In today’s BBC News Africa, there is an interesting article about the economic crisis in ZImbabwe and its ultimate impact it will have on the Mugabe government. It points out that with the inflation rate in Zimbabwe at 15 Million percent, 256 Billion Zimbabwe dollars gets you a loaf of bread. Zillionaires are starving in Zimbabwe!
I am reminded of the story about Al Capone, the American mobster who was pursued by the authorities for years for his crimes. What eventually did Capone in was tax fraud, an economic crime, not the flashy stuff of criminal masterminds. The parallel to Robert Mugabe is important. While the public and government leaders around the world wail about the sham elections, human rights abuse, et cetera, what will likely do Mugabe in will be his gross abuse of the economy. His henchmen (the army and police forces) are facing the same crisis as ordinary Zimbabweans. Supporters of all kinds of the ZANU PF can’t sustain their political zeal when they can’t buy a quart of milk for anything less than 500 Billion dollars.
The only remaining thread of hope for the elite in power is the stolen proceeds that can sustain them. If economic sanctions close off this last source of revenue and the regime is allowed to exit somewhat intact, then there is some hope for a post-Mugabe era in Zimbabwe.
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