Lloyd,
Back in 'Smith' days it certainly was Marxism. Weapons for Zanu PF then were Soviet supplied. The Zim land reforms bear similarities to Pol Pot policy in Cambodia. Reducing the population to subsistence peasants by brutality and genocide. This is Maoism. Weapons for this now come from China.

Boris, London, UK

Lloyd

Marxism and Maoism leads to disintegration and loss of identity. The destruction of the individual and the self is what it is all about. The totalitarian state then replaces your loss of personality with their opinion and version of what a person should be, do and think.

Boris, London, UK

Colin and Boris if it is Marxism, which I am not convinced of, then maybe Africa has to go through this mess before it comes out the other side in to democracy. Unfortunately I think its more thuggery and a total disintegration of social structure and identity.

Lloyd, London,

Lloyd of London

Roughly agree with 'Colin,' concerning tribalism but there are also new style marxists/maoists appearing which is worrying. I thought that creed and doctrine was completely history but it seems not so. Sorry not to be THE Boris. I am the half Russian via Southern Africa version.

Boris, London, United Kingdom

Lloyd.

I have no problem with tribal and do not think it is rascist. It is the old style marxists that I have a problem with and their current supporters They seem the real culprits in this disaster. If tribalism got rid of Mugabe and Zanu PF that would be terrific.

Colin, Cambridge, UK

Boris, why do people think calling someone tribal is racist, what’s wrong with being tribal? In a tribal society Mugabe would be long gone. It’s the west’s meddling that has taken nations, shown them western ways and now we have shattered social structure and people with no identity. how sad

Lloyd, London,

PS- Boris it would be nice if you were Boris Johnson then we could have a real debate

Lloyd, London,

Lloyd. I know that the tribes of Africa have a great heritage. The Zulu are one fine example. It is the war lord types that worry me. These machine gun toting gangsters have no affinity with tribal loyalty just money in the cash box. I was protesting against any use of the term in a rascist context

Boris, London, UK

How can ANYONE know of the depraved punishment being handed out to people, young & old, who only want a reasonable government and a "life" and still say the world has no right to interfere. If you were on fire I guess you would want someone to put it out - not so This is SO beyond interferance.

Susan, Texas, USA

Mugabe and Nkomo were using the same tactics during the Chimurenga and the first election in 1980. The West turned a blind eye to their tactics then. Let them get on with it but without our taxes and charity being used to fund their excesses. This is about corruption and greed, not democracy.

Rob Oats, Okehampton, UK

Farmers in the west gets subsides. Zimbabweans should have got what is required from the government for farming, planning, and re building your country. There is a world wide recession so it is not just Zimbabwe, the opposition only wants your country to mortgage it to the west, for crippling debt.

daphne kenward, cambridge, uk

We are ALL tribal in our way. We cling to our own kind by nature. Now the tribes are devided into "the haves" and "the have nots" and that means money, food, guns and mean, cruel, evil, greedy, grasping spirits. Guess who wins? The Gun People, of course, because that gets them all the rest.

Susan, Texas, USA

Simon, who are we to get involved, this is the problem you think we have the right to just go in and tell people what to do and how to run thier countries. WE DO NOT.

LLoyd, London,

Boris, what wrong with tribalism? The tribes of Africa have a great and proud heritage but you cannot expect to compare this with the western world we do and see things differently. I am not saying we are correct and they are wrong I am just saying we see thing differently to tribal people

LLoyd, London,

OK its a military coup - and so what? THe Zimbabwe govt is fighting the imperialist west and their stooges, Tsvangirai and the likes. So whatever means necessary to keep your sovereignty or end up like Iraq. Your choice the - the people of Zimbabwe

Kadamon kadunga, Springfield, USA

I am American. Could someone remind me exactly what was so bad about Ian Smith?

Richard, Philadelphia, USA

Tamar it has nothing to do with colonialism, I am African, I was born in Africa, I grew up in African I know Africa its people and cultures. To say we should again foist our western values on Africa is what is a disgrace. the west has already damaged Africa. Let Africans sort out Africa

LLoyd, London,

Mtoko Mother of Peace orphanage serves as a front for ZANU to receive foreign donations to support violence and give fuel to ZANU vehicles in the campaign of violence in Mtoko and nearby areas. Sad that orphans are used to get European, American and Australian donors to continue the deception.

Chipo C, Lusaka, Zambia

why is it when human rights abuses happen in a far away land that the goverment and people of the so called civilised west mutter to each other how terrible it is but yet turn their noses up at any mention of helping these people or victims would be a better way to put the zimbabwean peoples plight.

paul lysaght, kirkdale,liverpool, united kingdom

The problem in Zimbabwe is not tribalism. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are both Shona. The head of army, Chiwenga is Shona. The head of the war veterans, Jabulani Sibanda, is a Ndebele.

The problem is corruption, pure and simple. Would the MAFIA voluntarily give up its territory? Same situation here.

Charan Muzaya, London, UK

opinion from Zims & South Africans appears to be strongly that they are a proud nation.To that end they completely reject any international involvement to help sort out their problems (especially from ex-colonialists(UK).They'd rather be proud of what little they have than what we could give them..

edward, Chichester, UK

Lloyd London.

The incongruity of Westminster style parliamentary system played out in Africa seems like never ending farce. But what else? Suggesting tribalism seems a bit of an insult. Not sure about that. Sounds like a lot of invasion and fighting. The big powers blocks would soon exploit that

Boris, Llanddeusant, UK

The government has not stopped a single person from farming the land, these same people was ready to work for white farmers. Africans must grow up take responsibility, stop trying to kill each other. Earn your respect, stop allowing the west to cripple your countries with debts, IMF & W/Bank.

daphne kenward, cambridge, uk

Lloyd,
Tribalism is no excuse for murder!
Allowing people to choose who runs their own country is more than purely foisting etiquettes and western laws. Your arguement plays to the very worst of the old colonial attitudes. To stand by makes us ALL culpable!

Tamar Leat, Sidmouth, UK

Lloyd Please they are Tribal leave them to it!!

What!!!!

Ok we did that in Rwanda and Somalia etc etc.

Mass slaughter is heading Zimbabwes way and mustr be stopped.

Its wrong and its about time the UN did something on the same lines a Kosovo.

Simon, Bristol, UK

Here is a great opportunity for institutions like the UN and AU to show what they are made of... oh dear... no hope then for the poor people of Zimbabwe.

Andrew brown, derby, UK

it is made up of tribal people they should be allowed to live their lives like tribal people and the west should stop foisting their social etiquettes and western laws on them.

LLoyd, London,

Adrian, Mugabe is a hero in much of Africa especially amongst the ruling elite. The world can do nothing otherwise there will be another Iraq. Mugabe has the support of the AU and China. The self righteous will call for action and then moan if something is done.

Glen, Johannesburg,

Even Blind Freddy knew of this.

The big question is this - what will the West do about it?

I know the answer already.

richard, bangkok,

They are only Africans, appears to be the general attitude of the world. they are only good for massive debt, and an excuse to take money from the middle class under the guise of charity. Nobody cares, Britain must have washed its hands in 1980.
Do human rights apply to Africans? apparently not.

Adrian , Cardiff, Wales