'Mugabe advised to look beyond Obama'

COLOGNE- Zimbabwe strongman, President Robert Mugabe, and his inner circle have reportedly been advised to look beyond U.S President, Barack Obama, in Harare's bid to end the country's decade long International isolation with the West, The Telescope News reported.

Ever since the ailing leader embarked on a largely botched fast-track land reform and invasion programme around 2000, which resulted in the decimation of food security, relations between the United States and Zimbabwe have been at their lowest ebb.

Matters came to a diplomatic tailspin during the presidency of George W Bush between 2001-2009, who at one time described Mugabe as a "discredited dictator" pitting his Zanu PF government among what his then Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, described as ‘outposts of tyranny' together with Belarus and Burma.

Foreign affairs ministry officials last week said Mugabe and his party strategists are "relieved" to see "Obama's exit" as he is set to leave office in just two years time, and are now mooting plans to re-engage with Washington under a new White House regime in 2017.

Obama's last day as president will be January 20, 2017, which is a Friday, while his last full day in the White House will be on January 19, 2017. The next president will be chosen in that country's 2016 election and be sworn into office at noon on January 20, 2017, popularly known as Inauguration Day.

"Exit polls in November 2014 , show that many Americans are unhappy or even angry with the Obama administration," said a Zimbabwean Ambassador currently back home for a brief holiday. "I have been away from the country on diplomatic duty for a few years, but what I can tell you is that the party is actually happy that Obama is leaving office and President Mugabe will still be around because his term ends in 2018. They have all failed to break him down, from Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Bush and now Obama. Mugabe is made of fine steel, that is why he has had to go through the hottest fire in world politics. However we had a meeting soon after the new year, and it was resolved that it is time for re-engagement with the U.S but obviously not with the current president, we want things to be different and mutual with whoever is going to succeed him in 2017, including the lifting of sanctions."

Mugabe last month attacked Obama during his party's controversial elective congress, that resulted in the demotion of former VP Mujuru in favour of Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying that the U.S leader retires from office with an African curse as the continent expected a lot from his power elevation, but was left disappointed.

"In the case of the United Kingdom, this has something to do with their pending elections. Zimbabwe's fate must wait while the sons of Albion choose a new government! What rank madness! As for the Unites States of America, we honestly don't know what grievance she holds against us," said Mugabe.

"I doubt if Barack Obama understands that grievance, whatever it is. I suppose in his case it has a lot to do with his being a black President in White House, a virtual prisoner enjoined to pander to and dutifully mind white interests. He retires from office with an African curse, this man from whom so much was expected by our continent. But we know better that nothing much should be expected from him."

Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, was not available this morning for comment as his mobile phone was out of reach.

The Telescope News, has since projected that former U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is likely to become the first female and 45th President of America after the 2016 election here .