Posted on 04/01/2002 4:42:47 PM PST by blam
No more Mr Nice Guy, Mugabe tells protesters
Chris McGreal, Africa correspondent
Tuesday April 2, 2002
The Guardian
Robert Mugabe has said that he will no longer be "soft" on his critics after a coalition of churches, trade unions and civic groups called for mass protests next weekend against the rigging of last month's presidential election.
In a speech that implicitly acknowledged the wave of terror already unleashed against his opponents since the ballot, Zimbabwe's president also vowed that there will be no new election and that the opposition will never govern.
Mr Mugabe told a victory party in Zvimba, 25 miles south-west of Harare, that he will not tolerate attempts to make Zimbabwe ungovernable "by those bent on causing chaos".
"Those who want to rebel and become lawless, we will deal with them firmly," he said. "They think we will continue to be soft. But that has gone. It's finished. We are now in a new phase and there will be a firm government."
Mr Mugabe also rejected calls from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and Nigeria's president, Olusegun Obasanjo, for a fresh election by saying that it was part of a British plot to depose him.
"This talk about fresh elections, where will these be re-run?" he asked. "If they [Britain and other western governments] want, let them help the MDC in Britain and do their elections there. That's where they can win. They can never win elections in Zim babwe... They will never, ever rule this country."
The National Constitutional Assembly, an alliance of human rights activists, trade unions and religious groups, has called for street demonstrations on Saturday against the outcome of the disputed election.
The MDC and its supporters say that a combination of tactics - such as striking hundreds of thousands of people from the voters' roll, engineering obstacles to voting and straightforward ballot box stuffing - delivered Mr Mugabe an illegitimate victory.
The NCA says that the protest will mark the start of a rolling campaign of civil disobedience in defiance of new security laws that carry long prison sentences, and even the death penalty, for what the government defines as acts of "treason".
Previous challenges to Mr Mugabe by the NCA have been poorly attended. Only 40 people went to the last one, in November, and it was swiftly broken up by the police. Like wise, a three-day general strike by trade unions after the election was a flop.
But there is evidence of growing anger at the torrent of state-sponsored violence unleashed across the country against Mr Mugabe's opponents and entire areas that voted against him in the presidential election.
Last week, police used tear gas to break up a riot in a township near the southern city of Bulawayo in which residents trapped and stoned members of the ruling Zanu- PF militia responsible for punishment beatings of Mr Mugabe's opponents and attacks on houses.
But the real suffering is for villagers in rural areas, where the army and ruling party militia have unleashed a wave of terror.
Although opposition activists are the favoured targets for beatings and abductions, entire villages have been persecuted with thousands of people tortured and women raped.
Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes by mobs of soldiers and militia intent on punishing Mr Mugabe's critics and demonstrating their power.
Zimbabwe's white farmers have also endured an upsurge in violence. One farmer has been murdered and many more driven from their property after Mr Mugabe announced his intention to seize hundreds more farms immediately.
When, exactly was he a "nice guy?" Back when it was still called Rhodesia, and he was still called a terrorist?
Back in the late 70s, when "Zimbabwe" was hailed as the blacks'/workers' paradise that would expose the decadent corrupt evil capitalist West for what it was. Frankly, I'd be more than happy if those here who get down on the "evil capitalist West" would do as they say, get the h*ll out and move to the Zimbabwean paradise of their dreams.
I wish I could, but what comes to mind mostly was a "concert" in college (this was a LONG time ago) where they celebrated "Zimbabwe" and then, the point where I couldn't take it any more, they sang a paean to "Fidel."
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