By any of the normal indices by which one judges the success of a leader of a modern nation state, he is a failure, and an abject failure at that. Yet still, after 28 years of disastrous rule, he remains at the helm and, incredibly, at the age of 84 he is putting himself forward again as a candidate - ZANU PF's only official candidate - for a further term as President of Zimbabwe. Such is the overwhelming arrogance of the man, Robert Mugabe. And that, with such a record of shame, he should have even the remotest prospect of prolonging his tenure in office, is testament only to the experience and expertise his regime has acquired in defying the democratic process.

At independence in 1980, Zimbabwe seemed poised on the threshold of an era of great promise. That independence was won at the cost of a bitter and protracted civil war, but now the proud nation was bursting with new confidence. Robert Mugabe was widely acclaimed as a hero - a revolutionary leader who had committed to the cause of reconciliation and the path of pragmatism. Western governments were falling over themselves in the rush to provide offers of aid. In the general euphoria then prevailing Julius Nyerere of Tanzania counselled Mugabe: "You have inherited a jewel. Keep it that way."

This is a story written by a 14 year old child, a victim of the Zanu PF government's Operation Murambatsvina.We give it to you here, literally in her own words. We've obscured some details to protect the child from potential reprisals.

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Street children in Harare

Zimbabweans have lived in a state of more or less perpetual crisis for the last seven years. In all this time they have shown a remarkable talent for coping with extremes of adversity and just simply surviving. Patience, perseverance and amazing ingenuity are just some of the heroic qualities the people have demonstrated as the crisis has deepened and the suffering has been steadily ratcheted up. Yet as good and necessary as these qualities are in the daily struggle to survive the effects of prolonged ZANU PF mis- rule, they are not enough. The victim of a savage mugging must do more than raising his arms to cover his face from the blows raining down upon him. If he cannot immediately restrain his assailant he must at least remove himself from harm’s way. And that counsel applies particularly to the youth of the nation who are suffering massive damage, in terms of their health, education, and moral well-being.