Republic of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe greets former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young. He was in the country as an envoy of the State Department., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Vigilance vital as West re-embraces
Tuesday, 07 May 2013 00:00
When a bitter enemy suddenly throws in the towel, it is always advisable to increase vigilance.
In the military, they call it tactical withdrawal.
That is “melting away” from a battle when
outnumbered, out-gunned and vulnerable.
But the withdrawal is merely meant to re-group, and re-strategise to fight better another day. It is definitely not quitting the war.
The British-brokered talks between Ian Smith and the liberation armies of Zanla and Zipra, and the subsequent ceasefire that led to independence, are instructive on the need for vigilance in circumstances where a sworn enemy suddenly sues for peace.
Although the Rhodesian army had become over-stretched and out-gunned on the battlefield, it still retained a lethal punch at the time Smith sued for peace via Britain.
Vigilantly, Zanla and Zipra retained some of their forces behind in neighbouring countries when ceasefire was declared, and the rival armies ordered to assemble in special camps inside the country in readiness for independence.
Wisely, the two liberation armies did not fully trust both Britain and Smith, and elected to play it safe by retaining a sizeable number of their guerilla forces back in the rear. Just in case.
These forces only came to liberated Zimbabwe when the coast had become irreversibly clear.
The buzzword these days is re-engagement between Zimbabwe and the West which, out of the blue sky, is suing for “rapprochement” as soon as yesterday.
Eminent Western emissaries of Zimbabwe’s majority race are being dispatched in quick succession to Harare to wave the white flag.
Carefully worded apologies are being tendered, and a new beginning, free of acrimony, full of mutual respect, is being touted.
Indeed, Zimbabwe is unusually off the democracy and human rights radar of the BBC and CNN despite looming elections.
The overtures have been widely interpreted to have been prompted by indications the opposition project the West founded and funded in the country to secure its economic interests is irretrievably floundering.
Survey after survey, ironically mostly authored by Western institutions, indicates the opposition’s game will be up in the forthcoming elections.
But why would Barcelona proudly announce repeatedly that Messi, its key player, was critically injured and unavailable the rest of the season when such announcements would only embolden its rivals?
Most probably it would be because the club has changed its playing strategy to lethal effect, and is crying wolf to lure opponents into complacency.
A tactical withdrawal is meant to achieve two critical things — preserve forces, re-group and re-strategise, and give the enemy a false sense of victory.
Victory — false or real — is accompanied by celebration during which time vigilance and caution is often ‘loosened.’
And often a tactical withdrawal is followed by a surprise attack by the re-grouped side, timed to coincide with the ‘victory’ celebrations.
In football, they say it is not over yet, no matter how flattering the score line, until the final whistle is blown.
The suddenness, timing and fast pace of the re-engagement, while welcome, is too fishy not to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Granted, the West is hedging its interests in Zimbabwe after the elections, but other ulterior motives possibly underpin the sudden dash for rapprochement.
A leopard does not change its spots whether in summer or winter.
The West is, after all, deadliest when it appears friendliest.
Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy orchestrated the brutal murder of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi shortly after hosting him in Paris, and squeezing election campaign funding from him.
For Zanu-PF, just like a burnt child dreads fire, it must re-embrace and “kiss” the West again, but with eyes vigilantly wide open.
— New Ziana.
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