Mugabe

[Capetonian]

Wherever Grace is, I hope she's treated with the disrespect, contempt, violence and unpleasantness that she deserves. I hope she has to go hungry and thirsty and with any medical conditions untreated, in a room that's as hot and stinky as hell, since it's now about the hottest time of the year, so that she can feel what she has inflicted on so many Zimbabweans.

[ian16th]

The rush to change sides has started!

Zimbabwe's state broadcaster has interrupted its programming to air an apology by the ruling party's youth leader to army commanders for "denigrating" them.

Kudzanai Chipanga says the statement he made earlier this week attacking the military did not originate with him.

He also said he was making his public apology without coercion.

He says that "by this big mistake we have learned a lot".

Zimbabwe's army early Wednesday announced that President Robert Mugabe and his family were under house arrest.

- AP

[Cacophonix]

The rush to change sides has started!

Zimbabwe's state broadcaster has interrupted its programming to air an apology by the ruling party's youth leader to army commanders for "denigrating" them.

Kudzanai Chipanga says the statement he made earlier this week attacking the military did not originate with him.

He also said he was making his public apology without coercion.

He says that "by this big mistake we have learned a lot".

Zimbabwe's army early Wednesday announced that President Robert Mugabe and his family were under house arrest.

- AP

Said Kudzanai Chipanga trying not to think of the Van Der Graaf generator attached to his goolies...

Caco

[Alisoncc]

I doubt that anything will change. If it had, Ian Smith would be running the show, Salisbury and Bulawayo would have been renamed, and the name Rhodesia would have been resurrected. Oh such happy dazes.

Irrespective of ethnicity, race, colour or creed, it always seemed such a happy place. Mind you they were growing tons and tons of tobacco, which paid for everything, with money to spare.

Alison

[Alisoncc]

Just had the biggest giggle imaginable. Some "senior govt" non-reflective in Salisbury/Harare was stating in a news clip that they need to find a way to persuade the white farmers to return, as they generated much of the wealth in the old days. Jesus that is just so funny.

Alison

[Woody]

Zuma is probably hoping that some of the “exiled “ migrants return home and take the pressure off him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42011059

[Slasher]

...they need to find a way to persuade the white farmers to return, as they generated much of the wealth in the old days.

Too late. The dumbos were told that time and time again when they were all busy appropriating white blokes's farms. It is time now for these clowns to go hungry and starved out of existence for good.

[Stoneboat]

It is time now for these clowns to go hungry and starved out of existence for good.

Ya think? Bob Geldof and the gang are probably already planning a benefit concert for the starving Mugapians.

[Slasher]

I just said it's time mate. Whether or not some do-gooding bunch of retards successfully defy Natural Selection by keeping these dickheads alive is another thing.

Penning 'em in then dropping an Ebola bomb would be the logical choice if the Geldof brigade thwarts the starvation method. No one will go near the place.

[ian16th]

A link that y'all might want to follow today.

[ian16th]

From: The Zim Eye

CHIWENGA ARRESTS THE MUGABES: Fresh Details, How Grace Cried And Begged To Be Flown To Malasia, Bob Collapsed
18th November 2017


As the details of the military coup in Zimbabwe begin to emerge, a source who spoke to the Daily Mail says President Robert Mugabe collapsed and had to be “resuscitated and revived” when he was told by General Constantino Chiwenga that he was under house arrest.

The report in the British paper says “Bluntly, Chiwenga told Mugabe he was under arrest. Without uttering a word, Mugabe promptly collapsed to the floor.

‘He was in shock, and collapsed when he realised what was happening,’ one coup plotter told me. ‘He had to be resuscitated and revived. He could not believe what was happening at first.’

The paper says “Grace — with whom the president had begun an affair after spotting her in his typing pool when he was still married to his first wife — was terrified. She was hysterical and burst into tears.”

‘She’s been in a mess ever since — in tears and mentally gone. She begged to be allowed to fly out to Malaysia [where she has millions in investments]. She thought she would be killed.’

One of the first moves made by the army was to swap Mugabe’s loyal presidential guard and replace it with soldiers loyal to the coup plotters.

“The first sign of any trouble was when Mugabe’s convoy arrived at his home in a suburb of the capital city, and the men accompanying him arrested the security officers on duty there.

“The 93-year-old president was then hustled into the house and, a short time later, the man in charge of Zimbabwe’s armed forces arrived to break some rather bad news to Mugabe.”

The report goes on to say “Mugabe made an astonishing bid to save his own political skin — and possibly his life. Incredibly, he promised General Chiwenga he would anoint him the next president if he called off the coup and stood down as the head of the armed forces.”

[Bob]

I suppose they had to revive the bugger for political purposes, shame though

[Cacophonix]

The complex web of interconnected or antagonistic foreign interests in Zimbabwe have also had their part to play in the slow motion drama that is playing out in that country...

Suffice it so say that what is happening is linked to a bigger political and economic agenda that involves multiple players outside Zimbabawe itself.

“It is a BRICS internal rivalry with both Russia and South Africa on one side trying to protect their economic interests and China on the other side,” a regional think-tank in London said on Friday.

“I would like to look at the situation from the other side. In most cases, instability emerges, when people are not satisfied with their lives. That’s why, it is necessary to attract money to the country in order to ensure stability, to attract investors, to create new enterprises… If the country is developing, there will be no grounds for instability, that’s why, in order to avoid destabilization, Zimbabwe, as well as any other country, should simply develop its economy,” Russian Deputy Trutnev explained.

Russia has been investing in several projects in southern African nations, for example, the ALROSA group of diamond mining companies is engaged in several projects in Zimbabwe, while mining and steelmaking company Evraz and Severstal steel and steel-related mining company conduct their business in South Africa.

The unrest in Zimbabwe is a serious concern for neighboring countries. While the African Union stated that the crisis “seemed like a coup” and urged respect for the country’s constitution, South African President Jacob Zuma sent envoys to meet with Mugabe and the army commander on Thursday in order to find a solution to the political turmoil, saying that the situation in Zimbabwe “very shortly will be become clear.”

The upheaval in the African country began earlier this week with the the ruling party announcing that the country was in a “bloodless transition” of power from 93-year-old Robert Mugabe, who was reportedly put under heavy guard by the military and is preparing to announce his resignation. The military, however, said in a televised statement on Wednesday that there was no “military takeover of government” underway and that the president was “safe and sound.”

In the latest turn of events, Mugabe made his first public appearence since the beginning of the crisis, arriving at a university graduation ceremony in Harare.

Russia and South Africa, which together control about 80% of the world’s reserves of platinum group metals, have created a trading bloc similar to OPEC to control the flow of exports according to Bloomberg.
Zimbabwe, Canada, and the U.S. are among other major platinum group metals producers.

Russian and South African officials signed a memorandum of understanding today to cooperate in the industry.

“Our goal is to coordinate our actions accordingly to expand the markets for realization of these metals,” Russian Natural Resources Minister Sergey Donskoy said in an interview at a summit of leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa in Durban. “The price depends on the structure of the market, and we will form the structure of the market.”

South Africa mines about 70 percent of the world’s platinum, while Russia leads in palladium, a platinum group metal used in autocatalysts, with about 40% of output, according to a 2012 report by Johnson Matthey Plc.

According to the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (CMZ) and geologists, Zimbabwe has far bigger platinum reserves than Russia. The country currently has the second known largest platinum reserves after South Africa. Experts say underfunding and limited exploration has over the years stifled growth of the mining sector.

The Zimbabwe chamber is on record saying it seeks to increase production to the targeted 500 000 ounces per annum requires the setting up of base and precious metal smelters and refineries, investment of $2,8 billion in mines, $2 billion in processing plants and between $200 and $500 million to ensure adequate power supply. Already, the country’s major platinum miners – Zimplats, Unki and Mimosa who are currently processing the metal in neighbouring South Africa – have undertaken to construct the refinery.

Official figures show that last year Russia produced about 800 000 ounces.

Zimbabwe’s largest platinum producer, Zimplats, has invested over $30 million in carrying out a study for the establishment of the first-ever platinum group of metals refinery in the country.

Zimplats, a unit of South Africa’s Impala Platinum, is a platinum group metals mining company that currently operates three underground mines and a concentrator at Ngezi as well as the Selous metallurgical complex, which comprises a concentrator and a smelter.

The three platinum mines are this year targeting nearly 365 000 ounces of the precious metal, but experts say investment has been affected by the indigenisation and empowerment regulations which compel foreign-owned companies to sell 51% stake to locals.

China, which has enjoyed a close diplomatic and economic relationship with Zimbabwe for years, says Chiwenga’s visit was routine and part of a “normal military exchange.”

Asked if Chiwenga had briefed China on coup plans, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang would not discuss specifics.

Miles Blessing Tendi, a lecturer in African history and politics at the University of Oxford, says there is no way to be certain if China knew about Mugabe’s fate but believes China’s respect for sovereignty would make their involvement uncharacteristic.

“Above all else [China] wants stability, and a coup is a recipe for instability. So this does not sound like a Chinese move,” Tendi said. “Something like this is always going to be held in secret talks. No one is going to come out and confirm it, so we may never know for sure.”

Teddy Brett, professor of international development at the London School of Economics, said whoever ends up ruling Zimbabwe would want support from overseas, and China would be a key source of strength.

“It would not surprise me in the slightest if they would start with the country with the resources [of China] and without any commitment to democracy per se,” Brett said. “China always supports the regime in power, unconditionally, whether it has been elected or not.”

Beijing has stood with Mugabe’s government in the face of economic sanctions from the United States and other Western powers. It has backed Mugabe despite rising international criticism over his authoritarian rule and human rights violations.

China is also an important investor in Zimbabwe. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the country in 2015, reaffirming “deep and firm” friendship between the two nations and pledging $4 billion in investment deals.

Beijing said Thursday it was paying close attention to the uncertainty in Zimbabwe, and that its “friendly policy” toward the African nation would not change despite the crisis.
Brett said it was likely China will now play a waiting game to see who will come out on top.

“And once they do, I would be very surprised if they said anything other than ‘these are the internal political matters of Zimbabwe’,” he said.

In August, Zimbabwe’s government said a Chinese company planned to invest up to $2 billion to revive operations at Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO), which ceased production in 2008 at the height of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown.

In that year, China vetoed a proposed Western-backed U.N. resolution which would have imposed an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and financial and travel restrictions on Mugabe and 13 other officials, saying it would “complicate,” rather than ease, conflict.

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/world-ne ... abwe-coup/

Caco

[Cacophonix]

The putsch and its instigators are playing a slow and canny game to ensure that legitimacy of any handover of power from Mugabe is not undermined resulting in some slightly bizarre concessions such as this one...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 61536.html

Robert Mugabe presides over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University yesterday, his first public appearance since the military put him under house arrest

mugabe-zimbabwe-open-university-5.jpg (297.6 KiB) Viewed 495 times

Caco

[A Lutra Continua]

I suppose they had to revive the bugger for political purposes, shame though

Shame? But he's the one the west wanted there instead of the more moderate Abel Muzorewa. Surely they couldn't have got it wrong?

[Cacophonix]

I suppose they had to revive the bugger for political purposes, shame though

Shame? But he's the one the west wanted there instead of the more moderate Abel Muzorewa. Surely they couldn't have got it wrong?

A bit simplistic ALC as Muzorewa and Caanan Banana had little legitimacy and both ZANU and ZAPU vowed to keeping on fighting and boycott the election. The only way for Muzorewa to have prevailed would have been through dint of armed support from the West, which was never going to happen and didn't.

20/20 hindsight and wishful thinking is all well and good but...

Caco

[A Lutra Continua]

...both ZANU and ZAPU vowed to keeping on fighting and boycott the election...

So the west gave in to coercion. Big fat hairy surprise.


Edited to add:- It's only hindsight if you're a drippy, deluded liberal. Most who are not that way inclined saw exactly where it was headed.

[Cacophonix]

...both ZANU and ZAPU vowed to keeping on fighting and boycott the election...

So the west gave in to coercion. Big fat hairy surprise.

True but not even the SA government was prepared to support Zimbabwe Rhodesia militarily at the time and had pulled the Alouette pilots and support crew from the country (under pressure from the USA etc. tis true) but there were bigger issues occurring in SWA and Angola...

Caco

[A Lutra Continua]

Quite. So no support for the winner of the election unless he's the candidate favoured by the west. Didn't go quite the way they envisaged it would from 5000 miles away, did it?

[Cacophonix]

Quite. So no support for the winner of the election unless he's the candidate favoured by the west. Didn't go quite the way they envisaged it would from 5000 miles away, did it?

True but does it ever...?

Look at Afghanistan, Iraq and multiple other hot spots in the world today? All of them complete fiascos and messes due to Western intervention. Plus ca change eh!

Caco