There was a time when I would gladly have worn a t-shirt with the face of the Zimbabwean president emblazoned upon it.

Yes, I used to be an unabashed admirer of Robert Mugabe MBE. Before his lapse into the tyranny of senility, Mugabe struck a debonair figure, an African Guevara, militant Mandela, the aura of the freedom fighter both compelling and coruscating. There is something immensely gratifying in his terse middle-finger sallies at the West. As the foremost anti-imperialist soldier and pariah he has won the scorn and accolades of countless global citizens, especially in Africa where Zimbabwe is seen as the darkest shade of black.

His land reform programme, as unfortunately administered as it was and is, remains ideologically watertight. Possessing both intellectual and spiritual dimensions, his stand against globalisation is his secular version of the mythology engineered by other noteworthy dictators. Why is it so easy to sympathise with a few evicted white farmers, and ignore the silent millions of landless slaves? Right versus white, but a starving nation cannot afford to aspire to any lofty ideals.

So to the ingenuously-rigged elections, and the tussle between Mugabe and well, Not-Mugabe. With charisma and nationalist credentials in spades, it is difficult to argue against the stirring emotive argument that the incumbent brings to the table. Is it any wonder that Mugabe is feted by many African leaders, included Mbeki? Tsvangirai, Makoni et al haven’t a hope of standing toe-to-toe with the last 'big man' on the continent. Power is an addiction, and his long tenure isn’t about to end with a tearful farewell and gala dinner. Africa in 2008 with all its growing complexities is still wary of the foreign devil, 'better a tyrant of our own than an outsider.'

What would the repercussions of Mugabe stepping down be? What there is left of an economy will certainly be resurrected by the influx of foreign aid and goodwill. And all will be hunky dory as the euphoria of liberation blunts the pangs of hardship. Until an electorate with a notoriously short memory begins to long for an era free of the technocrat and bureaucracy that is.

Sound familiar?

It astounds me to hear black South Africans talk wistfully about the Apartheid era like they had forgotten what a dompas was. This phenomenon is spreading here, with inflation nearing double-digits and the ANC devolving into a local branch of the Zanu-PF. A testament to the pitfalls of democracy in an Africa where voters remain divided by ethnicity, tribalism, sectarianism, poverty and bled by neo-colonialism.

Perhaps a Zimbabwean can best sum up the torturous wait for change in Harare. Writer Petina Gappah pays tribute to the resilience of her compatriots in 'The Zimbabwean'.

"Ian Smith thought his Rhodesia would last 1000 years: it lasted less than 15. This too shall pass and when it does, women and men and children will again leap to embrace a dream called Zimbabwe."

Dream on Zimbabwe, dream of peace and prosperity, dream the dream of millions of impoverished Africans still reeling from oppression decades after the lowering of the last colonial flag.

Ebrahim Moolla is iafrica.com's Business Editor and part-time freedom fighter, mail him your thoughts here.

Your comments:
Paul Malaba, Providence, US:
Siyabonga, thank you! I hope Mbeki reads your material. It is sad that Africa is watching the Zimbabwe agony continue and doing nothing.

Like you, I loved Mugabe as a revolutionary, he was our own Che. I remember when he came to Harvard University in 1982. Zimbabweans like myself and other Africans, white and black Americans welcomed him with open arms, we loved him! Today, he is reviled and would never get a semblance of the welcome that he received here in the 1980s. How could a beautiful thing that he had go so terribly wrong?

I am a US-trained Zimbabwean journalist, former freedom fighter who joined the armed struggle in 1970s when I was 18. At my age, 50s, I am ready to go back to the bush and try to undo the damage this man has done. I know a lot of people who share the same sentiments. Aluta continua.

Helen:
This is obviously a beautifully crafted piece of satire, the irony of which seems to be lost on some of the readers who responded.

I don't think it is racist at all as it was obviously written tongue in cheek, but also very bitingly honest about the State of Africa.

Frustrated, Hibiscus coast:
Mr. Moolla said it, like so many others. Blame Apartheid, Blame England, Blame the Whites, Blame Anybody……

But for Heaven’s sake DO NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY for the crap Africa is drowning under. Fire anyone who does not sing the praises of the ANC or “the struggle”.

Tell those that fear for their lives who leave our shores, “Good riddance, we don’t need you anyway”.

A self-fulfilling prophecy of tough times ahead with lost skills – and then we can blame them again decades later, just as Mr. Moolla did in his article. With an attitude such as his and others, no wonder we are in the pooh!

Rakesh:
EXCELLENT ARTICLE…I like your opinion. Well written and so true to the word.

Keep it up!!!

Vic:
Enjoyed your column on Mugabe, could have been more hard hitting. I went on a tour of Zim in 92 or 93 and was impressed with many things. There was already a black market in respect of the exchange rate.

It was three to one and made Zim even cheaper for a holday maker.

Chris, Somerset West:
Some of your text really testifies to your ignorance and racist prejudice, e.g.:

"Why is it so easy to sympathise with a few evicted white farmers, and ignore the silent millions of landless slaves? Right versus white, …"

I am a white Afrikaner who was brought up in a racist, right-wing home and voted for the move away from apartheid to facilitate equal rights. It took quite a mindshift to do this. And then, fourteen years into the new South Africa, there is still no appreciation of the fact that the majority of whites actually voted to end apartheid, that whites are not inherently rude, and that we have done a lot of good for the people of Africa. I know there were (and surely still are) bad white people too, but that is also true of black people (especially if you would still regard Mugabe as a role model - which I appreciate you do not do anymore). But your statement of "right versus white" is blatantly racist and makes one wonder if we should have voted the way we did.

Your statement of "right versus white" is blatantly racist and makes one wonder if we should have voted the way we did.

Trevor:
Henry Ford said, "To generalise is to be an idiot". Ebrahim Moolla fits this category... as well as one who has prejudice based on skin colour.

Therefore by dictionary definition, he must qualify as a racist. I can't help but to feel sorry for the likes of him and those like him who are living in the past. Such people remain the total effect of the world and can only claim to be victims and distribute and redistribute blame.

Quite frankly the world could do with a few more causitive individuals who contribute something constructive to society, not assign blame left and right. Other than the fact that the article demonstrated to me how tragically skewed a racists view can be, I found reading this article to be a complete waste of my time.

Deane:
What really bothers me is that Mugabe is still considered a hero. In 1980, yes, even during the 80’s, but all he is now is someone who has destroyed the lives of millions of people, mostly his people, the people he apparently liberated from the Rhodesian government. When did he lose sight of this? Surely the idea was to make their lives better and not worse. How is it that he can live a life of luxury at the expense of the 9.6-million that are now out of work and starving? Surely this isn’t acceptable, or is it?

We all curse the Americans for doing nothing when there is no oil involved, but should we not paint Africa and its leader with the same brush as they have done absolutely nothing about the situation in Zimbabwe other than “Quiet Diplomacy”.

The man is no longer interested in running the Country, he is only interested in staying in power so he doesn’t have to face up to what he has actually done to his fellow people and The Country he fought for.

Arthur Brown:
That's right Mr. Moolla, blame anyone and everyone. It has been a long time since I've heard such racist comments as I have just had the misfortune of reading in your column. Blame colonialism, even if there are countries that have been independent for more than 60 years and are still murdering and killing each other.

Democracy in Africa means vote for who you support but scream and shout and kill and maim if you don't get the result you want. This continent is busy bleeding to death and as long as people like you are able to make comments like "right versus white" there is no hope for the future. However revered Mugabe is by his followers the fact remains that only a total idiot will destroy the very basis of a nation and that is it's food supply. Its the classic case of cutting off one's nose to spite your face.

Mugabe has become another Idi Amin and he is there because people like you are too ignorant to see through him. I expect that when he is gone and things start returning to normal in that beautiful country, you will be one of the first to go crying to the West for food aid to Zimbabwe. The same West that you are blaming for all the ills in Africa.

Peter:
Jacob Zuma is starting to look like a worthy successor to Mbeki. Thank goodness the ANC had the sense to get Mbeki out. All Mbeki was trying to do was get into a position of power within the ANC where he could dictate to the (national) president and make him a lame duck president. In denial of Aids, in denial of a crisis in Zimbabwe and holding hands with Mugabe: if you sleep with dogs expect to pick up fleas !

Yes, Mugabe is senile but that doesn't make him cute. It just means that his lack of judgement is exacerbated and that makes him even more dangerous to his own people — bearing in mind that the attrocities he comitted in Matabeleland (for which he will hopefully stand trial ) were comitted at a time when he was not senile.

Zuma and Tsvangirai look a much better bet for the region. Imagine the excitement of having two realists working together for the good of the region and in having Zimbabwe well funded by the West: everybody working together without silent agendas to do with self enrichment — arms deals, diamond mines etc. We need a positive mind set going forward and we aren't going to get it from Mbeki and Mugabe — bring on Zuma and Tsvangirai!!!

Laugh Out Loud, England:
You really had me going there for a minute — I was getting more and more annoyed as I read it and was all ready to send an email ranting and raving about your obvious stupidity when I got to the bottom and saw your 'credentials' - Business Editor and part time freedom fighter!

Only then did I finally realise the joke was on us...this article was due to be published on April Fools Day, obviously! Well, either that or you are the fool?

CB:
Ebrahim Moolla’s article is probably the worst I have ever read on iAfrica’s website.

How can a country still suffer as a result of colonialism thirty years later, when they took over the country in perfectly good shape? Surely you cant blame a spiralling inflation, starvation, unemployment and everything else on colonialism 30 years earlier.

Surely it's not that difficult to continue to prosper if you take over a prospering country?

Wish Mr. Moolla could explain this to me so that I can understand it too.

Michael Odiya, USA:
When I moved to the US I could not believe many black Americans and other Africans could not understand my condemnation of the Amin of my native Uganda.

To them "his his terse middle-finger sallies at the West" was enough satisfaction beyond the brutalities of his regime.

Even today there is a Ugandan journalist, with a twisted sense of journalism who, instead doing a journeyman investigative journalism, is asking his readers to prove that Amin really killed the many thousands that are claimed to be victims of his terror.

Fast forward to Mugabe; let us condemn evil in all its manifestations if we are to truely liberate the millions of impoverised Africans.

When Amin chased away the Asians, many rejoiced only soon to be encumbered by lack of services and goods. Certainly the Asians had a clear advantage at independence, and their treatments of black Africans were deplorable. Now, Mugabe has confiscated so-called white farms and black Zims are reeling in shameful deprivations.

Africans and our leaders should understand the interconnections of the world and where real power resides.

We can be tough-minded without being crude and evil. Actually, many in the West want Africa to prosper and will negotiate and make deals with anyone who understand the 21st-century game. We can if only we can get beyond the cheap glorification of the African "Big Men."

Darryn:
You write sensibly and I don’t get the feeling you are racist, but would like to remind you that many of us are aware that for every white farmer in trouble, there are scores of black people receiving worse. I agree the colonialists do have some responsibility for the conditions set in Africa and elsewhere round the globe, but we are beyond that now. In the case of Zimbabwe, Mugabe took over a bankrupt country and the end of a 15-year war. Despite being on it’s knees economically, the infrastructure existed and perhaps if Smith had started educating and bringing black people into government sooner, an experienced government of black and white people to run things together might have stood a chance. That aside, you now only have to lay blame at the tyrant who still refuses to give up.

My only hope is that South Africa, with it’s multiethnic ‘rainbow’ people, will learn the lessons made by countless other states and elect a person with integrity to lead them sensibly. And if the rest if us can take that integrity and accept each other, regardless of race or tribe, then perhaps we can realise that we can’t change the past, but we have the power to influence the future.

Chris:
The tone and message is racist and short sighted, and the only positive to come out of it is to see the responses from iafrica.com’s readers who seem to be equally saddened by Mr. Moolla’s views. Oh yes, and Rakesh, read it again please as I don’t think you got the message the first time.

Kobus:
E.M must be an undercover reporter for the Herald news in Zimbabwe. Tomorrow when you go to work and the people that work with you look at you, know that they are thinking to themselves what a idiot you are and how sad that you represent them. Perhaps someone wanted to show the world what type of people still live and waste others' time.

Amano, Germany:
When I was a young German student, we collected money for Mugabe's freedom struggle. Standing, enduring dark, ice-cold mornings at 5.50am in front of factory gates, handing out political papers.

Decades later I had to learn that every revolutionary turns reactionary when he (or she) comes into power.

It took Mugabe a long time, but today he has lost it, obviously. A senile old age, stubborn oldtimer, running a Stalin-type police state with heavy overseas control over millions of Zim exiles. And now China sends a heavy arms supply via a South African port. That makes the ANC government of Mbeki an accomplice of that repressive, human rights violating system of Mugabe's Zanu-PF.

Wake up from your nightmares, Africa!

Get rid of your bloody dictators and their police states.