Oh dear, Thabo Mbeki must be really annoyed this morning. Morgan Tsvangirai has said that Mbeki should fuck the fucking fuck off as "mediator", while some Zanu-PF fuck announced that Mbeki has done a wonderful job as mediator. On the radio this morning an analyst said that Zanu-PF fuck's comment would certainly undermine Mbeki's desire to be seen as a neutral in the mediation effort.

The paramedics arrived six minutes later to stitch my sides.

I have just written an editorial pronouncing with all due pomposity that while Mbeki's legacy at home was long in tatters (particularly because of his HIV/AIDS policy), he has now also squandered his international reputation by saying there was no crisis while tickling Mad Bob's syphillis-ridden cock (I might have phrased it differently).

Even the ANC has said hat there is indeed a crisis in Zimbabwe. Not that one requires much clarity of thought to arrive at that conclusion.

But did Mbeki ever really believe in that "quiet diplomacy" thing? Or did he just figure - there's fuck-all any of us can do to dislodge this lunatic if he doesn't want to go, so I'll "engage" him quietly as a sop to the public so as to appear to be doing something even though it's hopeless?

Not that the latter has any special claim to virute as a position or anything, but it at least suggests a position of realism rather than just cravenness.

Oh, SA had the influence and direct power to dislodge Mugabe. Mbeki has propped the bastard up for years, for reasons that are subject to debate (the most logical explanation resides with Mbeki's psyche).

Quiet diplomacy has consisted mainly of the government sticking its head in the sand in the hope of not annoying Mugabe.

A couple of years ago a colleague told me the story of a bunch of journalists enjoying the unusual privilege of conversing with the foreign minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. They challenged her about all matter of things happening to the people in Zimbabwe — the standard abuses everybody know about – and the SA govt's inaction on these. Dlamini-Zuma responded by saying that she knew nothing of such things, and if these things can be shown to her, the government would take action. Of course, it never did.

Now Mbeki says there is no crisis in Zim when so very obviously there is, and that the situation is manageable, when clearly it is not. His quiet diplomacy policy has signally failed, and the stubborn fucker still sits in Mugabe's pocket.

OK, I'll bite. How could SA dislodge Mugabe, if it chose to do so?

By stopping to prop up his regime and isolating him internationally.

Presently, SA gives Zim electricity, food aid etc (and lets ships with a cargo of arms for Zimbabwe alight at Durban port). Cut that off, and the wolves in Zanu-PF will eat the guy. Though that would also hurt the public.

Apply targeted sanctions. Ban Mugabe and his mates and families from entering SA, and freeze their assets here. Another way for the wolves to eat Mugabe.

Most importantly, give Africa a lead on diplomatic policy. If SA turns on Mugabe, the rest of the SADC, and most of the AU would follow suit. Mugabe would not survive isolation from the rest of Africa.

Alas, Mbeki hasn't even threatened Mugabe with such courses of action.

This looks like good news on the arms shipments front.

Well, it's going to Angola now. Which will at least delay the use of the weapons a little.

Every silver lining, eh?

Are the Angolans friendly with Mugabe? Is it some misplaced socialist brotherhood thing? Admittedly, I don't even know if it's the descendents of UNITA or MPLA who are in power there, but I was assuming it was MPLA.

Yeah, Eduardo dos Santos is a great chum of Bob's. Along with Gubeza of Mozambique, Kabila of the DRC and the chap in Namibia, he is in the pro-Mugabe camp. In the case of Kabila the support is due to Zimbabwe's engagement in the DRC war on Kabila's side; the other three tend to see him as a great liberator from colonialism. In Namibia's case, he might even be something of an inspiration in repressing opposition parties (the rumblings there are not very hope inspiring).

Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius and, to a lesser extent, Zambia head the anti-Mugabe front in the SADC. Botswana especially is motivated to get Zim running again because of the influx of Zimbabwean refugees.

There a rumours that the gun ship has sunk, which would be a spectacular denouement to the story. The rumours are denied by the SA government.

Shock results of first recount.

I also see from this article that Zuma's line on Mugabe is no longer quite as far from Mbeki's as we might have hoped.

What a fucking disgrace. Mbeki will forever be remembered as a spineless cunt, as well.

[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7404603.stm[url]

Date has been set for the second round run-off. Although, after seeing tonight's Newsnight, I can see only one outcome - a win for Robert Mugabe. I won't post the images as they are truly disturbing but opposers to the Mugabe regime have been, shall we say 'dealt with.'

Yes, they have. I can see no way how a credible election can take place.

A very credible source of mine says he spotted a couple of North Korean military types standing behind Mugabe at a function (could be a scoop for OTF, this). The West has no more currency in Zimbabwe, as we have long known -- alarmingly, neither does that part of Africa which is not being neo-colonised by China.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean (and Somali) refugees are being ethnically cleansed in parts of South Africa. What some South Africans have done to Zimbabweans on both sides of the border is an absolute disgrace.