Mandela on Zimbabwe

No need to recount the appalling and shameful events in Zimbabwe but I want to specifically comment on Mr. Mandela's intervention.

A lot of people have been calling on Mandela to come out and condemn his former friend and colleague, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Yesterday, with the whole world watching, an opportunity presented itself and Madiba commented as follows

"We watch with sadness the continuing tragedy in Darfur. Nearer to home we have seen the outbreak of violence against fellow Africans in our own country and the tragic failure of leadership in our neighbouring Zimbabwe."

I have total respect for Mandela for what he stands for and how he handled the end of white rule in South Africa. He showed great selflessness by handing over power to Mr. Mbeki just after serving a single term as president of the rainbow nation. Very few African politicians would have done that. The great man has spent his retirement fighting the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS and poverty in the Developing world. However, on this occasion I think he missed an opportunity to help Zimbabweans and the world at large generate a head of steam to kick out Mugabe. Instead of using "lawyerly" words he should have put his feelings in black and white. A statement directly condemning Mr. Mugabe and urging him to give up power would have sent a very strong message and perhaps pushed Mr. Mbeki to abandon the soft diplomacy he has been pushing in dealing with the situation.
What is happening in Zimbabwe is a great embarrassment to every African and we need our elder statesmen such as Mr. Mandela to come out in the open and condemn the tyrannical rule of Mugabe.

The PANEL