On Zimbabwe, Mbeki, and South Africa

First, we have Robert Mugabe's statement that Thabo Mbeki's resignation as South Africa's president is, "devastating".

While it's clear that there is a large amount of personal affection between the two leaders, I think that it is also that there is a class issue behind this statement, which I will get to, that has served to protect Robert Mugabe to the disadvantage of the Zimbabwean people.

We now have reports of Mbeki knowingly pressuring the MDC's Tsvangerai to sign a an ambiguous deal, to the advantage of Mugabe, and now it's clear that Mugabe's ZANU-PF is completely disinterested in forming a meaningful unity government.

At the same time, we have elements of the ANC threatening to leave the party, and I think that both of these have to do with the class issues within that part of the world.

When you look at Robert Mugabe, Thabo Mbeki, and head of the splinter MDC Faction Arthur Mutambara are all western educated, and wear clothes made in Saville Row, and they look upon the idea of an African born and educated trade unionist (Morgan Tsvangerai) or strong union sympathiser (Jacob Zuma) with no small amount of alarm and disdain.

At the core of Mbeki's support for Mugabe was, I think, a sort of noblesse oblige where he does not believe that Tsvangerai, or people "like" has the wherewithal to lead.

Small minded bigotry knows no color, and I hope that Mbeki is feeling bad right now because someone else got the Nobel Peace Prize.