Mugabe: Still In Business (Unfortunately)

Aimee Sobhani
Politics

Few Americans know the true extent of problems in Africa: after all, the media's attention is so focused on the war in Iraq, the impending 2008 Presidential election, and various celebrity scandals that there's little time to cover problem-ridden Africa. Sure, every so often we might hear about Darfur, but there are also many other issues plaguing the African continent. Low life expectancies, famine, disease, poverty, war--these issues all stem from the rampant colonial expansion that occurred until the middle of the twentieth century, but it can be argued that these problems specifically arose from the rise of corrupt, incompetent African leaders that came into power after the expulsion of colonial rule.

One such leader is Robert Mugabe, the current President of Zimbabwe. The term "president" is not the best descriptor for the leader--a more accurate term is dictator. Mugabe has been President since 1980, mainly due to the fact that he has "won" corrupt elections by unbelievable margins (The BBC reports that in the recent June election, Mugabe won by 85%). Mugabe's cronies engage in all sorts of illegal activities in order to secure Mugabe's place in the government. Mugabe's opponents are harassed and intimidated, and voters not casting a ballot for Mugabe can expect to be intimidated as well. In addition, many voters choose not to participate in the elections due to the fact that it is common knowledge that the elections are meaningless.

Why is Mugabe such a threat? Let's just say he doesn't have the best track record. He and his party, ZANU-PF, have ruined the lives of large numbers of Zimbabwe's people through their revolting policies. For example, in 2005, Mugabe's followers destroyed homes in Zimbabwean suburbs because ZANU-PF's opposition party was gaining support in these areas. As a result, many Zimbabweans fled to other countries (especially South Africa), where they are at risk of becoming targets of xenophobic violence.

A decrease in the general well-being of Zimbabweans has accompanied Mugabe's rule. Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy in the world; most people only live until their mid-30's. In addition, inflation is rampant; a recent article revealed that inflation in Zimbabwe has reached 1 million percent and could continue rising. Additionally, as in most African countries, AIDS is a huge concern.

So how is the world responding to Mugabe's inability to ensure the health and happiness of his people? Well, it's not. The UN has stated that it believes Zimbabwe's latest elections were unfair, but merely pointing out the obvious is not going to solve any problems. The African Union (AU) has failed to take any decisive action against Mugabe and like the UN, merely voices its concerns about Mugabe's actions. Words, though they may be powerful in some cases, cannot remove Robert Mugabe from office, and they certainly cannot solve the problems faced by Zimbabwe.