Mugabe's disgraceful exit

ROBERT Mugabe, teacher turned revolutionary against "white" minority rule in erstwhile Rhodesia (renamed Zimbabwe) and who has been president of that nation since 1980, was deposed last Wednesday in a bloodless coup d'état staged by the very military Mugabe patronised to perpetuate his despotic rule.
The world will remember the brutal litany of his 37 years in office: sustaining his rule through jailing, torture and murder of political opponents, violating the courts, threatening and gagging the independent press, rigging elections, trampling on property rights leading to the worst hyperinflation in recorded history – measured in the billions of percentage points – and forcing the abolition of the Zimbabwean dollar.
In that time, resource-rich Zimbabwe went from being Africa's breadbasket to basket case, among the poorest nations on the planet. According to recent statistics from the United Nations' World Food Programme, 72% of the population lives below the national poverty line, earning less than US$1.25 a day.
Mugabe's rise and fall is so typical of rulers, historically and almost across the globe, who rode on a wave of popular nationalism but became intoxicated with power.
Such leaders bestow upon themselves absolute power, totalitarian autocrats who rule with unrestrained cruelty.
The next stage of their despotic rule is plundering the nation's wealth to support their luxurious lifestyle, callous toward the social and economic fabric of the country, denying basic human rights and allowing the nation to plunge into chaos, conflict and deprivation.
And, to top it all, there is the "femme fatale", the seductive mistress, whose charms ensnare the despot's lascivious side. It often leads to dangerous and deadly compromises with the "courtesan" becoming "first lady", living lavishly and wielding enormous influence over government, its leadership and the people.
That's the final straw. Despite the vicious oppression and repression, the people rise up. In many instances, the until-now supportive military and loyal allies – who pander to the "boss" for their own selfish gain – step in and along with civil-society leadership and downtrodden political rivals band together to oust the tyrant and his opulent-lifestyle pursuing, power-hungry first lady.
So reminiscent of what happened to the Perons of Argentina and the Marcos's of the Philippines in the mid to later decades of the last century, Mugabe's political demise is a stark reminder to all ruthless and corrupt dictators, their extravagant kith and kin and close coterie of self-serving hangers-on that their days are numbered.
Zimbabweans have labelled Mugabe's wife, Grace, as "dis-Grace" or "Gucci-Grace" given her penchant for jet-jaunts to shop abroad at leading designer jewellery and fashion houses.
Let's hope that Mugabe's disgraceful exit will not only help turn around the future of Zimbabwe and its people, but be yet another telling warning to those who believe they can abuse their positions of authority with impunity.
Rueben Dudley
Petaling Jaya