Dr. Frantz Fanon of Martinique played a role in the Algerian Revolution against French imperialist occupation during the 1950s and early 1960s. He died in the United States in 1961., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Last battle of the colonised
Tuesday, 03 July 2012 15:47
Panganai Kahuni
Zimbabwe Herad
Frantz Fanon in the book the Wretched of the Earth said: “The last battle of the colonised against the coloniser will often be the fight for the colonised against each other.” April 1980 marked the end of the war between the colonised and the coloniser, but it, however, gave space to the Rhodesians to re-strategise.
While Zimbabweans where celebrating the fall of the union jack, the Rhodesians were celebrating for gaining breathing space for re-planning. The strategy was two fold: opening a front in South Africa in order to get logistics and moral support for fighting the neo-colonial war.
In other words, apartheid South Africa was used as a stronghold. Many whites who were in security and political positions migrated to the South and established themselves with aid from the apartheid.
Inside Zimbabwe, the black contingent that was aligned to the white ex-Rhodies, formed the second front. These played a pivotal role in quietly and secretively organising for a neo-colonial war. They targeted the academia and the youth that had not been involved in the Chimurenga war.
The targeted group was indoctrinated on issues to do with property rights, human rights and democracy that supports neo-liberalism. Our institutions of higher learning and mostly faculties of law and commerce were targeted. Imagine the neo-liberal thinking of neo-liberal lawyers such as Obert Gutu, Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube in regards to property rights and human rights.
The former Rhodesian security forces (Mapuruvheya, Madzakutsaku), Selous Scouts (Masikuzu apo) became very obedient and disciplined that at some stage Zanu-PF over trusted them at the expense of the war veterans.
Probably it was in the spirit of reconciliation and peaceful co-existence. Some political analysts believe that the factionalism in Zanu-PF maybe a cause fronted by those who joined Zanu-PF from Muzorewa’s rent seeking for power.
Though, now repentant, they are not ideologically grounded hence their quest to acquire positions of power. The tragedy of over trusting these traitors was that they were left with too much room to manoeuvre whilst they secretively sabotaged Zimbabwe from within.
The objective of black Rhodesians contingent was to plan on how to fight a neo colonial war from within.
This contingent was the connecting link with those white ex-Rhodies who were in apartheid South Africa. However, the white Rhodesians never trusted the internal black contingent, that it would do a better job alone. It was felt the “native” on their own could not be as effective and efficient in persecuting the neo-colonial agenda.
In that vein, an idea was mooted by the ex-Rhodesians as a strategy to keep the internal black contingent on their side. The idea was to fund some projects that these agents would lead. The agents were then tasked with recruiting intelligent students who would later lead student organisations with an objective of causing trouble in all institutions of higher learning.
Some were selected for the Rhodes Foundation Scholarship which prepared them for neo-liberal politics. The strategy of neo-colonisation was done over a long period of time. It involved the recruitment and assignment of academics and youths to form NGOs that would champion the psychological warfare and make good citizens turn against their own.
Lessons can be drawn from how certain economic gurus crafted ESAP, which resulted in devastating effects of food riots and classroom destruction throughout the country. Remember the student unrest at the University of Zimbabwe that was led by Arthur Mutambara and the late Learnmore Jongwe who both ended up practicing neo-liberal politics.
Fellow Zimbabweans, remember the political upheavals that took place in the late 1990s, the rampant food riots that happened together with job stay-aways and the attempted march to State House.
The ex-Rhodesians, holed in apartheid SA, had started rolling out the neo-colonial war against Zimbabwe. Whilst many right thinking Zimbabweans regard ESAP as a failure, the ex-Rhodesians together with their surrogates celebrated the coming of a new era. The neo-colonial war had started in earnest.
The late 1990s, saw trade unions brazing the guns towards their enemy — Mugabe and Zanu-PF. More and more civic organisations joined the bandwagon. The Rhodesians made sure that the foot soldiers would remain largely blacks. They supported them with logistics, finance and solidarity messages.
Words like rule of law, good governance, democracy, human rights were unethically and conveniently used to rubbish President Mugabe and Zanu-PF. Some right-minded scholars and academics wonder what had happened with Mugabe who the Europeans and Americans had given awards of the highest order to now deserve the immoral accusations.
Some wondered what motivated the trade unionists, neo-liberal academics and students to attack people of great stature who brought to them the freedom they were enjoying. Some asked whether it was necessary for these merchants of destruction to take the nation on a trajectory path that left us today 10 years poorer.
It is very clear in this writer’s mind that people will now agree that they were immorally manipulated to destroy their country for a neo-colonial rule. The fact that we see the involvement of our erstwhile coloniser and the ex-Rhodies in more of the worst intra-party violence and their engagement in the illegal economic sanctions should now make people understand the adage: “once beaten twice shy”.
If our history is to be followed properly, Zanu-PF is the party that brought African freedom, peace, democracy, rule of law and human rights. It is undisputable that
Zanu-PF brought the concept of one-man-one-vote. It is also undisputable that Zanu-PF brought the political, social and economic changes.
The notable political changes are multi-party democracy and a consistent and persistent five-year election model. The social changes occurred in education, employment, black advancement, freedom of movement and association that Rhodesia secluded blacks from. The white Rhodesians unethically violated African human social rights.
In economics, Zanu-PF will ever be remembered for human capital development, establishment of SMEs, land reform and indigenisation and empowerment of black citizens. It is also very clear that Zanu-PF brought a system of governance that allows both men and women to be in positions of authority.
On the contrary, MDC formations, in the shortest time they have been in politics, have only managed to bring political polarity, which never happened in Zimbabwe before 1999. All the social good that Zanu-PF did for the good of Zimbabweans, have been eroded by the neo-colonial concept of the MDC formations.
It is very clear that the MDC formations are parties of the ex-Rhodesians for they are dining with those of genocidal tendencies as highlighted above. Some may say even Zanu-PF has. It is an agreed fact, but for a good reason. Those in Zanu-PF have repented like the prodigal son and have confessed their evils as good Christians do.
One wonders whether rubbishing the Land Reform and the Indigenous and Economic Empowerment Act could be regarded as repenting or of any value to black Zimbabweans. Is it not an abominable sin to ask for sanctions that destroy your economy so as for people to suffer or die resulting in them engaging in unethical violence that does not yield any good.
The MDC formations have managed to bring a culture of violence which is now a covenant of their parties which emanated from the genocidal ex-Rhodesians in their echelons who are unrepentant.
When a political party engages a former NATO Commander and courts former Rhodesian lawyers to write our constitution whose interests is it protecting? When a political party fronts an ex-Rhodesian to chair our human rights commission whose rights is it protecting? It is so sickening to note the love with which the MDC formations favour ex-white Rhodies to be in charge of human rights commission, constitution writing, and agriculture and property rights institutions. It sounds stinking doesn’t it?
In the 26 June, 2012 edition of The Herald, president Jacob Zuma was quoted saying the willing buyer willing seller concept has failed. In the same space Cde Zuma was quoted saying, “the wealth of South Africa is still in the hands of the male white apartheid South Africans and declared the ANC must change the strategy for the better”.
The question that arises is — Was comrade Zuma vindicating Cde Malema. It sounds like chickens have come home to roost. Whither Tendai Biti, whither Misihairambwi-Mushonga! These two neo-liberal politicians have continued to have fetish comfort that the facilitator is on their side and Zanu-PF is under a vice. Now that the facilitator is postulating as Zanu-PF economic model and posits a Zanu-PF land reform template where do you stand guys?
Do the MDC formations continue to see any wisdom of continuing to fight the last battle of the colonised so as to create a neo-colonial Zimbabwe?
Panganai Kahuni is a political socio-economic commentator.
No comments:
Post a Comment