ROBERT MUGABE, ROLE MODEL

Back in August many people thought South Africa's deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was joking when she made what sounded like a threat:

"Land reform in South Africa has been too slow and too structured. There needs to be a bit of "oomph". That's why we may need the skills of Zimbabwe to help us. On agrarian and land reform, South Africa should learn some lessons from Zimbabwe, how to do it fast."

As it turns out, she wasn't joking:

South Africa's Government has announced the first acquisition by force of a white-owned farm.

Another African famine coming up. Oomph.