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Pressure Zimbabwe's Despot

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 5, 2008

In the decades following the end of colonialism, many African nations have been plagued by autocratic rule, socialism, repression and corruption - which have done as much to hurt development as colonialism ever did. That's why after four decades and billions of dollars in aid from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the nations of sub-Saharan Africa remain among the world's poorest.

The latest example of what former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called Africa's "big man" problem has been on display in Zimbabwe.

After increasing intimidation and terror from the government of President Robert Mugabe, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of last week's run-off election. Mugabe was declared the winner. This comes three months after the first election, when the official tally had Mugabe coming in second but close enough to force a runoff. That gave the autocrat plenty of time to intimidate, starve and murder.

It is a sad state of affairs when a candidate has to withdraw from an election to save the lives of his supporters. It is a reminder that it takes more than an election to make a democratic government.

For decades Zimbabwe was stable, productive and a net exporter of food. In recent years, however, Mugabe's thuggish regime has resulted in starvation, hyperinflation and rampant unemployment.

Throughout all of this, the United Nations has responded by doing little but voicing minor complaints. President Bush, however, has ordered sanctions be drawn up against what he calls Zimbabwe's "illegitimate" government. He also added he would press for international action, including an arms embargo in response to "the Mugabe regime's blatant disregard for the Zimbabwean people's democratic will and human rights."

That is the least that should be done to help the millions of Zimbabweans who have suffered for years under Mugabe's despotic rule.

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