A Mzungu who loves Kenya

• Happy Birthday to ...

  Posted: July 1, 2008, 5:13 pm by Dad Mzungu

  So our esteemed Prime Minister, Gordon Brown MP has completed a year in office as leader of [Great?] Britain.

  In the last year he has aged about 10 years, but he insists that his way is the best way (Hmm ... didn't Robert Mugabe say something similar not so long ago?)

  We in GB are lurching from one crisis to another, lost sensitive data on CDs, laptops, in briefcases ... the great and good who fund the Labour Party are pulling back ... abolition of the 10p income tax belt - there is another revolt looming over this one ... fuel prices soaring (GB - that's a world problem, not mine!, despite the fact that we are the most heavily taxed country in the world when it comes to petrol and diesel) ... inflation is climbing above the Government's own targets ... house prices are falling ... mortgages are almost impossible to get ... it goes on ... and on ...
  

  Local and by-elections have been a disaster for the Labour Party as well. But Gordon is insisting that he is running the country, not a popularity contest.

  He could have fooled me on the former and he wouldn't have a snowball's chance in Hell on the latter!

• Yesterday WAS the Day - or not!

  Posted: July 1, 2008, 12:38 pm by Dad Mzungu

  OK, so I was wrong. Yesterday was not the grand opening of our new Internet café in the bottom left-hand corner of Kenya.

  It should have been, but apparently, Internet connection was not available yesterday - not just for us, but for a large swathe of Kenya!

  I got a text from Vincent last night explaining all this, and also to tell me that we now have all the necessary equipment, printer, scanner, fax machine, etc.
  

  So ... Today's the day ... or not.
  

• Inside Mugabe's World

  Posted: July 1, 2008, 11:40 am by Dad Mzungu

  I have just read excerpts of an interview with President Robert Mugabe, by Heidi Holland, which took place last December.

  When the Ms Holland suggested that his policies had caused the economy to collapse, he sat up straight, his eyes flashing.

  "Our economy is a hundred times better, than the average African economy. Outside South Africa, what country is [as good as] Zimbabwe? ... What is lacking now are goods on the shelves - that is all."

  On his reasoning behind the land invasions, he said: "We had hoped that the British would take notice of it and that they would say: 'Let's meet and discuss this'"

  It became clear that Mr Mugabe has arranged himself in a bubble of denial to avoid facing what he has done in Zimbabwe.

  What a sad old man he must be ... a despotic, sad old man.

  Excerpt from "A glimpse inside Mugabe's world" by South African writer Heidi Holland.

  -oOo-

  On another tack, I see that Kenyan PM Raila Odinga is urging the African Union to suspend Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe until he allows free and fair elections.

  As to the other members:

  South Africa's Thabo Mbeki is the key mediator. He has not criticised Robert Mugabe, despite pressure from the ruling ANC.

  Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has taken the toughest line. He's called Zimbabwe a "regional embarrassment". But he has just been rushed to hospital in Egypt.

  Angola's President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is one of Robert Mugabe's closest allies. He has urged Mr Mugabe to end the violence.

  Botswana has summoned a Zimbabwean envoy to complain about the violence. It has supported Zimbabwe's opposition.

  Namibia is an ally of Robert Mugabe. It wants to re-distribute white-owned farms to black villagers. It has not criticised the violence.

  Mozambique has hosted some white farmers forced out of Zimbabwe when their land was seized. It is seen as sympathetic to the opposition.

  Tanzania's ruling party has a history of backing Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. Its foreign minister has condemned the violence.

  DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila is an ally of Robert Mugabe who sent troops to help his father, Laurent Kabila, fight rebels.

  Malawi is seen as neutral. But 3m people from Malawi are in Zimbabwe and many were badly hit by the farm invasions.

  As for the EU, Italy has recalled its envoy to Zimbabwe, and called for other members to do likewise.

  And the British? Oh, I expect we are making a nice cup of tea to calm the situation.

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes