It requires a great deal of political clarity to sort the issues on Zimbabwe and a short message cannot do it in depth. Nevertheless I think it is important to make some clarifications on the question of race and criticism of President Mugabe.

1. It is not proper or correct to allege/imply that [all] black Mugabe critics are in effect supporters of white supremacy.

2. I for example could never be accused of being such a person. I do not need to go into detail but suffice to say that all my life, I have fought and will continue to fight against all manifestations of racism.

3. I have also lived under [and suffered the consequences of the repression of] another undemocratic African government that did not have a land controversy at hand to blur the issues. I have had the unfortunate benefit of seeing journalist colleagues disappear, be jailed, tortured, killed and hounded in to exile in many countries. None of them were supporters of white supremacy. [Ironically, ‘western’ interests supported some of such dictators such as Mobutu of Zaire especially during the cold war]

4. Yes there is an overwhelming need for land reform and redistribution not just in Zimbabwe but also across southern Africa. In truth it should have been done - not in the last two years - but long ago. It can also be done in a civil way without inciting lynch mobs to murder people.

5. The issues in Zimbabwe are not just about minority whites owning the most land and blacks not having access to land. It is also about democracy and human rights, which are universal concepts. Black people are dying of AIDS and Famine in Zimbabwe.

6. Yes there is a reasonable element of racism in the support for anti-Mugabe forces by some white people and western interests. Such interests are clearly identifiable and there is no need to mix them up with those that don’t share their interests. [Descendants of colonial settlers for instance would be happy to hang on to their land under any circumstances and would never have spoken up for human rights of Africans were they not under attack themselves.]

7. While it is true that white people that have not suffered the consequences of slavery, colonialism, apartheid or racism do not appreciate the extent to which race may colour their perception of issues and how this in turn colours how their actions and policies are perceived by Africans. The truth is that not all white people are racists. Some have even fought and died for the anti-apartheid, anti-colonial struggles and the civil rights movement etc.

8. Mugabe need not have waited till he faced growing political opposition to sort the land problem. He could have done it when there was little or no opposition anytime in the previous 20 years. While it is true that some interests will rather ruin Zimbabwe than see land reform, the truth is that Mugabe’s policies are also undermining the Zimbabwean economy.

9. It may seem attractive to some people to imply that because white colonial settlers murdered millions of Africans and violently seized land, the same should be done to them. However although ‘revenge’ may give immense satisfaction, this simply reduces the perpetrators to the same bestial mentality that generated colonial murder and exploitation. [There will never be enough space here to discuss the place of revenge and vengeance in the human psyche and society, if it is appropriate or not, to what extent is it reasonable and so forth.] More importantly if land reform is the objective, it can be done without mayhem. Prior to the last elections Zanu-PF had enough political strength to ensure land reform in a constitutional manner. It is not impossible to do so even now.

10. Finally and to reiterate: It is possible to campaign for democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa without being a supporter of white supremacy. Note also that:
(1) If you fight the beneficiaries of undemocratic policies by undemocratic means, you loose your legitimacy and moral authority especially if you play on a legitimate cause to selfishly hang on to power and the fall out is that thousands of innocent people suffer the consequences. (2) To campaign for democracy, free expression and other rights in Zimbabwe is not an endorsement of the MDC or its policies.

The fallouts of slavery, colonialism, apartheid and more sophisticated modern day exploitation of Africa can only be solved by more democracy and more human rights, not less. Some racists that were never and never will be democrats will exploit circumstances to hang on to their land. However in the long run, a genuinely democratic Zimbabwe will not accept minority control of majority land, but will address the problem in a non-violent and democratic manner.