An African lament

If ever there was an example of power corrupting absolutely, Robert Mugabe is it. I don't know what it is about Africa, but if there's one list in which we leave the rest of the world in the shade, it's the list of the so called Big Men. Alphabetised, I give you:

• Sani Abacha - Nigeria
• Idi Amin - Uganda
• Daniel arap Moi - Kenya
  
• Kamuzu Banda - Malawi
• Omar al-Bashir - Sudan
• Paul Biya - Cameroon
• Felix Houphouet-Boigny - Ivory Coast
  
• Jean Bedel Bokassa - Central African Republic
• Omar Bongo - Gabon
• Samuel Doe - Liberia
• Gnassingbe Eyadema - Togo
• Muammar al-Gaddafi - Libya
  
• Hissene Habre - Chad
• Haile Mengistu Mariam - Ethopia
• Hosni Mubarak - Egypt
  
• Denis Sassou-Nguesso - Congo
  
• Milton Obote - Uganda
• Mobutu Sese Seko - Zaire now the DRC (the daddy of them all),
• Charles Taylor - Liberia

Even those who started out with noble intentions such as Jomo Kenyatta, Kenneth Kaunda, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Kwame Nkrumah, lost their way and clung to power for far too long. If you haven't done something in 10 years, you ain't likely to do it in twenty!!

Africa would be a different place if Patrice Lumumba had not been assassinated with the complicity of the CIA, the Belgian government and a hamstrung UN (plus ca change) - he had the temerity to suggest (at his inauguration speech no less) that the wealth of Zaire's minerals resources belongs to Zaireans. And how much black consciouness would African people have if Steve Biko was alive?

We have to applaud the efforts of Sir Seretse Khama and Quett Masire of Botswana (fortunately for them, the diamonds were discovered after the British had left), Samora Machel of Mozambique and of course, the most venerated African man alive, Nelson Mandela. And of course we acknowledge Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, Chris Hani, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo of South Africa

Thabo Mbeki's softly, softly approach to Zimbabwe is BOLLOCKS!! He just needs to turn off the Zimbabwe's electricity supply for a week and Mugabe will come round. Olusegun Obasanjo should be able to exert some influence as well.

Thankfully, Mugabe's time on this earth is drawing to a close.

To my Zimbabwean brethren, stay strong as the days of Mugabe's regime are numbered.

****UPDATE****
Just as it takes a long time for an oil tanker to change course, South Africa's criticism of Mugabe's heavy handedness was welcome even if it was way overdue.
John Kufour of Ghana called the actions of the Zimbabwean government an embarrassment
Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania made an unscheduled visit to Harare to criticise Mugabe face-to-face