Zimbabwe News: Give President Mugabe A Break

President Ahmadinejad of Iran greets President Mugabe of Zimbabwe in Teheran. The two nations have signed new trade agreements involving oil and other projects.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire Photo File.

Give Mugabe, Zimbabweans a break

27 Mar 2007
By Hillary Joseph

So, Robert Mugabe is the bad guy, the villain, the dictator, the demon, the nyang’au of all the African leaders. And so? He must go, they say. Mugabe is the problem in Zimbabwe.

The high inflation rate is caused by Mugabe, high unemployment rate is because of Mugabe, the deteriorating farm produce is traced to Mugabe, and the drought is caused by Mugabe.

So, Mugabe is killing his own people, he is killing the nation, the nation he fought so hard to build, and therefore he must go.

Indeed, this vile man must go. But wait a minute, who is saying all this? Who is this fellow or fellows demonising Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, calling him all sorts of foul names?

Is it the people of Zimbabwe? Is it Tsvangirai and his workers union centred in urban areas? Or is it the big brothers watching from the UK and America?

Yes, it is true that the people in Zimbabwe are suffering, just like many other people in poor African countries and elsewhere are suffering, perhaps a bit worse than in some countries.

Is it that Mugabe has been in office for too long a time? Or perhaps is it because there have been no ``free and fair`` (according to British and American standards) elections in Zimbabwe simply because the opposition, no, specifically because Tsvangirai did not win?

Oh!!! What happened to history? Why do the Western and other Press which demonise Mugabe refuse to acknowledge the historical facts which have pushed Mugabe to where he is now so unfairly cornered?

The British and the Americans who pretend to be incensed by Mugabe`s actions and pronouncements know very well that they are the cause of all the destruction in Zimbabwe, politically and economically.

Are we already forgetting how Zimbabweans suffered under the British rule? And the British rule includes the period of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) declared by Ian Smith. The UK had all the powers to contain Smith and crush the UDI. The UK refused to take action.

Civilized world cried foul but the British was adamant, perhaps understandably so, for how could they take action against their kith and kin? Rhodesians (not Zimbabweans) were white and the blacks had no room in white Rhodesia.

Of course there were some selected black Rhodesians like the Tsvangirai of the yesteryears, but they were there to serve specific purposes for the white, just like Tsvangirai of today is there to serve some specific purpose for the British.

Because that country `belonged` to Rhodesians, the blacks had to be kicked out from the fertile lands to the arid areas, the reserves, as they were called. There, they had to eke out their living.

But the white Rhodesians were not satisfied with kicking out the blacks from the fertile lands, they followed them to the dry lands and planted anthrax and other biological poisons in their cattle and the black man`s cattle died in their thousands. The soil was poisoned and could not produce anything. Zimbabweans died in their thousands also.

Not only that, but Smith did many unspeakable things to the Mugabes, and it was OK for the British. After all, the Mugabes were blacks.

Because the blacks were pushed to arid land, devoid of any reliable means of survival, they went back to toil for the whites, and that was what the whites wanted, cheap labour.

But the great patience of the blacks reached breaking point and snapped. They wanted their land back.

The British played dumb. Smith said ``over my dead body.`` The people of Zimbabwe resorted to the only other means available too them - spears, machetes, clubs and occasionally, a gun or two. And all hell broke loose.

The wrath of Smith and the British descended heavily with sophisticated weaponry on the poorly armed Zimbabweans fighting for their basic rights, their survival. Many Zimbabweans paid their ultimate price; many were maimed for life, physically and psychologically.

The gallant Zimbabweans did not give up, a much superior force against them notwithstanding. They had a cause, a noble cause, a much superior cause to fight for. They were fighting for survival. In some small way, the war was taking some toll on the Rhodesians too.

The British thought it was too much, more of their kith and kin were falling victim to the war. So they said enough and asked the Mugabes to sit together at the same table with Smith at Lancaster House in London. Zimbabweans were granted their deserved independence.

It was here that the seed of betrayal was sowed. The demands of the Zimbabweans were clearly spelt out there and the British agreed to finance the compensations of the settlers in Zimbabwe who would be required to relinquish some of their farms (not all) to the Zimbabwean government to be distributed to the landless.

The Mugabes were very considerate indeed, considering the circumstances. They agreed to give the settlers ten years grace period after which the British were supposed to start compensating them.

What happened? Not only did the British not fulfill their part of the bargain, but they also dung up what the Zimbabweans call the stooge, Tsvangirai and financed him instead, in the hope that Mugabe would be removed sooner and let the settlers stay.

Tsvangirai is now fighting for ``freedom.`` Freedom from Zimbabweans? Freedom from his own people? Where was he when true sons of Zimbabwe were in the bush fighting for freedom from the colonialists? Freedom from humiliation, and discrimination, and segregation, and torture and killings at the hands of Smith and his clique.

True sons of Zimbabwe who were not only beaten up, but were murdered by the Smith regime.

Tsvangirai has the temerity to shout at the man who gave him the voice to speak in public. Could he have made such noise to Smith? He was there, wasn`t he?

I do not want to tango with the church, but it gives me the nausea when I hear some Bishop is shouting on top of his voice that he would lead a protest march against Mugabe, and he is ready to die for that. Ready to die, indeed?

Where was the church when the Mugabes were persecuted by Smith, and by extension, the British? Was the Bishop too young then to understand what was going on in Zimbabwe?

I shudder to think that the Big Brothers in London and Washington are now turning to the clergy to sow seeds of discord among Zimbabweans, knowing the effect of this on the minds and hearts of the faithful.

God forbid.

And now, the British, the Americans and Australians want to use African leaders to put pressure on Mugabe. For what?

For the settlers to claim back the land they once grabbed from Zimbabweans? Do they want to go back to Rhodesia? No, thank you. And, please, give Mugabe and Zimbabwe a break.

Guardian


MDC leaders must not mislead youths

By Reason Wafawarova
Zimbabwe Herald

THE fractious MDC’s hasty, ill conceived "defiance campaign" was nothing but a poorly disguised act of rebellious banditry vaingloriously paraded as a fight for democratic change.

The fact that the campaign was readily blessed by Western news agencies proved that the MDC is an anarchy-oriented party of mercenaries bent on furthering the Western agenda.

Without Western media sympathy and biased coverage, stripped of the propaganda against President Mugabe and the Government along with lies of alleged stuffing of ballot boxes, the MDC is an outfit of thugs, snivelling donor mongers, mercenaries, political opportunists led by a treacherous lapdog figurehead personified by Morgan Tsvangirai.

The deal between the MDC and the West is a simple one where the West’s traditional quest to occupy economic space in resource-filled less developed countries is to be pursued by ensuring that willing poodles whose official tag can be anything from moderate, democratic or even statesman are put into office.

The fact of the matter is that the leadership of the MDC is made up of hopeless pseudo-politicians with no acumen to assume national leadership by popular mandate. They would rather depose strong leaders through sponsored anarchy and ungovernability.

It never occurs to the MDC that countries with growing economies across the world hold elections in which the opposition is beaten, but it never works to destroy the achievements of political competitors.

Ironically, the best examples to illustrate this are in the same countries that backing the MDC financially and politically in its destructive campaign to destroy the economy.

Tsvangirai promised to violently remove President Mugabe way back in 1999.

He followed this statement with calls for sanctions that he even extended to South Africa.

While South Africa ignored Tsvangirai’s madness, the duplicitous West responded to the call; which in fact was their own call they had made by proxy through one of the most outstanding poodles to emerge in Southern Africa, a region where puppet politicking had been less successful for America and its allies.

Tsvangirai comes from the shoulders of villains like Moise Tshombe of the DRC, the reformed Alfonso Dhlakama of Mozambique, the slain Jonasi Savimbi of Angola and Zimbabwe’s own disgraced Bishop Abel Muzorewa.

Anyway, Tsvangirai’s desperation to please his sponsors saw him announcing an abortive mass stay away in 2002, followed by the final push rhetoric of 2003.

In 2004 and 2005, Zimbabwe was spared Tsvangirai’s nonsense as he redirected his thuggery at perceived enemies within his own party.

Then his "A-team" of hoodlums took its "struggle" to the doorstep of the likes of Peter Guhu, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, and Timothy Mubhawu who are really lucky to be alive today, according to David Coltart’s version of the events.

Tsvangirai’s banditry reached its peak on October 12 2005 when the MDC split needless to say the West was less than amused to see their snake biting itself instead of the heel of their nemesis, Zanu-PF.

After a year of embarrassment and humiliation, the West directed US ambassador Christopher Dell to work with Britain’s Andrew Pocock, who read the riot act to Tsvangiari and his cohorts.

It is now common knowledge that Dell ordered all the Western-funded feuding parties to unite and revive the anti-Zimbabwe banditry before both Tony Blair and George W. Bush leave office without President Mugabe as a trophy.

It was not difficult to get Lovemore Madhuku’s NCA to comply, neither was it hard to get Tsvangirai’s acquiescence along with the support-less Arthur Mutambara.

These are mercenaries who understand the language of money the way angels are said to understand spiritual tongues and so Dell cajoled them with a package of financial incentive and veiled threats.

Some uncouth church leaders were blasphemously roped in to manage the union of convenience and the barbaric war against the police was launched.

The police naturally refused to be fodder for the perennial losers. They stood their ground so resolutely that the West found itself on the back foot, calling for reinforcement by way of severe sanctions, whatever that means; in addition to hopelessly hunting for elusive support from South Africa and other African states.

Everyone, even sporting teams, is being coerced to reinforce the weak coalition of the feuding opposition factions in order to realise Dell’s dream of doing a Milosevic in Zimbabwe.

The MDC’s rebellious thuggery and wanton destructive conduct cannot pass for a struggle for democracy, let alone freedom as touted by the parties opposition media mouthpieces.

Theirs is plain criminal behaviour as exemplified by the MDC’s dead "heroes" among them Learnmore Judah Jongwe and Gift Tandare.

The MDC’s decision to rope in a handful of pliant clergymen, misguided students, and confused trade unionists into its campaign does not make the crusade noble or democratic.

The MDC’s resolve assault police officers for purposes of defying the rule of law and the authority of a constitutionally elected government can never be seen as anything other than wanton banditry.

Zimbabweans fought for the one-man one-vote political system that was denied people by the forces sponsoring violence in the country. The recipients of filthy Western lucre have shown no willingness to promote democracy through elections that they selectively respect when results go their way, but condemn when they lose.

To this end, they believe only their 41 members in the House of Assembly and seven Senators are bona fide elected politicians while everyone else, including Jonathan Moyo, is an illegitimate product of rigging.

Why do those in the MDC, who pass themselves off as democrats, comfortable with the prospect of power without mandate?

The MDC and its handlers must be reminded in no uncertain terms that the route to power in Zimbabwe is through the ballot box not via induced anarchy or the suffering of the people.

Instead of plotting clandestine attacks on police officers, MDC leaders must come up with tangible policies on how best to arrest inflation, increase production and create black-owned wealth.

Zimbabwe does not need street terrorism; it needs a battle of minds competing for the betterment of the country.

Most importantly, MDC leaders must not mislead youths into mistaking anarchists for heroes and we need to share one history and one heritage just like other nations, among them settler colonies like the USA.


Confusion reigns in MDC camps

Harare Bureau

THE decision to lift the temporary ban on political rallies and demonstrations by the Officer Commanding Chitungwiza Police, Chief Superintendent Alex Chagwedera, has thrown the MDC into confusion with the Mutambara faction “cancelling” a rally it had pencilled in for St Mary’s Huruyadzo Shopping Centre at the last minute.

This comes in the wake of the Tsvangirai faction’s poorly attended rally held at Chiwaridzo shops in Bindura where Engineer Elias Mudzuri was jeered by onlookers as he addressed about 20 people believed to be the party’s office bearers in the town.

In a statement announcing the cancellation, the Mutambara faction’s deputy secretarygeneral, Ms Priscillah Misihairabwi-Mushonga, accused the Government of trying to divide the opposition by sanctioning the rally.

“The seriousness of Zanu-PF in allowing our rally to proceed at the eleventh hour is criminal and typical of a regime bent on fomenting disunity among Zimbabweans … The MDC Defiance campaign will continue unabated of a divided opposition grateful to receive mercies from an illegitimate regime.

“'We will not allow Zanu-PF to set the agenda in Zimbabwe. We will not allow ZanuPF to divide and rule the opposition,” she charged.

Though her camp says it does not recognise the rival Tsvangirai faction, Ms Misiharabwi-Mushonga surprisingly said the cancellation was a gesture of solidarity with the rival group.

“If Zanu-PF, which has no moral authority to do so, denies Morgan Tsvangirai the right to hold a rally Arthur Mutambara will never accept to proceed with such a rally. Equally so, if Arthur Mutambara is denied the right to hold a rally then Morgan Tsvangirai should never agree to accept the dishonest gestures of Zanu-PF.”

Efforts to get comments from the Tsvangirai faction were fruitless.

The MP for St Mary’s, Mr Job Sikhala stormed The Herald newsroom yesterday holding a letter dated 21 March and signed by Officer Commanding Chitungwiza District, Chief Supt Chagwedera denying him permission to hold the rally.

The letter, however, clearly stated that police would constantly review the situation and advise him of any developments ahead of the rally.

On Saturday, Police Chitungwiza announced that Mr Sikhala could proceed with the rally, which announcement was carried on television and all radio stations.

Mr Sikhala insisted that he needed written communication.

He was, however, evasive as to why he had become a stickler for the law, when only two weeks ago, he was ready to break it by attending an unsanctioned rally at Zimbabwe Grounds claiming that was a prayer meeting.

Since the ban on political rallies and demonstrations were effected last month, the MDC factions accused the Government of “closing democratic” space, and filed various court challenges to have the bans revoked.

This is why the refusal by the Mutambara camp to proceed with a sanctioned rally came as a surprise to many people.

Observers, however, say the cancellation of the rally puts into perspective the opposition’s “defiance campaign” as a crusade of destabilisation and not a quest for democracy.


Police intensify probe into train bombing

Chronicle Reporter

POLICE said yesterday investigations into the petrol bombing of a Harare-Bulawayo passenger train at the weekend had intensified.

Chief police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said a manhunt was underway to arrest the hooligans.

“We are carrying out investigations on the train bombing and we hope to close in on the suspects soon,” he said.

Asst Comm Bvudzijena said no arrest had been made so far but maintained that police would fight such violent tendencies.

He warned that law enforcement agents would deal with unruly elements without fear or favour.

The attack was believed to have been politically motivated.

More than 750 people are lucky to be alive after unknown assailants petrolbombed a Bulawayo bound train in Harare’s Mufakose suburb on Friday night.

A twomonth pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage while four other people including the train driver, were injured in the stampede that followed the attack.

Friday’s attack was the third in as many weeks. Two weeks ago, three police officers sustained serious burns when Marimba police station in Mufakose was petrol bombed. Sakubva police station in Mutare was also petrol bombed damaging dockets and property in the process.

President Mugabe has also condemned the orgy of violence and was last week backed by Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.

The church organisations called for an end to acts of violence.