By "locals" i meant "Zimbabweans". Or are you saying his cronies where not even from the country?

In any case, it was a major mistake. These kind of land reforms might look attractive ("our land belongs to us") but I don't think they have ever worked in history...I could be wrong though. They certainly didn't work in Zimbabwe.

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Oh dear, Mugabe for life? Should the people ivingthere not rather decide? ANd they have now spoekn. If they say he should not be there, then, well, good ridance. You can also use your argument to proof that Hussein should have been ruler of Iraq for life.

And your aqrgument that he did good. HAH! I'll give you 3 numbers, then you decide: 80, 10 000 and 52.

80% - the unemployment rate in Zimbabwe
10 000% the monthly inflation rate in Zimbabwe
52% the HIV infection rate in Zimbabwe.

He is a rubuush president and should go. This has nothing to do with colour and race. He was just as bad to black Zimbabweans as to white ones. Look at the forced removal of black Zimbabweans out of the cities ast year, which directly lead to increased poverty and many deaths. An idea he seemed to have gotten from old Hendik Verwoerd himself.

And where do you get of calling all white Zimbabweans racist? What proof do you have for such a sweeping statement, which s, by the way, a very racist statemnt to make.

AH

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"A man is not defeated by his opponents but by himself."
"Not Wilson, but humanity failed at Paris."

Jan Smuts

They were, but the point is that he told everyone he'd give it to the black population, giving the idea that the normal, poor people would gain control of the land, whereas actually a lot of it went to rich black friends of Mugabe.

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... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Let the Zimbabweans speak, Discoman:

'We want Mugabe to go': South Africa: News: News24

AH

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"A man is not defeated by his opponents but by himself."
"Not Wilson, but humanity failed at Paris."

Jan Smuts

Indeed, but I doubt it would have much difference, would it? I mean obviously the poor would have been a better choice, but overall I think the outcome would have been rather similar...

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Oops...
anyone who supports Mugabe in Zimbadwe must be on mushrooms, unless it's a [grand]son of Robert.
The alternative: it might be a [grand]son of Idi Amin Dada also. Just check what he did to Uganda in only 8 years!

Begs the question: Mugabe ends his life in exile in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
I mean, the House of Saud also welcomed Idi. Or maybe the House of Bush, a close friend of the Saudis will get an extra room prepared for him... at the Techan Ranch?

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-Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Decimus Iunius Iuuenalis).
Murphy was a bleedin' optimist!

Thanks to Mugabe my parents got my ancestors land back and they are actually not Mugabe 's rich friends. Infact they are the normal poor people who have gained control of the land and so are their dozen neighbours with whom they share a farm which used to be owned by one white farmer.

Believe it or not this is why Mugabe is hated so much, he has the the guts to say ***k off to the colonisers! For that he is my hero, because our land means more to us than a loaf of bread. If he didnt take the land he would be Tony Blair ' s BFF (Best Friends Forever) right now. If all Africans thought like Mugabe we would be a powerful continent!.

Like Zimbabwe is now a powerful country?

AH

__________________
"A man is not defeated by his opponents but by himself."
"Not Wilson, but humanity failed at Paris."

Jan Smuts

Like I said we 'would' be a powerful continent if only my fellow Africans believed in themselves enough.

Still Im better off being a black Zimbabwean than a black South African coz the majority of them is suffering but there has never been Mugabe in the picture! Why is that? This is 2008 but millions are staying in shacks!

I dont know about you but I would rather have a farm than a shack.

This is exactly my point mwanawevhu, Mugabe may have his critics,
But many Zimbabweans have been given back their land and do not live in shacks.South Africa is moving to slow to turn back the clock.