I'm posting a link to this allAfrica.com article, primarily because I thought it was good journalism, and it's interesting to see the situation appraised from a less Western viewpoint.

These lines, in particular, stood out:

"We acknowledge the fact that Mugabe was a hero of independence, having fought the colonialists to a standstill. We also acknowledge his struggle for the independence of his country and the tribulations he personally went through during the struggle. We recognise the fact that he was once in the vanguard of the glorious Black Nationalists in the mould of Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Sam Nujoma, among other great sons of Africa.

But that image of a freedom fighter has outlived its relevance. The image that now looms large is that of a power drunk old man who has lost touch with the basic needs of his people and the tenets of democracy."