Robert Mugabe Must Step Down

IT HAS BECOME A TENDENCY AMONG AFRICAN INCUMBENT LEADERS TO CLING TO POWER AND DO ANYTHING POSSIBLE TO RETAIN POWER.

DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA HAS BECOME JUST AN ILLUSION. THESE LEADERS DON'T PRACTICE IT AT ALL. EXAMPLES OF SUCH LEADERS ARE KENYA'S MWAI KIBAKI, OWING FROM WHAT HAPPENED IN KENYA A FEW MONTHS AGO AFTER CONTROVERSIAL DECLARATION OF KIBAKI AS WINNER OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. ANOTHER ONE IS PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI OF UGANDA OWING HOW HE TREATED HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT DR. KIZZA BESIGYE. MUGABE IS NOW A GLARING DICTATORIAL ICON ON THE FACE OF AFRICA.

FROM POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, OPINION POLLS INDICATED CHANCES OF TSVANGIRAI WINNING THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. IT IS SERIOUSLY QUESTIONABLE HOW THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION HAS GONE SILENT ABOUT ANNOUNCING PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS. IT IS NOW THREE WEEKS SINCE THE ZIMBABWEANS VOTED. FOR WHAT REASON ARE THE RESULTS STILL HELD. THE POSSIBLE REASONS ARE THAT TSVANGIRAI DEFEATED MUGABE, BUT SINCE MUGABE "OWNED" THE GOVERNMENT EVEN AT THE TIME OF ELECTIONS, INCLUDING THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION, HE HAS DECIDED TO EXERCISE HIS PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY SO AS TO KEEP THE OPPOSITION DEFEATED.

WHILE THERE IS A DEMOCRATIC WAY OF FIGHTING, MUGABE HAS OPTED TO USE BRUTAL FORCE FROM THE POLICE AND THE MILITARY WHOM IN AFRICA ALWAYS ACT AS WATCHMEN TO THE RULING PARTY. THE REASON FOR HIS BRUTALITY AND DICTATORSHIP IS TO SEND ANY ELEMENT OF OPPOSITION SILENT. OWING THE NUMBER OF PARLIAMENTARY SEATS THAT MDC PARTY HAS, YOU DEFINITELY LEARN THAT MUGABE WAS DEFEATED. AFRICAN CONSTITUTIONS HAVE IT THAT THE INCUMBENT REMAIN THE PRESIDENT UNTIL HE HANDS OVER POWER. DOES ANYONE EXPECT MUGABE TO HAND OVER POWER? MORE SO TO HIS OPPONENT.

IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, THUS I STATE THAT MUGABE MUST STEP DOWN AND STOP DEHUMANIZING INNOCENT ZIMBABWEANS.