Deception Denial & Dictatorship - Mugabe Mutharika & Museveni
Dictatorship is a word often stumbled across when discussing events surrounding Arab nations in 2011/2012. And I’m sure if you ask 100 people to name a 21st century Dictator the name Gadaffi would crop up on numerous occasions. Understandable when you look at the situation involving Libya, however when it comes to the real tyrants, dictators and general bad apples look no further than the 3 M’s dominating politics in Sub Saharan Africa.
I will start with Robert “fit as a fiddle” Mugabe, Long term leader and destroyer of Zimbabwe – Born in 1924 to a Malawian Father he was initially seen as a saviour, a Nelson Mandela figure who single handily would abolish white minority rule and unite white and black in a newly independent Zimbabwe.
Has he succeeded?
Quite Simply No
Accused by many as being a racist, the only success this man can acclaim to is that of ruining one of Africa’s most promising economies. Attacks on Opposition movements (most notably Morgan Tsvangirai), media outlets, human rights defenders and the mass execution of the Ndebele ethnic minority are just a few of the atrocities committed by a man hell bent on retaining power.
Yet how can a man prepared to go to war if he loses office run a country somewhat unchallenged for what is now his 31st year?
"Our party must continue to strike fear in the heart of the white man, our real enemy!"
Robert Mugabe
Times have changed yet this man has failed to move on and ultimately he is dragging his country and his population with him. With little sign of the problems abating and tension brewing something must change to avoid further bloodshed.
Mr Yoweri Museveni once lauded as the forefront of a new generation of African leaders, Disposer of the continual suppressive Idi Amin and Obete Regimes.
Born in around 1944 he has led one of the greatest responses to HIV/Aids ever seen, yet all is not as it seems on the surface.
Now in his 25th year as President of Uganda Mr Museveni has been accused of wide spread corruption, repression and failure to control one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises occurring in the north. Criticised by many for his use of child soldiers in Uganda’s brutal civil war, he has failed to live up to that promise he once showed.
“We used to say Mr and Mrs, but now it is Mr and Mr. What is that now?”
Museveni on Homosexuality
Uganda and its people are desperate for fair elections free from harassment and military coups, however, with the state controlled police and army ready to “disrupt” opposition movements and “abuse” members, will this ever happen?
Assessing the situation the forecast looks bleak for Uganda, however more worrying than the lack of democracy or economic mismanagement is the sweeping under the carpet of Uganda’s response to the Lords Resistance Army (LRA).
The atrocities committed by the LRA are well documented; rape, murder abduction just to name a few. However the strangely named Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) are far from being a “peoples” army. Reports from various sources have shown that whilst reducing the number child soldiers within the LRA they have merely re-recruited these “soldiers” into the (UPDF.)
I must add however that the government of Museveni has strongly denied these claims and will continue to insist that, human rights of Ugandan people are well respected.
It appears to me that Museveni like his counterpart Mugabe in the south have an agenda to succeed financially through any means necessary. This is evident merely by looking at the role both leaders took in one of the most brutal, bloody and catastrophic wars the world has witnessed. The offer of military help to prevent further bloodshed in the Congo conflict was just a smokescreen to extract precious materials from the war torn country. Although tell me in all honesty how many of you knew this? But I’m sure you know who Osama bin Laden is? Yet realistically both Mugabe and Museveni have been responsible for 10 times as many deaths. So why is it they are still accepted by the west, allowed to continue their horrific repressions and still able to lead a suffering population?
And finally the 3rd emerging dictator of sub Saharan Africa, the economic master mind that is Mr Bingu wa Mutharika leader of the small lakeside country of Malawi.
Mr Bingu wa Mutharika born in the former British colony of Nyasaland, the son of two hard working teachers and the holder of numerous diplomas in economics and Philosophy. It is safe to say Mutharika has had a reasonably educated up bringing, much varied from the local population he now controls. He is the holder of numerous awards and even as recently as 2010 he received the “united nations special millennium development goal award.”
Elected in 2004, Mutharika first term in office oversaw an era of change for Malawi. The country boasted an excessive food surplus along with widely praised free and fair democratic elections in 2009. However in similar fashion to the two M’s above things have changed for Malawi. The iron fist of Mutharika has felt the greatness that power can bring and that fist is showing no signs of loosening.
In a sudden twist of fate the increasingly combative leader has seen vast international condemnation of his final tenure. The killing of 19 anti government protesters, expelling of British diplomats and widening economic problems have resulted in suspension of financial aid to the underdeveloped country. Yet Mr Mutharika vows to fight on using Mugabe inspired lines of:
If donors say this is not democracy, to hell with you... yes, I'm using that word, tell them to go to hell,"
Mr Bingu Wa Mutharika March 2012
He urged youth cadets of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to "do everything possible to rise up and make sure the demonstrations are thwarted".
"BBC Report March 2012"
Here in the UK we have a freedom to express our opinions with lengthy debates, votes on legislations and the ability to have our say on who controls our future, I call it democracy. Mr Mutharika evidently believes I am wrong and must see democracy differently.
Fortunately unlike Zimbabwe and Uganda Malawian presidents can only rule for two terms, however many within the international community believe Mutharika will simply try to extend his 2nd term or simply hand power to his brother Peter Mutharika. The next two years will be a tough time for Malawi foreign exchange and fuel shortages coupled with a president willing to shell out $13.26million on a private jet are contributing factors to the demise of the once pro-claimed warm heart of Africa.
It is safe to say that I have noticed a trend in all three of the mentioned “emerging dictators.” They optimistically raise the hopes and dreams of the suffering population, promising new roads, free schools and more democracy. It is clear from the outset that it is hard to determine who will follow in the footsteps of Gadaffi, and who will emulate the success of Nelson Mandela.
With the worldwide phenomenon of Kony 2012 hitting everyone’s laptops in the past week I find myself wondering, how can it take 20 years for people to finally take notice of the atrocities that take place on our planet? Is it just a case of the population has become to lazy to find out the information for themselves having to rely on facebook to hand feed news on a daily basis? This man has been one of Africa’s most wanted for decades yet only now are people taking note!
So maybe the next time you open your laptop or turn on your desktop think twice before typing in the routine www.facebook.com and maybe explore the net rather than following the crowd and joining a campaign just to fit in.
Just think -
“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.’
George S. Patton
