Zimbabwe’s former Prime Minister Robert Mugabe: The impact of his death and the attitude of the Western media
If you want to understand how things work at an international level, you have to deal with Africa. However, as a concerned citizen who lives in the West, you have to take for granted that the information, with which we are 'bombed' about this multifarious continent, is often biased; tongue-in-cheek: almost glocalized. The recent death of Zimbabwe’s former Prime Minister Robert Mugabe (1924-2019) is a telling example of this.
An essay written by Johanna Panagiotou alias Victoria Mali
- Ph.D. Candidate at the LMU University of Munich (History & Biography)
- Publicist
Mugabe was not assassinated with West's blessing like further 22 African Presidents, but died at the age of 95. Nevertheless, before his official funeral at the National Sports Stadium in the capital city of Zimbabwe Harare, the West media wrote his eulogy from that moment where his death was announced. How did Political Scientist Dr. Cyril Fegué perceive this expected reaction?
It is the death of a Southern revolutionary giant. The legacy of a historical leader is never subject to unanimity. For some, Mugabe is a freedom fighter and one of the fiercest anti-colonial, anti-imperialist leaders of his generation. For others, especially for the Western media, he shall go down in history as a tyrant, or to reiterate the catchword widely used by those media, often indiscriminately, to label Global South’s political figures, as a ”dictator”. The interpretation of history is generally instrumentalized; that is, twisted and perverted to befit one’s present-day ideological designs. However, history is also stubborn at laying out the truth and debunking steady fallacies. The real evaluation of Robert Gabriel Mugabe’s legacy before the ‘court of History’ has just begun! R.I.P. ROBERT MUGABE
Dr. Cyril Fegué, Luxembourg
Political Scientist and Policy Analyst
So, Blair keep your England, and let me keep my Zimbabwe!
Robert Mugabe
In the Documentary Une Morte de Style Colonial: L'assassinat de Patrice Lumumba, director Michel Noll pursues thoroughly the question, why African Presidents are generally in disfavor. The answer is clear: "They are so undiplomatic; they tend to say exactly what they think to our face. In the West we are not used to unembellished statements; so we had to repulse the attacks”, commits one of the leading members charged with his assassination in 1961. What does professional Diplomat Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos think about it?
Robert Mugabe was a symbol in the struggle against the white racist regime of Ian Smith that led to the liberation of his country, which was not a matter of course. At that time, the West had persuaded itself that Zimbabwe’s former prime minister was an instrument of the USSR striving against his regime. Later, Mugabe refused to give up power – character's changes due to old age cannot be excluded − and was forced to resign after a coup. The West now convinces itself that his death should be forgotten or marginalized. The reason? Heroes are no longer welcome. They have to disappear, so that humanity will never forget that a well-designed and effective struggle could destroy imperialism.
Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, Athens
Ambassador ad honorem
Comrade Bob, as he was often called within African political circles, had been loved and hated like many personalities who stand out. This is something we, living in Europe or the USA and experiencing prosperity, can and do not have to understand. It is surely not my intention to bone about his mistakes. Nevertheless, despite judging, I forget for a while the myth of Western superiority and try to comprehend how people − who have dedicated their lives to the struggle against neocolonialism − perceived his death. How did, in this sense, Pan-Africanist Hamado Dipama reacted by hearing the announcement of Mugabes death?
As a pan-Africanist, I can only bow to the death of Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe is one of the last countries that gained independence (18 April 1980). His nation and we all, opposing oppression, owe this to Mugabe and his colleagues from the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-Pf). On the eve of the hard-won independence, in December 1979, the United Kingdom was forced to negotiate with them. The result was the "Lancaster House Agreement" of 21 December 1979.
From this agreement, let me mention just 4 important points:
1. The acceptance of independence
2. Ceasefire
3. A time frame of 10 years for the White Farms (land return)
4. The UK is committed providing financial assistance for the structure of the country
For the first point on independence, Britain had no choice, but to recognize it.
The Truce was respected on both sides (although there were some attempts to overthrow the Mugabe regime).
Nevertheless, none of the last 2 points would be respected: The promised financial aid was later rejected by Margaret Thatcher and over 10 years after independence, no land has been returned. The whites, at that time about 5% of the total population of Zimbabwe (about 7.3 million at that time) possessed more than 1/3 of the country, thus nearly half. Nobody could allow this injustice. This is what Mugabe did. And this justifies the land reform of 1992, which has led to the demonization of Mugabe in the European media. He automatically turned to a dictator. From nationalistic, selfish, exploitative and hegemonic aspects, I can understand the demonization on the part of Great Britain, but the demonization of the almost entire West leaves many unanswered questions.
Rest in peace President Mugabe and the fight will successfully be carried out by your teenagers. Sooner or later!
Hamado Dipama, Munich
Pan-Africanist, Anti-Racism Activist
He Who Feeds You, Controls You
Thomas Sankara
In conclusion, I believe that former Rhodesia was a bet, which the West fatally lost. Robert Mugabe got an English education, but never doubted with himself. The identity question, whether he belongs to the whites who enabled this or to his nation, never existed. Hence, he still, even being dead, has to pay for it.
Let the people of Zimbabwe remember their president, as they want to keep him in their minds and hearts. It is their Present. We failed to make him ours. And that' s a good thing.
Meanwhile, you can always take information form the other side…
#PanAfricanism, #ThomasSankara, #RobertMugabe, #JohannaPanagiotou, #CyrilFegué, #Rhodesia
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