 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
remyspam
15 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Mar 2007 : 10:44:24
|
 quote:
Tsvangirai held in intensive care
Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is being treated in an intensive care unit as doctors examine wounds he received in police custody.
He has been scanned amid fears he may have a fractured skull, and received two pints of blood overnight, his spokesman told the BBC News website.
He and dozens of other activists were arrested at a rally on Sunday.
He was due to appear in court on Wednesday morning, but was too ill to attend. The hearing was abandoned.
"I was at court this morning and we were told to go away. There seems to be confusion over the state of the charge," said his spokesman William Bango.
Mr Tsvangirai and 49 others appeared in court in the capital, Harare, on Tuesday, but have all been released from police custody over the past 24 hours, their lawyers said.
A number remained in hospital on Wednesday.
On leaving court on Tuesday, Mr Tsvangirai condemned their treatment.
"The police assaulted defenceless civilians but the struggle continues," said Mr Tsvangirai, who heads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Speaking to the BBC, MDC colleague Tendai Biti described how Mr Tsvangirai was beaten.
"I saw him being assaulted. There was a time when for 15 minutes they were assaulting him with their baton sticks non-stop. He must have passed out at least three times," he said.
"I can hardly walk," he said from a hospital.
"They were hitting me on the buttocks and on my legs, the fibula. I was assaulted while I was lying prostrate."
In a rare criticism of its neighbour, South Africa urged Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to respect the rights of citizens, including opposition leaders.
The action against Sunday's demonstration was strongly condemned by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, as well as the US and European Union.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for Mr Tsvangirai's immediate release.
"The world community again has been shown that the regime of Robert Mugabe is ruthless and repressive and creates only suffering for the people of Zimbabwe," she said.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour urged Zimbabwe to conduct an "immediate, impartial and comprehensive investigation" into what happened.
Zimbabwe's Information Minister, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, told the BBC that the police officers' action was justified as they were under attack by opposition activists.
The government said the rally breached a ban on political gatherings imposed after violence at a demonstration last month.
Civil discontent in Zimbabwe is rising over the country's economic crisis, with chronic unemployment and inflation running at more than 1,700% - the highest in the world.
For how long can this go on?
What can the poor people in Zimbabwe do, apart from waiting till Mr. Mugabe dies of old age or (god forbid) take up arms?
With a projected inflation of 2000% over the year 2007 life in Zimbabwe will be even harder, especially if their will not be enough rain.
Can the UN do anything about it? We've tried sanctions, we've tried talks.
I feel so sorry for the citizens in Zimbabwe who live and die by the hands of this madman.
|
Edited by - remyspam on 14 Mar 2007 10:44:56 |
|
|
lurker
509 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2007 : 19:50:53
|
this is a fearfully complicated situation, my friend. i lived there from 96-98 when the stuff started to hit the fan. this goes way back before that, even.
mugabe was a highly intelligent man. he manipulated the presidential electoral procedure to get in in 1980 when abel musorewa, i believe, was justly elected. he had a way to impress the uk and others with his promises of reconciliation and co-extence and forgiveness etc.
he had been imprisoned as a radical and had a high following as a brave freedom fighter.
once in, the change was not too slow in coming. he postured well with talk of health and education but he is a shona and he hates the minority ndebele tribe. he had to accept some of them into government, but it did not stop him massacring 30, 000 or so in the early 80's.
he has consistently kept close ties with the last few communists like korea, china etc and has feted gaddafi and others for money etc for years.
he shelters mengistu, the ethipian cannibal, in harare, not far from where i used to live.
he has amassed so much wealth - how? - that he was on time magazines cover in the nineties as one of the top ten richest men on the planet - he banned the magazine, of course!
his dictatorial govt. have brooked no opposition from day one.
the MDC nearly caught him out in the election a few years back when they almost failed to fiddle the results enought to win!!!
he sells assets for money. he prints money to "cure" inflation. half of zim is now libyan or chinese.
his govt had decent ministers who were summarily fired for disagreeing with party politics.
he allowed the collapse of the welfare and health and education system. tourism is finished and large amounts of the beautiful wild animals have been paoched for profit or food.
then , of course is the land issue.
NO-ONE, white or black, denies the need for some kind of redistribution. but you don;t go and confiscate the lot, kill loads of the farmers, give the land to your ministers, friends and cronies without the inevitable economic collapse that will come - and has.
he was and still is seen as a hero, freedom-fighter and master tactician by his fellow africans.
namibian pres, nuloma, thinks he is god and wants to copy his land programme. south african wimp, mbeki, could stop him in a week, but mutters abotu quiet diplomacy,. i believe he thinks mugabe stuck one on the whitess, and would love to have been in the same position, with the same balls.
now the country is ruined. inflation is 1700 percent, 80% unemployed, no food, no staples.
it was 13 dollars to a uk pound when i got there , now it is several million!
the country is officialy the worst in the world on all indices. 40% have hiv, sanitation is non-existent for the poor, nurses and doctors are on strike, the legal system is his personal toy and he beats/tortures or kills anyone in his way.
sanctions are meaningless. he ought to be assassinated, but no-one cares as there is no oil/diamonds ot anything elase big enought to get involved about. uk washed there hands of zim 5 yrs ago and nothing will happen til he dies or leaves.
i beleieve that his army keep him in power, but the day is soon here when there is no money left to keep them faithful and they will turn. i beleve his end is not far away, but alas, not a fatal end as i think the incomers will tip him off and allow him to run away before they take over, as a "eward" for what he has done for the black man's cause in zimbabwe and for his part in independence.
god help zimbabwe as the real stuff has yet to hit the fan, and this megalomaniac will not go too quietly - probably
|
 |
|
|
kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2007 : 23:27:59
|
| When i was there it was around 600 to one dollar in 1998. |
|
|
|
kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
|
|
remyspam
15 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2007 : 16:01:04
|
quote:
Mugabe tells critics to 'go hang'
Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe has said Western critics of his rule can "go hang", in response to accusations of mistreatment of opposition leaders.
Mr Mugabe said the opposition Movement for Democratic Change had triggered violence which led to arrests and alleged beatings of its leaders.
Western countries are considering extending sanctions against Zimbabwean officials in response to the violence.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is still in hospital after the alleged beatings.
A very 'grown up' reply, Mr. Mugabe.
So now we just wait. Until he can't afford his army, or until he dies of old age, I suppose.
(Oh, lurker, thanks for the info). |
|
|
|
sab
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2007 : 19:00:12
|
Founded by Wilf Mbanga, in exile - http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
|
The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary) |
|
|
|
lurker
509 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2007 : 19:32:25
|
is it me ? why am i ashamed of the pathetic response of the west to this unfolding disaster.?
this little hitler is destroying more black people than olonialism ever did in his country. he is destroying the whole country, period.
now he beats the crap out of everybody in desperation to hang on, and then tells the world to "go hang" and that the armed faction of the MDC started it all.
my sides are splitting.
if there was an armed faction, muppet, you would already be toast.
it would not be that hard to snipe you out of existence at a rally or meeting or anywhere in fact.
the truth is, you will kill anyone who threatens your nose in the trough. how much money do you want?
you could spend all you have in a hundred lifetimes.
so what does the west do?
" ooh, we had better be seen to be objecting- why not threaten sanctions?"
don't make me laugh.
what is that going to achieve. you can't punish people who are starving and dying already. you can't tell me that banning him from travelling matters a jot. you refuse to freeze his assets. you refuse to persuade that spineless pratt, mbeki, to shut down his supply chain and hit him where hit hurts. you refuse to send the russians in with polonium. you refuse to send rambo in to whack him.
let's face.
NOBODY GIVES A SH-T.
zims population is about 12 mill, i think. it should have been about 15 million in normal circumstances. but we know why it is not.
this country is a modern tragedy unfolding - dare one say a self-inflicted holocaust.
what has to happen before something is done.?
i believe no-one will ever step in. they all think he will die and go away and the problem will just evapourate.
what happens to the power-crazed, greedy vultures in zanu-pf waiting to assume the mantle?
Morgan cannot stop them, he will be killed or just be unable to garner the right kind of power to change things.
he ruined the democratic way when he split the MDC.
to be honest, they will never be allowed to win an election, anyway.
it is 2007 and we still have this kind of nonsense going on in the world.
america,uk - world police?
rubbish.
they are special services used only when deemed necessary and whent he reward is commensurate to the effort.
i believe african people have to stop an african lunatic.
show themselves and the world that africa has moved on from subjugation and can fend for itself. take the reins, earn global respect, weed out the chaff and save itself. bob geldof cannot do it all alone!!!!!!
peace to africa
|
|
|
|
kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
© 2005-2024 Nijii |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
