Zimbabwe on the brink of total collapse

[Elwood P Dowd]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/09/wzim09.xml


<snip>

But the economic collapse has created opportunities for the corrupt elite around Mr Mugabe, who have already benefited from the seizure of white-owned farms.

Senior figures in the ruling Zanu-PF party can buy US dollars from the Reserve Bank at the meaningless official exchange rate – and then sell them on the parallel market at a 2,000 per cent profit. They can buy fuel from the state at one twelfth of the market price. This gives a powerful core of Zanu-PF figures a vested interest in keeping Mr Mugabe in power.

The president, who turns 83 later this month, gambles that by keeping this wealthy handful happy, he can survive the economic collapse and extend his 27-year rule.

Splits in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change have made Mr Mugabe's task easier. But continuing this balancing act indefinitely may not be possible, especially if discontent spreads in the vitally important army and police force.

"I have never seen a crisis of this depth before," said John Robertson, an independent economist in Harare. "There seems to be no solution in sight." Daniel Ndlela, another economist, said: "This is an unsaveable situation. It is by far the worst since independence.

"It will collapse, as the government will talk a lot but it won't change its ways. When and how this collapse will happen, that is the question."

[Ignacio Upton]

1. Fuck Mugabee

This is what happens when you center all of your policies of around your cronies. Sound familiar anyone?

[BayCityProgressive]

2. yup he is

A corrupt piece of shit..but Britian would never have cared if it wasn't for the fact that their rich white farmers had their land taken. Mugabe is not the answer and neither is western colonialism.