SADC Supports Mugabe

The fourteen African leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) reaffirmed their solidarity with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe today in a much anticipated meeting. They also called on the West to end their sanctions against the country immediately. The SADC's decision was extremely disappointing and dealt a low blow to the people of Zimbabwe and for human rights. As far as I can tell, being impoverished, hungry and beaten to a bloody pulp means nothing to these leaders.

Proving that self-interest comes before all else, Southern African leaders are looking to the future and possibly see themselves in Mugabe’s position in a few years with a rotten economy, the world’s highest inflation rate and a restless, hungry population. Just think about it, one of these leaders might want to use his police to brutalize and arrest members of the opposition party, want his political party to select him to run unopposed in the country’s next presidential elections or enlist the help of an ally’s militia to help crackdown on civil unrest. As long as SADC supports Mugabe’s brutal behavior, then Southern African leaders can expect the same kind of support when they find themselves brutalizing their own population.

One of the goals of the SADC is to achieve development and economic growth, alleviate poverty, enhance the standard and quality of life of the people of Southern Africa and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration. How does mollycoddling Robert Mugabe help achieve these goals for the people of Zimbabwe?

All the SADC did was reiterate that autocrats are alive and well in Southern Africa and will do anything to stay in power. As pigheaded and preposterous as Mugabe is, he’s got fourteen allies who have got his back. Why should the European Union and the United States reward Mugabe for being an oppressive dictator?

(Cartoon by Geoffrey Nyarota taken from wan-press.org)