Does President Mugabe really hate the white man?

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By GEORGE CHIRIKURE

Published: October 19, 2009

President Mugabe we all know is both for good & bad reasons a good example of a product of the white man’s “civilization”. There is no way he can pretend to cover up or run away from this factual historical reality.

Firstly, as a young boy from a poor family in Zvimba (Mashonaland West Province) he was sent to school by the white Catholic Church priests. He went on to study at Fort Hare University through initiatives & support of the white man.  

Throughout his adult life President Mugabe has in every way behaved like a British, shopping & wearing suits from the Harrods, wining & dining in London, catching flights to any part of the world through London.

Even travelling to nearest African destinations like Johannesburg, Lusaka, Cairo, Nairobi, etc., President Mugabe would prefer to do that via London. 

He loves the British Monarch; he loves the British cricket & loves everything British including the English language.

His only known Africanness seems to be his preference for sadza (thickened porridge made out of maize mealie meal).

Some few years back he did everything to be invited to Europe (Portugal). He prefers to forego important state business to take part in low profile UN conferences in Europe where a senior minister could be the ideal representative.

His anti – white utterances are often made at funeral ceremonies particularly at the National Heroes Acre or before crucial party decisions are to be made in his favour, which makes them mere political gimmicking.

Yes President Mugabe has forcefully embarked on the violent & chaotic land reform not because it was his sober option, but simply a political survival strategy the same way he sanctioned the false one million men & women march in Harare in order to guarantee his endorsement as Zanu PF leader.

Yes there is sufficient evidence to confirm that President Mugabe is a man prepared to go an extra mile for the sake of power retention, but deep down his heart does not hate the white man.

But readers may be quick to present MDC Treasurer – General Roy Bennett as a good case to prove how President Mugabe detest the white man.

How would one consider his receptivity of David Coltart (Minister of Education & former Selous Scout) & Trudy Stevenson (ambassador designate for Senegal) of MDC Mutambara, Timothy Stamps (his health adviser) from Zanu PF?

Are these less white than Bennett & Cross? For sure President Mugabe detests Bennett & Edie Cross (MDC adviser) with a passion.

These 2 white men are hated so much for obvious political reasons. They are begrudgingly credited for financially guaranteeing the political resurgence of the victorious MDC in March/08.

They are hated simply for making MDC & its leader Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai successfully resist at each turn forced political decline through prosecution & persecution.  

To President Mugabe & Zanu PF, Bennett & Cross are convenient cases for which the MDC can be politically tainted for advancing the Rhodesian regime agenda.

Coltart & Trudy who belong to a politically irrelevant but sympathetic MDC – M are in the meantime considered comrades in arms by President Mugabe & Zanu PF.

The other fact is that most senior Zanu PF officials are proud to be in business joint ventures with white investors throughout the world. The Nestle Zimbabwe – Gushungo Dairy ltd is another good example.

Certainly President Mugabe has never considered Zimbabwe politics as a field where citizens can freely compete for power as mere adversaries & not sworn enemies, whether black or white.

The re-admission of Professor Jonathan Moyo into Zanu PF following countless newspaper articles in which he arrogantly & pompersouly defended President Mugabe goes to prove that the latter does not take lightly whatever political contest that threatens his grip on power.

This is Bennett’s big problem with President Mugabe. The fact that Bennett has excelled in securing resources for the MDC & Mr. Tsvangirai transforming them into formidable political adversaries against President Mugabe & his Zanu PF explains it all.

President Mugabe does not hate the white men at all. He may have gruesome experiences at their hands during colonial era, but loves them a lot.

This can be deduced from his contradictory political discourse depending on circumstances. In fact President Mugabe at one time thought he would succeed in making the chaotic land reform an instrument of forcing the Zimbabwe whites to supporting him or desisting from local politics.

Thus Bennett in one form or the other is being used as good lesson for other whites with similar political disposition.

To President Mugabe when the chips are down the white man is a weak political target within the context of both historical & contemporary African politics.

The sad thing here is that whilst it is politically convenient for President Mugabe to abuse or co-opt the white people depending on circumstances, the stubborn fact is that his selective racism is both self destructive & a bad example for future generations.

 It is not enough for both President Mugabe & Zanu PF to merely bank on their heroic contributions during the liberation war when their contemporary political, social & economic behavior is out of sync with national morality.