Mugabe buys fighter jets

[Gunship]

:} http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/&artic
leid=215053


Michael Hartnack | Harare, Zimbabwe

13 April 2005 12:19

President Robert Mugabe's government has acquired six fighter jets "to deal with any
challenges", state radio reported on Wednesday.

It did not disclose the supplier or the price tag, but the report first named them as
the "K-8" and then the "K-fighter".

The aircraft appear to be the K-8 advanced jet trainer, a Chinese copy of the British
Aerospace BAE "Hawk", said Michael Quintana, former editor of Africa Defence Journal.

The Hawk was supplied to Zimbabwe by then Conservative British prime minister
Margaret Thatcher soon after independence in 1980. But current Prime Minister Tony
Blair's Labour slapped an embargo on spare parts in 2000 to protest human rights
abuses.

Quintana said Egypt bought K-8 trainers from China at a price tag of $20-million
each.

"If the country had to save up for these, no wonder we are experiencing shortages of
petrol," Quintana said.

The radio broadcast quoted the air force's acting director of operations, Group
Captain Builtin Chingoto, as saying the new fighters are meant to keep up with
fast-changing technology.

"They will go a long way to improve the operations of our air force in order to
defend the country's air space and territorial integrity," he said. "They will enable
the force to deal with any challenges." :E

Mugabe described Britain as "this enemy country" at the weekend and said he is
continuing to wage what he called a chimurenga or civil war against the remaining 20
000 whites for control of natural resources, particularly land.

Claiming a two-thirds majority in the March 31 parliamentary elections, he said "the
nation had mobilised through the ballot box to repulse imperialism".

Zimbabwe has been in serious economic crisis since Mugabe dispatched 14 000 troops
backed by tanks and aircraft to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1998 and in
February 2000 began seizing 5 000 white-owned farms.

About 70% of Zimbabweans live in absolute poverty, with five million of its
11,6-million people dependent last year on international food aid. Hospitals lack
medicines and food, while schools lack desks, books and writing materials.

Official figures showed Zimbabwe's inflation rate fell to 123,7% in March, down 3,5%
from February, the government-controlled daily The Herald said in a report on
Wednesday.

The K-8 flies under the speed of sound at 950kph and has limited combat ability. It
has already been supplied to the Namibian and Zambian air forces, Quintana said.

He said that while engaged in the DRC civil war, Zimbabwean forces acquired three
MIG-23 interceptor fighter-bombers from Moammar Gaddafi's Libyan government. They
have been seen at recent ceremonial fly-pasts in Harare. -- Sapa-AP

[Rhodie]

What a friggin joke... :mad:

The country has NO forex (worth speaking of), the local currency is factually not worth the paper it is printed on, and Mad Bob will sure as hell not sell his hotel in Switzerland or use his own hoarded cash to fund the aircraft...!!

The only way for this to happen is that sure as apples, Mugabe has sold off yet more of Zim to the Chinese. This is FACT.

They (and Gadaffi), own more of Zim than any other party. The mineral rights are controlled by 'outside' interests, huge amounts of land and commercial interests are now controlled by the chinese, and yet more cheap labour manufacturing takes place there - although so strictly controlled that absolutely nothing is done for local employment or benefit.

The country has been virtually stripped of any asset value to the citizens and indeed to any other government that may come into power - well, we know that will never happen, so a moot point..

Iv'e asked before - why the hell don't the 'free' world powers see what is/has happened and put a stop to it...?

R

[B Sousa]

Rhodie....Its Not Polictically correct. Thats the answer.
We all know that if sanity ruled he could be done away with in five minutes most...........
Blacks wanted Black run countries..They have them, now live with them.......

[Gunship]

Maybe it is for the war against his deserters ... :E


From the Washington Times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20050411-124750-2350r

Thugs desert Mugabe forces

Published April 11, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
CHIMANIMANI, Zimbabwe -- Enforcers who beat and tortured opponents of
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe in past elections said in a series of
clandestine interviews that hunger, lack of jobs and broken promises have
persuaded them to switch sides.
Thugs hired to intimidate critics of the Mugabe government "never got
the money or jobs" they were promised, only beer, one said.
The defections could prove critical if the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) decides to mount protests over recent parliamentary
elections, in which the party accused the government of widespread fraud.
One youth, who asked to be identified only as Sikhumbuzo, said his
disillusionment with the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic
Front (ZANU-PF) began in 2002 when Mr. Mugabe won a new term as president.
"ZANU used to get us to stay outside polling stations to frighten away
the opposition. If the MDC came, we would chase them away," Sikhumbuzo
said. "But we never got the money or jobs that they promised us; all we got
was beer."
He and others quoted in this report were interviewed before the March
31 election in which Mr. Mugabe's party secured a two-thirds majority in
Zimbabwe's parliament. The government banned election observers from Europe
and the United States, and the opposition charged fraud.
Sikhumbuzo said he recently was accused of being an opposition
supporter and, as a result, was told he no longer would be able to purchase
corn in his village.
That incident severed his last links with the ruling party and
prompted him to begin campaigning for the MDC.
One member of the notorious pro-Mugabe youth militia known as the
Green Bombers recalled an earlier campaign:
"They used to give us pills before we went to beat people, but never
food. We beat up one old man, he must have been in his 60s, for criticizing
the lack of development in the area. He kept apologizing, but none of us
stopped. If you were not enthusiastic enough, you would be the next victim."
The Green Bomber, who begged to remain anonymous, was so terrified of
retribution that he insisted the interview take place in a moving car
before dawn.
He said that many thousands of young Zimbabweans who had been forced
into militia training camps have fled the country.
Other Green Bombers, he said, remained outwardly loyal to the
government but planned to cast their votes for the MDC.
"They promised us jobs if we went through border [camps], but we never
got anything," the Green Bomber said, hiding his distinctive olive vest
under a sweater as he and a reporter passed a police vehicle. "I registered
to vote last year, and I am going to vote MDC."
The lack of violence in the campaign leading up to the recent election
surprised those who remember the widespread use of torture, rape, killings
and other forms of intimidation during the 2000 and 2002 elections.
Brian Kagoro, head of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, said the
relative peace may have been due to the MDC's late decision to enter the race.
"Until six weeks ago, there was no opposition contesting the election
so there was no one for ZANU-PF to beat up. They were occupied with
internal struggles instead," Mr. Kagoro said.
The biggest split in ZANU-PF since independence in 1980 preceded the
election. Information Minister Jonathon Moyo was dismissed and six of the
party's 10 provincial chairmen were suspended after conducting an
unsuccessful campaign to stop appointment of a new vice president, Joyce
Mujuru.
Lazarus Shave, a former secret policeman, admitted that in past
elections he committed arson, tortured grandmothers and led invasions of
white-owned properties by landless blacks.
In the latest election, he said, ZANU-PF tried to reassert control
over its own ranks by using tactics reserved for the opposition in past
contests -- beatings, rigged primaries and denial of food.
Mr. Shave said he was beaten by five men last month because he
supported one candidate for parliament in a ZANU-PF primary that the
government did not want to win.
"Now I want to work for the MDC, and I will not beat anyone anymore,"
he said.
•The Washington Times is withholding the identity of this
correspondent to protect the reporter from government retaliation. :ok:

[cavortingcheetah]

:) I love my Uncle Bob. Just come back from a big shop in De Roma.
Bought me many white slaves and dancing girls, also a tiger or two and perhaps even a Cheetah,
But, for all that, at the end of the day, Swahili time or not, the name of the great old fruit is: E-ba-gum. But still, for all that, better than canning the bannana.:=

[Grommet]

Hello Hello, now the White Brothers are not always on the money but in this case a real brother must state the obvious.

How on earth does Dictator Bob survive?? Simple, do a bit of very simple digging, come on Lilliy White MNET, get those lazy Journo's to go undercover and do some real work ......

Brother Bob spoils the lot of the New Age Brother .... He is an Old Chief that is clinging to power any way he can. Now MNET go and get the truth and air it. It may just prevent our own Old Chiefs from screwing our future.

The Chinese have been right up Bob's rear for many a year. And they are not there for the view... believe me. What do the Chinese need ????? (You don't need a Harvard Degree to work that one out.) Why is brother Thabo so reluctant to tread on Bob's toes .... ???? Is he scared of Bob ???? Never, Bob's is a flea, but a flea sitting on the back of the Yellow Dragon, screw with Bob and you screw with the Chinese. Wow now was that so difficult????

Lazy Journo's go get the story of the centuary, so some of you may die getting it, so what? You will be remembered as the real hero's of Africa.

Africa was screwed by the British, then the Americians and Russian, and now the Chinese --- with all this screwing no wonder we have an AIDS problem.

[4HolerPoler]

I know Grommet's not who he appears to be but not everyone who reads his posts does - I've previously asked him to refrain from playing the race card issue and his continued insistence to stir this pot has just won him the requirement to find a new user-name.

Please refrain from bringing a race or cultural aspect into topics that clearly don't warrant it.

4HP

[Gunship]

If "It" has been cut off (and I pressume he has a small one) :E - maybe a new name "Bobbit" will suffice ? :E

[Maurice Chavez]

4HolerPoler:

Thanks for that.....Maybe he can seek advice from the "brothers" to find him a new user name.

[cavortingcheetah]

:) Whilst I didn't find the old earfull's (Grommet) post terribly intelligent; I can't quite see too much of a rascist undertone in it.
The local Chinese Embassy is just down the road from where I am at the moment and goodness me, is it ever a dark and forebidding place in spite of the cheerful looking dragons on the doorstep.Abandon hope and all that. Mind you, it's marginally better than the old Libyan embassy in St James's Square, London, from which edifice that poor police lady was shot and killed not so many years ago as to place the event beyond human memory, in spite of the fact that governments would will it so.
Still, 4x4, a difficult job and one which, I somehow suspect, has led you recently to burn an extraordinarily brilliant post of mine.
So, may I doff the old chapeau and say, 'Please carry on the good work'. ;)

[Rocky Rhodes]

Unfortunately Uncle Bob is going to keep destroying what's left of dear old Zim until the time comes that he runs out of deals to pay the thugs that keep him in power.
I am amazed that Thabo allows his own blinkered ideology to blind him to the potntial refugee problems that he is going to face.:( :(

[goonaboy]

Not so long to evade memory for some, doing her job ruthlessly gunned down in cold blood by some f:mad: :mad: rag :mad: who will never be brought to justice, well unless those F1-11s levelled the score!!!!

Oh hold on we're all friends again now eh :yuk: :yuk:

gb

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Rocky

There are perhaps some conclusions to be drawn from the SA govt's indecent haste to declare a flawed Zim election legitimate. One can only wonder if we're next...:(

[goonaboy]

The indecent haste in this or the last 'fair' election?!

[B Sousa]

4HP
Hope your not being too hard on Grommet. Unless anyone can tell me differently RACE is the issue in Africa now as all the game has been changed.
Just seems the new governments are better at stealing than the previous ones, therefore things are going downhill a bit faster.
News articles here just show the insanity that is ruling these countries. Such as SA getting Submarines , Zim getting new Fighters... Where is the threat??
GWB wont be coming down there anytime soon. Hell, he cant even get his carrier in to town for some R/R for the troops.
Grommet is no threat to the forum, most can read between the lines..........Im sure I could raise the bar a couple notches faster than he could.....ha ha

Goonaboy/CC. Enlighten us who do not know of what you speak? Is there a source we can go to learn of the lady mentioned??

[cavortingcheetah]

:ugh: goonaboy.
I never walk across St James's Square towards The Haymarket, without a tiny twinge in that tiny corner.
Thank you for bringing her name back to my mind. I don't much like the police but her murder was a very great shame. Oh yes, I do like Libya. But please, give me my 357 and the cretin who fired the shot.:ok:

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Bert, IIRC she was on duty and was shot and killed by a Libyan diplomat who subsequently fled the country and was never prosecuted.

This happened just before Prince's Gate if my memory serves me well.

Didn't see much reaction regarding the two British journos who were jailed by Bob the Gob for covering the Zim elections. They've just been released but no mention either on these forums or in the British media. Suppose we're all just getting so used to the creature acting like an @rse, as well as the rest of Africa being a screw up, that we just don't bother any more.:(

[B Sousa]

SRT
OK.Understand.... That matter could and should have been taken care of........If Im correct it would have, about 10-15 years ago.

[OverRun]

Umm - there is one question which no one has asked yet (is everyone intimidated or does no-one care?).

Let me lead up to it gently. The news media are carrying slightly different versions of the story:

ZIMBABWE has ploughed an estimated US$200m into the purchase of 12 new fighter jets and military vehicles from China, New Zimbabwe.com has been told.

There are questions how Mugabe can pay the US$240 million US for the Chinese weapons, which Zimbabwe's defence minister told parliamentarians in June include a dozen jet fighter aircraft and 100 military vehicles.

Looking at the cost more closely, and adding up what each part of the deal should have cost, should be interesting. Despite some reports, the aircraft is likely to be the FC-1, as a respected Sino defence report says:

The FC-1/Super-7 was originally defined as a low-cost third-generation air-superiority fighter aircraft to replace the MiG-21/F-7 Fishbed and Northrop F-5 series in service with many developing countries. With the participation of MASPG, the aircraft was re-branded as a lightweight, high-performance, multirole attack fighter aircraft featuring fly-by-wire (FBW) flight-control, beyond-vision-range (BVR) combat capability and much improved aerodynamic performance. These has also steered the unit price of the aircraft up by 50%, from the original US$10 million to US$15 million.

Now, 12 aircraft @ the new price of $15 million = $180 million. And the 100 military vehicles should be about $0.1 million each (plus or minus a few bags of rice = $10 million. So the total cost is $190 million. Yet Zim has paid $240 million overseas. So who got the remaining $50 million?

[B Sousa]

In the UK they would say.Just a few Bob for Bob.........

[126,7]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/fredman747/Zimboon.jpg

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Overrun

Perhaps the spares package would account for the excess?:rolleyes:

Wonder if the South African taxpayer will have a hand in sponsoring Bob's new toys? SA already strains under the burden of a ZANU-PF Lite govt so not far to go now, folks...:(

[Paterbrat]

Well after all Bob said he could do it and he has. Single handedly destroyed the country, starved the people, and is now in the process of handing it over to the Libyans and Chinese, oh and still finds time to push through the crowd to shake Prince Charles's hand. What a jester the fellow is. Chimurega indeed, the only freedom is the freedom for money to flow into his overseas account where he has so much he couldn't even spend it all if he tried, that is unless it was something like do some good to the country he has systematicaly bent over a log and given a right beating ever since he was so entusiasticaly voted in. I would garantee that a substantial number of those who voted for him then are wishing that either Smith or Muzorewa were back in power and they could at least feed their kids, or is that simply white colonialist talk. Oh so sorry, you do like the way the country is being run, oh well have some more of Bob, after all he has been voted in by a massive majority, they must like what is going on, and those new fighters must be so useful patrolling all those mealie fields, and acres of vegies and wheat barly and cash crops that are flowing from the breadbasket of Africa just like in the old days... oops sorry again, it comes pre-packed in gunnie sacks marked AID, so much more convenient, doesn't even have to be harvested.

Heated language edited

[Solid Rust Twotter]

...And South Africa edging ever nearer to Bob's Zimbabwean paradise.

The govt now wants to appoint judges, train them and dictate which cases they may hear. So much for independence of the judiciary...:rolleyes: :yuk:

Thin end of the wedge folks...:(

[krobar]

Bob can sponsor it all himself. Apparently he's won the Zim national lottery 4 times... :}

[BAKELA]

Pity about the "fighter jets".

I thought it was fighter aircraft - Cessna 150's - fighting for airspeed and altitude! :E