THE FREE WORLD WATCHES - BUT DOES NOTHING - Robb WJ Ellis

As the days go by, and the interest is awash with stories of the ZANU PF/Mugabe duplicity, I am always quite stunned at the inaction taken by the free world.

More and more stories uncover the manner in which Mugabe 'rules'
Zimbabwe.

The latest of which is the revelation that Nestlé is being supplied with milk by Mugabe's wife, Grace - from a farm seized in the controversial 'land grab' that has been going on in Zimbabwe since 2000.

Other institutions, like the United Nations, have a penchant for inviting Mugabe to their conferences - even though he is subject to targeted travel sanctions - and then the UN make an absolute mockery of the whole sanctions idea by opening the floor for yet another Mugabe tirade against the West, accusing them of all manner of conspiracies and intentions - whilst at the same time, Mugabe asks the West to dig into their pockets and finance the rebuilding of the country - necessitated by Mugabe's heavy-handed rule.

As the days, weeks, months and years go by, it becomes more and more obvious that Mugabe is not interested in working with the MDC in a coalition government, but he has been demanding that the World Bank, the IMF and various countries cough up to allow the country to rebuild.

Mugabe has no right to 'demand' anything! But all his demands are couched in such a way to make the free world develop a conscience, and he hopes that he will strike it rich by this means.

Just like the diamond find in the Marange Fields in the North East of the country, Mugabe is intent on using the money so received to finance his own forays on political and personal fronts - he has no want or desire to use the money for what it was originally intended.

Just yesterday, we read how "Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono planned to divert a huge chunk of an International Monetary Fund loan to pay back money diverted to President Robert Mugabe's bloody re-election campaign last year, documents show.

According to proposals submitted by Gono to Finance Minister Tendai Biti recently, and seen by ZimEye, US$90 million of the $510 million availed to Zimbabwe (or 21.5%) would have been used to pay NGOs, exporters and banks whose funds were raided by Gono in June last year to prop up Mugabe's bankrupt campaign.

Biti rejected the proposals."

Please note that Mugabe said that the theft of money from accounts by Gono were excused by Mugabe and the majority of that money has yet to be repaid.

I have written on many occasions that any debts run up by ZANU PF should be paid for by ZANU PF, not the country, and certainly not acceded to by the watching world.

At least the watching world is holding the purse strings - for the time being.

"The finance minister reportedly told Gono that any expenditure should first be approved by parliament through the normal budget process.

Gono has now launched a vicious media campaign against Biti, blowing up public funds on full-page adverts attacking the minister.

The matter has also been taken up by ZANU PF politicians, who normally say they do not need the IMF, but are now evidently upset about Biti's move to prevent looting of the loan."

Gono has been "accused of by the MDC of bringing down the Zimbabwean economy by financing Mugabe's political campaigns. Corruption investigations are underway against the central bank governor who's money-printing to bail out Mugabe's bankrupt regime drove inflation to astronomical proportions.

Faced with an election that he could not afford last year, Mugabe ordered Gono to loot foreign currency belonging to private organisations. The government has so far been unable to pay back the money. Gono's latest proposals give a rare indication of the massive amounts looted, analysts said."

Mugabe is not interested in rebuilding Zimbabwe, but in diverting money to his own account - and the whole world, even though they have largely fallen wise of Mugabe's intentions, still remain seated, watching from a distance, unwilling to do anything to assist the Zimbabwean people - in case Mugabe shouts at them - again!

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man