Business as usual in Africa

Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of Africa -- it exported food and had a high standard of living and education for all of its citizens. Clueless thug Bobby Mugabe took over, tossed out many of the white farmers and put his cronies in their place. Zimbabwe is now just another African hell-hole. Poor, it imports food and the government is crushing any attempt by the citizens to improve their lot. (Soldiers have burned down local markets to drive the customers to government owned stores.) Poverty is endemic. Now, South African President Thabo Mbeki is coming to their aid. His solution? From BBC/World:

UN holds key to Zimbabwe - Mbeki
South African President Thabo Mbeki said in London that the United Nations was the key to resolving the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

Mr Mbeki said a proposed visit by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to Zimbabwe could help normalise relations between Harare and the west.

Stupid stupid stupid. The problem is not the relations between Harare and the West, it is Mugabe's idiotic regime and his abject failure to his people as a leader. And why is S. Africa so interested:

The BBC's Peter Biles in South Africa says the government in Pretoria is sounding increasingly alarmed about the regional implications of what is happening across its northern border.

Zimbabwe is in the grips of a desperate economic crisis with inflation now at more than 1,000% per annum and millions of Zimbabweans have fled the country - many ending up in South Africa.

Many in the west blame the crisis on President Robert Mugabe's policies. He in turn says sanctions are responsible for the country's economic difficulties.

Mugabe blames the sanctions. Is he that clueless or is he psychopathic. Either way, he should be removed and get someone in there who has a good grasp of market economics and government.