The situation in Zimbabwe remains immensely complicated, not so much because of the moral and ethical issues involved (Mugabe has far outstayed his welcome, and an opposition victory should be welcomed by everyone), but rather because of the political choices that face the major players. The leader of the opposition has called for South African President Thabo Mbeki to step away from the situation after Mbeki said that there was "no crisis" in Zimbabwe. This article suggests why Mbeki is having trouble; active efforts to move Mugabe out don't play well to a base that is (justifiably) inclined to see colonial machination behind such a move:
Zimbabwe is an easy target for Western governments. The image of Robert Mugabe as an arrogant dictator is straightforward and easy to condemn. Doing so polishes politicians' credentials as democrats defending human rights, without having to worry about losing things like oil.
But the bitter lesson of the past decade has been that in being openly critical, the West has done more harm than good in Zimbabwe. Starting with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his then International Development Secretary Clare Short more than a decade ago, British criticism has played into President Mugabe's view of black Africa under siege by white colonialists.
Fair enough; the expression of moral indignation is tempting, but doesn't necessarily produce the political results that we want. Mbeki and Mugabe are also both part of a long-term revolutionary struggle, a bond which can be difficult to set aside. That said, there will never be a better opportunity to remove Mugabe from Zimbabwe before he dies than we have now; Mbeki's party strongly supports action against Mugabe, the rest of the region seems tired of the situation in Zimbabwe, and the people of Zimbabwe themselves appear to be ready for change.
--Robert Farley