via No welcome mat – The Zimbabwean 28 January 2015 by Jera
There was no welcome mat at the door, when Mugabe arrived in Lusaka. He was met with a hostile reception as hundreds of demonstrators chanted ‘Mugabe must go!’ He has enjoyed sympathy in some African states who, not fully aware of the facts surrounding the land question, believe him to be a hero.
Mugabe has always pulled the race card, claiming that he resettled landless blacks when, in fact, it is only his cronies – most of them incompetent farmers – who have benefited.
Headlines like ‘Mugabe takes land from whites and gives to blacks’ travel quicker and farther than the accompanying subtext. Unknown to the international community, it is not only farming which has suffered from the chaotic land reform but an environmental crisis looms as hordes of ill-equipped ‘miners’ dig haphazardly for gold, causing deforestation, river siltation and pollution.
Several international broadcasters were not permitted into the country until recently. Social media has played a large part in filling the information void, with trans-continental ties building between bloggers of different countries. It is therefore not a surprise that Africa finally sees Mugabe for the tyrannical President that he is.
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