Hope doesn't just belong to America

It also belongs to Zimbabwe. Today, Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition-party's leader, officially became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, in a power-sharing agreement that he and Mugabe signed some time back.

I really hope that Tsvangirai can bring some peace, aid and resources to this country and its people. At the very least, I hope that he can stop the cholera outbreak and be able to treat the more than 65,000 people who are infected. And I hope that power doesn't go to his head, that he remembers the struggle, tyranny and fear that Mugabe and inflicted upon this country.

But Mugabe is still the President of Zimbabwe, so I suspect that it will be some time before we start to see some positive movement. After all, he's trying to fund his 85th birthday bash by soliciting donations from people (who in their right mind would fund this thing, I don't know).

While 65,000 of his people suffer from cholera (with 4,000 already dead), another 5 million of his people in need of food aid, and with his economy enjoying a 1,593% annual inflation rate, Mugabe's donation list includes the following:

• 2,000 bottles of champagne
• 8,000 lobsters
• 4,000 portions of cavier
• 8,000 boxes of Ferrero Rocher chocolates
• 3,000 ducks
• 100 kg prawn

Is anyone else but me sick to their stomachs?