I think you have summed it up pretty well. It looks like Zimbabwe will get another 5 years of grandpa bob. If mugabe/zanu feel philanthropic they might now toss Tsvangarai a bone.

On the UN sanctions South Africa voted no with China, Russia, Libya and Vietnam. You are known by the company you keep…I haven’t heard of anyone trying to emigrate to those countries.

The darkness never did like the light. Zimbabwe continues its plummet into the abyss.

Lobengula

sounded a bit abrupt there please accept my apologies.

If you are not convinced by this one look at the others there are many. I don’t think it’s time for what you are suggesting. It could be similar to what you have seen before. Remember there is a pattern here. Of the type of torture as well as the murders.

Any murder picture is about the same thing, death, do you want a DNA test to be done at this point in time?

They can veto and disagree but deep down they know they are murderers who are looting Africa at all costs. How many of their development projects have been a success in Zimbabwe and Africa all they heve offered is half hearted or rejects (remember the zhingzhongs)

I know that the hall in Warren park is sinking if not already sunk, the one that was meant to replace Stodart hall for the heroes body viewing etc. The so called national sports stadium has cracks that can fit a five year old’s head. And some people are called racist. Go to China and see how tolerant they are to blacks.

No wonder they are using fools like the Zimbabwean junta who will kill their own to preserve their positions until nature terminates them.

The Chinese by the way still execute their opposition activists in the grossest way and so does Russia with their radioactive poisons.

Are we going back to the cold war using spite and cheap vengeance. This is getting to be a diplomatic tug of war for which some goons will think they are invincible while identifying with what they don’t understand. Mere tools, fanatics of outdated communism, fascists, tribalists, genocidal beasts who strut about claiming to represent a new era which they can’t even percieve.

Here’s a quote from the Chinese UN ambassador regarding their UN vote…

Wang Guangya said “Zimbabwe was best left to conduct its own talks on how to resolve its political crisis.”

“The development of the situation in Zimbabwe until now has not exceeded the context of domestic affairs,” he said. “It (sanctions) will unavoidably interfere with the negotiation process.”

This is how the MDC gave China the “out” they were looking for regarding “negotiations”. zanu can now spit in Tsvangarai’s face in RSA talks.

Perhaps RSA would change position if another 7 million Zimbabweans head south!

These guys are toying around with the people’s lives in their quest to prove the weight of their balls.

I pray that we do not fall into the Somali situation, having the west and the east playing chess over our plight.

I really wonder what proof is needed for this. Methinks madness is really rife in China. I hope no natural disaster will befall the Olimpics.

Tsvangarai and the MDC seem to be politically brain-dead.

The mere appearance of negotiating with zanu (even though it’s only meaningless talks about talks), has given Russia and China the “out” they needed to vote against sanctions. They can now claim “Why upset things now that the belligerant parties are negotiating?”

Tsvangarai and MDC needed to hold off just a few days until after the vote. They have now lost all leverage in any negotiating that might take place. mugabe and zanu must be howling with laughter over MDC stupidity.

If a democratic majority should ever run Zimbabwe, perhaps they would do well to remember the actions of China, Russia and South Africa on this day!

You go about this by sitting back and letting Bush and Brown do their thing.Brown shone at the G8 by showing the participants the same picture as above of Joshua Bakacheza’s burnt body. Brown got the G8 to trash the latest election and basically shamed the Arfican “leaders” who attended.

Meanwhile, back at the UN, the US has gotten the UN to vote (probably this week) on sanctions for Zim…to wit…Mugabe and 14 of his joc can’t travel anywhere. Their assets will be frozen throughout the world. A world-wide arms embargo. The first 2 seem to be having an effect, especially since it seems likely Russia won’t vote (abstain) and the same with China who is facing enough difficulties trying to save face in view of Tibet and the upcoming olympics.

This may be the other possible scenario regarding mugabe and his round table. Unfortunately any negotiated settlement will likely lead to immunity for the worst offenders among them. That’s always the way in order to get rid of them.

Good luck…we’ll need it!

How can we go about this. I have no faith in Mbeki too. Secondly, to be realistic taking on Mugabe as you suggest will be intersting. For a fight the way he does it will take DECADES. Also sanctions will be debated and actioned after a longwinded diplomatic debacle from which zanu seems to thrive.

Remember Zimbabwe has some good diplomats who can argue their case convincingly in the international arena.

Remember Mutambara has been at it having photo shoots with mugabe and all. If this happens then to the world negotiations are taking place. They don’t scrutinise issues in Zim the way you and I do. And as we speak zanu is strategising a semblance of reconciliation and order while you and I know what will be happening behind the scenes.

Please indulge me in the detail of what your scheme things could be. I am ready to take advice in this regard.

You can wait for Mbeki to come and save Zim and I wish you well.

The only real possibility of relief without the repressed Zimbabweans doing it for themselves is for mugabe/joc to be somehow separated from all sources of foreign exchange. When they can no longer pay their cio/army/police enough to buy food then the whole mess would collapse…and it would do so with amazing rapidity.

To do this without the cooperation of China, South Africa and, to a lesser degree, Russia will be extremely difficult for the UK and US to accomplish even though they’re trying hard.

The UA and SADC heads of state are still wandering around in the mists of anti-colonialism – many in power for as long as mugabe and by the same methods. Not only are they of little assistance, they are a hindrance.

If you are white, I agree, fighting would be suicide – you can’t hide in a crowd.

This is an amazing moment for the power of the internet and for your work Sokwanele.

More about this here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/09/zimbabwe.g8

All you need are the tactics of the famed Gwesela who embarrassed the Zimbabwean army to the point of them killing an innocent man and flighting his decomposed body for weeks on ZBC claiming it was Gwesela.

Thirdly please refraine from accuations about Zimbabweans being weak and being cowards we saw the guerrila war, the Matebeleland massacres and now this. Please get real and stop theorising about the demise of a nation.

What ever happened to peacefull but alert negotiations. Something unlike the ZAPU zanu agreement which cemented the bullying of a party by another. A review of the present constitution could be a start.

The Musikas and John Nkomos are really trapped in this murder now.

All wars are terrible. Civil wars are amongst the meanest and most cruel. Yet to summon up the courage to ‘take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion’ is the ultimate call not to give up, but to redeem the sacrifices of fallen comrades by not giving up the struggle.
A mavellous message!

“But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honoured dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

I’m sorry to have piqued you. You see, what I meant is that it occurs to me that people who support Zim from outside are even more helpless than you at home. We sit here writing yards of commments hoping that some Big Brother Government or Organisation will heed our cries for (your) help and rescue Zim (and if you look back through all the blogs you’ll note I’m an ardent Bob-hater and MDC-supporter).

But the reality might just be that the solution does NOT lie in what we “give upperers” as you call us, say or hope for or cry about. It may lie with you guys back at the ranch, so to speak.

All I can say is that if my comments (& Pan’s) sting – the sting may be less from the words we have said than the truth they carry.

But believe me – I am truly sorry there is a sting at all.

And “giving up” is both a relative and subjective thing – I made a choice because I could and it was in my family’s best interest. It does not make me a traitor. In reality I lost any power to seriously contribute to Zimbabwe’s future at about the time I lost my farm. So shoot me for being at least honest to myself!

I might remind you that Zimbabweans’ options are in reality no more limited in the 2000s than, oh for example, the French people’s in 1789. Just maybe the choices the French people made back then were more liberating.

1) Give up power and wealth and face the very real possibility of trials in the Hague.

2) Retain their power and wealth at any cost.

Which path do you think they have chosen?

Zimbabweans have all become slaves…having fed the crocodile 20,000 Ndebele (to mugabe’s 5 brigade) and subsequently allowing absolute constitutional powers to the old man, there are now no others left to be fed to the crocodile. Injustices were ignored and now it is you who face the injustice.

“As for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

When I hear people criticise Zimbabweans like that then I think that it is them who have given up because they are looking for a quick-fix. There isn’t one. Wash your hands of Zim if you want, but please don’t you dare say you are moving on because ZIMBABWEANS have failed. It is YOU who have given up.

The options available to Zimbabweans in the 2000s are limited & it looks like Zimbabweans are doing whatever they can with what they have available to them. Be realistic and be fair.