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Even if apologising is all the rage these days

Friday, September 11, 2009
I suspect that this, from the South African Mail & Guardian, will not win much support in these parts:

"Zimbabwe will demand an apology from the European Union for imposing sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle, when an EU team visits the country this weekend, state media said".

Yes, really.

"Government officials said in the state-controlled Herald newspaper that the government would demand an apology for the sanctions, imposed over human rights abuses and flawed elections in Zimbabwe".

Erm, so the government of Zim is denying said 'human rights abuses and flawed elections', is it?

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posted by Croydonian

Chutzpah corner

Friday, July 24, 2009
From the South African Mail & Guardian:

"Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Friday called for an end to political violence, at the start of a weekend of national prayer meant to launch a still-vague process of national reconciliation".

If Mugabe calls of his thugs, all well and good, but I am at a loss to know how he mustered the bare-face cheek.

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posted by Croydonian

Mugabe takes a holiday

Monday, January 05, 2009
Just when the rest of the planet is finally has finally reached the conceptual stage of going back to work:

"Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe has taken a month's leave and is to spend part of it on holiday outside the country, the state-owned Sunday Mail reported". Source

I am not one of his greatest fans, but this is good news as firstly he will probably be less able to damage Zim while abroad, and secondly there might be someone with the courage of a Tatchell who will attempt to arrest the brute.

I think he would enjoy Pyongyang, although he might find it a bit chilly, and also feel a rank amateur in the beggaring / starving one's nation stakes compared to KJI.

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posted by Croydonian

">"Therfore bihoueth hire a ful long spoon that shal ete with a feend"

Thursday, December 13, 2007
One of the more readily understandable quotes from Chaucer, and apparently the first use in English of the devil sup spoon quote.

Showing off to one side, this came to mind reading about a Zimbabwean / German diplomatic spat:

"The government of Germany on Tuesday summoned Zimbabwe's envoy to Berlin, after a Zimbabwean government minister called Chancellor Angela Merkel a "Nazi"....According to Germany-based Zimbabwean journalist, Itayi Mushekwe, there are strong indications that Berlin may take diplomatic action on Zimbabwe. He said: "They regard pronouncements by Ndlovu as an unprovoked attack and we understand strong words were indeed exchanged when the authorities here met the Zimbabwean charge d'affaire. The general public also feels the same. They are well shocked that Mugabe reacted in the way he did towards a country that has been relatively more accommodative to him."

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posted by Croydonian

Man of the week

Monday, December 10, 2007
Step up, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt:

"Sweden was named by Mugabe along with Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Speaking behind closed doors at the EU-Africa summit in Lisbon, Mugabe said the four countries were "arrogant". Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said it was "a great honour to be admitted to a group that stands up for human rights and democracy." "The way I look at it, Mugabe named what is actually the guard of honour for human rights," Reinfeldt said".

He's right, isn't he?

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posted by Croydonian

Do you suppose he is on inverse performance-related pay?

Saturday, September 08, 2007
Robert Gabriel Mugabe clearly thinks he merits a fair scratch, income-wise, as he is giving himself quite the pay hike. He was budgeted to scrape by on Z$62,305,000.00 this year (about £124,000 at the official exchange rate) but this his been lifted to Z$1,462,305,000 (£2,898,182.13). Or somewhere in the region of a 2347% increase. More here, and a currency converter here. The reckoning is that the market exchange rate is around Z$400000 to the pound, so the scoundrel has gone from £156 p/a to about £3656.

Zim is currently running an inflation rate of 7600%, and the really cute bit is this:

"Mugabe invoked the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures), decreeing that "no employer shall increase the remuneration of any employee on account of an increase in a consumer price index; on account of an increase in any official or unofficial rate at which the Zimbabwe dollar may be exchanged for any other currency, increase in a consumer price index and an increase in any official or unofficial rate at which the Zimbabwe dollar may be exchanged for any other currency."

What a nice man.

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posted by Croydonian

"Bookish economics"

Monday, July 16, 2007
That is how Mugabe has reacted to criticism of his latest act of madness - ordering "that all shop prices be cut by at least half, and sometimes several times more". Source.

This has led to this sort of thing: "Car dealers said officials were trying to force them to sell vehicles at the official exchange rate, effectively meaning that a car costing R212 000 ($30 000) could be had for R425 ($61) by changing money on the black market".

Clearly this will ruin retailers, but there is more to come: "Parliament is expected to pass legislation in the coming weeks that will effectively give a controlling stake in all publicly traded companies to ruling party loyalists and others chosen by the government".

Pity the nation indeed.

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posted by Croydonian

Depressing news from Zimbabwe

Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Given the sheer ghastliness of the reign of Mugabe, one would hope that all men and women of good will would set aside pretty well any differences and concentrate on using what remains of the democratic process and the rule of law to rid their country of him. However, an attempted reconciliation between the two factions of the MDC - 20 MPs of one and 21 of the other - has foundered. Given that Zim has 80% unemployment and 1000% inflation, parallels involving Rome, fire and a fiddle spring to mind.

The MDC's core platform (lifted from the usual place) sounds a pretty good starting point: "Recognition of and protection from Zimbabwe's AIDS epidemic, economic liberalization through investment in rural infrastructure and privatisation of selected government parastatals, a land-redistribution policy based upon the rule of law and a willing buyer/willing seller basis, and constitutional amendments limiting further the unilateral power of the executive branch of government"

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posted by Croydonian