Dear Editor,

Messrs Campbell and Kwayana should be commended for their article captioned ‘Progressives and Pan-Africanists: Our collective duty to Zimbabwe’ in the features section of Stabroek News of June 23, 2008. Their pain and disappointment at having to criticize an earlier progressive and supporter, is apparent as they write “Earlier we had special cause to be partisan to Robert Mugabe, who had extended solidarity to our colleague Walter Rodney when he was being persecuted by the Guyana government.”

Also, it is quite a remarkable observation when they note that President Robert Mugabe would have remained a heroic figure “if the Pan African world had assisted Zimbabweans with friendly criticism of the government when the flaws began to show. Instead, the whole movement and the international left, including us, remained silent…”

It is disappointing that even at this late stage high profile figures like the former Commonwealth Secretary General, Sir Shridath Ramphal, respected South African Bishop, Reverend Desmond Tutu, former UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan and political leaders of Guyana and the Caribbean have not added their voices of disapproval publicly to the situation in Zimbabwe. In fact, not too long ago Archbishop Tutu was seen on US television protesting against the Chinese government over Tibet as the Olympic flag was being carried by runners, yet on the situation closer to home he is not visible.

Yours faithfully,
Harry Hergash

Editor’s note
Archbishop Tutu has often criticized President Mugabe in the past. In March of last year he was reported as saying: “We should hang our heads in shame. How can what is happening in Zimbabwe elicit hardly a word of concern let alone condemnation from us leaders of Africa?” For his part, the Zimbabwean head of state has made his distaste for the Archbishop known.