Zimbabwe

While Zimbabwe may have fallen off the headlines, the violence there still continues. While the unity government has brought an end to the shortages and the hyper inflation, Zanu PF, and the War Veterans allied to Robert Mugabe are still running amok trying to steal the farms from the white farmers.

Under white rule, ninety percent of the land was owned by white farmers. While this was clearly unjust for the majority indigenous black population, when the former British colony gained independence the agreement was that the farms would be bought from the white farmers. This would give the Zimbabweans land to farm themselves. However, Mugabe and Zanu PF started to just take the farms. The land was then given to the War Veterans who did not farm or work the land but just stripped out the irrigation pipes and all the other equipment and sold it.

All this had the effect of ruining the economy as the farms failed to be able to grow the food that fed the population and provided the export earnings. Also the farm workers became unemployed with each new occupation, further damaging the economy. As did the violence and state aided lawlessness. Therefore a cycle of destruction became embedded in the government.

While this was allowed to happen by the state, Robert Mugabe blamed Britain for the problems. There had been an agreement from Britain and other nations that money would be provided to allow the Zimbabwean government start buying the farms back. But Britain stopped providing these funds when thirty eight million pounds disappeared into Robert Mugabe's own accounts and the government via Zanu PF, started just stealing the farms.

Therefore, following the last rigged election, it became clear to even Mugabe that political change was needed. However, the powers behind the throne, the Zanu PF leadership, could not allow this as they risked being charged with crimes against humanity.

But Morgan Tsvangirai was a genuine peace maker and became prime minister in the unity government. While this reduced the violence, it has not stopped it. Zanu PF, aided by the army and the police are still trying to seize farms from the white farmers and inflicting violence upon the black farm workers, while the worlds media is not looking.

The old adage of “If it Bleeds it Leads” clearly applies to the media still and it is often Human Rights organisations and NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations) who try to alert the world to the plight of the innocent civilian populations.

While Robert Mugabe remains as president, I can not see an end to this situation I hope that other African leaders will start to apply pressure to make Mugabe leave office. Only then with a democratically elected government restraining the police and the army can true peace become established. Further had the Nobel peace prize been awarded to Morgan Tsvangirai, the media's attention would have been turned to Zimbabwe and the dictator Mugabe would not be able to continue his abuse of power unnoticed.