March 11, 2010  Print Email | Mugabe spends lavishly as Zimbabweans starve
More than five million are queuing up for food aid
Posted by Agencies at 09:15 AM GMT on Mar 03, 2009 | ZIMBABWE IS not a country in crisis, one could argue, at least judging by the opulence, flashy automobiles and imported juices that were on free display at president Robert Mugabe's birthday shindig Saturday.
The jamboree had been organized by Mugabe's henchmen eager to seize the platform to demonstrate their loyalty to him.
 On the podium, an expensively assembled stage, with a thick red carpet that resonated well with first lady Grace's outfit and suffering the weight of the likes of the vice president Joyce Mujuru and husband retired general Solomon, Didymus Mutasa even ailing Stan Mudenge offered his wilting body.
Mugabe's hangers-on felt indebted and soon found themselves entering into an impromptu nose-sucking competition, each one of them demonstrating their bootlicking skills. The award winner was one Webster Shamu who virtually knelt before Mugabe much to the amusement of even camera persons who were capturing the event.
Imported Ceres juice, soft drink canes, such as Fanta, Coke, Sprite and snacks flowed freely from the heavily guarded state house chef's cabin. The ZANU PF heavies were simply spoilt for choice. Their designer apparels shined in stark contrast with the rags, tattered schools uniforms that primary school pupils dragged from the country's provinces wore.
While the first family sipped the imported juice, the tired school children were just swallowing their saliva. While the first family sank themselves in comfortable in lounge suites, the 1,000 people gathered for the event sat in the wet green after a heavy downpour the previous week. As the highest ornamental being in the land enjoyed the cover, the shade from the top class tents provided by a private company, the school pupils were closely shepherded by National Youth Service graduates popular known as green bombers, under the scotching sun with no water to drink.
What struck vividly was the shiny healthy faces on the top table versus the abject poverty almost visible from the naked eye on the insipid faces of the poor folk that gathered to witness one of the most immoral expenditure jamborees while Zimbabweans were wallowing in the country's worst crisis since Mugabe came to power 29 years ago.
While Mugabe's family enjoyed, more than five million Zimbabweans are queuing up for food aid around the country.
Zimbabwe is enduring a crippling cholera crisis that has claimed about 4000 lives since its outbreak in August last year. An inflation rate believed in billions per cent has eroded the value of the local currency, while production in industry and farms has plummeted. Most companies have closed shop due to the unprofitable working environment.
Irrelevant speeches and jokes started flowing after about three hours of enduring temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. "Democracy must be controlled. Too much of democracy is no good," said Absalom Sikhosana the convener of the birthday bash in his capacity as the ZANU PF national youth chairperson. Even prisoners were not to be outdone singing two congratulatory pieces to "Gushungo" as they call Mugabe in his party.
The women's league, as their norm is, took centre stage, gyrating as if to show Mugabe their capacities in sacred rooms. After three to four hours of the demonstration of power and eloquence by the chosen few, it was time for Mugabe to deliver his "birthday" speech.
Alas, it was not to be a birthday speech. He immediately jumped into his usual tirade against the British, the Americans and any perceived enemy including those in his party wishing death to the recently consummated inclusive government. Mugabe ordered white farmers to vacate their land, declared that land reform was irreversible. The indigenization of foreign owned companies especially mines would commence soon, said Mugabe. He accused the opposition and non-governmental organizations of swallowing hook, line and sinker the British pounds along with their regime change agenda. "They must vacate those farms," Mugabe repeated thrice his order.
He urged his party to be ready for elections saying "we do not know the day nor the hour."
Then Mugabe had to "cut" his birthday cake, an 85kg offering from the Indian community. Munching on the stage continues while the poor folk watch helplessly. The 120 beasts that had been promised, the beer and other food stuffs had by now not been availed to the hungry people.
Soon it was time to leave, some thought to themselves. "These people want to use us. They brought us here to watch them eat those expensive cakes while we starve in the sun," said one Thomas a farm worker. Some of the people had walked distances of more than 20 km to attend the function.
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