Africa's Warmth A Threat To Continent's Own Sovereignty

Members and supporter of the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front Party outside headquarters in Harare. The party is preparing for harmonized elections in July 2013., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Africa’s warmth a threat to continent’s own sovereignty

August 15, 2013
Opinion & Analysis
Dingizulu Mahlathini Moyo
Zimbabwe Chronicle

The unfolding saga premised on the outcome of our harmonised elections is a serious lesson to all progressive nations on the lovely continent of Africa. All countries that went through the liberation struggle have already congratulated President Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party following their resounding victory in the just-ended general elections. In Africa, the exception is the former British protectorate, Botswana, whose citizens do not know the sound of the barrel, which is parroting its master’s imperialist tune of questioning the legitimacy of our election.

What should give strength and hope to Africa in its quest to be fully independent is the fact that there are some on the international stage such as Russia, China and Venezuela who are slowly but surely getting to believe in Africa as an equal partner on the global space.

The major lesson that Africa has to learn from these just-ended Zimbabwean elections is that the affectionate warmth to mankind that Africans are endowed with is today proving to be the lethal weapon with which the ruthless West is using to attack the same African nations.

Our kindness, our warm nature as Africans has become the biggest threat to our sovereignty. To simplify my point let us look at the services of our airlines and airports which are our flagship and entry points respectively. I will draw parallels using two countries Zimbabwe and the United States of America.

On landing at any of America’s airports, the following welcome remarks would meet you: “American Citizens welcome back home, American Citizens welcome back home.” This is repeated and repeated and nowhere do they say American visitors welcome to America.

Come to Harare International Airport or any other airport in Zimbabwe the welcome remarks are: Welcome to Zimbabwe, Tigashire, Sethule. Whether they are assassins or economic hit men — tigashire — our poor souls

Whereas as you enter the American territory you are reminded that you are not one of them, in Zimbabwe and other African nations you are made to feel very important and welcome.

This reminds me of the time when we were growing up. Our happiest days were when visitors popped in as we knew that chicken stew was beckoning.

Whereas this is our nature as Africans, it is high time that our African values resonate within Africans and not be taken into international relations. As we welcome these people at our ports of entry we do not even know what they are bringing into our countries. When they fail to recognise our presence at their ports of entry they invoke within us a feeling of probe on their dos and don’ts which is not the case with us in Africa.

This is why the likes of Britain, Australia and America find it easy not to recognise the Zimbabwean elections because the welcome and warmth we have given them over the years makes them think they are part of us when they are actually not.

Put bluntly, Australia, for instance, would be happy to reverse the outcome of the Zimbabwean election not on the basis of whether the elections were not free and fair but on their fears on what the Zanu-PF government with a two thirds majority in Parliament is going to do to their interests at Zimplats. Remember they have been dilly dallying on the implementation of their indigenisation programme with the hope that MDC-T was going to steal the election from the ordinary masses of Zimbabwe.

If ever there is any ordinary Zimbabwean who thinks these Australians are clamouring on their side, they must rethink.

Zimbabweans should be reminded that there is nothing good that can come from the Australians. The blood of the Marikana massacres in South Africa solely rests on Australian capital on Africa. The Australians are busy cutting salaries of mining workers in South Africa in companies they own and you expect them to bring good to Zimbabwe? Forget!

It is in this spirit that every level-headed Zimbabwean should be counted for standing behind Zanu-PF at this hour so as stop the importation of these evil deeds of the Australians into our lovely country.

The Americans are also bitter that at this juncture they are not in control of our diamonds and other strategic minerals. They hoped that an MDC-T win would pave way for them to reverse some of the treaties the Zanu-PF side of Government had initiated with progressive countries such as Russia and China.

The so-called super powers are also bitter in that Zanu-PF has in a way has demystified their super power status. How can a country under illegal western sanctions for the past 13 years emerge not only victorious in an election they are expected to lose but to actually attain more than a two thirds majority?

Under Zanu-PF, Zimbabweans stand a great chance of prospering. Zimbabweans should not be allowed to be bought by trinkets to cause mayhem in their country simply because western capital through its proxy MDC-T has failed to lay its hands on our God-given resources for the purposes of plundering.

If we have our differences as Zimbabweans let us thrash them out on a Zimbabwean table without these foreigners.

Dingizulu Mahlathini Moyo is a Bulawayo-based independent political analyst.