Maravi

Zimbabwe deserves a better opposition

Zimbabwe deserves a better opposition
Written by chama

Prof Arthur Mutambara, one of the leaders of the opposition in Zimbabwe, yesterday said:

“Can't you see that you are ruining the opposition you seek to assist and strengthening Mugabe that you seek to destroy? You are foolishly confirming everything that Mugabe has said about the opposition; that we are puppets. Moreover, Mugabe's strengths are Africa, Pan-Africanism and anti-imperialism.

"Any foreign policy that undermines African leaders and African institutions plays right into Mugabe's game plan. Why can't western diplomats master these basics? Why do we have a premonition that most of the destructive grandstanding by western governments is meant for their domestic constituencies?

"We seriously hope that incoming US President Obama and his new team will depart from this ignorant, ruinous and ineffective foreign policy that effectively undermines its intended beneficiaries, strengthens the targeted villains, while blighting the US standing in the world. Things have to change in 2009.

"We are not naïve. We know that the general thrust of the US foreign policy objective is largely independent of both the individual who is US President and the party they belong to. However, we hope the policy execution, nuances and tactics will be different. Zimbabweans have great expectations.

"Usually it is Mugabe and his ZANU-PF who are dismissed. How do you even conceptualize a negotiated outcome without the involvement of the ZANU-PF group? We thought it was common cause that you do not make peace with your friends, but with your opponents. One would expect someone of Jendayi Frazer's (US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs) stature to understand all this. How does she say that the US supports the negotiated power sharing, but insists that Mugabe must not be involved? Making these statements while defying the consistent advice that she received from all the South African leaders that she interacted with means that Jendayi is insulting the SA leadership at every level. By this disrespectful conduct, she is humiliating both the SADC and the AU.

"In this situation, with respect to the US proposed dialogue framework, who will be the principals, negotiators, facilitators and guarantors? South Africa is the only country with leverage on Zimbabwe. To bring any kind of change in Zimbabwe you have to work with SA, and not insult or humiliate them. Anyone serious about the Zimbabwean agenda must grasp this.

"Jendayi, I assume that you are supportive of Mr. Tsvangirai (MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai) and you want him to succeed. Do you actually have any respect for him? He signed the GPA in which Mugabe is designated as the President. Is it that you think Mr. Tsvangirai does not know what is good for him and therefore you have to lead him every step of the way? By the way, it is not true that the US government supported the agreement when it was signed. For the record, both the US and the UK were opposed to the GPA from the beginning. They did not like the fact that Mugabe was both Head of State and Chairman of Cabinet, and they despised the GPA positions on land reform and sanctions. Everyone knows this. We are not children. The US and the UK are now taking advantage of the delay in implementation of the agreement to savage and destroy the GPA. Jendayi, do you have a workable alternative framework to the current GPA, together with an enforcement mechanism?

"And what is this that you said about the weakness and incompetence of your favourite GPA principal? Did you not say the following; "Tsvangirai is too weak and incompetent for us to allow him to be in an inclusive government with Mugabe. He will be completely out-maneuvered. Tsvangirai is not as strong as Odinga. If he was, we would have allowed him to get into the GNU with Mugabe?" How can you possibly say such insulting remarks about your favourite opposition leader? With friends like these, who needs enemies? Incidentally, did you share your views about Tsvangirai with him? Why not? Anyway, who are you to allow or disallow African leaders? Does the US government have locus standi to do this? From where do you derive such legal, political or moral authority? Would a reverse scenario where international players seek to influence US politics be acceptable to the US?"

This is what leader of the splinter MDC party and Prime Minister designate of Zimbabwe, Prof Mutambara is saying.

Can any honest person disagree with what Mutambara is saying?

In our view this has been the whole problem, the biggest obstacle to the developments of the Zimbabwean opposition: The interference of the United States and British in Zimbabwean politics.

There are some western countries that have played a very progressive role in many world issues. But the Americans and British are certainly not some of them.

France, despite its colonial history has sometimes played an extremely progressive role. The Scandinavian countries - that is Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland - have also been relatively progressive and extremely supportive of the African struggle and these can be credited as being countries from the western world that actually contributed materially and otherwise to our liberation struggle. But unfortunately they have never been members of the United Nations Security Council.

As for the British and the Americans, their record is bad. They have never supported the liberation struggle in this part of our world. They have been part of the oppressive forces in this part of the world. Until the last minute they have stood on the same side with the apartheid forces. They were actually part of the apartheid regime.

Who doesn’t know that the British government supported and defended the racist white Rhodesian regime of Ian Smith? Truly these people have never been part of the liberation force in Africa. What they have always done is defended their interests, sometimes narrowly.

As we have said before, the United States and the British can never claim to be champions of human rights in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. Their history is one of not respecting our human rights, but simply of exploiting us, humiliating us and subjudication. They have never treated Africans as equals in their dealings with them.

Yes, they sometimes do in speech but when it comes to action or deeds, it is a different story.

Zimbabwe deserves a strong and progressive opposition and the Zimbabwean opposition could have done much better if it had freed itself from the control of the Americans, the British, the Australians and New Zealanders and others where the lobby of the white Rhodesians is very strong.

These are still imperialist countries, albeit in a changed way, and reliance on them to democratise a country like Zimbabwe is a fleeting illusion that will never be attained. It’s not democracy they are pursuing in Zimbabwe. It’s not human rights they are concerned with in Zimbabwe.

It is something else and it is good that part of the Zimbabwean opposition is starting to see through the deceit.

Zimbabwe deserves better than a proxy opposition. Not an opposition that is controlled by remote from Washington and London – not another puppet regime of the Abel Muzorewa type in Zimbabwe.

And this explains why serious independent countries in the world have difficulties supporting the Zimbabwean opposition. It also explains why part of the Zimbabwean opposition is so disrespectful of the African initiative and brothers. They would rather take instructions from Washington and London on what course to take.

Any person or nation that subordinates itself to another can never be democratic. Independence and sovereignty are preconditions to democracy. A nation whose political leadership has to take instructions from the political leaders of some imperial power can never be said to be democratic in their dealings and actions.

Only an independent country can genuinely pursue democratic endeavors. If the Zimbabwean opposition wants to play a meaningful role in their country, they have to strive to be independent. It is surprising that the countries and governments that have never funded the liberation struggle are today funding the opposition in Zimbabwe. Why? Their aim is not democracy. It is something else.

A clear testimony is what is happening to the Palestinians in Gaza. The Americans and the British have decided to stand on the fence while the Israelis massacre the Palestinians. They have decided to turn a blind eye to the atrocities and carnage that is being inflicted on the Palestinians.

They have decided to ignore the disregard for rules of war by the Israelis who are killing people indiscriminately regardless of whether one is a child or not, regardless of whether one is combatant or a civilian, whether the installation is a military target or one vital for the civilian population. Probably there is a number they are waiting for the death toll to reach before they can ask Israel to end the war.

World leaders interested in peace like French President Nicolas Sarkozy have embarked on shuttle diplomacy aimed at ending the slaughter.

These are the sort of countries that are supporting part of the Zimbabwean opposition. Clearly, Zimbabwe deserves a better opposition.

Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA

posted by MrK @ 3:21 PM