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October 15, 2008 9:19:09 PM CDT



Zimbabwe: Mugabe's Misery track this thread

Started by Imperator; Last updated Jun 25, 08 6:35 AM CDT by Imperator | View history

Zimbabwe: Mugabe's Misery

An out-of-control dictator's ugly reign brings a nation to its knees

He led Zimbabwe to independence in 1980 and has effectively been 'president for life' ever since.  Under Robert Mugabe's rule Zimbabwe has become an economic basket case due to political corruption and misbegotten economic policies. But after an election loss, Mugabe appears ready to step down.

Stories

Stories 101 - 120 of 148

  • April 2008
    • Recount Ordered in Zimbabwe

      Recount Ordered in Zimbabwe

      (Newser) - Zimbabwe's opposition leaders are crying foul today over a planned recount of last month's election results, Reuters reports. "They had custody of the ballot boxes for two weeks and they must have stuffed them with their votes," an opposition spokesman told BBC. Zimbabwe's election officials ordered the recounts today in 23 constituencies for all levels of government. More »

    • Mbeki: Don't Worry About Zimbabwe

      Mbeki: Don't Worry About Zimbabwe

      (Newser) - South Africa's president told African leaders today not to worry about Zimbabwe's disputed election, Reuters reports. "I wouldn't describe that as a crisis," President Thabo Mbeki said at a summit of 14 leaders in Zambia, assembled to free Zimbabwe from its political deadlock. "It's a normal electoral process in Zimbabwe." But Zambia's president urged them to act, saying they "can no longer continue to stand by and do nothing." More »

    • Zimbabwe Opposition Calls Strike

      Zimbabwe Opposition Calls Strike

      (Newser) - Zimbabwe’s opposition party called a general strike today in response to news that Robert Mugabe will not attend a weekend summit intended to speed the release of last month’s election results, Reuters reports. Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change marshaled support for the strike, which "starts Tuesday." But police warned that all political rallies are outlawed "with immediate effect," BBC reports. More »

    • Zimbabwe Opposition Vows to Boycott Runoff

      Zimbabwe Opposition Vows to Boycott Runoff

      (Newser) - Zimbabwe’s opposition party today announced it would boycott a runoff of the presidential election, saying their candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the vote “hands down.” Official results from the election still have not been released, but President Robert Mugabe is thought to be pushing for a runoff vote, claiming Tsvangirai didn’t win by a large enough margin, the Guardian reports. More »

    • 'Vote Mugabe or Die,' Thugs Warn

      'Vote Mugabe or Die,' Thugs Warn

      (Newser) - Supporters of President Robert Mugabe have unleashed a wave of violence against opposition supporters ahead of a presumed second round of voting in Zimbabwe's presidential election. Armed men have driven from village to village and beaten voters in a chilling wave of intimidation designed to ensure another victory for Mugabe, the Guardian reports. Gun-wielding thugs warned patients at a hospital recently: "Next time you vote you must get it right or you will die." More »

    • Mugabe Foe Meets South African Leaders

      Mugabe Foe Meets South African Leaders

      (Newser) - The Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai traveled to South Africa yesterday to shore up international support for his claim that he has defeated Robert Mugabe in the presidential election. No details were released about Tsvangirai's meeting with Jacob Zuma, the African National Congress leader and assumed next president, but the Mail and Guardian reports that Zuma is less inclined to prop up Mugabe than the current president, Thabo Mbeki. More »

    • Zimbabwe Frees Times Reporter, British Journalist

      Zimbabwe Frees Times Reporter, British Journalist

      (Newser) - New York Times reporter Barry Bearak and a British journalist were freed on bail today by Zimbabwean authorities, who arrested them last week for covering the country's presidential elections without government approval. Bearak was released to a clinic; he was injured in jail when he fell 7 feet from his bunk to the concrete cell floor.   More »

    • Mugabe's Supporters Raid White-Owned Farms

      Mugabe's Supporters Raid White-Owned Farms

      (Newser) - Militant supporters of President Robert Mugabe raided some of the last remaining white-owned farms in Zimbabwe last night as part of a campaign of intimidation to keep their leader in power, reports the Times of London. Television cameras filmed attackers forcing white landowners off their farms and looting their livestock and machinery. More »

    • Opposition Rejects Recount in Zimbabwe

      Opposition Rejects Recount in Zimbabwe

      (Newser) - Zimbabwe’s opposition leader today rejected a demand by President Robert Mugabe for a vote recount, the BBC reports. Morgan Tsvangirai, who has accused Mugabe of plotting a violence to maintain power, called a recount “illegal” and “impractical.” Meanwhile, a high court said it will rule tomorrow on whether election results must be released. More »

    • Mugabe Love Story Sparked Hatred of UK

      Mugabe Love Story Sparked Hatred of UK

      (Newser) - Robert Mugabe's hatred of the British may have stemmed from an affair of the heart, reports the Independent. Newly released letters from the 1960s show the future tyrant openly begged London not to deport his then-wife, Sally Mugabe, who had fled Rhodesia in the 1960s when he was jailed for anti-colonial activities. "It is certainly unfair for the British government to add to the misery of her already broken life," Mugabe wrote. More »

    • Zimbabwe 'Hit List' Sparks Unease

      Zimbabwe 'Hit List' Sparks Unease

      (Newser) - The Zimbabwe opposition denied responsibility yesterday for a "hit list" that is circulating in Harare, saying President Robert Mugabe created it to incite panic. The memo, which lists officials to be purged, cropped up as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was assuring military and intelligence leaders that his transition into the presidential office would not include retribution. More »

    • Mugabe Demands Recount After Rival's Dire Warning

      Mugabe Demands Recount After Rival's Dire Warning

      (Newser) - Robert Mugabe's party demanded that Zimbabwe's top court delay tomorrow's announcement of election results and demanded a recount, Reuters reports. The move came hours after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai claimed an outright victory and warned that Mugabe was getting ready to wage a "war on the people" to stay in power. More »

    • Mugabe Ready for War, Says Opponent

      Mugabe Ready for War, Says Opponent

      (Newser) - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he already won Zimbabwe’s presidential election, and the proposed run-off is part of President Robert Mugabe’s “war against the people.” “Violence will be the new weapon to reverse the people’s will,” he said. Armed guards blocked opposition lawyers from entering the high court building today, preventing them for suing for long-delayed election results. More »

    • Mugabe's Party OKs Run-Off

      Mugabe's Party OKs Run-Off

      (Newser) - As Zimbabwe awaits official results of last week’s election, president Robert Mugabe’s party announced today that he would not oppose a run-off with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, CNN reports. The law requires the electoral commission to report results within 6 days of an election, but no results materialized; Tsvangirai’s party has vowed to sue if results are not announced. More »

    • Mugabe May Quit for Immunity

      Mugabe May Quit for Immunity

      (Newser) - Aides for Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe are in secret talks with leaders of the country's opposition to negotiate a transfer of power, the Guardian reports.  Mugabe may step down in exchange for immunity for past crimes, according to sources. But Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change are treating Mugabe's overtures with caution. More »

    • US Demands Zimbabwe Release Americans

      US Demands Zimbabwe Release Americans

      (Newser) - The US State Department is demanding the immediate release of Americans detained in Zimbabwe, CNN reports. Riot police entered a hotel ye