in his duty to mediate between Mugabe and Zimbabwe's opposition parties and to setting down the foundations for free and fair elections at the end of March.
What does Mugabe care about these talks though? He changed his mind and announced he's running again in the elections, as well as creating a new constitution to allow him to do this, rather than rolling out the one that was agreed to in the talks.

He was flown in by the country's air force to his birthday celebrations joined by 10,000 invited guests apparently. He is still a formidable figure inside and outside Zimbabwe and in this world of freedom and fairness, of democracy and transparency - that's the extraordinary thing.

But it seems that these modern day checks and catch phrases mean nothing when it comes down to it. Look at Kenya - a robbed election victory and the players themselves seem to be happy to negotiate for Prime Minister positions and the power this role will come with, rather than a re-run.

A meeting in hospital

I read a great article a few weeks ago in the Independent by Basildon Peta who I really rate as a journalist.

He was giving an update on the medical conditions of the opposition members beaten up by police and what Tsvangirai was saying about it all.

Apparently some of the injured were being looked after in the same hospital as Mugabe's sister. Mugabe had to literally walk past the bed of the seriously injured secretary general of the MDC to get to see his sister. What an image. Apparently neither men said anything.

Rant

The diatribe on Zim seems to have quietened down a bit in the past couple of weeks. Except for mine.

I'm wondering why the media haven't explored the reason for the failing of the two day strike called recently in the country. Beatings, arrests, court appearances continue - the situation hasn't improved or changed - so why no reporting?

It's easy to become cynical and (more than) irritated by how Africa is reported. Many people talk of the laziness journalists exhibit in reporting on an event/ civil war/ election in Africa or the personalities themselves. There's little context - historical or political - and a sort of despairing shaking of the head and the tinge of 'Look how badly the children are behaving.'

Newspaper commentary is amongst the worst.
One recent example: "This is a story of war and bunfights. Start with the party thrown by Robert Mugabe to mark his 83rd birthday. Herds of cattle were slaughtered and drums of beer imported for a banquet that filled a football stadium. Outside, the people starved and the morgues filled up....In Zimbabwe, the hangover of excess and brutality goes on."

None of this is untrue and it's supposed to be a dramatic opening but we've heard all this sooooo many times. Where's the sense of the complexity of Zim these days? Yes the bald facts are that Zim is in meltdown, Mugabe has lost touch with many of the wants and needs of his voters. His hold on to power has become a thing of ego and repression.
But surely there are other ways to comment and discuss this huge issue. Surely the journalist needs to ask - What or who enabled him to reach 83 and still be president? Why this show of power by Mugabe on the day to mark this grand old age? Who is he trying to impress - Zimbabweans or the region, China even? Who is he trying to provoke? He knows the economy is in serious trouble and he's hated by many. Anyone wondered who's having the last laugh?

The same journalist goes on. Apparently beefing up existing sanctions with travel bans and freezing assets will stop "dignitaries from buying their shoes at Gucci and having their varicose veins fixed in Harley Street". The height of outrageous behaviour obviously.

But British Airways can continue to run direct flights to Zimbabwe, British companies can continue to operate in the country (however unstable it may be). That's OK.

Rant over.

Absence

It's now two months since I last posted anything on here - I don't understand how that happened. I'm now back in England and obviously I seem to have been struggling to find thoughts to post.

Zim has been kicking off since I was there just before I came back and when the first of the demonstrations happened. Driving into one suburb and seeing riot police and water canons was a surprise and came out of nowhere.

A few streets away people didn't even know what had happened. The demo had been given the go-ahead but then apparently the police didnt think they had the manpower to cope so instead the shields, dogs and canons were called in and beat people up. A ban on all demos - government and opposition - followed. Opposition members were arrested.

And since then articles, new pieces and commentary on Zim and Mugabe haven't been far off the lead story.

More Zim Snaps 2

Zim

When you visit a place which receives so much media coverage like Zimbabwe it's hard to know what you're really seeing driving around its capital and meeting some of its people.

And Christmas is a strange time anyway - lots of the Diaspora had come back so the shoppers and holiday makers were out in force. The Victoria Falls Hotel was full to bursting -but perhaps with Chinese tourists rather than the Europeans or Americans. But inflation meant that the price of petrol or bread, say, were in free fall. And according to statistics a low income family of five needs Z$350,000 a month to buy basic foodstuffs but the average labourer is paid around Z$8000.

Does all of this really come down to one man? Why is it recently that he's been ostracised when he's been talking about the Land Issue since the 80's? Why does the criticism and sanctioning only come from outside the country, can the structures within really be so weak? These are the kind of questions I asked myself.

It's so hard to make pronouncements, and why should I?

The welcome I received was warm and gracious and the landscape breathtaking. And however hard life becomes, there's always beer.

More Zim Snaps

Zim Snaps 1

My second trip to Zimbabwe, this time for Christmas and New Year.

Here are some photos from Domboshava, just outside Harare - ancient cave paintings and a sacred space.