Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC consolidating regime change from within gvt

MDC consolidating regime change from within gvt
Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:43:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - The Movement of Democratic Change has successfully created a 'government within a government'. The MDC is rapidly consolidating the regime change agenda under the guise of reforms in the inclusive Government.

It is as clear as crystal that there is no real progress that will be made socially and economically in Zimbabwe until elections are held and as such the MDC is positioning itself to control all facets of government in order to ensure maximum victory come election time.

Regime change is not dead, as most people in Zimbabwe have been led to believe, it is very much alive and has taken a new form.

The overthrowing of Zanu PF is still the major focus of the West when it comes to dealing with Zimbabwe. Previously the MDC and its surrogates played hide and seek when it came to issues of policies, funding and operations, now they are free to do as they wish hiding behind the veil of seeking aid to restore Zimbabwe’s economy.

The MDC was a major driver of the forex black market, some of its legislators went so low as to become couriers of moneys from abroad to finance their programs in Zimbabwe.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai and his party have legitimized interference in this country’s political affairs. The famous ZIDERA states that any funds that will be channeled to Zimbabwe will be in the form of humanitarian assistance and funding for civic society groups that are aligned to the MDC. The 73 million that President Obama just gave Prime Minister Tsvangirai is going to these recipients. Nothing will be given to the government of Zimbabwe that might in any way see the return of a normal economy to the country because this would go against the regime change agenda.

Ambassador McGee has never mentioned that the money is meant to capacitate groups that further the regime change agenda.

It is a pity that many people fail to realize that the carrot being dangled in front of Zimbabweans is a means to an end. An end that does not serve the people of Zimbabwe, but a moneyed class in the capitals of Europe.

The misrepresentation of issues by both the MDC and the West is meant to create a negative picture of Zanu PF. For so long President Mugabe has said the country does not need aid, but requires access to international financial institutions in order to carry out the necessary developmental programs and maintain a healthy economy. The west has never responded to this. Instead all that we get from one administration after the other is that are accusations directed at symptoms of their handiwork and not the causes of these symptoms.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti told the Mail and Guardian that the international community had "an obligation" to support Zimbabwe. The country faced "catastrophe" without financial support, he said. Now he wants the international community to help Zimbabwe because he is on the hot seat. The MDC leadership clapped with both hands when things went from bad to worse in Zimbabwe, they looked over a collapsing country like sanctimonious priests condemning Zanu PF and now they want their paymasters to undo their dirty work.

The discussion among several Heads of State in the West is not about how best to assist Zimbabwe, but how best to assist the MDC. The question on what to do to assist Zimbabwe is not based on the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe, but on how it will benefit Morgan Tsvangirai and whether or not Zanu PF can use the opportunity to reorganize itself.

Unfortunately for the people of Zimbabwe any in-flows of aid would be of greater benefit to Zanu PF than the MDC. Zanu PF has always maintained that sanctions have been the reason for economic turmoil in Zimbabwe while the MDC claimed there were no sanctions on the country just travel restrictions. The lifting of sanctions will see the return of normalcy in the economy and given the educational level of the average Zimbabwe, the citizens of this country will only have to add one plus one to get two. As long as the country only receives humanitarian assistance the MDC is safe, and with this new scheme where donors can pay salaries or allowances for specific sectors the party is almost home and dry.

Zimbabwe’s former colony, in a callus move, made a statement that it is considering moving beyond humanitarian aid to offer direct political support in such areas as constitutional reform and strengthening rule of law. Such assistance is said would be channeled through the British embassy in Harare to Tsvangirai’s office bypassing ministries controlled by Zanu PF. Trust the British to be masters at the divide and conquer game, they have had centuries of experience.

Instead of saying: "As one of the two parties involved in the problems in Zimbabwe we are taking the high road and putting our money where our mouth is and coming to help the ordinary Zimbabwean," the Brits have money for the constitution-making process, but none to help revive Zimbabwe’s industry and the once vibrant agricultural sector.

It is quiet obvious they are waiting for their golden son to take over the reins then they will provide the money to rebuild the country for their sons and daughters.

The only people who are going to see a cent of all the money, America, Britain, German and the rest are claiming to give the "people of Zimbabwe" are those in the MDC and their affiliate groups like Crisis Coalition, ZCTU, PUTZ, Bulawayo Agenda, Christian Alliance, WOZA, Lawyers for Human Rights, ZINASU and the rest.

These are the same people who for the past decade have been able to live comfortably on their 'thirty pieces of silver'.

It boggles the mind that someone can call for renewed sanctions while living on the same streets that the ordinary Zimbabwean exists on. The NCA and its leader Lovemore Madhuku have been trying to rock the boat over the whole constitution-making process, but once they feel the pinch they will get back in line.

I found it amusing that President Obama in his remarks credited Prime Minister Tsvangirai for reducing Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai lied to the US Council on Foreign Relations that he stopped the printing of the Zimbabwean dollar thereby eradicating hyperinflations, introduced media reforms by making it no longer necessary for the print media to be licensed and finally removed riot police off the streets of Harare.

The real truth is that by January 2009 very few people in Zimbabwe were using the Zimbabwean dollar anyway. At the time of the presentation of the 2009 Budget then Acting Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa, made it clear Zimbabwe was now a multi-currency country and as such the Zimbabwe dollar sunk into oblivion.

The coming of the MDC into government had absolutely nothing to do with the reduction of inflation. If Prime Minister Tsvangirai thinks he is that powerful and can generate confidence in the economy, why does he not revive the use of the Zimbabwean dollar?

As for the whole print media hoopla, not a single new newspaper has hit the streets; instead the same dailies and weeklies we had last year are the ones Zimbabweans continue to read. One wonders what happened to all those individuals who were constantly accusing Zanu PF of refusing to open up media space in this country. There is no new newspaper, or radio station or television channel in Zimbabwe because all those who said they wanted to operate such mediums had no real intention to do so, but only wanted to be in the limelight to be seen as fighting the Zanu PF government. We all know that anyone who was seen as fighting the "Mugabe regime" got instant funding from the West.

On the 7th of June 2009, the BBC flighted a breaking news story in which MDC Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Healing Organ) Honourable Sekai Holland said that Zimbabwe was heading for its worst period of violence ever.

She said members of her party in the inclusive Government are receiving threatening phone calls every day and that sources have told them there is an assassination list being compiled by Zanu PF hardliners. She claimed that there are 39,000 Zanu PF youths who are being paid US$100 a day to beat up MDC supporters in the event of an election.

The most disturbing thing about all this is that Ms Holland is one of the Ministers who is supposed to be heading the National Healing Process and yet here she is on BBC saying outright lies.

How can the inclusive Government work when the MDC continues to propagate lies about the situation in Zimbabwe?

Such statements are meant to foster a negative impression of Zanu PF and encourage the continued application of sanctions on Zimbabwe’s people.

Ms. Holland is just but a tip of the iceberg. In his weekly articles that are posted on various websites sympathetic to the MDC, Eddie Cross in his warped mind managed to turn the Prime Minister’s niece problems into a Zanu PF plan.

Mr. Cross says that Dr. Chihombori is not a relative of the Prime Minister, but manipulated the Prime Minister into taking her to President Zuma’s inauguration where a well-placed photographer immediately took a picture of them, which got everyone with an interesting in Zimbabwe talking. This same niece is now involved in a wrangle for a farm in Chegutu and Mr. Cross says this is all Zanu PF’s doing.

To someone with no background on the whole story, one would be forced to take Mr. Cross’s word as the gospel truth.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson Mr. James Maridadi acknowledged that indeed Dr. Chihombori is the Prime Minister’s niece and the said niece in her own words has said that Zimbabweans deserve to take land back from white farmers who took it illegally during the colonial era.

Mr. Cross does in no way represent the ordinary Zimbabwean in what ever he says.

Mr. Cross represents the small white minority of Zimbabwe that has been forced to reconcile with the ghost of Zimbabwe’s colonial past. This is why Mr. Cross welcomed the announcement by the US Senate that it would not be lifting any of the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe anytime soon.

Mr. Cross certainly does not lead the life of an ordinary Zimbabwean. He does not hold a job that is currently paying US$100. His children are not attending schools where there are no teachers or if there are teachers in attendance they demand US$10 a week to teach our children. He does not use the same hospitals as us black Zimbabweans. From the comfort of his home perched on his well-pampered Rhodesian backside he gleefully lies and rejoices at the continued screaming in pain of Zimbabwe’s people.

On 11 June 2009, a few days after Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s visit to the Netherlands, a Peter Hermes who is said to be an independent advisor to Tsvangirai held an interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide were he claimed that the accident that killed the Prime Minister’s wife was not an accident, but a hit gone wrong.

Hermes says that the MDC carried out an investigation, but has failed to release a report on the investigation.

However, he claims sources have told him that the report implicates Zanu PF. He further claims that members of the Central Intelligence Organization who were supposed to protect the Prime Minister were nowhere to be found because they had driven ahead to ensure that the driver of the truck would have easy access to the Prime Minister.

I do not know what qualifications Mr. Hermes has nor what criteria the Prime Minister uses when hiring advisors, but I know one thing for sure this man is as bogus as a six-dollar note or his employer is getting his money’s worth from a scam artist who lies in order to ensure that the MDC’s leader cause remains at the heart of the West.

How can the MDC carry out an investigation and then refuse to publicize the results of their investigation, unless of course the investigation proved that indeed the incident with the Prime Minister was an accident?

Releasing this information would be detrimental because it would put a stop to the rumors that the party had been fanning out claiming that Zanu PF had tried to assassinate the Prime Minister.

As for the CIO’s involvement in the accident, Mr. Ian Makone and Mr. Rupiya can attest that they refused to use official cars and security details for the Prime Minister insisting on using party vehicles and security details.

This formula of misrepresenting the truth has become a major modus operandi of the MDC and its officials. By blending the truth and lies the party manipulates the public in order to gain maximum support.

Co-Minister of Home Affairs Giles Mutsekwa has described the post of Vice President as null and void because the GPA does not recognize them.

Addressing a meeting in Manicaland Province on 2 May 2009 along with Minister Eric Matinenga, Mutsekwa told attendants at the meeting that in actual fact Zimbabwe has no Vice Presidents because the Global Political Agreement does not make any mention of them. Either Minister Mutsekwa has never read the GPA or he was deliberately lying to MDC supporters who attended the meeting.

Article XX of the Global Political Agreement clear recognizes the post of Vice President who is appointed by the President. Its amazing that Mutsekwa does not know that the President under the GPA not only elects the Prime Minister and his two Deputies but also the two Vice Presidents, Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

If the Minister of Home Affairs lacks such basic knowledge one wonders how he is running his ministry. Where is he getting direction in which he handles the day-to-day affairs of the Home Affairs ministry?

Senator Gutu in one of his numerous articles on Zimdaily, a tabloid that claims to report news on Zimbabwe, says " both Zimpapers and ZBH should simply accept that like him or hate him, PM Tsvangirai is the prime mover and shaker in Zimbabwe’s present political discourse."

The problem with one-sided thinking is that once you latch onto something you fail to see logic.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai is the chief Minister in President Mugabe’s government, and that no matter how much the MDC does not like it, this is the reality.

It is amazing that while such pundits take every opportunity to ram the fact that Tsvangirai is Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister down people’s throat, they fail to see the huge log in their eyes.

How many in the MDC have accepted it that President Mugabe is this country’s leader? Just last month at a rally in Mabvuku, Ministers Biti and Chamisa told party members that they do not recognize President Mugabe as the leader of Zimbabwe. One wonders in whose government these two men are ministers. It is certainly not that of President Mugabe because with their our mouths they refused his leadership?

The inclusive Government has proved to be of great benefit for the MDC, like the bat in the famous story of the battle between the land animals and birds of the air.

The MDC is able to stand on the fence and claim to be on either side. Their officials speak from a two-forked tongue that deceives and in the end it will destroy this Inclusive Government.

By spreading lies and misconceptions abroad and within Zimbabwe the MDC has not moved forward, but remains an opposition party bent on one thing: regime change.

While the West has been calling for reforms from Zanu PF, many of which this country has witnessed the MDC has remained stuck in the yesteryears of cheap politics. Their brand of cheap political maneuvers, which has reduced this country to a former shell of itself, should be condemned.

Now they sit on the fence pretending to be working together with Zanu PF in the inclusive Government while to their friends in the West the continue to lobby for more funding directed not only to their party and groups that form their support base, but to Ministries under their custodianship.

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Dambudzo Mapuranga

Labels: NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 2:12 PM