Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Mugabe's Desert Exit Strategy?

It seems that everyone but Robert Mugabe knows that Mugabe needs to go. Is it possible that he would consider stepping down and entering retirement (some are saying exile) in Namibia? That is the speculation in the Cape Times today. Former Namibian President Sam Nujoma continued to support Mugabe even as Zimbabwe descended into chaos. Nujoma's successor, Hifikepunye Pohamba, is not in Mugabe's pocket, but perhaps he understands that providing a soft landing for the megalomaniacal Zimbabwean would be for the best for the region as a whole. As Mugabe becomes increasingly isolated, seeking a way out before he finds that even his absolute control is not so absolute might become a priority for him. Perhaps Namibia can help accelerate that process during Mugabe's state visit this week.

2 comments:

BlueFox said...

To be quite honest, only a total freekin idiot would support Robert Mugabe. But hey this is typical – it’s called Africa!

dcat said...

Bluefox --
Ahh yes, the slur of the entire continent. I'm going to try to explain this to you in the simplest way possible -- this is not a matter of Hifikepunye "supporting" Mugabe. It is a matter of trying to get Mugabe out of power as soon as possible and realizing that in order to do so, distasteful as it may be there are going to have to be provisions for Mugabe to be able to exit gracefully. This is good news for Africa, but only a -- what was the term? -- oh yes, "total freekin idiot" would read this as a case of anyone "supporting Robert Mugabe."

dcat