Zimbabwe Strikers - "If only George Bush would come here and Saddam us,"

ZW News ^ | Thu 24-Apr-2003 | Daily Telegraph (UK)

[Weimdog]

Strike stops cars due for delivery to Mugabe cabinet

author/source:Daily Telegraph (UK) published:Thu 24-Apr-2003

"We have no choice. The ministers break the cars that we pay for and get new ones and we pay for those too. We have no fuel, no food, no medicines at the hospitals, and Mugabe doesn't care"

By Peta Thornycroft in Harare

The factories of Zimbabwe were deserted yesterday, its crumbling streets empty and even the government's Mercedes Benz suppliers closed as an estimated 90 per cent of the country's workers went on a general strike. The protest, called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and backed by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was triggered by a 300 per cent fuel price rise ordered by Robert Mugabe's government. Among the businesses paralysed by the strike was Zimbabwe's most profitable vehicle company. Its workshops were locked up, 10 new Mercedes Benz E240 saloons inside them awaiting delivery to Mr Mugabe's cabinet. A further 22 are due to arrive later this week. The total cost of the order has been estimated to be equivalent to two weeks' fuel supply for the entire country. On the eve of the strike workers at the firm had been seething. "If only George Bush would come here and Saddam us," said one. "But he won't and so we will have to strike, and be arrested and beaten. We have no choice. The ministers break the cars that we pay for and get new ones and we pay for those too. We have no fuel, no food, no medicines at the hospitals, and Mugabe doesn't care."

Only two banks had branches fully open, Standard Chartered and Barclays, both British-owned. "We don't know why we are at work today," said an employee at a Standard Chartered branch in the once spruce Borrowdale suburb north of Harare.The strike, due to continue until the end of the week, was the second in a month. The first was called by the MDC to protest against political repression, and employers have supported their workers in both stoppages. "Their interests and those of the workers coincide," said a major industrialist. "Where we can we are paying them while they are on strike." Easter holidays and the strike mean Zimbabwe's dwindling number of factories have been open for just one day in two weeks. Even when they are working there is electricity for only four hours a day because Mr Mugabe cannot pay his neighbours Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the power they supply. A police spokesman said there had been no violence during the strike. "It seems to be peaceful everywhere." Jenni Williams, a human rights activist, said at least nine union officials had been arrested in Bulawayo.

[Weimdog]

Now we have citizens of 2 countries, Iran and Zimbabwe, wanting us to come save them.

[Paradox]

Now we have citizens of 2 countries, Iran and Zimbabwe, wanting us to come save them.

Its a damn shame. You know, someday, people will look back upon the dictators and evil regimes of the 21st century and ask themselves why no one did anything about them and rescued their people. The freaking UN was set to DO this, but it is so freakin lame, it is WORSE than useless, it actually aids and abets these regimes.

Hey, it would be great if the US could go in and kick all the bad guys out, but even for us, the cost is great, too great, unless there is some important strategic reason to do so, and only if we can do it with minimal bloodshed. Therefore, there are going to be places where its just not worth the cost and risk. So these poor countries have no hope..

[Malsua]

Funny innit? When the chips are down, and folks have really hit rock bottom, they ask for the US. Prior to that they are chanting about imperialism or other BS.

Mugabe's day will come. I suspect that after his country has become a total basket case where everyone is hungry, someone will walk out of the palace with Mugabe's head on a pike.

[agrace]

after his country has become a total basket case where everyone is hungry

Seems they're pretty much there already. Mugabe is a pig, and Kofi Annan is his buddy. So much for the "charter intent" of the UN.

An article for your ping list, Clive. BTW, could you ad me to it? :) Thanks.

[RightWhale]

Now we have citizens of 2 countries, Iran and Zimbabwe, wanting us to come save them.

No Blood for . . . uh . . . [what do they have? . . . oh, ferroalloys, right.] . . . No Blood for Ferroalloys.

[ellery]

The Ivory Coast, too.

[ASA Vet]

Quagmire Alert?

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

I'm sure that there is a lot of nostalgia for the Ian Smith administration there now. What would happen if we just said "boo" to Zimbabwe?

[monday]

"Now we have citizens of 2 countries, Iran and Zimbabwe, wanting us to come save them. "

What about Cuba, and North Korea, and Sudan?

[spodefly]

"If only George Bush would come here and Saddam us," said one. "But he won't and so we will have to strike, and be arrested and beaten. We have no choice. The ministers break the cars that we pay for and get new ones and we pay for those too. We have no fuel, no food, no medicines at the hospitals, and Mugabe doesn't care."

Call Charles Barron, or Koffi Annan, or Nelson Mandela, or Jesse Jackson, or Al Sharpton ... They all seem to think Mugabe is a great guy. After all, he is a black Marxist who sanctions the murder of whites and the seizure of their productive properties ... which is something each of them would love to do if given half a chance.

[RetiredArmy]

We will not do anything there. We would be called racist for overthrowing a murdering black leader, so we will do nothing. Our goverment, especially the racewarlord Jessie and his bus bunch would cry and the democommies would support Jessie, thus, tying up any attempt to overthrow this thug. Nope, we will do nothing. They murder and kill whites, throw them off their farms, but, nope, we'll do nothing.

[just me]

The march for reparations I believe I seen a sign that supported Mugabe, and hailed him as a great leader..

[nanny]

I think you are right - we won't do anything. But maybe we should look at the way Mugabee came to power - there seems to be some evidence the US, under Carter and Andrew Young, had something to do with his ascending to the throne, so to speak.

[TonyRo76]

Okay I'll go ahead and say it: Zimbabwe really was better off as the British colony of Rhodesia!

[Mears]

Are there any well run African nations?

I am not being sarcastic here but I just can't think of one,even South Africa is a mess with Johannesburg one of the most unsafe cities in the world.

[RetiredArmy]

To think about it, no, I cannot think of one that is being run as a free and independent nation, with free elections, choices, and freedom as we know it. None of em.

[winner3000]

(Call Charles Barron, or Koffi Annan, or Nelson Mandela, or Jesse Jackson, or Al Sharpton ... They all seem to think Mugabe is a great guy. )

You forgot Chirac who played host to Mugabe in France.

[staytrue]

I think Kenya is not to badly run. At least no famines, wars, political torture, etc.

[gcruse]

Where would the US be today if we had waited for someone to come and rescue us from King George?

[GraniteStateConservative]

The difference is that we could make it a half-way fair fight. These guys fighting Mugabe is like Mugabe fighting the US-- a one-sided affair. As the Mike Tyson joke said-- the fight was over in two hits. Tyson hit him and he hit the floor.

[gcruse]

Yeah, you're right. I am suffering from compassion fatigue, I guess. I just don't see Zimbabwe as militarily locked up as North Korea. Maybe it is.

[#3Fan]

They murder and kill whites, throw them off their farms, but, nope, we'll do nothing.

We are blessed with the best land in the world. We don't have to go to Africa to farm. It's wrong for them to have their land stolen but they shouldn't have been there in the first place. There are farmers of the world, and there are hunter-gatherers of the world. They don't mix too well.

[tiki]

Do you blame them?

[Weimdog]

No I don't. They have my sympathies.

I actually believe that this story and a similar story from Iran should be shouted from the rooftops to drown out the cries of "occupation" and "imperialism".

[IvanT]

They murder and kill whites, throw them off their farms, but, nope, we'll do nothing

It's too late to stop that from happening, they've either murdered or driven nearly all of the white farmers out by now. Seeing as the world would accuse the U.S. or the Commonwealth of being racist if we did anything, then I suppose the only course of action is to let them wallow in their own crap. Not very nice, but that's what Politically Correct thinking gets us I suppose.

[GaConfed]

Many of these white farmers have been invited with open arms by neighboring countries, especially Mozambique, to come take over land and farm it for a profit just like they did before in Zimbabwe. The leaders of these countries must know a good thing when they see it, unlike the Commie Mugabe. HOWEVER, as they succeed in making both their adopted country and themselves much better off, I just wonder if greed and envy will overtake admiration and appreciation.

[Weimdog]

O.K.