Zimbabwe Update -- Mugabe goes back to his roots

Mad Bobby Mugabe, aged and seeking a lasting legacy, has returned completely to his Maoist roots. In Zimbabwe he has undertaken policies, clearly rooted in racist, anti-Colonialist, Marxist principles that have destroyed his nation's economy and inflicted enormous suffering on its people, culminating in a population policy that strongly resembles those undertaken earlier by Mao in China and Pol Pot in Cambodia.

These policies have resulted in widespread condemnation throughout the west, but Mugabe has found support guess where? That's right! China.

BBC reports:

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has signed a deal with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Beijing.

The details have not been made public but China was expected to seek mineral and other trade concessions in exchange for economic help.
....

Mr Mugabe has adopted a "Look East" policy, after being ostracised in the West over alleged human rights abuses.

China has promised to help Zimbabwe and to not interfere in "internal affairs".

China "trusts Zimbabwe's government and people have the ability to deal properly with their own matters", a foreign ministry statement said.
....
China, one of the world's fastest growing economies, is already ranked as one of Zimbabwe's largest trading partners and has supplied buses, civilian and military aircraft to Mr Mugabe's government.
....
The ties between China and Mr Mugabe date back to the 1970s war of independence, when fighters from his Zanu party were armed by the Chinese.

That about says it all, doesn't it?

The article also notes that South African President, Thabo Mbeki, has agreed to assume part of Zimbabwe's debt to the IMF. This by no means indicates that Mbeki supports Mugabe's policies -- indeed he doesn't -- but Mugabe is popular among SA's poor who want to see similar racialist policies instituted there, and the total collapse of Zimbabwe's economy would produce hordes of refugees along with political unrest throughout the region. Mbeki therefore playst to domestic pressure and does what he can to avoid total collapse in Mugabe's hellhole.

Read the report here.