Dinner With Mugabe

By Mark Wiens
Dinner With Mugabe is all about the untold story of an African freedom fighter who turned into a ruthless dictator and tyrant, abusing his country in the process. The book is about the part of Mugabe's life that many around the world have refused or turned to look at. It focuses on some of the key issues that have pressed against Mugabe's life from childhood until recent times.
Mugabe grew up with a brilliant elder brother who passed away and a father who ran away from his life. Mugabe was brought up in the Catholic Church, told he was going to be great when he grew up, and was lead to believe he was special and set aside from others. Throughout his childhood and entire life Mugabe really had very few friends and overall, very few who genuinely cared for him.
Being a worthy scholar, he was asked if he would take part in a revolution in Zimbabwe. He was summoned and got into politics because he was asked to. As time progressed, Mugabe led guerrilla troops and then was imprisoned for 11 years by the merciless and white supremacist named Ian Smith.
The hatred and bitterness brewed in Mugabe, though he showed little of it on the outside by demonstrating lies and deceiving others involved and maybe even himself. The author talks to and interviews many of the most important people who played roles in Mugabe's life. They all have an interesting twist or versions of what went wrong and who was to blame for the downfall of Zimbabwe.
Some of the interviewees suggested that, Mugabe has an utterly distorted view. He claims he has done nothing wrong and many presume he genuinely believes that. He has blotted out the reality of his country and only sees his ideal life and if others disagree, he eliminates them from the game. He simply cannot and will not accept being wrong or somehow at fault. He will listen to what others say, even agree, but most of the time he keeps his innermost emotions bottled up and hidden away.
Mugabe "maintains a false and heroic view of himself, by dividing himself in such a way that one side of him does not know about the other."
In the end the author suggests that Mugabe could have been a great leader, but with thinking he had all the right answers instead of listening to others, not learning from his mistakes, and not being a friend, Mugabe became a disillusioned and ended up distorting a great nation.
Lesson: Although Mugabe grew up in a harsh environment and much of his hatred was fostered by colonialism, he has no explanation for the thousands of his own people who have suffered. We should learn to take responsibility for our actions, admit our wrongdoings, and seek forgiveness. If we simply cannot admit our wrongdoings we entertain a false sense of reality, distorting our worldview, and hurting those around us. Let's strive to not be like Mugabe.