The politicization of food has been used to control the outcomes of elections for almost thirty years. The Zimbabwe African Nation Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party has controlled elections since 1980, when Mugabe took control, by denying food to the opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The land that Mugabe seized was given to “government ministers and other ZANU-PF supporters for their patronage” (Sollom 25, 26). This destroyed the interior agriculture market, requiring the people of Zimbabwe to buy any food from neighbors cultivating small plots of land or from outside of the country. Mugabe also lied to NGOs, such as Save the Children and the World Food Programme, telling them that he would distribute food that he actually kept for supporters of ZANU-PF.
The resolution of the political problems in Zimbabwe could reverse the effects of malnutrition. On March 29, 2008, the MDC gained a majority in the House of Assembly, the first time ZANU-PF had lost a majority in the House. On that same day, the presidential candidate for MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the popular vote for president. However, “since neither [Mugabe nor Tsvangiari] won a simple majority,” Mugabe announced himself the winner by default and remained in office [Sollom 12]. The two parties had discussions at the South African Development Community, and agreed on letting Mugabe remain as president, while Tsvangiari would become prime minister. These transitions were to be coordinated by the South African government in order to maintain balance and neutrality. Sollom advises all developed nations to “maintain all targeted bilateral sanctions in place for Zimbabwe” until the government becomes democratic (43). The UN Security Council could recommend the case of Robert Mugabe to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, such as the denying of food to opposition supporters or the torturing of medical workers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malnutrition_in_Zimbabwe
The resolution of the political problems in Zimbabwe could reverse the effects of malnutrition. On March 29, 2008, the MDC gained a majority in the House of Assembly, the first time ZANU-PF had lost a majority in the House. On that same day, the presidential candidate for MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the popular vote for president. However, “since neither [Mugabe nor Tsvangiari] won a simple majority,” Mugabe announced himself the winner by default and remained in office [Sollom 12]. The two parties had discussions at the South African Development Community, and agreed on letting Mugabe remain as president, while Tsvangiari would become prime minister. These transitions were to be coordinated by the South African government in order to maintain balance and neutrality. Sollom advises all developed nations to “maintain all targeted bilateral sanctions in place for Zimbabwe” until the government becomes democratic (43). The UN Security Council could recommend the case of Robert Mugabe to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, such as the denying of food to opposition supporters or the torturing of medical workers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malnutrition_in_Zimbabwe
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