Mugabe's thugs try to assassinate opposition leaders; Mbeki shrugs

Whenever I write about Bob Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe, I always have to consult a thesaurus. My lexicon of words I commonly used does not contain enough synonyms for 'savage' for me to write a complete essay on Mugabe. Even the use of the word 'thugs' in the title seems grossly understated.

Zimbabwean insecurity forces savagely attacked a protest prayer meeting yesterday. An alliance of opposition, civic, church leaders and student and anti-government groups had gathered in prayer but the criminal police force brutalized them. After being arrested, main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and five other prominent opposition figures were reportedly beaten and tortured in custody by Mugabe's forces of disorder. The opposition claim that the depravity amounted to attempted murder. Tsvangirai is hospitalized and is in serious condition.

"This is not consistent with the normal police brutality we have witnessed. The injuries were deliberate and an attempt to assassinate him," said Eliphas Mukonoweshure, another top opposition official.

The mere fact that there is something called 'normal police brutality' demonstrates how deviant and venal the Zimbabwean thugocracy has become.

Opponents of President Robert Mugabe blame him for acute food shortages, record inflation of about 1 600 percent -- the highest in the world -- and repression and corruption.

The servile government in neighboring South Africa continued its sickening acquiesence to Mugabe's barbarity by meekly asking them to respect the rule of law and human rights. This is approximately the 2894th time they've made such an obseqious plea.

No word on if the phrases "pretty please" and "with sugar on top" were used by the South Africans.

(A grotesque picture of what Tsvangirai looks act like being beaten by Mugabe's degenerates can be found here. Warning: it isn't pretty)