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Mugabe’s lavish lifestyle shouldn’t be rewarded

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As Zanu PF and the MDC ask for foreign aid to set the recovery of Zimbabwe in motion, land invasions are still in full swing. From Chiredzi we’ve just received this report:

On Sunday the Deputy Commissioner of Police Veterai, who was partially occupying Digby Nesbitts homestead in the presence of the Nesbitts since Jan. 2008, has now moved in totally taking over all the house hold goods and furnishings and has also forced away all the workforce from their housing on the farm. This has left the crocodile farm with no one to feed and medicate the crocodiles. Veterai took advantage of the Nesbitts whilst they were South Africa. So one of the highest ranking policemen in Zimbabwe is nothing but a thief with no compassion or sense decency.

Zimbabwe is the world’s third largest food aid consumer and still Mugabe sanctions land invasions, and still Mugabe and Tsvangirai go cap in hand to the World Bank, the IMF, South Africa, the UK (etc, etc) for a bail out.

Sick, isn’t it.

It’s also sick that Mugabe lives a lavish lifestyle whilst millions of Zimbabweans rely on food aid to keep them going.

In Robert Calderisi’s book The Trouble with Africa: why foreign aid isn’t working takes leaders like Mugabe to task and has suggestions of how to get Africa working again. Here are two ideas that should be engaged immediately:

Introduce mechanisms for tracing and recovering public funds
The world’s greatest gift to Africa’s democrats would be to stop the amassing of illegal fortunes by its politicians and senior officials in foreign banks. Closing safe havens for illicit money would be a major building block of political reform in Africa.

Require all heads of state, ministers, and senior officials to open their bank accounts to public scrutiny
Openness about personal finances would build confidence within the African public and identify those with something to hide. In a continent as poor as Africa, there should not be many legitimate millionaires in government. As African corruption is the worst in the world, officials should long ago have lost the right to have unexamined bank accounts. If countries refuse to accept such constraints, they should not be asking for aid.

3 comments to “Mugabe’s lavish lifestyle shouldn’t be rewarded”

  1. Comment by nkosie sibanda:

    Mugabe should never be applauded for anything in our lifetime.This piece by Bev is one of those expose’ that we rarely read about in our mass media, partly because of the Jonathan Moyo repressive media laws.So it becomes evident that this information gap or is it sheer negligence of investigative journalism in Zimbabwe is breeding a family of looters who are themselves convicts- turned-police chiefs.I feel we are slowly becoming one of those states that are only inhabited by those who have been schooled on how to steal from the poor.
    It is very sad to learn that Veterai is still thieving in his uniform. Does’nt he get fed up with all those farms.How many stomachs does he have?He should give his mouth and his rectum a break for God’s sake.
    But, these kind of acts go on to show that the Government of National Unity will fail absolutely if Mugabe’s cronies are given a whip of discipline.
    Veterai and Chihuri’s many assistants or should we call them asses will forever wish the old timer in Mugabe to live eternally so that they milk whatever is left before a new Government takes over in two years time.
    If the minister of home affairs is reading this, I bet he should be calling for heads to roll within the police force.
    After all can’t Veterai learn from Zvinavashe, Boder Gezi, Manyika and and Zany Pf’s loud mouthed gluttons how painful it is to loot something you cannot swallow for the rest of your life.
    I pray to Jah, such Babylon activities rot so that all victims of operation Murambatsvina are given their land given by the Almighty.
    There are other civil organisations who also work with these land thieves.You will find some among us inviting brats such as Veterai to officiate in gatherings.Why?-you are just legitimising a thief, so beware of preaching the wrong message, people aint stupid.

    Bev Clark thanks for your research, I believe we must soon set up civil society watchdogs to keep an eye on politicians’ lifestyles, their money, where they spend their time, weekends, holidays.

    all the same ,all politicians, policemen, regardless of what they say on stage are just bent on sucking out poor people’s money.

    CHANT DOWN BABYLON

  2. Comment by Don Cox:

    The other thing that is essential is strict term limits. No money should be donated to states which have had the same man in power for more than ten years.

  3. Comment by Kubatana.net speaks out from Zimbabwe » Blog Archive » Time to get more creative about aid:

    [...] most of that is for running the country, not rebuilding it. And whilst Zimbabwe is asking for aid, Mugabe’s and Zanu PF’s assets remain untouched. Zimbabwe needs financial help – but it needs this [...]