Basildon Peta: Bloody civil war is looming in Zimbabwe

The former American Attorney General Ramsey Clark must have captured the essence of any individual's fundamental rights when in 1977 he wrote: "A right is not what someone gives you; it's what no one can take from you."

Clark's words must surely be inspiring some progressive governments in Africa, such as those of South Africa, Mali, Mozambique and Botswana, which have been taking bold steps to move their people towards democracy, openness and accountability in a continent that has been a perennial laggard in this regard.

However, Clark's words must be troubling everyone who had hoped the same for Zimbabwe as its ageing leader, President Robert Mugabe, takes the country back to the dark ages.

For long an oasis of peace and stability in volatile Africa, Zimbabwe now stands on a dangerous knife-edge as President Mugabe (aged 77) is determined to pillage the entire country unless it allows him to remain in charge until the time he will lie on his death bed.

The harsh tone of Mr Mugabe's speeches has proved beyond any doubt that he would use whatever weapon was at his disposal to stay in power. In fact, as the prominent analyst Masipula Sithole said recently: "Those who think he [Mugabe] is joking when he vows not to relinquish power are themselves joking."

Mr Mugabe's recent actions all prove that point.

He launched an onslaught on Zimbabwe's judiciary, the last bastion of hope, in the face of his massive misgovernance and outstanding corruption, resulting in the forced resignation of the country's white Chief Justice, Anthony Gubbay, and four other judges.

Zimbabwe's small but vibrant independent media has been the biggest recipient of Mr Mugabe's wrath. At the time of writing, four journalists from the country's privately-owned daily newspaper, The Daily News, had been arrested for alleging that police vehicles were used to aid the present looting of white-owned farms.

This is despite the fact that Mr Mugabe had openly supported the illegal invasions and occupations of these farms by his militant supporters. He has ignored numerous court orders to remove the illegal settlers on these farms, and to implement a proper land resettlement programme based on the rule of law.

Journalists from the same newspaper have a pending court case in which they are being accused of "criminally defaming Mugabe" over a story that alleged he and his officials received kickbacks in a multibillion-dollar tender to construct a new airport. Thirty-one black opposition supporters were murdered in the run-up to the general elections last year. Nine white farmers have been killed in the violence on commercial farms.

Mr Mugabe has also passed the Political Parties Finance Act, which bans any opposition parties from receiving foreign funding for their programmes. Other repressive bills are still pending in parliament.

The greatest fear among Zimbabweans now is that, given the tone of Mugabe's speeches and actions, next year's presidential elections could be merely an academic exercise, with no significance in terms of real change of power in Zimbabwe.

Mr Mugabe's thinking – that he was ordained to rule Zimbabwe forever – has also gripped the top hierarchy of his ruling party. The thinking in his party is now clear: either Zanu-PF and Mr Mugabe continue to rule, or Zimbabwe will be whittled down to ashes, as the world has seen happening in Somalia and Sierra Leone.

Although Mr Mugabe has remained largely undeterred by international threats of sanctions against his regime, some analysts believe the that the international community should not relent in piling up pressure on the beleaguered Zimbabwean leader to get him to respect human rights.