Mugabe Is Said to Be Ill
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 25 — The president of Zimbabwe, Robert G. Mugabe, suddenly flew to South Africa on Saturday, according to news reports on Sunday.
The Sunday Telegraph of London reported that the 79-year-old authoritarian leader was flown by military aircraft for medical treatment after he collapsed early on Saturday at his state residence in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare.
The newspaper said Mr. Mugabe had apparently suffered a violent fit of vomiting on Friday night, then collapsed trying to get out of bed on Saturday morning.
Reached by telephone on Sunday, Zimbabwean officials insisted that they had heard nothing to indicate either that Mr. Mugabe was ill or that he had left the country.
Mr. Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for more than two decades.
Posted by P6 at January 26, 2004 10:14 AM
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Comments
The problem with Robert Mugabe is the tremendous emiseration he has contributed to as leader of Africa. Nations aren't a suitable means of organizing the African polity at this point in history, and of course the legacies of colonialism haven't made it easy; but even adjusting for the tremendous difficulties posed by governing an African nation, Mugabe's tenure has been execrable.
Since the 1960's the nations of Africa have experienced a decline in per capita GDP, a phenomenon unique among the continents of the world. For neighboring Zambia, I thing this decline was 27% between 1960-1980 or so (not sure of the exact figure). The decline in real living standards, of course, was far worse--GDP stats are unlikely to capture the effects of desertification (in fact, desertification can actually stimulate a wave of urbanization, increasing GDP).
But Mugabe made a bad situation far worse. He added severe repression to the mix, and his cultural chauvinism has worsened the scope of the AIDS crisis.
Posted by James R MacLean at January 26, 2004 07:55 PMEarl: I am not afraid of Mugabe's death. There's a 50/50 chance that things will improve. I can't really imagine them getting worse.
Mr. MacLean: I hope you meant leader of Zimbabwe, and not of Africa. In any case, Mugabe has been neither. The British could have helped the situation tremendously had they not left the nation with such a mess to solve (land redistribution). I have a difficult time imagining that that was done by accident.
Posted by ronn at January 26, 2004 11:19 PMThe problem with Mugabe is that he is evil.
You are spot on about shelving the idea of nations in Africa. It isn't getting much attention, but one of the most rapidly improving "nations" in Africa is Somalia, where there isn't any sort of formal government with any authority. It is classical anarchy, with various tribal leaders providing a method of resolving disputes (usually without warfare) and trade between people. It isn't America, but it is a damned sight better than it was 10 years ago.
Posted by Phelps at January 27, 2004 01:39 PMRonn:
If there's a struggle to fill the power void Mugabe's death would leave, it could get considerably worse.
Phelps:
re Somalia, an open flame is better than it was 10 years ago.
Posted by P6 at January 27, 2004 05:16 PMSorry about the goof--as everyone knows, Mugabe is leader of Zimbabwe--a nation in Africa, not the entire continent. To the extent that "leader" implies praise or favorable initiative, Mugabe is--as Ronn says--neither.
I'd love to know what could succeed the failed idea of nations in Africa (or the Arab world, for that matter).
Posted by James R MacLean at January 27, 2004 06:56 PM