Boss Radio

A news reporter standing on the border between Mozamique and Zimbabwe, sensibly keeping his feet firmly in territory owned by the former, and reporting on the steady flow of refugees from Zimbabwe, picked a couple just crossing the border to interview simply because they happened to be there at the right moment. He asked if he could have a word with them. "Yes. Hello, my brother!" said the man cheerfully. I think that's the nicest greeting to anyone shoving a microphone in your face that I've ever heard. It also showed a strange kind of resilience considering they were fleeing possible persecution for failing to vote in Zimbabwe's one candidate election.

I suppose it must be galling for Mugabe, the aforementioned one candidate in the election, that when Sadam Hussien held a one candidate election he received an overwhelming 100% of the vote. Mugabe couldn't even manage that. Serves him jolly well right for pretending that there was another candidate even if there was no point in voting for him since he wasn't actually standing in the election.

The reporter asked the couple what they thought the world needed to do in order for them to return to their homeland. Between them the couple explained that the world needed to talk to the old man and explain reality to him, then maybe he would finally see sense and step down. And if this didn't happen? Well, said the man, then the EU would have to use armed force. Mishearing this the reporter asked if the man thought it was likely that the AU (African Union) would do any such thing. The man corrected him; "E. U. European Union."

It turned out the man had in fact given some thought to this. The Organisation of African Unity, he felt, would not intervene because they never did. The most they would do would be to send in soldiers to watch as Mugabe continued to persecute the population. The United Nations would talk a lot but would never intervene because countries like South Africa and China would block it. The European Union, he believed, had shown a willingness to help people in his position.

Where he got this impression from I don't know, I'm guessing it was drawn from the anti-EU rhetoric that it would seem pours from Zimbabwe radio at fairly regular intervals. The couple felt that any organisation that got up Mugabe's nose like that had to be a good thing.

The fact is that the UN did award itself the 'Responsibility to protect' endangered populations following years of failure to get involved when obvious genocide was being perpetrated right under its collective noses, but unfortunately this well intentioned measure fell foul of Catch 22. The responibility to protect would come under the description of 'Humanitarian intervention', and that is the responsibility of the UN Security Council who, following the US/UK's little foray into Iraq, have been rather unwilling to commit to any further such incursions. They've seen how they turn out.

Mugabe continues to blame "The former colonial powers" for Africa's (i.e. Zimbabwe's) problems.

For once, for all the wrong reasons, he might be right.