torsdag 17 juli 2008

Why is Mandela a saint and Mugabe a demon in the West?

The fate of Mandela and Mugabe is mesmerising. These two leaders together with Julius Nyerere of Tanzania have been voted as the three greatest leaders of Africa for the last hundred years by Africans. I have more faith in the judgement of Africans on this issue than a western leadership and media whose mere interest is to keep status quo in the continent.

Mandela did exactly that in South Africa by compromising with the white minority instead of envisaging radical changes across the society. The murderers and criminals of the apartheid regime are free and enjoyng luxurious life under the premise of "Amnesty and Reconciliation".

The economy and the media is still owned by the whites thanks to Mandela who turned 90 lastweek. He has become an icon for that. He was yet on the US list of terrorists until few weeks ago and he needed a special permission to enter to the USA. Hypocracy and double standards are the trademarks of the West.

The whites dismantled the nuclear programme of the country in 1991 with the anticipation of a black takeover three years later and the approval of Mandela.The disenchantment and frustration of the blacks in South Africa won´t be contained anymore.

Mugabe on the other hand, has been demonized for years now because he wants to bring about change in the ownership of land which has been in the hands of the white minority for more than a century.

He refuses to sale out the country for western companies and wants Zimbabwe to decide its own destiny. I congratulate Mugabe for his latest election victory even if I do not believe in general elections as a solution for Zimbabwe where the oppostion is an agent of the west rather than its people.

Mugabe has also a lot of shortcomings and bloody hands but it is up to Zimbabweans to elect their own leaders. Honorary British knightwood and a lot of other precious prizes were given to Mugabe by the British and Americans in the 80s and 90s for his excellent leadership. The West is involved now in hypocratical play of emotions and weeping crocodile tears.

The so called "western liberal democracy" demands three things to function: educated population, working economy and instituitions. In the absence of these, mobilization of the population to eradicate poverty, investment on education and infrastructure under a unity government should be priority number one.