Perspective: Bloodshed Could Stain Zimbabwe … If Mugabe et al is Harmed

Despite the house arrest of Robert Mugabe and wife Grace … the army has to thread cautiously. Mugabe is no ordinary tyrant as he is being widely characterized in the international media and by influential commentators worldwide. Mugabe topped an allegedly racist white minority  government.

Father Of The Nation

For all his sins, Mugabe has brought pride to the ordinary Zimbabwean. Under white rule, black people were second class  citizens in the land of their birth.

Mugabe brought a bright future to the ordinary citizen who was lacking self-esteem if not self-respect to millions of disenfranchised Rhodesians of dark skinned pigmentation. White minority rule was brought to an end by Mugabe’s action.

Enemies

Responding to Vision’s SIC at the regular Sunday Mass at St. Jude’s Anglican church, Stony Hill, Jamaica W.I. praising of Mugabe and calling for a return to constitutional rule in Zimbabwe. The Suffragan Bishop of Kingston who presided over the mass blasted President Robert Mugabe. My comments was in the prayer of the people.

In a surprised move Reverend Dr. Robert Thompson, widely believed to be a PNP activist in disguise … took on Vision’s SIC referring to me by name. Although “undiplomatic”  or “unprecedented” was not surprising.

“Yes Mr. Dennie Mugabe did well in his (the) early years of his presidency but now her is a “tyrant”.  The Bishop of Harare cannot enter his Cathedral, Mugabe has seized the lands around the Cathedral … there are 167,000 Anglicans there.”

Rt. Rev. Dr  R. Bishop Thompson

Bishop Thompson was Rector of St. Jude’s Anglican for about eleven (11) years. He left St. Jude’s for the 340 year old St. Andrew Parish Church, St. Andrew, Jamaica W.I.. He later was elected Suffragan Bishop of Kingston. He ran against Rt. Rev. Dr. Howard Gregory about 5 years ago for the position of Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Jamaica & The Cayman Islands. Bishop Thompson lost to Bishop Gregory.

Bishop Robert Thompson was likely giving information but a communicant hailed me later and remarked that Bishop Thompson’s intervention could be view as a “political” move, trying to possibly appease congregants who are white in the church at St. Jude’s who is celebrating 130 years, 1887 to 2017.

Tyrant

“The Bishop of Hirare, Zimbabwe has not been able to enter his Cathedral and lands surrounding the Cathedral has been seized by Mugabe’s government.

Bloodshed

We hope the power struggle is ended in Zimbabwe quickly and peacefully. We hope Mugabe et al should not be harmed as this could lead to a civil war. We can do without such violence.

This is our perspective. What is yours.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior International Political Correspondent & photojournalist for Vision Newspaper.