Zim on the brink of new crisis as food runs out

If Britain had not interfered with Rhodesia there would not be the mess there is today.
In the 60's Britain oppted for Nigerian oil over honesty and justice. Now it's payback time and the British tax payer must support Zimbabwe - lekker!

So Zanu and MDC have agreed that Britain will pay compensation to Zimbabwean citizens for land confiscated by the Zimbabwean regime? As The UK is not party to that agreement, you can imagine what the British government's response to that will be.

Viva Mugabe, Mbeki and the African way of doing things,Viva!!! They need the white farmers desperately but will rather starve than admit it. In the meantime Mozmbique is smiling, because when Mugabe and Mbeki threw the white farmers away, they all moved there to produce, because that is what they do, against all opposition and factors. How long before these racists amongst us will also realise it, or will they carry on till SA is in exactly the same situation?, Or will they stop their hatred and farm-murders in time?

Grant my friend.

As a British and EU taxpayer, i can tell you that the taxpayers of the UK and EU are absolutely fed up with seeing our hard earned money going into the pockets of corrupt African politicians. South African taxpayers must now financially prop up Zimbabwe. After all it is your ex president that supposedly concluded out this ridiculous deal that did not consider the wishes of the Zimbabwean people. How can three suspect politicians and a dithering mediator alone, carve up Zimbabwe as if it is their own? Where were the clerics, business people, womens organisations, trade unions and so on, involved in these talks?

The current president of SADC has 13 wives who all have palaces. Why should we UK/EU taxpayers pay for Zimbabwe when he lives in the lap of luxury. Even your own South African politicians are obviously out to enrich themselves, whilst millions in South Africa starve. Instead of calling upon other countries like Britain to act, South Africans should be screaming from the rooftops that your future state president appears in court to prove his innocence on corruption charges, and that your ANC leader Motlanthe opens an enquiry into the alleged corrupt arms deal. After that, perhaps we UK/EU taxpayers will be willing to request our prime minister Gordon Brown to help Zimbabwe. Until that time -no way, South Africa must pay.

Dear mr Hartry

Yes, I totaly agree with you that a lot of Southern African leaders are corrupt. Yes it would be great if we could have a judicial inquiry into the arms deal. It would be absolutely fantastic.

As for English and other EU citizens not wanting to contribute aid to Africa, think again.

Europe has a huge moral resposibility to aid Africa - this resposibility came about through the theft of naturual resources, land and people. By the 1790s there were 480,000 enslaved people in British Caribbean colonies alone. (Oh, and by the way 30,000 Afrikaner woman and children also died in British concentration camps, as well as 25,000 Africans.)

Europe profited greatly from colonialism and slavery. Don't even deny this.

Futhermore Africa might be a corrupt, but Europe and America supported corrupt governments for long periods of time when it suited their goals.

I say this not to defend Mugabe, but just to stress the fact the aid to Africa and corruption cannot be linked - if you do that hundred of thousands will die.

Kind Regards,
GS van Zyl

Mnr Vanzyl.
For the next thousand years, Africa will seemingly be holding out the begging bowl to today's taxpayers of the UK and EU, because of the alleged sins of our ancestors. The Boer war was indeed a tragic blot on British history. Especially where thousands of women, children as well as Commonwealth forces negligently died of disease within and outside the concentration camps.
Now in 2008, we UK/EU taxpayers do not feel that we are reponsible for Africa. More especially when the leaders of Africa live in the lap of luxury and most people in Europe do not. ie Your future state president is to be seen surrounded by dozens of bodyguards 24/7 and our prime minister only has one. Cut out this lavish Idi Amin type expenditure and we EU taxpayers may be more sympathetic.

Saying that Zim doesn't have the means to produce enough food because of the British is outrageous. I doubt that many of today's generation in industrialized nations really care what happens in Africa. It seems like a never ending cycle of violence, corruption, and inefficiency. Feed a country for one year, and seven years later there is either famine or 'revolution', and the people have done nothing in the interim to prepare. South Africa may well be heading down this path, with the ANC leading the way. This is not about the rape of Africa by the west, it is about economic efficiency and population control, and government that cares about its people.

Mr Hartry

I agree with many things you say, but would also like to stress the importance of targeted aid to Africa. Thus far indiscriminate aid given in good faith by the EU and the UK has been used by African leaders to enrich themselves. The only way that this will be done is for the people and governments in the UK and EU to make rather make donations for non governmental organisations or for specific projects and not to govenments directly.

Although does not seem like it at this time, targeted sanctions against Mugabe and his cabal has had a definite impact. South Africa cannot affort to prop up Zimbabwe for much longer, and soon something drastic will happen.

But please remember that there is also some good news in Africa... Botswana, Zambia, Namibia is on their way to become stable contries with stable economies - Angola and Mozambique is doing much better and there is clear signs of improvements. I lived in Mozambique for a year, and must tell you that much of what was accomplished in Mozambique was due to EU and UK aid.

Kind Regards,
GS van Zyl