Zimbabwe accuses Britain of cholera 'genocide'
HARARE —
President Robert Mugabe’s government Friday accused former colonial power Britain of causing a “genocidal” cholera epidemic, as the U.N. secretary general urged him to “look for the future.”
The latest accusations over the cholera crisis came as the World Health Organization (WHO) said the death toll had risen to 792, and aid groups warned the epidemic could last for months.
“Cholera is a calculated, racist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power, which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they can invade the country,” information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told a press conference.
“The cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe is a serious biological, chemical war force, a genocidal onslaught, on the people of Zimbabwe by the British,” he said. “It’s a genocide of our people.”
One day earlier, Mugabe had proclaimed in a nationally broadcast speech that “there is no cholera”—comments his spokesman George Charamba said Friday were meant as “sarcasm.”
His remarks drew an international outcry and were quickly denounced by aid agencies as well as Britain, France and the United States, which have loudly called for Mugabe to step down.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon told reporters that he had met with the 84-year-old leader two weeks ago at a summit in Qatar, where he urged Mugabe to leave his legacy “in a positive way.”
“Mugabe really should look for the future of his country and his own people, who have been suffering too much, too long from this political turmoil now coupled with very serious humanitarian tragedies,” Ban said in Geneva.
But Ban said the meeting did not go well, calling the dialogue “very difficult.”
EU leaders at a summit in Brussels also urged Zimbawbe’s political rivals to resolve the political standoff following disputed elections this year, and demanded the immediate release of missing human rights activists.
Mugabe’s comments on cholera stoked ire at his government, with one South African Anglican bishop likening him to Adolf Hitler and calling for him to face war crimes charges at the Hague.
“Mugabe must be viewed as the 21st century Hitler because of the deaths and suffering of Zimbabweans under his rule,” Bishop Joe Seoka said in The Times newspaper.
Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said that “either Mr Mugabe is mischievous or genuinely out of touch with reality.”
“Instead of conveying a message of condolences, Mr Mugabe was busy politicking,” spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.
The cholera epidemic is only the latest grim symptom of Zimbabwe’s collapse.
The economy has crumbled under the world’s highest inflation rate, last estimated in July at 231 million percent but now believed to be much higher.
Hospitals have no drugs, no equipment and no staff left to treat the cholera epidemic, which has spread as sewage and water lines have broken down, contaminating the drinking supply.
A political stalemate between Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has deepened the crisis and left government in limbo.
The two signed a power-sharing deal three months ago but have so far failed to agree on how to form a unity government.
Wire reports
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28 Comments
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Everton2
When will Mugabe be arrested??
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AlfGarnett
Send in the SAS, wallop, the git is gone. Do it proper lijke we done in the old days. Send in British troops, some grub and medical supplies and set up a proper government if they're capabale over there. Britain aint going to give innocent people or even bad ones cholera. That Mugabe should have been taken out long ago, bleeding mug!
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MikeBarrymore
Mugabe is vile, he makes me ill with his wickedness.
When i saw the people suffering on telly i cried, and i couldn't eat my lasagne.
Of course Britain wouldn't commit genocide, it is you the criminal Mugabe, you did thsi to your own people.
God he is such a pig, i want to scream!!! World get rid of him and arrest him for his nasty doings.
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TooFarGone
Kinda funny watching the same Poms who denounce US intervention in Iraq demand that their gov't remove Mugabe.
Britain no longer has the military might. They' d have to get the Aussies or the Canadians to do their dirty work.
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AlfGarnett
TooFarGone- It only took us a handfull of troops to take out some other naughty people in Africa recently. Zimbabwe would be taken in days if not hours. They have no functioning military.
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AlfGarnett
TooFarGone- And as for taking out "bad guys" Dude. Mugabe is a liar, who we can and should take out as head of the commonwealth. In Vietnam we offered Americans Jungle training, they refused, look what happend. US troops are not best in the world British are, Mugabe knows it, and is terrified we'll have his guts for garters for letting his people suffer.
After all America aint bovvered unless oil's involved anyways.
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timorborder
Actually Alf, what you don't know won't hurt you. When I was on active service back in the late 80s early 90s, the topic of taking out Mugabe was readily discussed.
Trying to lay the blame of cholera, etc. is just another Mugabe brainfxrt being expoused. As everybody and his pet dog knows, Cholera is spread via dirty water. In the Zimbawean case, this means that the infrastructure for producing such is in decay. Now who is responsible for that? Downing Street? I don't think so.
Mugabe is one of the most tryranical dictators in recent memory. He is also one of the last African "big men" (dictators who have plagued the continent since various countries obtained their independence - another example would be Idi Amin in Uganda). Before it is too late, somebody has to remove Mugabe by force because as the last election in Zimbabwe demonstrated, he is not going to step down peacefully.
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GeorgeRoper
Words of wisdom ALf, well said. Mugabe sgould be sorted by the worlds finest forces the British. Strewth, the army that fought 2 world wars almost single handedly until America joined in at half time. YOu can be assured Mugabe and his gang will be sorted without massive collatoral damage and bombings of weddings.
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AlfGarnett
TooFarGone- We often cut deals, that is why we had the largest ever empire. We also took out people like Mugabe , swiftly and effectively. Mugabe will be gone soon, the bugger, and thousands of innocents won't die and wedding cerermonies will be safe.
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AlfGarnett
Thanks for your support Mr Rope, sounds like you're another true veteren who knows tyrants like Mugabe must be eliminated and the country will be rebuilt with the kindness of the British people and taxpayers. Maybe it is our penance for doing bad things in our past, unlike some countries who always fink they is good guys. Bring back democracy in Zimbabwe now!!
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TooFarGone
Mugabe shames not just Engerland but the entire Commonwealth. You lads need to get in there! Sort him out! Show 'im who is boss! Rename his country!
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skipthesong
Mugabe was once a hero of the people.
It only goes to show, be careful what you want. Zimbabwe, when Rhodesian was in a much better condition, basically the prize of Africa...
Its really a shame.
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AlfGarnett
We'd do a much better job ridding this dictator without innocents death than any other country.
America couldn't beat a bunch of illiterate Vietnamese awith antique weaponary.
Prepare for the rebirth of Rhodesia and prosperity and happiness for the Zimbabwen people.
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Helter_Skelter
Alright already. Enough talk, let's see some action.
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Helter_Skelter
Much higher? Does it even matter once you've hit a couple hundred million percent?
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TooFarGone
Yeah. Trot out George Michael and Boy George. Get Sir Boob Geldorf. Make a video. You ended hunger. Mugabe will be a pushover.
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BlackFlag
send Bush and his boys in, we all know how effective they are eh waytoofargone
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unscrejects
British representatives ran around Japan in late 1997 and 1998 forcing Japanese companies with business operations in Zimbabwe to help in destroying the economy to inflict serious suffering on the blacks who they said would overthrow Mugabe.... They were stupid to assume all white people share the same hatred for black people - because many of the coup solicitation letters went public. But would you believe it, the media was the one that shared the hatred for they absolutely refused to report it. Read the Herald archive headline article: November 2 1997 South African Bank in Zimbabwe coup plot Last April the following was explained to us in Japan, "Due to South Africa's request no water purification chemicals can be exported to Zimbabwe. From 1997 ZImbabwe no longer had any blue prints of the water distribution system and none for the sewrage as well - the whites had burnt them, removed them illegally... and when apprehended in the act, Britain threatened economic action against Zimbabwe for any prosecutions. It is sickening for us ZImbabweans (including those of us who lost our citizenship years ago) to hear the gabbage being said about the country especially since the story is the other way round. To say Mugabe destroyed the farms is a laugh - what farms? They had stopped growing food years ago. You lot talking about helping ZImbabweans need to get a whiff of reality - Corn is a controlled substance in ZImbabwe (the law forced onto us at Lancaster House in 1979) so are, wheat, barley, rice, potatoes etc. You have zero idea what ZImbabwe is. Twelve million blacks were forbidden to grow these crops reserved only for the commercial farmers union - white. The CFU was by law to grow enough for the national granery. But in 1992 they were told by their handlers in South Africa to drop food for tobbacco and flowers. Mugabe insisted that the law required them to grow food. London told Mugabe to import. He tried - the national budget got screwed when ZImbabwe became an importer from exporter - 4,500,000 blacks saw famine in 1991-93 - the international press ignored our plight. When we had a drought South Africa also had a drought so they couldn't export to us. Mugabe called the CFU in. They told him to speak with John Major. The Tories told Mugabe to allow the farmers to grow tobbacco for Rothmans, BAT et al, in exchange for EU market privileges. Blair took over and Claire Short inherited the farm issue. She wrote to us saying, "Talk to the Tories, in fact I'm Irish... your land buyback promises with the Conservative Party is old news." sic Then the gay rights guy - Peter Thatchel, began to insult Zimbabwe, even going so far as to breach UK security to assault Mugabe in London. Tony Blair apologised but the abuse continued. The Thatchel campaign began to twist into white rights and soon it was landless blacks. Yes, landless blacks. The farm workers were forced by the ZCTU (founders of the MDC) to occupy Iron Mask Range Estate in Mashonaland North. Mugabe sent in the police. The Heralds editor cried foul for removing the squarters - Mugabe sacked him. Strangely Mugabe is vilified for his stance on squarters - people whom he treated with an iron fist from 1980. The super press now says ZANU occupied the farms. But google "ZCTU strike 1997" and you'll see that the farm workers, led by the union which was led by the president of the MDC occupied the farms. And Peta Thornicroft the so called ZImbabwean journalist knows for a fact that her farm was occupied by her own workers at the insistence of the ZCTU. Trudie Evans will tell you the same. A major media rewritting of the story has led to this genocide - South Africa has sabatoged ZImbabwean imports going back to 1994. How much more can the world stand and see us murdered while they blame us for our own death? Take our recent 'discovery' that we have diamonds to rival Botswana - ZImbabwe is a mineral deficient country every report said. We are being killed for our land, for our resources and for helping our neighbors in teh Congo. Mugabe's only crime was to trust that the white farmer could be trusted. He looked the other way when they killed their workers. He looked the other way when they smuggled resources. But he could not continue to look the other way when they stopped growing food. Zimbabwe's struggle is for nothing more than food and water. Believe it or not, the city of Harare - any town or city in ZImbabwe - can never expand one inch. The city limits were set forever a hundred years ago. Harare can not get new land fills unless they're in the city. No new cemeteries can be made for the same reason. But not for the white population - they can build a grave yard on a farm since they sell the land to each other. What the hell is any president supposed to do?
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neverknow2
Demanding and 'invading' are 2 very different things. Maybe you can buy an 'ENGLISH' dictionary to learn this. I like the way you use intervention in Iraq instead of 'killing thousands of innocent civilians'.
Its called ENGLISH because it comes from ENGLAND.
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tclh
Now according to Mugabe ,this cholera is "made in Britain", same for millions percent inflation,sham elections, people houses's destruction...all Britain's faults,Mugabe is just peeeerfect! So where are all the helps from Russia ,China...which Mugabe often crows so loud about?
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adaydream
Can you imagine the horrendous conditions these people must be living in and to think that Mugabe is so oblivious to their plight or just turns a blind eye.
I think there was a time I thought he was a fair leader. Gawd how things have changed.
Pray for their comfort and better health, both personal and national. < :-)
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