Zimbabwe: Less Freedom under Robert Mugabe than Ian Smith
- Mr Robert Mugabe’s Election Photo Album, and Sokwanele
- Scrutinise the Zimbabwe Elections with Twitter, Flickr: Sokwanele
- News of Zimbabwe Abuses using the Net: Resources
- Election Web Feeds for Zimbabwe and Henley
- Donate to Zimbabwe democratic causes from the UK
- Help Zimbabwe from your chair
- Movement for Democratic Change (MDC): Advert banned
- The Tea Chicken News is in from Harare, Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe: Tea Chicken News 1, Stage 6 Genocide Warning
- Vote and Stop Bob Mugabe: A song and slide show
- Watching Zimbabwe via the Internet
- Zimbabwe Cricket Tour Ban - British Govt cuts ties. Interview.
- What Can We Do About A Problem Like Zimbabwe?
- Announcement of Zimbabwe Election Result
- Zimbabwe: Less Freedom under Robert Mugabe than Ian Smith
- Zimbabwe: Vote Rigging on Video
- Zimbabwean exiles abandoned, left destitute
- Zimbabwe Investments
In Zimbabwe the level of Civil Liberties and Political Freedom - as assessed by the Freedom House organisation - have gone below those recorded in the 1970s under white minority rule. Click through for the full graph.
This is not to defend the situation back then, which was appalling - but does highlght out how bad things have become. The common factor is perhaps that there is a Dictator who perceives himself to be under serious threat. That highlights the need for a government that is put in by the people, and can also be removed by the people if it proves untrustworthy.
Freedom House uses this scale:
- 1-3 Free.
- 4-5 Partially Free.
- 6-7 Not Free.
For most of the last 35 years Zimbabwe has been “partially free” or “not free”. I hope it changes soon, and that the change sticks this time.
The latest news is that the Movement for Democratic Change are not willing to talk about a “government of national unity”. I can’t say that I blame them.
Eight Steps to Support Zimbabwe
There are things that those of us outside the country can do to support the democratic movement in Zimbabwe. Here are eight to start with.
- Read through the Freedom House Zimbabwe Report.
- Follow the Sokwanele Twitter Feed for immediate news of new developments, and follow the This is Zimbabwe blog (RSS feed, Comments RSS Feed).
- Donate to an organisation working in the region.
- Keep an eye on organisations working inside Zimbabwe.
- Remember how much violence was meted out at the election in March (Google map), which was won by the Movement for Democratic Change.
- Put the Zimbabwe Flickr photo feed on your blog.
- Spread the word - send an E-Card or put a blog button in your sidebar.
- Finally, read the essay “Today is the Day Democracy Died in Zimbabwe“.
And finally - of course, keep track of the feed from the Wardman Wire.
To claim that there is less freedom in Zimbabwe under Mugabe than under the dehumanising racist regime of Ian Smith is not only an insult to our intelligence but also rubbing salt into our injuries. It reveals your ulterior sinister motives for unleashing such a massive media onslaught and evil campaign against Mugabe.
You are simply propagating the centuries-old racist denigration, repression and exploitation of the African people. And anyone that stands in your way is demonized and then eliminated, only to be replaced by a puppet, that dances to your tune. History is full of a thousand and one examples.
You folks should be ashamed. Leave Mugabe and Zimbabwe
alone. Leave Africa alone, if you don´t have the moral conscience to do reparations for your atrocities against Black people.
Go to hell and roast!
Perry
First of all, thanks for using a real name and thank-you for the comment.
>To claim that there is less freedom in Zimbabwe under Mugabe than under the dehumanising racist regime of Ian Smith is not only an insult to our intelligence but also rubbing salt into our injuries.
No it is to state the facts as they have been found according to the data supplied by Freedom House, the source I identify in the article. If you have an alternative explanation to put forward, I’d be pleased to hear it.
Note that I also say:
“This is not to defend the situation back then, which was appalling - but does highlght out how bad things have become.”
>It reveals your ulterior sinister motives for unleashing such a massive media onslaught and evil campaign against Mugabe.
I don’t call a dozen articles on one blog a “massive media onslaught”. Also, would you explain who “you” might be?
>Leave Mugabe and Zimbabwe alone.
I certainly won’t be leaving Mugabe alone - that’s not what I’m hearing the Zimbabwean people want. It certainly wasn’t what they indicated they wanted when he lost the election in March.
>Leave Africa alone, if you don´t have the moral conscience to do reparations for your atrocities against Black people.
Perhaps I should remind you that the vast majority of the people who have been killed by the forces controlled by Mr Mugabe are … black.
>You are simply propagating the centuries-old racist denigration, repression and exploitation of the African people. And anyone that stands in your way is demonized and then eliminated, only to be replaced by a puppet, that dances to your tune. History is full of a thousand and one examples.
You folks should be ashamed. Leave Mugabe and Zimbabwe
alone. Leave Africa alone, if you don´t have the moral conscience to do reparations for your atrocities against Black people.
Go to hell and roast!
I don’t think that it is racist to write in support of human beings being oppressed by a dictator, but I think I’ll leave that comment to the Archbishop of York (who was locked up by Idi Amin for refusing to toe the line):
http://www.archbishopofyork.org/1766
http://www.archbishopofyork.org/1870
http://www.archbishopofyork.org/1878
Rgds
Matt