MUGABE, NO=3 IN AFRICA GREATS.

[IL CAPO]

London - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was voted the third-greatest African of all time, topped only by South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela and former Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah, in a survey for New African magazine, announced on Thursday.

 

Mugabe, widely criticised outside Zimbabwe for stifling dissent and crippling the economy of his once-prosperous southern African nation, was an "interesting" choice because "a high-profile campaign in the media has painted him in bad light", wrote the New African.

 

The London-based magazine said responses flooded in after the survey was launched last December to nominate the top 100 most-influential Africans or people of African descent.

 

Heroes of independence movements in Africa and African-American figures in the United States figure prominently on the list.

 

Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first post-colonial prime minister, ranks sixth, followed by United States civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

 

Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer star, came in 17th, followed by Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley, numbering among those called "Diasporans" by New African.

 

Radical civil rights leader Malcom X, at ninth, was a rank above United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, from Ghana, who comes just ahead of US boxer Muhammad Ali.

 

Few women made the cut.

 

The highest-ranked woman, at 12th, was Winnie Mandela,the exwife of the former South African president Mandela.

 

Others included the dynamic duo of tennis, American sisters Venus and Serena Williams (together ranked 73rd), and ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti at number 81.

 

The magazine noted that most of the top 100 were from Africa's post-colonial period.

 

"Have people forgotten Africa's history? Must this worry us, as a people?" it asked.

 

The list appears in the August-September issue of New African, which has a circulation of roughly 30 000 across dozens of countries. It said this was the first such survey it had carried out in a decade.

 

P.S as far as i am concerned the most influential man that ever came from Africa is Sayyid Muhammad Abdullah Hassan,May Allah have mercy on his soul and reward him with Jannah.

[Viking]

I read about this in NA last week. Am glad that people aren't duped by the evil image of Mugabe as potrayed by the western media.

[Gediid]

Mugabe is a true example of an African dictator.I guess Africans don't really care about his record so long as he defies the white man he's a great leader but for the record when ZANU took over in 1981,Zimbabwe was by far one of the wealthier nations in Africa now they are one of the poorest.Ironic that the man who took that nation from wealthy to poor in a record 12 or 14 years would be voted the 3rd greatest African leader.

[Viking]

Gediid,

What you forget to mention is that since he took over, he has been asking the white farmers to return some of the land to their rightful owners. They refused and after two decades, the lands were confiscicated. Besides, this wealth you talk about was in the hands of the whites and if it weren't for the pressure from GB and the others, Zimbabwe would be doing much better and the transition would have been smoother.

[Gediid]

Viking

With the white man in control of the farms Zimbabwe had enough food but now that Mugabe has given away the land to their "rightful owners"(a bunch of his cronies who have no wish nor the know how to farm)Zimbabwe now has to beg for food.

Warya Dude

So pictures of starving kids on TV signify dignity??

[Gabbal]

Gediid Mugabe might not be doing the most righteous thing, but it is the correct thing to do.

 

5% of the population holding over 80% of the best lands? This isn't the 1930's, the people have a right to the lands they were forced out of.

[Waaq]

Mugabe is just another in a long example of good man gone bad. I agree with all of you on the issue of land redistribution, but there are better methods of achieving that goal. Moreover, President Mugabe has taken the land and given it to his cronies. Are black oppressors and theives better than white oppressors and theives. Mugabe is using the issue of land redistribution much like our own warlords use clan politics to cover our eyes to what they are really doing. Which is robbing us all blind! Have you not heard that his wife consficates the national airline for extravagant shopping trips to South Africa.

 

I agree that the western media is portraying him in a severly negative light because of his affect on whites, but this does not detract from his own misgivings. I for one cannot support these people, and I hate them almost as much as the white settler and their former compatriots in the West.

[Sincere]

Hilarious that hes being depicted as a "great leader". He is just another power hungry egomaniac. After 20 plus years he's still clinging on to the presidency. He's ingeniously stringing the masses along with empty promises of land redistribution, whilst lining his pockets and those of his sidekicks.

 

Idi amin ought recieve 2nd place for banishing the indians to monopolize the economy for ugandans, if land re-distribution is the criterion platform for mugabe's award ( thats how absurd i think this notion is)

[Liqaye]

Now this is nice:

 

Gediid said:

 

Mugabe is a true example of an African dictator.I guess Africans don't really care about his record so long as he defies the white man he's a great leader but for the record when ZANU took over in 1981,Zimbabwe was by far one of the wealthier nations in Africa now they are one of the poorest.Ironic that the man who took that nation from wealthy to poor in a record 12 or 14 years would be voted the 3rd greatest African leader.

Mugabe has always been a dictator, the diffrence is when he was suppresing the left leaning ndebele and shona revolts dedicated to doing what is now being done, he was considered by the west as a paragon of a democrat, things have changed only because the western intreasts have been directly attacked by mugabe, in his taking over of white owned farm land.

 

After 20 years of liberal western propoganda an african leader defiying the white man brings on a fit of giggles in most people, but to be sure in africa and specially in the situtation of zimbabwe inspite of the tribal tensions the U.K is creating their, the restoration of land to their proper owners is the only revolution the african sees and the only philosophy that directly affects him.

 

Every african nation has inspite of listening and applying I.M.F economic prinicipals seen a year on year decline in G.D.P and personal income levels, I would think that would be more marked in 2 cash crop econmy like Zimbabwe's more so an economy that has also been facing economic sanctions scince 1997.

What is the wealth you describe Zimbabwe as having?

White farmers repatriating billions over seas, and indian traders doing the same in the cities, while the african limits himself to manual labour in both city and country side?

That is not wealth, that's a comedy many africans are getting tired of acting.

 

With the white man in control of the farms Zimbabwe had enough food but now that Mugabe has given away the land to their "rightful owners"(a bunch of his cronies who have no wish nor the know how to farm)Zimbabwe now has to beg for food

The white man in zimbabwe never and i repeat never, harvested corn or othe basic foods for the populace they were all with out a doubt as all parasitical agricultural entreprenuers in africa fariming and harvesting cash-crops in this case TOBBACO.

Consequently the population of Zimbabwe has always lived on the minute part of arable land farmed by african peaseants for the daily supply of sustenance, that a white farmer would grow millet for market is a fallacy we can all see the idiocy in repeating.

 

Much of the land in zimbabwe has been returned to africans, in the form of plots or community allotments, that prime real estate has been grabbed is also true but the balance is overwhelmingly on the side of the peasent, that has increased his acreage and financial stability.

 

Zimbabwe suffered a food shortage one that affected most S.A.D.C [southern african development community countries, indeed in the final analysis it seemed all the begging came not from Zimbabwe but rather the bleeding heart lobbies in the west who need to put down another payment on their VX engined toyota landcruisers.

 

Mugabe more than most african leaders deserves to be in the top 10.

[Som@li]

MUgabe is indeed a great african statesman!

 

 

fav quates by mugabe

"Keep your England and let me keep

my Zimbabwe"

[rudy-Diiriye]

this has to the best bloody joke that i ever heard off! so what! George w bush is the smartest man on earth!! plz stop it!!! :eek:

[Rahima]

What, no Sayyid Muxammad Cabdille Xassan?

What a shame!

 

Yeah, yeah I know I’m biased

[Paragon]

Nomads, Robert Mugabe deserves to be nominated to position 3 if not position 1. Trust me, there is alot we don't know about the land reform and the agreements that were tied to it during when Zimbabwe was granted independence. The deal was to have a 'claused' 10 year period stated in the Zimbabwean constitution which land reform wouldn't take place, and white farmers won't be evicted. It was for that reason that Mugabe hasn't embarked on reforms earlier on.

 

The agreement between the colonialists and Mugabe at Lancaster House was that after those 10 years, Britain will provide funds to help Zimbabwe to compensate white farmers when land reform takes place. Outside Lancaster House, the United States headed by Carter and other European countries promised funds also. However, after 5 years of Zimbabwe's independence, Britain said no to providing such funds and the Carter of United States was replaced by Regan. Regan too said no to payments.

 

So, 'fine' said Mugabe, 'if you guys refuse to provide such funds to compensate the white farmers, then we won't tax our poor Zimbabweans but rather carry on with our land reform.' This is when the British government and Zimbabwe went into loggerheads!

 

The case became a highly ochastrated one due to the fact that some of the land grabbed by Mugabe was owned by members of The House of Lords. Among these Lords are the 'Actons and Rifkins' and other British high class families. Now they are running a smear camphaign against Mugabe but he is unrelentingly holding a firm stand. Atleast, it could be argued that the land reform issue is nothing more than the interests of powerful people being threatened and their fight back engulfing Zimbabwe as a country.

[IL CAPO]

Long before the land redistribution came to the fore Zimbabwean natives has been exposed to Humiliation, Constant Abuse; Disrespect all in the hands of white oppressors namely British but Britain and the rest of the world chose to be mum about the whole ordeal caused by their fellow whites to the people of Zimbabwe but today that the tables have slightly been turned by none other than Robert Mugabe the whole world is accusing him all sorts of crimes and some even went as far as comparing him to Milosovic, the man responsible of the murders and rapes of thousands of Bosnians.

 

Europe can say whatever it may wish but we Africans know the truth and I for one say it is long over due because it is about time Europeans tasted their own medicine and see how it feels to be on the receiving end.

 

P.S Sister Rahima, I agree with you 120%, Sayyid Muhammad Abdulle Hassan should have been in that list but we don't need a piece of paper to tell us who is our hero and who is not and in our eyes Sayyid Muhammad Abdulle Hassan will always be our greatest hero, the founding father of the greatest country in the world Somalia.

[Sincere]

Hitler i really can learn a thing or two from you ....