The Trouble With Zimbabwe

Katie Couric Talks To Political Opposition Leader About Why He's Pulled Out Of Run-Off Against Robert Mugabe

(CBS)  The State Department said Tuesday that if Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe goes ahead with a run-off election scheduled for Friday, the world will reject his rule.

In the past three months, soldiers and armed gangs have killed dozens of Mugabe's opponents. This week, fearing for his life and those of others, opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the race, leaving 12 million people without a choice.

Tsvangirai has taken refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare. CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked him over the phone about Mugabe's statement today that he is not in danger.

"Is there a threat?" Couric asked.

"I have been arrested; I've been stopped at roadblocks," Tsvangirai said. "I have been treated like a common criminal ... and not as a leading contender in this campaign. I don't believe. He may be saying one thing for public consumption, but certainly may act in another manner."

"In fact, Mr. Tsvangirai, what kind of violence have you heard about or witnessed against those individuals opposing Mugabe?" Couric asked.

"Now, just after the March 29 election, Mr. Mugabe embarked on a military rollout plan to target MDC support of using the military militias and all veterans to kill, maim and beat everybody into submission," Tsvangirai said. "This has been the incidents of violence, raping, murder and beating which has result in thousands needing hospitalization, and I think over 85 deaths have been reported. Over 200,000 thousands internally displaced. This is the extent of the callous disregard by Mugabe of the people of Zimbabwe."

The fear and danger that now pervades the streets of Zimbabwe under President Mugabe is a tragic departure from the hope and promise that began with his landslide victory nearly 30 years ago.

When Mugabe was first elected in 1980, he was a hero. He was seen as one of Africa's most promising black leaders.

He said then: "We must now, all of us, work for unity, whether we have won elections or lost them."

Son of a carpenter, a revolutionary and a former schoolteacher, he said he had, "inherited the Jewel of Africa." Zimbabwe, which is rich in natural resources, claimed independence from Britain in 1965, when it was known as Rhodesia.

During the 80's, Zimbabwe's government received international support at a time when its neighbor, South Africa, was governed and divided by apartheid. Zimbabwe's economic condition and public health improved.

But in the 90's, Mugabe became more authoritarian; the one-time revolutionary squashed all opposition and faced charges of cronyism and corruption.

The country has been in economic freefall since 2000. Six years ago, Mugabe ordered all white commercial farmers to abandon their farms with no compensation. Once Africa's breadbasket, the country now relies on outside food programs and half the population is undernourished. Four out of five Zimbabweans are unemployed and inflation there is the world's worst - an astonishing 355,000 percent.

"A woman has a one-in-16 chance of dying in childbirth in Zimbabwe, half the children are malnourished, the life expectancy has dropped from 63 to 36," said New York Times columnist and reporter Nicholas Kristof.

Last March, Zimbabweans took their despair to the voting booth and elected opposition party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The 84-year-old Mugabe came in a close second and stepped up his brutal campaign to keep himself in power.

A run-off election is to be held on Friday, but Mugabe will be unopposed now that Tsvangirai has pulled out of the race.

"Finally, what would you say to your supporters, those who see you or had seen you as a real possibility for change?" Couric asked Tsvangirai.

"My message is very, very simple. We went to an election in March. We had a relatively peaceful election and the people spoke. We won the parliamentary election, we won the presidential election. We want to thank our supporters for that support. What is happening at this runoff election is not an election," Tsvangirai said.

"Mugabe declared war, and we have said that we don't want to be part of that war. If he wants to go and rule by decree, let him. But we cannot, I cannot go to the state house over dead bodies. And women's limbs having been chopped by axes and hacksaws. That is not the kind of political future we would like to create in the new Zimbabwe."

[downsteamjim]

To ova442: Do you remember Somalia?

[ov442]

Seems to me, this would a perfect opportunity for Bush to back up his hippocritical Rhetoric about invading Iraq for humanitarian reasons, and do it for real here in this country.
This is a prime example of an out of control dictator using violence, bribery, and threats to rule in anarchy over an oppressed people.
Wheres OUR and NATO''s decency now?
Oh thats right, this country doesnt have big oil reserves. why bother. Send a state department employee, and two bodyguards over to make some fancy statements at the embassy and go to sleep.

[lochlan-2009]

When it comes to Africa I do have one article people who read our western media should take a look at, since this wasn''t even mentioned in our news.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/19/equatorialguinea.southafrica

[bluestardad]

THANK YOU AMERICA AND BRITIAN FOR PUTTING THIS TYRANT IN POWER UNDER THE GUIES OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS!

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR INTERFERANCE!

RHODIESA IS NOW CHANGED FOR EVER!

[dan9111]

US taxpayers should keep their nose out of 3rd world politics and prepare for a showdown with jihadists.

Posted by runningralph

Perhaps. But we have bigger and more proven problems. The federal government is taking our money, and the jihadists are not. If the war advocates would put down the gun and stop attacking American citizens, their argument for fighting foreign threats would be more believable.

Instead, it is their way or the highway, by threats of violence against non-supporters. Since there is a gun to our heads, that proves being against warfare (legitimate war or not) is technically the only moral path.

[haoli25]

Is Mugabe a BLOOD or a CRIP?

[runningralph]

This is an Africa wide problem and other places where Africans have takes control: (New Orleans, Haiti). US taxpayers should keep their nose out of 3rd world politics and prepare for a showdown with jihadists.

[lochlan-2009]

"The Trouble With Zimbabwe"...

Is no one cares. With all the problems we have with the rampant corruption in our government and their media, we''re tired of them shoving down our throats 10 minute segments on Zimbabwe, and 2 minutes on high gas prices or practically not even mentioning the FISA bill, or all the many more important stories AMERICANS are concerned about and are practically starving to hear more of.

NPR was doing their membership drive this past week. How can I give them money to be my "news source", when they can''t even tell us where high energy prices are coming from or the true efficiency of ethanol, or cover my number one issue for hours (not a couple of minutes), government/corporate corruption?

OUR NEWS, IN AMERICA!!!, IS CENSORED AND CONTROLED!!!!

I have to surf other countries news sites and rogue news sites just to find out the majority of what is really going on in the world, and then verify and dig.

Our media is so censored and packaged they even talk about the same non-stories at the same time on CNN,ABC,FOX,NBC,CBS,ETC.. One day every single one of them will be talking about fat kids, the next the effects of red wine. BLATANT!!!!

[faith_in_w]

Once he dies, there will be a bloodbath to fill the power vacuum.

[tootall10142]

rifle, rifle who wants the rifle? just one shot one kill.then its all over exceptthose cattle umm, people think they are better off without him but who stop the cahos?

[primilioneah]

The problem with African Politicians is that everybody wants to be president so their people can have their turn at "Eating" read "Stealing".

If Mr. Tsvangirai and his organisation were serious about bringing change to Zimbabwe they should start with bringing legislation to parliament that will strengthen the constitution and bring about the rule of law since his party has a majority of members in the chamber. I guess what they want is that things remain the same because that way they can use the same tactics to frustrate their future opponents.

Common Zimbabwe Opposition think futuristically after all Mr. Mugabe is 84, give him another five years he''ll be gone.

[j_flood]

The Axis of Inaction:
1. USA
2. UN
3. African Union

Zimbabwe lacks the 710 factor.
(Write out 7 1 0 and look at it upside down.)

[keithle1]

hot4real is sooooooo funny. Hilarious. Where do you come up with this stuff? You don''t make any sense.
Are you Mugabe''s illegitimate son? Dows hot4real live in Zimbabwe?

355,000 percent inflation! Not long ago it was 100,000 percent. 80% unemployment.

Tell me what''s propaganda. Give me your version of the facts, hot4real.

[ahrats]

Mugabe is he the next Stalin? He will murder his own people to stay in power, what an ego. The world can do little to stop him without creating another civil war.

[juwboy]

FeelFreek4U:

A subhuman Arab hypocrite, posing as a patriotic American.

[hot4real]

THis pure propaganda. zimbabwe love Mugabe and pinks "whites" world wide are behind the zimbabwe crisis that is why you see meddling all over the pink "white" countries in zimbabwe.

Africa do not seen pink "white" countries opinion as something to value. Africa knows those countries since slavery never renounced their terrorism against us and therefore they are barely going to follow that evil agenda of theirs.

[harpoot]

"He sure looks like Fred Sanford."

LOL We can hope he has the "big one".

[longduck69]

BUSH - MUGABE 2008!

[haoli25]

Is that Redd Foxx? He sure looks like Fred Sanford.

[feelfree4u]

Hopefully they can get some assistance from someone who knows how to run legitimate Presidential elections.

Not much we can offer them.