We can all be brilliant with the benefit of hindsight but not many people would have expected Mugabe to go the way he has.
Yes. His struggle in Africa gave the continent much of the outlook it has today. We should all remember Mr Smith and his erroneous friends - and I mean us in that - around the world who gave legitamatacy to all those regimes.
If the last few years could be removed (I know thats selective editing )
then Mugabe could have taken his place on the highest pedestal for black political heroes of our time.
From that history came the reluctance to criticise from other African leaders.