On this week’s (cbc radio’s) dispatches; a documentary (listen) about the situation in Zimbabwe; What a mess!

Poverty, disease, destruction of land and property, and human rights violation, are but a few items on the list of problems. And the power-crazed Mugabe has lost his mind (literally?) in the hunt for control of the resources and markets (foreign-currency markets in particular).

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching statistic (mentioned in the documentary) is that life expectancy has dropped in the last 14 years from ~49 yrs. to ~35 for males and ~30 for females (CIA factbook estimates: life expectancy ~37 years — higher than only 3 countries in the world; an infant mortality rate of 67.7 deaths/1000 live births; and a death rate of 25/1000, which ranks 5th in the world — highest 32 coutries on the death-rate statistic include 30 from Africa).

The bulk of the opposition in Zimbabwe have lost their homes, lives, freedoms, and everything dear. However, there’s one particular opposition figure that seems to be acting freely, and getting more popular by the day; the Archbishop Pius Ncube, receiver of the 2003 Human Rights Award from Human Rights First. Some say he’s backed by the church, but he himself thinks that he’s being let to move about calling for peaceful revolution as a show to the world from Mugabe of his tolerance to opposition and criticism.

In the interview, Archbishop Pius Ncube cites the apathy and “lack of self-sacrifice” amongst the people of Zimbabwe in face of their problems, like Aids and political repression.

He also accuses the South-African president of taking advantage of the situation. He says South-Africa has not taken an active role because they benefit from the increase in trade in food and other items.

Listen to the voices of Zimbabwe