Outrage over Mugabe’s extravagance as parliament opens

By Tererai Karimakwenda

26 July 2006

In a report about the opening of the Zimbabwe parliament on Tuesday, The Scotsman newspaper in the UK said: “When in doubt, decorate.” This was in reference to the expensive new decor in parliament that has been criticised by Zimbabweans who watched Robert Mugabe address the opening of the new session of parliament on state television. The lavish new design was described as “cultural” by the state media, but our correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us ordinary Zimbabweans were angered by the extravagant amounts of money spent on redecorating while they starve. The new look parliament now features a royal chair for Robert Mugabe that is covered in leopard skin. Huge ivory tusks are on each side of this throne and stuffed animal heads hang on the wall. A chair for his wife Grace floats over zebra skin.

Mugabe’s arrival at parliament also showed off some new toys purchased for his huge entourage. In a statement released Wednesday, Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Tsvangirai MDC said: “ The regime showed its affinity for opulence in a sea of national poverty when Mugabe and his entourage arrived with new, state-of-the-art BMW motorbikes. The regime’s frenetic love for grandeur, which is typical of all dictators, has become legendary and it is unthinkable how he could afford to import over 15 lavish motorbikes when Zimbabweans have no food.”

Criticism of the ruling party’s extravagance in the midst of an economic crisis is nothing new. And Mugabe’s continued failure to take some responsibility for destroying the nation and his tendency to blame outside forces have become a redundant feature of the parliamentary speeches he makes every year. As a result, critics say he has gone from a highly respected African leader and become the typical evil dictator with expensive tastes overseeing a failed nation.

In his speech on Tuesday Mugabe again blasted the British government and western powers. He said: "It is refreshing that the world has now become fully aware of the dishonest and hypocritical anti-Zimbabwe strategy of the British government." Mugabe also repeated his claims that it is sanctions imposed by these outside forces that have caused the deterioration of the nation. He has never publicly admitted that the so-called sanctions are actually targeted sanctions placed on him, his family and members of his regime. Closer to home, Mugabe made more false claims about agriculture, saying good rains would help the failed sector rebound. He admitted that rising inflation was "worrisome" but did not seem to have a plan to "tame the monster" as he claimed he was determined to do.

.