whites from Texas to Wales to Australia to Denmark are having the global equivalent of an O.J. Simpson acquittal moment—about blacks, about Africa, and most of all about the notion that the West can do anything to improve conditions in Africa. As one commenter at the London
puts it, we should treat African countries the way the Chinese do—deal with them for our own benefit, e.g., to purchase their resources, and otherwise ignore their internal affairs. The other two alternatives that many commenters put forward are to avoid any contact with Africa, or take it over. The one thing virtually everyone agrees on is that the post-colonial, half-way position of trying to assist and improve and prod Africa toward “progress” without actually having power there has been thoroughly discredited.
And here’s a selection from the 130 or so blistering readers’ comments following the article:
Cut off all aid to Africa and let them solve their problems in their African way.
Stanley, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
People who criticise the ‘west’ for ‘interfering’,who say leave Africa for Africans I would like to watch your jaws drop when you see what comes for Africa when we pull out-every drop of aid,all trade,everything and send the millions of African immigrants/refugees in the west back to their Africa.
Claire, Brisbane,
We are the most knowledgeable but confused generation since creation.We have let gangster rule us and in the end killing us,the UK keeps Hamza and Africa will also continue keeping Mugabe.
Arthur C, Notts, UNited Kingdom
Congratulations to all the African leaders for embracing Mugabe. Turns out you are all the same. The modern world should stay out of African affairs. They are proving they can handle anything in a tribal sort of way.
Carl, Atlanta, USA
It is quite clear that Africa as a continent is not ready for democracy, the only interest from the West is for oil and minerals, so lets do what the chinese do, make deals with these despots and not ask questions. Anything else is a waste of money time and resources.
Nick P., Camberley Surrey, England
Why don’t these Western nations actually do something rather than utter words of distatse etc cut them off. Withdraw Embassies, prohibit their companies from trading with them and any other nation who decides to …
Dino, Melbourne, Australia
This just goes to show that Africa cannot be left to its own devices and remain peaceful. Either we should stop caring and leave them alone or go and sort them out ourselves, instead of sitting on the fence as usual.
Richard Fox, Cottingham,
What a bunch of good-for-nothing, useless, corrupt, morons Africa’s leaders are!
Africa was better of Colonised!
Sam, Southampton, UK
Dictatorships start immediately south of the Mediterranean.
Drive to Sicily and from the southern coast there’s just 125 kilometres to dictatorships, illiteracy, ignorance, female genital mutilation, genocide and slavery ad nausea.
Gerald. B., Aarhus, Denmark
What happened to African solutions to African problems? The AU has proved itself incapable of doing anything meaningful. SADC seems no better, though they have made a bit more noise of late. In 2 weeks time Zim will be off the news and Mugabe will continue as he always has, and no-one will care…
David Ashton, Bathurst, Australia
This is an outrage people are dying children are starving. Hello People this is real. this man is punishing the whole country and the world is watching . T hey even admitted him in the sumit! And the Chair f the sumit, Tanzanian president even congatulated him!
what is wrong with you sir?!
mickey, kettering, uk
Disgusting.
Tom Wilde, London,
Come now people! Democracy? And just what have Africans and the African continent really ever understood about democracy? The naivety of the West galls me. Democracy is totally foreign to African culture, as are Western values and ways- and no amount of bleating and uproar will ever change that.
Geoff, Ashburton, New Zealand
I feel absolutely no compunction to interfere in the workings of a sovereign nation. Wiser with that passage of time? I don’t know, but definitely alert to some political twit offering the lives of our children on another ill thought out scheme.
Terence Park, Burnley,
Maybe Mrs Thatcher was wrong to hand power to Mugabe. There would not have been this barbarism if Ian Smith had been in power. And the economy would probably have been in better shape.Still, that’s what happens when you expect democracy from people who are not quite ready for it.
tony martin, nice , france
Even after this latest debacle in Zimbabwe Mugabe is still welcomed by African leaders with open arms. Serious questions need to be asked as to why more hasn’t been done to rid Zimbabwe of such a savage tyrant.
Mark, Muswell Hill,
The ignorance being shown in these posts is shocking. The Colonists did not leave ,they rigged elections (Nigeria) and propped up the likes of Mobutu et al to do their bidding. The West can’t survive without the resources it has been blundering from Africa. You are all complicit in this problem.
Tom, London,
How extremely disappointing that such a dictator can be allowed to attend such an event, and equally not be challenged without fear even outside the country he terrorises.
Kathryn, Glasgow, UK
Valentine, Aberdeen, UK
Ah so you would see the sins of their fathers passed down onto their sons and daughters.
Well by your logic maybe you should move back to Ireland, after all it is you Gaelics that helped erradicate the Picts
Phill, Heswall, England
On behalf of all Caucasians:
One of the reasons for which we are outraged, and in uproar, is because opponents to Mugabe have been threatened with violence, rape and murder.
Richard C, London, UK
Why are people knocking Brown for speaking up on this?
I dislike him and want him gone as much as any Brit—but he has the moral authority to criticise Mugabe. We live in a democratic country where when the five years max between elections comes round we’ll vote him out. Not like Zimbabwe.
Matthew, London,
With 3 million Euro’s, on his head, the geese are gathering?
Perks, Ontario, Canada
They got the black leader they wanted, they got the land back from the white minority they wanted, they should be seeing the fruits of their labors by now, so why if it’s not working, do we care? Africa should be a bread basket, instead it’s a basket case, we have our own problems, time to move on.
Dave, Milwaukee,
Comparing Mugabe’s non-election with Gordon Brown’s, is odious offensive and cheapens the debate. Brown is only Prime Minister and he and his party will be fairly voted from office at the next election and babies legs will not get broken nor party activists be hacked to death.
Alastair, Rye, UK
JB@Norwich
Citizens of Zimbabwe? Pls! U mean descendents of WHITE racist colonist right? They STOLE the land in d first place, amongst other things. Go read the history of Rhodesia aka Zimbabwe.
I’d rather be a prince in my homeland, than be a servant in another mans “palace”
Valentine, Aberdeen, UK
I think it’s a shame to watch an entire nation slowly perish while its neighbors applaud the executioner. Western nations have been pumping billions into Africa for decades with very little to show for it except a new class of kleptocrats that oppress their people without mercy.
Christopher Millsap, Oklahoma City, USA
The whole episode is a sham. There is no freedom in Egypt as there is no freedom in Zimbabwe. This meeting was a convention of tyrants, dictators and theives.
Adam, Houston, USA
It’s easy to turn a blind eye and absolve ourselves of guilt because others refuse to recognize the inherent evil oppression this election represents, but what about the innocent women and children who will bear the true brunt of this corruption. Lest we forget, these humans deserve basic freedoms.
Shannan, Chicago,
Let us all spare a thought for the heroic individuals who exercised their democratic right to vote and will suffer as a result. Or maybe 2 minutes silence rather than a thought. This is about individuals and their families.
John, Colchester,
The AU has shown itself to be exactly what Mr Mugabe likes, a cowering bunch of whipping boys who either don’t know the difference between right and wrong or do know the difference but couldn’t give a damn.
C Donnelly, London, England
I think it is time for the rest of the world to recognise that it is “being taken for a ride” by African governments and cut aid across the board to every government that does not practice or support good government. The AU meeting was a litmus test, many governments failed.
CM, London/Washington,
The African Union has so far let down the Zimbabwean population that had pinned its hopes on the summit to dennounce Mugabe’s unilateral declaration of presidency. Perhaps dictatorship and illigitimacy of governments does not mean anything to African leaders. Dictatorship shows muscle!
Shame on AU
Nancy Lazarus, Birmingham, UK
The ANC is complicit in Mugabe’s crime against his country. If Africa can not confront Mugabe at its own submit, the west may as well let Africa destroy itself.
Coin, Cambridge, England
Do you know what I’ve been following this for a bit and was hoping that the African nations at this summit would protest against Mugabe in some shape or form. But this?! Forget it.
I don’t think it should be reported on now. What can we do? Its up to Africa as a whole to do something. Not us.
Warren, Southport, U.K.
Brown was not elected—-Mugabe was—-so maybe Brown should be the one to go (as he could not be bothered to stop the Mugabe farce) ?
Bob Brown, Carlsbad, USA—California
Think it is time for Britain & the West to leave Africa to sort themselves out. It speaks volumes that other African leaders havent the backbone to speak out against this tyrant. Lets face it the UK has plenty of problems of its own!
Stuart, London,
Stuff Mugabe—Africa will always be a problem of one sort or another but not my problem—let nature take it’s course.
L Richmond—Bush and Blair stood up to Dictators—and got legitimately re-elected because most people agreed with their ways.
Mr Todman, Birmingham, UK
Mugabe confiscated the farms of Citizens of Zimbabwe to give to ignorant people whose only qualification is that their faces are black. Hence the people of once prosperous Zimbabwe are starving,have no jobs and are persecuted and beaten because they do not vote for an incompetent racialist ruler.
JB, Norwich,
If it wasn’t so serious it would be hilarious. Mugabe wins 84% of the vote when he was the only candidate!
Michael Beasley, Redhill, Surrey
It is inconceivable for the world not to intervene, arrest Mugabe and his cronies and try them all for crimes against humanity. The cries from the helpless inside Zimbabwe are for the world to intervene. The response from those with power to do so, is pitiful. The world is weak against dictators.
Karin, Broughton, Wales
Keep your money. We in Africa have enough resources to manage on our own. We are tired of Western hypocrisy! Millions of pounds indeed! That money goes to fund multinationals who repatriate their profits anyway.
Brian Shongwe, Nairobi,