Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC-T eyeing NGO funds

MDC-T eyeing NGO funds
Pasipameraziso Chimedzamatore - MDC-T eyeing NGO funds
Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:16:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - MDC-T is eyeing the promised NGO funds, hence the concerted refusal of the Kariba Draft. There is nothing particularly wrong with the Kariba Draft. The point is, for some, there is money to be made in the constitutional making process.

You would recall the Prime Minister went gallivanting to the West in the name of raising resources for the government. Instead he raised a purported more than two hundred million dollars for the NGOs. The MDC-T party is eyeing that NGO money promised by the Western governments.

Therefore, accepting the Kariba Draft, will throw spanners into the works for the MDC-T and reduce its chances of accessing and benefiting from the NGO funds.

This also explains why the likes of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) etc are up in arms with the MDC-T and the constitutional making process.

They are all eying the money promised by the West. If we were to be honest with ourselves, how many Zimbabweans are represented by the ZCTU or the NCA, or how many ordinary Zimbabweans have a say in these institutions?

One won´t be surprised to find that the majority of the ZCTU members are the same members of the NCA. That is a clear duplication of representation.

Another question to ask is, who gave ZCTU or NCA the mandate to claim representation of the generality of the Zimbabwean populace?

Neither the ZCTU nor the NCA represent me in any forum at home and abroad and I can safely say, this is the case with the majority of the ordinary Zimbabweans out there.

Secondly, you would recall that MDC-T is on record of promising to return the land to the white farmers if MDC-T gets into power. The Kariba draft makes it clear that the land issue is water under the bridge, a position that goes against the standing promise of MDC-T - making the draft unacceptable.

Also, the Global Political Agreement of February 2009 states in no uncertain terms that the land redistribution is irreversible - yet another position against the MDC-T promise.

You will also recall that the Prime Minister on his visit to Germany was ordered in no uncertain terms to make changes in the constitution to enable the return of the “expropriated land” to white farmers. Accepting the Kariba Draft goes against the Germany command and the long standing promise of MDC-T of ensuring the return of the land to the white farmers.

The bottom line is, MDC-T is against the Kariba Draft with the hope of manoeuvering the constitution making process so that Zimbabwe can come up with a new constitution that would be, at most, silent on the land issue.

With the new constitution silent on the land issue, MDC-T can then claim that it has the platform to keep its promise once it gets into power without Zanu PF, most probably after the next general elections. Thus MDC-T will be seen to be keeping its promise and obeying the Germany (Western) command to return the land to the white farmers. At the same time, MDC-T would logically “deserve” and be entitled to freely access the promised NGO funds.

Simultaneously, the MDC-T rejection of the Kariba draft is intended to buy time, delay elections as much as possible and allow the present government to run much longer and give MDC-T time to penetrate the traditional stronghold of Zanu PF. Access to the promised NGO funds will thus ensure effective ground work that will enhance the chances of MDC-T to win the general election.

Zimbabweans, we should get really very, very worried.

Labels: KARIBA DRAFT CONSTITUTION, MDC, NGOs

posted by MrK @ 11:52 PM