Mugabe, Kennedy extol Trump

waltky · Feb 20, 2017

Mugabe, Kennedy come out in favor of the Donald...

Robert Mugabe: Give Donald Trump a chance
Mon, 20 Feb 2017 - Donald Trump is right that "America is for the Americans", says Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe.

He went on to express his support for Mr Trump's America-first policy, saying "America for Americans" and "Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans". It is unusual for the veteran head of state to publicly back any US president. The US imposed sanctions such as travel bans and an assets freeze on Mr Mugabe and his allies in 2001. The sanctions were imposed over allegations of human rights abuses and election rigging. Zimbabwe's government says they caused the country's economic collapse. Most experts however blame Mr Mugabe's seizure of white-owned farms, which used to be Zimbabwe's economic backbone.

With Mr Trump's reputation for being unconventional, Mr Mugabe is hoping his administration might decide to lift the sanctions. "Give him time," Zimbabwe's leader said of Mr Trump in an interview aired ahead of his 93rd birthday on Tuesday. "Mr Trump might even re-look [at] the sanctions on Zimbabwe." President Trump has caused global uproar over his policies, including his ban on people from seven mainly Muslim countries entering the US, although this has been overturned by the courts, and his pledge to rebuild the US economy on "America-first" principles.

Robert Mugabe is known for his fierce opposition to previous US presidents

Mr Mugabe is unfazed by such policies as he seems to identify with Mr Trump's brand of nationalism. "When it comes to Donald Trump... talking of American nationalism, well America for America, America for Americans - on that we agree. Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans," Mr Mugabe said. As far as the nonagenarian president is concerned, there is more hope with Mr Trump in the White House than if it had been Hilary Clinton. "I was surprised by his election, but I did not like Madam Clinton to win either," he said. "I knew she could slap sanctions on us as a legacy."

President Mugabe, Africa's oldest head of state, also repeated that he is not ready to step down from power. "The majority of the people feel that there is no replacement, successor who to them is acceptable, as acceptable as I am," he told state media. His Zanu-PF party has endorsed Mr Mugabe as its candidate in elections due next year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39027611
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Robert Kennedy Jr.:Trump 'Could Be The Greatest President in History If He Wanted To'
February 17, 2017

Daniel Light · Feb 20, 2017

That's nice ?...

waltky · Oct 20, 2017

Say what???

Mugabe named as goodwill ambassador by WHO
20 Oct.`17 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe as a "goodwill ambassador" to help tackle non-communicable diseases.

New WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Zimbabwe for its commitment to public health. But critics say that during Mr Mugabe's 37-year rule Zimbabwe's health services have deteriorated, with staff regularly unpaid and medicines in short supply. Dr Tedros, who is Ethiopian, is the first African to lead the WHO. He was elected with a mandate to tackle perceived politicisation in the organisation. Dr Tedros replaced Margaret Chan, who stepped down from her 10-year post in June.

Critics say health services have collapsed under Mr Mugabe's rule

Controversial decision

Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Geneva

The appointment of 93-year-old Robert Mugabe will cause astonishment among many WHO member states and donors.

A goodwill ambassador may be a largely symbolic role, but the symbolism of giving it to a man whose leadership of Zimbabwe has, critics say, coincided with a collapse of its health service, and major human rights abuses, will be very unpopular.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41702662
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waltky · Nov 18, 2017

Former loyalists across the country demanded that he step down...

Mugabe emerges from house arrest amid pressure to exit
17 Nov.`17 — Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe emerged for the first time Friday from military-imposed house arrest, presiding at a university graduation ceremony in a fragile show of normalcy even as former loyalists across the country demanded that he resign after nearly four decades in power.

In an extraordinary evening newscast, state broadcaster ZBC — for decades, a mouthpiece for the Mugabe government — reported on the surging campaign for his ouster and showed video of ruling party members saying he should resign. Clad in a blue academic gown, the 93-year-old leader earlier joined academics on a red carpet and sat in a high-backed chair in front of several thousand students and guests, a routine he has conducted for many years as the official chancellor of Zimbabwe’s universities. This time, however, the spectacle was jarring because the authority of the world’s oldest head of state, once seen as impregnable, is evaporating daily.

That Mugabe was permitted to go to the Zimbabwe Open University event possibly reflected a degree of respect by the military for the president, a former rebel leader who took power after independence from white minority rule in 1980. The armed forces are in a delicate position, sending tanks and troops into Harare’s streets this week to effectively end the Mugabe era, while refraining from more heavy-handed measures that would heighten accusations that they staged a coup and violated the constitution. Meanwhile, the ruling ZANU-PF party signaled impatience with Mugabe amid negotiations on his exit. Party branches passed no-confidence votes in all 10 Zimbabwean provinces, and the state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper said all called for the resignation of Mugabe and his wife. They seek a special meeting within two days of the party’s Central Committee.

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Demonstrations were called for Saturday in Harare to support the military’s move against Mugabe, who drew applause from the graduating students on the outskirts of the capital only when he made brief, perfunctory remarks, usually to bestow degrees on delighted graduates. The military said it supports plans for a march, as long as the demonstration is orderly and peaceful. “It was a long struggle,” graduate Arthur Chipra said of the years of effort that went into his master’s degree in conflict resolution. He declined to say anything when asked what he thought about Mugabe’s presence at the ceremony, highlighting the lingering caution of many in a country where people have been prosecuted for criticizing the president.

Discontent with Mugabe has been growing because of the dire state of the economy, concerns about corruption and mismanagement, a sense that he is no longer physically capable of leading the country due to advanced age and the ambitions of his wife, Grace Mugabe, to succeed him. The military stepped into the factional battles of the ruling party on Wednesday after the firing of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is close to the armed forces and was heavily criticized by both Mugabes.

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waltky · Nov 18, 2017

Defiant Mugabe Refuses To Step Down...

Defiant Mugabe Refuses To Step Down As Zimbabwe's President
November 17, 2017 • The 93-year-old ruler, who has been under house arrest since the military staged a takeover on Wednesday, is insisting that he be allowed to serve out his term until elections next year.

Zimbabwe's sidelined President Robert Mugabe, who has been under house arrest since a military takeover earlier this week, is refusing to step down, creating a potential crisis over his succession. The military staged what it insists was not a coup, but rather a "bloodless correction," on Wednesday, saying its aim was not to target Mugabe himself, but the "criminals around him who are committing crimes." Several senior officials have been detained in the wake of the army's move, according to the BBC. Even so, negotiations are underway to get Mugabe, who has ruled the former British colony since it gained independence 37 years ago, to voluntarily resign. At 93, he is insisting that he be allowed to serve out his term until elections next year.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attends the second session of the South Africa-Zimbabwe Bi-national Commission last month.

But in an indication of how much things have changed in recent days, NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports that the ruling ZANU-PF party, long viewed as Mugabe's personal fiefdom, is meeting Friday to work on a draft resolution that could lead to his impeachment next week. Journalist Jeffrey Barbee tells Morning Edition that in the past few days, Zimbabwe has been "surviving on rumors." "There's almost no security on the streets. Everything is quiet," he says. Since his government was toppled, Mugabe has been holed up with his wife, Grace, in his "Blue Roof" compound in the capital, Harare.

Despite his house arrest, Mugabe's motorcade on Thursday was seen leaving his home and proceeding to State House, where he was photographed meeting with military chief Constantino Chiwenga — the man who staged Wednesday's takeover — as well as South African ministers sent to help mediate the crisis. Later, Mugabe arrived at a university graduation ceremony in Harare to deliver a speech, his first public appearance since the takeover. The army's takeover came a week after Mugabe sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make room for his wife to assume leadership of the ruling party and the country's presidency. After his removal, Mnangagwa, 75, who had been locked in an intraparty factional feud with Mugabe, fled to South Africa, where he vowed to challenge the president's authority.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...e-refuses-to-step-down-as-zimbabwes-president
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waltky · Nov 22, 2017

Mugabe steps down...

Zimbabwe's Mugabe resigns, ending four decades of rule
November 20, 2017 - Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s longstanding authoritarian president, agreed to step down on Tuesday, according to the speaker of the nation’s parliament.

The announcement comes a little less than a week after the country’s military seized power, setting in motion an end to the 37-year rule of the world’s oldest serving president. Impeachment proceedings against Mugabe had already begun early Tuesday, but the speaker of parliament read a letter to lawmakers later in the day that he said came from the president and offered a formal resignation. “I, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in terms of section 96 of the constitution of Zimbabwe, hereby formally tender my resignation,” the speaker said, reading from what he said was Mugabe’s letter.

Mugabe has yet to appear or speak publicly since the letter was read, and it marks a reversal from a long-winded speech he gave on Sunday when he refused to address the push for his resignation. Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party had fired Mugabe as its leader earlier that day and expelled his politically powerful wife, Grace, from its ranks. Crowds of Zimbabweans gathered at Unity Square in the capital of Harare following the announcement of Mugabe’s resignation, cheering his ouster and waving signs.

Protesters hold signs during a gathering in Zimbabwe's capital of Harare on Nov. 21, 2017, calling for Mugabe to step down.

Once a celebrated freedom fighter, Mugabe has been accused of orchestrating human rights abuses against impoverished black Zimbabweans, white farmers and thousands of LGBTQ people while amassing vast wealth as the nation spiraled into poverty. His resignation is the culmination of a military action that began last week, when Zimbabwe’s armed forces seized control of state television, surrounded government buildings and detained the president in his home on Wednesday.

Military officials denied at the time that they were attempting to depose the 93-year-old president, arguing that they were only targeting “criminals” around him. But as time went on and Mugabe kept silent, it became increasingly clear the leader’s days in power were numbered. Zimbabwe’s state-run newspaper released photos on Thursday purporting to show negotiations between military officials and the president. Tension and uncertainty dominated the days that followed, as Mugabe officially remained president but the military was effectively in control. Mugabe further confused observers when he made a public appearance last Friday, attending a graduation ceremony for Zimbabwe Open University.

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Zimbabwe's Mugabe resigns, ending four decades of rule
November 20, 2017 - Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe’s president on Tuesday, a week after the army and his former political allies moved to end four decades of rule by a man once feted as an independence hero who became feared as a despot.

His former vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking this month prompted the military takeover that forced Mugabe out, will be sworn in as president on Wednesday or Thursday, Patrick Chinamasa, legal secretary of the ruling ZANU-PF party, told Reuters. The 93-year-old Mugabe had clung on for a week after an army takeover, with ZANU-PF urging him to go. He finally resigned moments after parliament began an impeachment process seen as the only legal way to force him out. Wild celebrations broke out at a joint sitting of parliament when Speaker Jacob Mudenda read out Mugabe’s brief resignation letter. Mugabe, confined to his Harare residence, did not appear. People danced in the streets of Harare and car horns blared at the news that the era of Mugabe -- who had led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 -- was finally over. Some brandished posters of Mnangagwa and army chief General Constantino Chiwenga.

Workers turned the Christmas lights on early in Africa Unity Square and people climbed aboard armored vehicles to pose for photographs with soldiers. Despite the public outpouring of joy, Mugabe’s downfall was as much the result of in-fighting among the political elite as a popular uprising, although thousands of people rallied against him in the days after the army intervened last week. The army seized power after Mugabe sacked Mnangagwa, ZANU-PF’s favorite to succeed him, in a bid to smooth a path to the presidency for his wife Grace, 52, known to her critics as “Gucci Grace” for her reputed fondness for luxury shopping. Since the crisis began, Mugabe has been mainly confined to his “Blue Roof” mansion in the capital where Grace is also believed to be. ZANU-PF chief whip Lovemore Matuke told Reuters that Mnangagwa would be sworn in within 48 hours and serve the remainder of Mugabe’s term until the next election, which must be held by September 2018.

“DIGNITY AND JUSTICE”

“I am very happy with what has happened,” said Maria Sabawu, a supporter of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), outside the hotel where the impeachment process was happening. “I have suffered a lot at the hands of Mugabe’s government,” she said, showing her hand with a missing finger that she said was lost in violence during a presidential run-off election between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008. Mugabe had led Zimbabwe since a guerrilla struggle ended white-minority rule in the country formerly known as Rhodesia. He took the once-rich nation to economic ruin, presiding over the forced takeover of white-owned farms at the end of the century, which devastated agricultural foreign exchange earnings and led to hyperinflation.

But brandishing his anti-colonial credentials and styling himself the Grand Old Man of African politics, Mugabe retained the admiration of many people across the continent. Amnesty International said that under Mugabe tens of thousands of people were tortured, forcibly disappeared or killed in a culture of impunity that allowed “grotesque crimes to thrive”. “The people of Zimbabwe deserve better. The next generation of leaders must commit itself to upholding the constitution, living up to Zimbabwe’s international human rights obligations and treating its people with dignity and justice,” the rights group said in a statement.

DECADES OF ISOLATION
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waltky · Nov 22, 2017

Granny says, "Dat's right - new boss same as the old boss...

Mugabe’s Presumptive Successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is Called ‘the Crocodile’
November 21, 2017 — For 37 years, Emmerson Mnangagwa was Robert Mugabe’s right-hand man and one of his staunchest defenders.

“Zanu-PF is a sacred party,” he told a crowd at a ZANU-PF rally earlier this year in central Zimbabwe. “It will rule and rule. Those barking will continue doing that while Zanu-PF remains in power. Forward with Mr Mugabe. Forward with Zanu-PF.” What a difference a few months make.

Message loud and clear: MPs must work fast to remove Mugabe

This month, deposed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa — nicknamed “the Crocodile” for his cunning guerrilla tactics in Zimbabwe’s independence war — led the effort to oust the longtime president and is expected to be sworn in as president Wednesday or Thursday following Mugabe's resignation. “I told the President that the current political and constitutional crisis in the country is not a matter between him and myself but between the people of Zimbabwe and President Mugabe,” he said in a statement sent to journalists Tuesday. “The people of Zimbabwe have clearly spoken on this matter. To me the voice of the people is the voice of God and their lack of trust and confidence in the leadership of President Mugabe has been expressed.”

Demonstrators says Mugabe has nothing for Zimbabwe

Last week, the military put Mugabe under house arrest, demanding Mnangagwa’s reinstatement and Mugabe’s resignation. The catalyst for that drastic move came earlier in the move, when Mugabe fired Mnangagwa — who is well-liked by the military — accusing him of treachery. The move was widely seen as an chance for Mugabe to fill the position with his unpopular, 52-year-old wife. But Mnangagwa is no young buck. Since 1980, he’s served in a handful of cabinet positions, including as intelligence chief, and was made vice president in 2014 after Mugabe fell out with his predecessor, Joice Mujuru, now also a bitter Mugabe critic.

Thokozani Khupe is the vicThokozani Khupe is the vice president of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change talking to reporters at Parliament. She says her party is happy that it has finally dawned on ZANU-PF that this is the hour that has dawned that Mugabe must go

Mnangagwa’s investiture, in fact, would settle a bitter generational power struggle within the ruling party. One faction, of liberation-era fighters turned politicians, is led by Mnangagwa, who earned his nickname in 1965, the year Grace Mugabe was born. The other, the G40 faction, of younger Zimbabweans, was led by Grace and enjoyed privileged access to Mugabe. Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans’ association, said they are supporting Mnangagwa. He blamed the nation’s spiraling economy on the poor leadership of the younger faction. “They have no idea of how to run a modern state, so they’ve run a scorched-earth policy on the economy,” he said. “...But what we have done with my leadership of the war veterans … is to give back the people of Zimbabwe their conscience, because they look to the people who fought and liberated them for guidance. And when we then said there’s something wrong with this man and his wife, the team, the cabal called the G40.”

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Zimbabwe Awaits New President
November 22, 2017 - Zimbabwe could have a new president as early as Wednesday following the resignation of longtime leader Robert Mugabe.

Top officials in the ruling ZANU-PF party said former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in either Wednesday or Thursday. Mnangagwa abruptly fled the country November 6 after Mugabe fired him, but he was expected to return Wednesday. Car horns blared as people danced, cheered and waved in the capital, Harare, to celebrate the news of Mugabe's departure, which he announced Tuesday in a letter read out by the speaker of parliament. One man told VOA's Zimbabwe service: "This is a breakthrough...We are super excited as Zimbabweans and we want to thank God. Our prayers have been answered. We have suffered a lot for 37 years."

Speaker Jacob Mudenda read out the resignation letter soon after lawmakers began proceedings to impeach Mugabe, who had been in power for 37 years. The letter said in part, "I, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in terms of Section 96 of the constitution of Zimbabwe, hereby formally tender my resignation...with immediate effect." There has been no confirmation of the letter from the president or his office -- but no denial, either. The 93-year-old Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe since the country won independence from Britain in 1980.

History of rights violations

The president was often criticized for human rights abuses that included the beatings, torture and killings of his political opponents. Western countries imposed sanctions on Mugabe and his allies after his supporters began seizing white-owned farmland in 2000. Zimbabwe's farm output and economy plummeted when the land was given to blacks with little experience in large-scale farming. Criticism intensified in 2008, after inflation reached 231 million percent and Zimbabwe was forced to abandon its currency, the Zimbabwean dollar. The country experienced new economic problems in recent years, as corruption and Mugabe's heavy-handed economic policies scared away investors. The U.S. embassy in Zimbabwe called Tuesday a historic moment for Zimbabwe and said the country must move toward free elections in which Zimbabweans choose their own leaders. The U.S. State Department echoed the sentiment. "The resignation of Robert Mugabe is a historic opportunity, and historic moment for the people of Zimbabwe. The people of Zimbabwe have firmly voiced their desire for a new era to bring an end to Zimbabwe's isolation and allow the country to rejoin the international community,"

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said. British Prime Minister Theresa May released a statement that said Mugabe's resignation gives Zimbabwe the opportunity to pursue a path free of oppression. Rights group Amnesty International said the next generation of leaders in Zimbabwe must abide by the constitution and treat the population with respect. Mugabe had faced growing pressure to resign since last week, when the military took over state institutions and put him and his wife Grace under house arrest. The military took action after the president fired the vice president, Mnangagwa, a hero of Zimbabwe's liberation war, and hinted he would replace Mnangagwa with Grace Mugabe. The first lady and former vice president were locked in a political battle over who would succeed the aging president, and led competing factions in the ruling party.

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waltky · Nov 27, 2017

Palace intrigue did Mugabe in...

Special Report: 'Treacherous shenanigans' - The inside story of Mugabe's downfall
November 26, 2017 - Inside State House in Harare, Robert Mugabe was in the tightest spot of his 37-year rule. Tanks were on the streets and troops had occupied the state broadcaster, from where the army had announced it had taken control of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe, 93 years old but still alert, remained defiant. The only leader the country had known since independence was refusing to quit. At a tense meeting with his military top brass on Nov. 16, the world’s oldest head of state put his foot down: “Bring me the constitution and tell me what it says,” he ordered military chief Constantino Chiwenga, according to two sources present. An aide brought a copy of the constitution, which lays out that the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Chiwenga, dressed in camouflage fatigues, hesitated before replying that Zimbabwe was facing a national crisis that demanded military intervention. Mugabe retorted that the army was the problem, according to the sources present. Then the beleaguered president indicated that perhaps they could find a solution together. The meeting marked the start of an extraordinary five-day standoff between Mugabe and Zimbabwe’s supreme law on one side, and the military, his party and Zimbabwe’s people on the other.

The generals wanted Mugabe to go, but they also wanted a peaceful “coup,” one that would not irreparably tarnish the administration aiming to take over, according to multiple military and political sources. The president finally accepted defeat only after he was sacked by his own ZANU-PF party and faced the ignominy of impeachment. He signed a short letter of resignation to parliament speaker Jacob Mudenda that was read out to lawmakers on Nov. 21. Mugabe, who had run Zimbabwe since 1980 and overseen its descent into economic ruin while his wife shopped for luxury goods, was gone.

The country erupted into ecstasy. Parliamentarians danced and people poured onto the streets in their tens of thousands to celebrate a political downfall that sent shockwaves across Africa and the world. To many, the end of Mugabe had been unthinkable only one week before. Reuters has pieced together the events leading up to Mugabe’s removal, showing that the army’s action was the culmination of months of planning that stretched from Harare to Johannesburg to Beijing.

BITTER RIVALRY
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Mugabe, Kennedy extol Trump

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