You mention blacks as second class citizens. I wonder how many of them are happier now under a dictator with disease rampant and no food. Maybe they were better off when the whites were ruling there. Look what 250,000 whites did for over 6 million blacks with schools and hospitals and jobs. What do they have now.

Let’s thank the liberal media and presidents like Carter for the wonderful situation they created in Rhodeisa and now Zimbabwe just like the Zimbabwe ruins

What about Charles Robberts Swart, Jozua Frangois Naudi and all the other presidents of South Africa when South African people were at the height of their oppression. Were they not considered dictators or monsters!!! I wonder how you could bring your pen to write such blasphemies with consciousness. I recall from my readings and recants of my ancestors past down about the horrors the African people survived from real monsters who now with great balls of fire, call great men monsters and dictators. When I think of the load Mugabe has taken on, one that not only will he never in his breathing life get due credit for, he stands to be accused of horrible things by his good, righteous and just acts. I SAY HOW REALLY GREAT A MAN THIS IS!!! What about the Xhosa killings of 1856-57. HOW CAN YOU SAY MUGABE IS A MONSTER WHEN THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN RULE DICTATES THIS!!!! After all Africans have been through, how do you expect them to just heal. How does one rid his people of the haunting of generations? These people were striped of thousands and possibly millions of years of traditions, trades and crafts erased with pure greed and evilness. These people have been diseased, had their pride ripped from their souls, ripped from their DNA!! These people were separated from their family, stripped from their land, and thrown into poverty, ignorance and oppression. How does he take his nation back and give them back all they lost. IT”S NOT EASY!!!! IT WON”T BE EASY BUT IT WILL BE DONE!!!! …There will be trials as people have to relearn to farm. There will be trials as the previous oppressor spews his plague on them, poison’’s the land, disease the people, use their powers to destroy the economy. Yes, Mugube — Many of us can see with clarity your plight. Many can see and because they fear your oppressors, they praise you with quiet whispers. You will succeed and lead and many nations shall follow!!!! What about the regime of George W. Bush. It has been a dictatorship. The rule and oppression have been delivered BY manipulation and misinformation FOR Greed!!!

I spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe during the 1990’s covering the country’s wildlife stories and it stood out to me to be the most-promisiing country in Africa, boasting high quality tourism dollars and a world-class infrastructure. I wonder today whether the west has not done a dis-service to the people of Zimbabwe by not backing our sanctions with some measure of political instigation, funding the opposition in order to directly subvert Mugabe’s heavy hand. It would have cost little, but sent a clear message that the west would stand in support of a new regime. Sadam Hussain was better for Iraq than Mugabe has been for Zimbabwe. Unlike Saddam, Mugabe’s presence has lead to a total up-ending of the progress(es) made by the return to black rule in Africa. This would have been one country to have placed a bet upon.

I lived in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) from 1968 -1975. As white Americans, my stepfather was sent to the country by Union Carbide to be the doctor on a chrome mine. It was an experience I’ll treasue all my life. Living in Selukwe, and attending high school at Chaplin in Gwelo was the most wonderful time of my life. I cry when I see how the country has fallen into disrepair and is now classified as one of the most dangerous places in the world. In the early 70’s it was beautiful and food and medical care was plentiful for all races. My father and mother tried to help the African people all they could and loved them unci=onditionally. The African people were kind, intelligent and had wonderful senses of humor. That they received the opportunity to rule their own country was wonderful, to have Mugabe in power not so much. Please remember that the white farmers were born in that country and it is as much their home as any one elses. Once again and African nation is given to a dictator to rule who ruins the country and ALL it’s people.

Carolyn Brown, I hope your hatred is disapated soon. You speak of what you do not know. You have never lived there or visited the country. Read more, read realistic stories, not propoganda and pray that ALL poeple in the country can live in peace and prsoperity. As far as their crafts being taken away from them, the African people (mainly Shona and Matebele) are wonderful artists and continue their traditions when possible. It was the white rule which found their cave drawings in the Zimbabwe Ruins and preserved them for future generations. I know, I have seen them in person.

As a Zimbabwean women well versed in the history of my people I have to agree with some of what Carolyn Brown has to say. During this time of anxiety over the elections and all sorts of rumors spreading about their outcome it is disheartening to hear people speak about colonialism as if it was a good thing and Africans were ‘better off when the whites were ruling there’. Do you really expect that after years of colonialism everything would just be alright and all the strategies people tried to use to rectify all the wrongs caused by colonialism would work? I mean today is a new day,why on earth would you want to talk about colonialism when all we want as a country is to rebuild ,put that behind us and allow Zimbabweans ,black and white, to prosper. Mugabe has done horrible things and I want him out NOW but at the same time I am worried because our focus is on removing him from power and that leaves very little room for us to look for a ‘good leader’ . I believe change,any change, would be a good thing right now but its hard after seeing Zimbabwe fall from its former glory (as Zimbabwe not Rhodesia) to see the real way forward.I guess all that we can do right now is pray that Mugabe handing over power is going to be a peaceful transition and when that is over start praying that Tsvangirai will be a better leader

As usual.. People rather removed speak “on behalf” of others… So easy to judge from an ivory tower. This has been the problem with every conflict in the world- many to speak, none to act.

I am a Zimbabwean in Zimbabwe (and by the way, the term “African” is slightly offensive, we prefer to be called Black- there are many Africans of all races). I am most certainly NOT a supporter of Mugabe.. But I am always irritated by the condescending attitudes of people who think, “poor Africans”. Bob worse for Zim than Saddam was for Iraq?! I mean honestly… A reality check is in order. Things may be hard, but (George Gordon and your ilk) we are free. Remember that most African countries are less than 50 years old… Where were European and American countries when they were 50 years old? Remember that self-rule comes with challenges. Even the constitution may need to be challenged before it works for its country. Zimbabwe is a vibrant country, determined to work through its problems- but the citizens don’t agree on how it should be done. Why isn’t there a civil war yet, if we are so unable to work things out for ourselves? Why have we waited so patiently for a peaceful solution?? It’s because we are reasonable people, who want a reasonable solution.

For those who think we should go back to the 60s and 70s… Try putting yourself in the position the “Africans” were in. Try this on for size: not being able to walk on the pavement of a city in the country that is historically your home.. Having a white person earn more for the same job, simply because they were white…. Not being allowed to go to “white” areas… “White” people getting attended to in a supermarket before you were… Not being allowed to own property in white” (and so generally nicer) areas… Not being allowed to vote.. The list is endless. THIS is what colonialism actually was- not the namby-pamby pretty little thing a few racist Zimbabwean white people (mostly those who left Zim in 1980) like to say it is.. Especially when they compare it with apartheid..

When I went to school in the 80s, we were even discouraged from speaking our indigenous languages- a legacy of colonialism. It will take a while to heal wounds, but even longer to learn what self-rule actually means in practice.

Don’t jump on Zim; give us time.

Thank you for your comments(Carolyn Brown and Tafadzwa Nyati), you took she words right out of my mouth! I was born and raised in Zim and have heard the horror stories from my parents and grandparents. They still bear the scars of their suffering and would rather continue to live under Mugabe than the oppressive rule of a white man.

Reality Check : “food and medical care plentiful for all”?? my mother has talked about how they used burnt sugar as a substitute for tea and they were the ‘privileged’ family in that township. On a good day, grandad would bring home left over sandwiches from the boss’s tea. I wonder if you’d be able to say the same thing about a white family, even a poor one.

We should not assume that Mugabe has lost all support in Zim–many still cheer wildly when he appears and he is still respected by much of the population, in spite of all he has done. Like all dictators he still has a lot of support.

I do not blame people for their ignorance, it is impossible to understand something you haven’t lived yourself and even then: how do you express the humiliation of being treated like you’re a half wit or sub-human, all because of the color of your skin? There is a point where social factors outweigh economic factors- I am not a supporter of Mugabe or a Liberation War Veteran, I am an 18 year old, ‘born free” Zimbabwean woman and I am telling you now, I would rather be free than go back to the way things were.

What Zim needs is healing. We need to honor and respect our history, but leave it where it belongs- in the past. The time for change has come, now is the time for a new beginning. God bless Zimbabwe!

I’m just read the comments and learn something from them. As far as i know, Zimbabwe was a rich country by the time the white people were living there. Zimbabwe is our neighbouring country, which Botswana. By the time it was rich we usually saw few Zimbabwean’s in our country but now they had flocked into our country in huge number, so they are doing bad things in our country. So we were praying for all the years to Zimbabwe to be back to where it was, changes must occur. I thank God for that, so that they can live a normal life like any other person on earth. Dont wory our friends it will be right.

Thanks people for your comments. I am a Zimbabwean staying outside Zim and really looking forward to the change. But not any change back to the 70s and 60s, those were horrible days. We want Mugabe out, so that we can have freedom in our own land. The mere fact that Mugabe has messed up doesnt mean that life under colonialism was better.