Mugabe believes he should rule until he drops dead!

Some African rulers like President Robert Mugabe believe that their destiny is to rule their countries until they drop dead.

This was the view of the Daily News 10 years ago when it commented on Madagascan leader Didier Ratsiraka’s refusal to step down. Mugabe had also just won a disputed election that gave him another six years in office.

“Didier Ratsiraka of Madagascar is a typical caricature of an African leader: he refuses to accept change and seems to believe that without him at the helm Madagascar would sink without trace into the Indian Ocean.

“He and other leaders cling to the outrageous notion that African democracy is not necessarily compatible with the Western variety. They seem to suggest African democracy must include a strong dash of totalitarianism to function effectively….

“The rulers, most of them old men of the ilk of Madagascar’s Didier Ratsiraka and our own Mugabe, believe their destiny is to rule their countries until they drop dead.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE1091, INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWS CRITICIZES DESPOTS

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HARARE 001091

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND

SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INT/R/MR, NSC FOR

JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KPAO ZI

SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWS CRITICIZES DESPOTS

¶1.   Under headline “Rastiraka: Another old man

resisting change” the independent daily “The Daily

News” dedicated its May 2 editorial to criticizing

despotic African leaders, especially Didier Rastiraka

of Madagascar and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. Excerpts:

¶2.   “Didier Rastiraka if Madagascar is a typical

caricature of an African leader: he refuses to accept

change and seem to believe that without him at the helm

Madagascar would sink without trace into the Indian

Ocean. . . He and other leaders cling to the

outrageous notion that African democracy is not

necessarily compatible with the Western variety. They

seem to suggest African democracy must include a strong

dash of totalitarianism to function effectively. . .

Africa is the poorest continent primarily because the

freedom in which spectacular economic development and

unfettered political activity can thrive does not exist

in many African countries. The rulers, most of them

old men of the ilk of Madagascar’s Didier Rastiraka and

our own Mugabe, believe their destiny is to rule their

countries until they drop dead.”

SULLIVAN

(19 VIEWS)