(photo:BBC World News)
Yesterday, Australian prime minister John Howard announced that his countries cricket squad would be boycotting their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe in lieu of what he called the continuation of Robert Mugabe’s regime “behaving like the Gestapo towards its political opponents.”
This is quite a bold move on the Prime Minister’s part, vowing to wield his power as head of the government over the players passports if the cricket governing body did not comply. He says that this is going to be large propganda statement against
Maybe I’m pessimistic, but while I think it is a gutsy call by the Prime Minister to do something about a situation that has been overlooked, I doubt this move is going to do anything major to alter the actions of the Mugabe regime, or provoke a strong, united world response to him. What does Robert Mugabe care that his country will not be able to play cricket against Australia? He has already brushed aside the mounting criticizm from Western nations regarding his handling of the national economy and his treatment of political opponents. What makes us think that an athletic boycott is finally going to change his mind?
What is refreshing is that someone is taking a step in coming down hard on Mugabe. His tactics for decades have driven his once flowering nation into the ground and it is time the world powers start doing something about it. A sporting event, however, might not be the punch that needs to be thrown to get his attention.
