(ALLAFRICA, HERALD) Zimbabwe: Mutambara Blasts Britain, U.S

Zimbabwe: Mutambara Blasts Britain, U.S.
The Herald (Harare)
16 August 2007
Posted to the web 16 August 2007
Harare

IN the clearest sign yet that relations between the two MDC factions have irretrievably broken down, MDC faction leader Professor Arthur Mutambara came out with guns blazing against the party's Western backers - the U.S. and Britain - in his Heroes Day message. The two countries appear to have gone with the Morgan Tsvangirai-led faction in the wake of the MDC split.

Prof Mutambara blasted Britain for reneging on the Lancaster House Agreement that bound it to fund the land reform programme and the U.S. for wrongfully supporting Britain over the Zimbabwean land question in a rare broadside against countries he once dubbed "strategic partners and allies."

"In Zimbabwe, we believe there was a case to redress the grave historical injustices in the distribution of land. One of the reasons for the liberation war was access to land by the African majority. Hence, there was a clear case for a land revolution in Zimbabwe.

"The fact that at Lancaster House the terms of reference, processes and funding (including UK and U.S. assistance) for agrarian reform were verbal and not written means that this fundamental issue was not taken seriously. The British and their U.S. colleagues acted in bad faith," Prof Mutambara said.

He said the West was responsible for providing compensation for the land repossessed by the Government and allocated to the landless black majority.

"As regards the question of compensation for farmers whose land or properties were expropriated, we believe that the international community must contribute funds for this purpose, in particular the UK and USA.

"There will be no such money from the Zimbabwean fiscus," said Prof Mutambara.

He said assessment of the quantum of compensation should be based on a number of factors such as the history of the ownership, use and occupation of the land and the price paid for the land when it was last acquired.

Other factors, he said, are the cost or value of improvements on the land; the current use to which the land is put; investment which the State or the acquiring authority may have made which improved or enhanced the value of the land. "We stand opposed to any forms of imperialism. We condemn Western double standards, duplicity and hypocrisy. For example, while we appreciate Western pronouncements on the democratic deficits in Zimbabwe, we condemn the democratic exemption they extend to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait," said Prof Mutambara.

"There is need for consistency if the West is to be effective in its support for democratic and progressive movements. We note that when we were in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa were fighting for our freedom.

"We received no arms of war from Britain and the USA."

He questions why the Western countries failed to provide logistical support to liberation movements in Southern Africa when insurgents erupted in their countries.

"Why did they not provide weapons to the Frelimo, Zipra and Zanla, and APLA freedom fighters and yet they found it appropriate to arm and support Mobutu Sese Seko, Jonas Savimbi, Saddam Hussein (in his war against Iran) and Osama Bin Laden (in his skirmishes with the Soviets in Afghanistan)? This begs the question what really informs Western foreign policy?" asked the opposition leader.

He accused the West of practising double standards.