Britain the cause of Zimbabwe's cholera crisis?

[belfastuniguy 18]

UK caused cholera, says Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe has said the West was plotting to use cholera to invade

The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe which has left hundreds dead was caused by the UK, an ally of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has said.

Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu described the outbreak as a "genocidal onslaught on the people of Zimbabwe by the British".

On Thursday, Mr Mugabe said the spread of cholera had been halted.

But aid workers warned that the situation was worsening and the outbreak could last for months.

In his comments to media in Harare, Mr Ndlovu likened the appearance of cholera in Zimbabwe to a "serious biological chemical weapon" used by the British.

The Zimbabwean minister for information blames Britain for the cholera outbreak

He described it as "a calculated, racist, terrorist attack on Zimbabwe".

Mr Mugabe has already accused Western powers of plotting to use cholera as an excuse to invade and overthrow him.

Earlier on Friday a senior South African Anglican bishop said that Mr Mugabe should be seen as a "21st Century Hitler".

Bishop of Pretoria Joe Seoka called on churches to pray for his removal, the South African Press Association reports.

His comments came as the US ambassador to Zimbabwe warned that the country was turning into a "failed state".

We need to commit ourselves to assist the refugees from Zimbabwe... remembering that the one we call our Lord and Saviour was a refugee in Egypt, fleeing the Mugabe of that period, King Herod Bishop Joe Seoka Zimbabwe cholera is over - Mugabe Cholera is 'S African disaster' Failing Zimbabwe: Special report

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the outbreak has not been contained and the death toll has increased to some 792 people, the AFP news agency reports.

The WHO has warned that the total number of cases could reach 60,000 unless the epidemic was stopped.

US ambassador James McGee blamed the outbreak on Zimbabwe's political crisis and the failed economic policies of its government.

He told reporters in Washington that hospitals in Harare remained closed, there was no rubbish collection and people were drinking from sewers.

See detailed map of cholera-affected areas

President Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have been deadlocked in power-sharing negotiations for several months.

"The situation is truly grim. One man and his cronies - Robert Mugabe - are holding this country hostage," Mr McGee said, AP news agency reports.

Bishop Seoka said that Mr Mugabe was a "person seemingly without conscience or remorse, and a murderer".

Cholera has spread because of Zimbabwe's failing health system

"I believe it is now an opportune moment for all the church leaders to follow the retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, to call on God to cause the removal Mugabe from the office of the President of Zimbabwe," he said, calling for the prayers to be held next Tuesday.

"The church in South Africa has done this before with the apartheid regime and there is no doubt that God will hear our prayers even today."

Several African and Western leaders have recently said it was time for Mr Mugabe to step down.

Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga said African countries should force him from power.

But the African Union has rejected such calls, saying a solution to Zimbabwe's problems must come from the power-sharing talks.

Bishop Seoka asked South Africans to show patience to Zimbabweans who have fled their homeland.

An estimated three million Zimbabweans are living in South Africa, and thousands cross over the border illegally every day.

More recently, hundreds have sought medical treatment because Zimbabwe's health service and water supply infrastructure have virtually collapsed.

quote>

[panthersimcity4 162]

Umm... okay...

[ILL Tonkso 1,236]

Unbelievable, yes we admit it, one of the nations that helped give the world human rights and stands against racism, genocide, human abuse/exploitation. We decided to commit genocide with a disease that we ourselves identified the cause and sought to destroy in the first place.

[belfastuniguy 18]

Yes it is a rather funny story, shows the UTTER DELUSION Zimbabwean officials exist in. Maybe instead of casting blame on others they can do the decent thing and realise they have turned a once educated, prosperous and pleasant nation into another African failed state. All while the majority of fellow African nations shrug their shoulders and do nothing. Utterly reprehensible, I'd certainly support sending in the SAS to 'remove' Mugabe.

[coolotter88 2]

He has tuberculosis

[buildsolid 4]

This is shocking to think i lived in the most affected province, so glad im out.

[fukuda 351]

o_O

[Duke87 1,070]

Yeah....

...well, cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae - which occurs quite naturally in aquatic environments. Nobody needs to put it anywhere to cause an outbreak.

And... the best way to avoid getting it is to treat/filter your drinking water.

Why not work on that instead of throwing crazy accusations around, eh Mugabe?

[Explodingsims 3]

OKay....

"Hitler Jr." blames other countries for his own areas rampant disease...

Considering how bad things are there, maybe he should take a look around first.

[duack 14]

Well it could be good. If you think about, a couple thousand people will die in the end but zimbabwe has a population of around 12 million I think. So if Briatain takes over, the country will obviously get better because Britain pronmotes human rights. So really, its like a couple thousand people dying for the rights of millions. Kind of like some wars that are seen as heroic.

[Deathtoall 28]

Hmm, maybe Mugabe caused Cholera? Then again Mugabe wins in Zimbabwe. Seriously though, talk about delusion. Why would Britain invade unless they wanted something like diamonds, i mean England honestly wants the dump that Zimbabwe has become? I hope people in Zimbabwe can see right through. The only way to bring Mugabe down is a total country-wide strike or revolt or a invasion by another nation. Which for the stability of Southern Africa, has to happen.

[hamsterTK 93]

I hope more that the same BS politics don't spread to South Africa. Zuma and all that. They do seem to need to control the growing wealth split though. But that takes a real progressive, not some "populist" dictator.

[Strategist01 0]

@ DTA: well, south africa is pretty stable, and we also have to deal with Zimbabwe's troubles. in fact everybody looks to us to see what help we can give. i personally say we should sanction petrol against Zimbabwe, so that their forces run out of petrol, then we invade( with help from Britain, of course ), and depose Mugabe! there, problem solved!

[belfastuniguy 18]

And... the best way to avoid getting it is to treat/filter your drinking water.

Why not work on that instead of throwing crazy accusations around, eh Mugabe? quote>

That's the problem. Mugabe has completely crippled the nations economy, Zimbabwe's annualised inflation rate was calculated at 89.7 sextillion percent as of November 14, 2008. This nations national infrastructure has totally collapsed. This nation was once one of the richest in Africa and now its once proud, wealthy and educated population are reduced to drinking from open sewers.

[TV-VCR 14]

Are you kidding me?

Please, someone send in some troops to forcefully remove Mugabe or something...

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: duack Well it could be good. If you think about, a couple thousand people will die in the end but zimbabwe has a population of around 12 million I think. So if Briatain takes over, the country will obviously get better because Britain pronmotes human rights. So really, its like a couple thousand people dying for the rights of millions. Kind of like some wars that are seen as heroic.quote>

Yeah, um, except for one problem:

Britain isn't invading Zimbabwe. That's just a nutjob spouting nonsense.

Originally posted by: belfastuniguy

That's the problem. Mugabe has completely crippled the nations economy, Zimbabwe's annualised inflation rate was calculated at 89.7 sextillion percent as of November 14, 2008. This nations national infrastructure has totally collapsed. This nation was once one of the richest in Africa and now its once proud, wealthy and educated population are reduced to drinking from open sewers.quote>

Ah, so he's pointing fingers elsewhere rather than accepting blame for himself and/or trying to solve the problem.

Like a true politician!

[Boggy1 45]

Well, quite obviously he is insane. Literally insane.

Some scientist did a study, and showed that when people were in power for a long time, even if they had the best of intentions at the beginning, eventually begin to experience actual megalomania; they begin to believe their own rhetoric and think that they are always right. Tony Blair had it in his latter months. Mugabe definately has it.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Ironically, a lot of these African countries fared far better, economically speaking, under Colonial rule. Maybe when the Empire was disbanded, there should have been a Commonwealth Peacekeeping Force that would stop people like Mugabe getting in and destroying the country. Zimbabwe (or Rhodesia) used to be the 'breadbasket of Africa'. Now look at it. It's really quite sad.

[Strategist01 0]

well its still the bread basket of Africa, its just that weevils and cockroaches and locusts had a go at it, and it didn't win.

[Strategist01 0]

well its still the bread basket of Africa, its just that weevils and cockroaches and locusts had a go at it, and it didn't win.

[GMT 389]

go mugabe go mugabe

yeah

finally someone who got the point. who dares to tell the one and only truth: it's britain. and it always has been britain! and it'll always be britain.

no matter what!!

yes. he's right. he's soooo right! he's always right! he's mr. right! that's it, mugabe is mr. right! like mr. t, only with more golden bling bling and far bigger muscles.

ain't he a close relative of sadam or osama so the states can bomb him to nirvana?

and, even more important, why is it a must-follow-rule for dictators to be the definition of stupidity??

[hamsterTK 93]

well its still the bread basket of Africa, its just that weevils and cockroaches and locusts had a go at it, and it didn't win.quote>

And stopping that involves a developed agriculture sector, not one sent back to the stone ages through land "reform"

[fukuda 351]

Mugabe's view of cholera

(Fukuda's free edit, take with a grain of salt)

[nazaguy 0]

And thats not the only thing the Brits are responsible for! They are also the cause of acne, car sickness, all crime in Zimbabwe and political repression there! Plus, the Brits are the reason i got up late this morning! (sarcasm)

[s.i.X 13]

He blames everything on colonization. Why is this even newsworthy? The might as well have said "Robert Mugabe was his usual self this morning, declaring modern toilet facilities a colonial entrapment and urging Zimbabweans to poop in gutters in the streets instead!"

[kibblewitbit 0]

Wow this reminds me of Animal Farm