Many either are (or have been) or claim to be (or have been) Freedom Fighters, and they should all, even those who genuinely merit that title, take care that, after they have achieved their goal, they do not fall into the terrible temptation to act as tyrants.
Such is the case of Robert Gabriel Mugabe, who had a genuine, if minor, claim to be considered such, but, unlike his much more honourable and honest neighbour to the North, Kenneth David Kaunda, he has decided that the people of his country are mere vassals and should never be allowed to make another choice than himself as their leader. Apart from the ludicrous nature of his claim (similar to that in the USA on behalf of George W. Bush by some on his behalf) to be God's choice to preside over his deliberate and cynical ruination of Zimbabwe, he is probably too far gone in senile self-glorification ever to recover. I suspect that, as in the case of Mr Bush, this choice has nothing to do with to the loving and merciful God of every Jew, Christian and Muslim and many other decent folk, but rather to his own venal god, a horrible evil idol otherwise often called Mammon.
As Mr Mugabe's most violent supporters call themselves 'war veterans' without ever having done anything useful to liberate their country, so we must also look at the credentials of those in neighbouring countries who, mainly out of sheer cowardice, do nothing to rid Zimbabwe of this bloodthirsty tyrant. Mr Mugabe's best known contribution to the "fight for freedom" was the action of his notorious 5th Brigade, which when it finally dared to cross the frontier into the country, massacred thousands in Matabeleland, for the simple reason that they were likely to vote for an alternative candidate to lead the newly created nation.
First we have to examine the past of Thabo Mbeki, who, while others were suffering hardships and gaol, spent his years of exile in comfortable study at universities in the Soviet Union and England. He could end Mr Mugabe's reign and the bloodshed in a matter of days, but he remains silent and engages in what his supporters call 'quiet diplomacy' while thousands more are killed or injured.
Then there is the dubious president of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, a noisy spokesman on Mr Mugabe's behalf, who himself has a reputation for having ruthlessly crushed any form of dissent within his country's borders, and for his unwillingness to put up with any disagreement with his rough and ready rule. He had again, like Mr Mbeki, a personally minor role in the liberation of his country, but he is now unwilling to do anything for the freedom of black people who are oppressed by black dictators.
Other neighbours have less power, and the only beacon of light in this southern part of Africa is the moderate government of the large country with a very small population now known as Botswana. Mozambique and Angola, both of which have suffered many difficulties due to post colonial wars backed by potentially financially interested parties, are now, at last, showing signs of realising the dangers to their whole region arising from the rampant brutality of Mr Mugabe's régime, and they are now beginning to put some pressure on this nasty racist man, but they can do nothing without the economic backing of South Africa, the regional power.
Mr Mugabe is now recognised by most of the world as a vicious and cruel tyrant, but he will continue to reign until decent rulers can be found who will do their duty to their own peoples and the world in causing him to be driven out. We have to remember however that, although some country could be found to offer a safe haven to Mr Mugabe and his shopaholic wife, his most vicious henchmen probably quite rightly fear that the people will have their revenge once they have lost their power. This means that removing Mr Mugabe himself will not necessarily lead immediately and automatically to freedom for the people of Zimbabwe.
However, we cannot exempt our own governments from blame when our own rulers give their financial and military support to other forms of tyranny, and until, for example, we have removed Zionism from the Holy Land, our leaders will be as guilty as the cowards who rule influential countries adjoining and close to Zimbabwe who give their direct or indirect support to Mr Mugabe.
Freedom Fighters have to prove that they still merit that title, and, as soon as they cease so to be, they should be removed, preferably of course by peaceful means, but, if need be, by force. This is not a call to revolution, but a plea for an end to all state terrorism such as we see in far too many areas of the world.
