Opposition leader Robert Mugabe and his rent-a-mob board the ‘gravy-bus’ for Lusaka
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We’ve just had word that 27 busloads of Zanu PF supporters are in Victoria Falls preparing to go through the border into Zambia before tomorrow’s emergency meeting.
You know what this means… images of hundreds of ‘adoring fans’ adorning TV screens everywhere, convincing some African nations that Mugabe is loved.
No one knows these people will have had their bus fare paid for and all their food covered as well and a nice new shiny Mugabe T-shirt to go with. They aren’t on the ‘gravy-train’; they’re on the ‘gravy-bus’.
The opposition leader, Robert Mugabe, has a long history of using taxpayers’ money to prop up his regime. His election rallies and his birthday parties show seas of ‘happy’ faces, but the crowds are all swelled out by school children, vendors and anyone else who can be bribed or bludgeoned into attending.
He had a bit of a problem during his campaign leading up to the March 29th elections because people refused to attend, so at least five rallies were cancelled. I saw one news article at the time which really made me laugh: it reported that school holidays had been a major problem for him, because he couldn’t round up school-kids to swell the crowd.
No doubt these 27 busloads are off for a long weekend of shouting and screaming in support of Robert Mugabe, all paid for by the taxpayer. One long fun great weekend away - but with a potential cost for years afterwards.
I was also told that they had asked Bulawayo police to provide them with protection up to Victoria Falls (the drive to Vic Falls is through Matabeleland - Mugabe is at his least popular in this region). The police apparently refused: said they had no fuel or transport but I like to think that’s a polite way to say ’shove off’.
It’s going to be a long nerve-wracking weekend.
Please send those emails and work hard to get others to do the same. Thank you so much everyone, for your words of support and efforts to try and help.
Please click here to visit our action alert. Please take action.
April 11th, 2008 14:06
Shopping is better in Lusaka these days. Can we get a commission from the shops in Lusaka if we alert them that the buses are coming?
Seriously, can people outside the country rally to publicize the action alert? I tried put comments on blogs about Zimbabwe at the British newspapers and I have been systematically blocked. Can other people try please?
Perhaps keep a copy of your comments and the times you make them. We need to engage with British newspapers too about the continued sensationalism which encourages hopelessness rather than considered action.
We are NOT in a hopeless situation. We are in difficult circumstances that require resolution.
Oh lets’ get the buses shopping? Who knows someone in Lusaka?
April 11th, 2008 16:15
I too have tried various British newspaper blogs numerous times with only one success (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3701933.ece) BBC is the worst - it appears that a lack of command of English and bad spelling will get your comments published.
I trust that immigration officers will carry out their duties as they are trained to do, and take the usual 1 hour to clear passport holders. Assuming the customary 75 passengers per bus, the last person will clear immigration in about 83 days time.
April 11th, 2008 16:15
Its now well known that ZANU(PF) long decided that what ever happens they will not give up powre. So the court cases, the SADC initiatives, etc, are tools for prolonging the crucial decision.
ZANU(PF) will not listen to anyone else, even SADC unless they are supported.
April 11th, 2008 16:46
Zimbabwe seem to have a new God in this world
April 11th, 2008 16:49
And the new Zimbabwean God is Mugabe. He decides the nation’s fate
April 11th, 2008 17:07
Updated SADC e-mail list. The previous one had some bad addresses that kept some e-mail accounts from being able to send them. Hopefully this will clear up any problems.
johnmu@nkwazi.gov.zm; differmu@nkwazi.gov.zm; tmothae@sadc.int; registry@sadc.in; thandi@po.gov.za; mukoni@po.gov.za; embzambia@aol.com; tnwinfo@plancom.go.tz; Ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org; webmaster@malawi.gov.mw; angola@angola.org; webmaster@uem.mz; embamoc@aol.com; sps@palace.org.ls; hpohamba@op.gov.na; snujoma@op.gov.na; nangula@opm.gov.na; lamathila@opm.gov.na; info@namibianembassyusa.org; primeminister@mail.gov.mu; MAURITIUS.EMBASSY@prodigy.net; acpresse@gmail.com; malagasy@embassy.org; webmaster@ict.gov.sc; churchl@tegris.com; seychelles@un.int; hwgreen@msn.com; info@saembassy.org; sandra@po.gov.za; mukoni@po.gov.za; thandi@po.gov.za; llekoa@gov.bw; smautle@gov.bw; jtherego@gov.bw; ekuhlmann@gov.bw; mmoleleke@gov.bw; gchebanne@gov.bw; hluke@gov.bw; lsebogiso@gov.bw; cratsiripe@gov.bw; ikhama@gov.bw;
April 11th, 2008 17:16
guess what? he aint pitching up in Zambia. he just told them all to f**k off.. i will keep my Zimbabwe and you can all keep your SADC..LOL
April 11th, 2008 17:21
Marc I do not agree with. Without being overly religious even satan has powers. He was an angel at some point. I prefer that we say Zimbabwean has one satan called Mugabe. And even this evil will come to pass. Even those of us who are in the so called diaspora can do our bit to unsit this evil.
This is an OUT OF OFFICE REPLY I got from the South African president’s office. Thats another email and phone number to try. Lets keep the presseure up.
I am out of the office from Friday April 4 2008 to Thursday April 11 2008. For urgent business, please contact me on +27 82 300 3447 or send an email to: mukoni@mweb.co.za If I am unavailable on my mobile phone, please send a text message.
April 11th, 2008 17:44
Thanks deepyarn
I’ll get those addresses up on other blogs as well.
I’ve just had a message from Canada saying they have taken up the torch and will carry on.
Let’s keep it up. We are communicating and we are being peaceful and positive.
April 11th, 2008 19:30
Here’s my letter. I put all those addresses into an email, a couple have bounced back, no matter as long as some get through.
Honoured African leaders
I plead with you to use the vital opportunity of Saturday’s meeting in Lusaka to make a decisive statement of preference concerning Zimbabwe’s future, and to call for the suffering to end IMMEDIATELY. Let Southern Africa be a place of peace, hope, “ubuntu”, international friendship, honest government and natural beauty - not devastation, disease, torture, deceit, repression and death.
Robert Mugabe has had 28 years to rule Zimbabwe with his “iron fist” and he has no new ideas at all. He will arrive in Lusaka with bus-loads of paid supporters, they are just as much victims as any other Zimbabweans, yielding their God-given dignity for a handful of useless Zim dollars! It’s long past time for change. Zimbabweans will find the courage they need to defend and rebuild their country, their votes, their Constitution and their Parliament if they know they are not alone. All they need is hope - not the dangerous, fevered hope of recent days but a realistic hope and a future. A run-off or re-run at this stage is in any case beyond the country’s ability to administer, with the RBZ collapsing into debt; and will result in horrific brutality, indeed the beatings have already started no matter what the Police chiefs are saying.
Please, do what you can to make it stop, and to tell ZANU-PF what we Africans really think of their blatant attempt to conceal the election results. Those sealed, protected ballot boxes are the last echo of democracy in Zimbabwe, please don’t let that echo fade into silence.
April 12th, 2008 00:57
There’s an online petition going around; it can be found at
http://www.avaaz.org/en/democracy_for_zimbabwe/97.php
“DEMOCRACY FOR ZIMBABWE
Robert Mugabe’s government has withheld the results of the national elections–and threatens to use violence and fraud to hold on to power.
Mugabe has resisted international pressure–but South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, who has Mugabe’s ear, might listen. A global outcry is needed to ensure that Mbeki knows his status as a global and regional leader is on the line: the world is turning to him to help bring justice for the people of Zimbabwe.
This petition will be delivered through diplomatic channels, media–and an event on Wednesday, April 16, when Mbeki travels to the United Nations to chair a special meeting of the UN Security Council. “
April 12th, 2008 10:11
Surely there are enough people in the Military/Police who can be persuaded to effect a coup and allow the new government to take office? I may be wide of the mark here but sometimes it takes just a slight nudge for the whole deck of cards to tumble. Not an easy choice but it would seem, given the hardening attitude of Mugabe, that the choices now are very few. Watching with great interest from the UK
April 12th, 2008 20:08
“No crisis in Zimbabwe” Mbeki.?????? Holy shit. Is this guy for real? If people like Mbeki chooses to see the world through rose coloured specs and nobody challenges him, then we are all going to hell in a hand cart. For pitys sake, if ever there was a time to unleash the “dogs of war” surely now is the time. It pains me to the pit of my stomach that we in the comfortable white west unleash our force only in places where there is a monetary gain for our own interests.(Iraq/oil) For me, the ability to enable a people to live in peace and harmony without fear of repercussions is a far more worthy cause. Christian, muslim, atheist, whatever, doesn,t really matter. What matters it what is right. We all have a right on this planet to live our lives in peace and if people take that right away from us(Mugabe) that is when it is time for men from all backgrounds to stand up and be counted, to do the right thing. Because, be sure of one thing, if we sit idly by and twiddle our thumbs much longer, the ever voracious tentacles of the emerging chinese empire will move in. Is that the prefered option ?????