DO you not cringe when you see Zimbabwean so-called political analysts and lawyers on the BBC or some other international media trying to look philosophical and intellectual talking ‘dirty’ about their own country and its leadership, but failing to condemn the sanctions regime that has crippled the country’s economy, or put Zimbabwe in its right political context?
Many of these ‘political analysts’ do not seem to have a wider understanding of the gravity of the Zimbabwean problem and its historical basis. They concentrate on what I choose to call ‘symptoms’ of a wider problem; or the ‘bread and butter issues’.
They also seem to enjoy being on TV more than debating the issues that made them go there in the first place. The debate on Zimbabwe has produced a ‘political Pop Idol’ with many characters moulded into cartoon political characters—the equivalent of Simon Cowell’s rejects on the real Pop Idol.
I am yet to see any other country, war-torn or otherwise, churning out so many ‘analysts’ that have no solid intellectual and historical understanding of the issues they debate..
Iraqis were seen on the BBC, CNN and many other international media condemning military action on Iraq, yet the bunch of Zimbabweans seem to enjoy the purported courtesy of the media and the ‘respect’ they enjoy on these fora without necessarily looking deep at the real issues at hand.
I saw one Zimbabwean lawyer on the BBC trying to look intellectual and philosophical arguing about how the world had been silent on Mugabe and how Mugabe was feeding from the inconsistencies of the international community to ‘perpetuate his dictatorship’ yet a few minutes before that programme, the same channel she was on had shown the number of people dying in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hands of the British and American troops.
The inability of these analysts to make reasoned connections between world events and what is happening in Zimbabwe today is mind-boggling, to say the least. British and American people on many programmes condemn the actions of their governments internationally. Recently, we saw anti-war protestors in Westminster ‘fighting’ to drive a point to President Bush whom they called a ‘murderer’ responsible for many deaths in the Middle East. Our own analysts have the audacity to go on international TV stations and beg for help from those same people, whom they think will bring democracy to Zimbabwe. This is indeed very embarrassing and shameful.
I think when we fail to realise that real change will come from within, we forfeit our ability to resolve our own problems without undue influence. I do not condone the violence in Zimbabwe and neither do I support any action that intimidates and terrorises people; but I also feel it is myopic to mortgage our struggle to foreigners, who in most cases, have their own hidden agendas.
Just to clarify a point. I think Zimbabweans have every right to get involved in discussions on their country, on TV; but I think before they do so, they should understand the wider context of the Zimbabwean problem and not use shallow arguments to analyse complicated issues. Oftentimes, I find it hard to believe that the BBC, et al, continues to invite these people to offer some analyses of the Zimbabwean problem and each time these analysts get it completely wrong or follow the lead of those interviewing them. This is sad.
When I listen to broadcasts on the internet and the arguments of the defenders of the MDC, I feel like I am living on a different planet. Three weeks ago, every analyst was predicting a landslide victory for Morgan Tsvangirai. They were saying MDC supporters will not be stopped or deterred by any level of violence or intimidation; yet when Morgan pulled out they were quick to endorse him, and also flipped the script. Today, they all use the term ‘sham election’ as if there is no other alternative expression.
Simple advice to the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera (English), etc: Do not put your media houses into disrepute by inviting shallow analysts and also learn to debate real issues: sanctions (Zidera 2002), IMF/WB policies, Lancaster House Constitution and the reneging of the British government on its land compensation obligations, interference in other countries’ affairs, colonial legacy, North/South trade and economic relations and imbalances, etc. These are some of the pertinent questions that need to be addressed on any Zimbabwean debate, rather than all these cosmetic issues you discuss, that are meant to win you viewership.
Advice to Zimbabweans: Learn to say, ‘No’ when you are invited to a debate whose issues you do not fully comprehend. This will help you retain your dignity and you avoid looking like an idiot in front of the whole world. Also, you do not have to like the MDC if you hate President Mugabe. Do not be polarized. Learn to make your own mind up and read more about the history of the conflict of your country before becoming an un-appointed ambassador and authority on the Zimbabwean situation.
This simple piece of advice, hopefully, will do good to everybody: the interviewer and the interviewee and those listening or watching.
Fungai Maphosa • chivasregalx5@yahoo.com Subject: House Slaves..... Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:50:34 • I have watched Haru Mutasa, Tererai Karimakwenda, Vincent Magombe, Wilf Mbanga talk /analyse the Zimbabwean situation with a bleeding heart. These guys and gal remind me of house slaves or house niggers. I say so advisedly.
If you're afraid of black nationalism, you're afraid of revolution. And if you love revolution, you love black nationalism. To understand this, you have to go back to what the young brother here referred to as the house Negro and the field Negro
back during slavery. There were two kinds of slaves, the house Negro and the field Negro. The house Negroes - they lived in the house with master, they dressed pretty good, they ate good because they ate his food - what he left. They lived in the attic or the basement, but still they lived near the master; and they loved the master more than the master loved himself. They would give their life to save the master's house - quicker than the master would. If the master said, We got a good house here, the house Negro would say, Yeah, we got a good house here. Whenever the master said we, he said we. That's how you can tell a house Negro.
If the master's house caught on fire, the house Negro would fight harder to put the blaze out than the master would. If the
master got sick, the house Negro would say, What's the matter, boss, we sick? We sick! He identified himself with his master, more than his master identified with himself. And if you came to the house Negro and said, Let's run away, let's escape, let's separate, the house Negro would look at you and say, Man, you crazy. What you mean, separate? Where is there a better house than this? Where can I wear better clothes than this? Where can I eat better food than this? That was that house Negro. In those days he was called a house nigger. And that's what we call them today, because we've still got some house niggers running around here.
This modern house Negro loves his master. He wants to live near him. He'll pay three times as much as the house is worth just to live near his master, and then brag about I'm the only Negro out here. I'm the only one on my job. I'm the only one in this school. You're nothing but a house Negro. And if someone comes to you right now and says, Let's separate, you say the same thing that the house Negro said on the plantation. What you mean, separate? From America, this good white man? Where you going to get a better job than you get here? I mean, this is what you say. I ain't left nothing in Africa, that's what you say. Why, you left your mind in Africa.
On that same plantation, there was the field Negro. The field Negroes - those were the masses. There were always more Negroes in the field than there were Negroes in the house. The Negro in the field caught hell. He ate leftovers. In the house they ate high up on the hog. The Negro in the field didn't get anything but what was left of the insides of the hog.
The field Negro was beaten from morning to night; he lived in a shack, in a hut; he wore old, castoff clothes. He hated his master. I say he hated his master. He was intelligent. That house Negro loved his master, but that field Negro - remember, they were in the majority, and they hated the master. When the house caught on fire, he didn't try to put it out; that field Negro prayed for a wind, for a breeze. When the master got sick, the field Negro prayed that he'd die. If someone came to the field Negro and said, Let's separate, let's run, he didn't say, Where we going? He'd say, Any place is better than here. - Courtesy to Malcolm X.
Fungai Maphosa • chivasregalx5@yahoo.com Subject: House Slaves..... Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:49:37 • I have watched Haru Mutasa, Tererai Karimakwenda, Vincent Magombe, Wilf Mbanga talk /analyse the Zimbabwean situation with a bleeding heart. These guys and gal remind me of house slaves or house niggers. I say so advisedly.
If you're afraid of black nationalism, you're afraid of revolution. And if you love revolution, you love black nationalism. To understand this, you have to go back to what the young brother here referred to as the house Negro and the field Negro
back during slavery. There were two kinds of slaves, the house Negro and the field Negro. The house Negroes - they lived in the house with master, they dressed pretty good, they ate good because they ate his food - what he left. They lived in the attic or the basement, but still they lived near the master; and they loved the master more than the master loved himself. They would give their life to save the master's house - quicker than the master would. If the master said, We got a good house here, the house Negro would say, Yeah, we got a good house here. Whenever the master said we, he said we. That's how you can tell a house Negro.
If the master's house caught on fire, the house Negro would fight harder to put the blaze out than the master would. If the
master got sick, the house Negro would say, What's the matter, boss, we sick? We sick! He identified himself with his master, more than his master identified with himself. And if you came to the house Negro and said, Let's run away, let's escape, let's separate, the house Negro would look at you and say, Man, you crazy. What you mean, separate? Where is there a better house than this? Where can I wear better clothes than this? Where can I eat better food than this? That was that house Negro. In those days he was called a house nigger. And that's what we call them today, because we've still got some house niggers running around here.
This modern house Negro loves his master. He wants to live near him. He'll pay three times as much as the house is worth just to live near his master, and then brag about I'm the only Negro out here. I'm the only one on my job. I'm the only one in this school. You're nothing but a house Negro. And if someone comes to you right now and says, Let's separate, you say the same thing that the house Negro said on the plantation. What you mean, separate? From America, this good white man? Where you going to get a better job than you get here? I mean, this is what you say. I ain't left nothing in Africa, that's what you say. Why, you left your mind in Africa.
On that same plantation, there was the field Negro. The field Negroes - those were the masses. There were always more Negroes in the field than there were Negroes in the house. The Negro in the field caught hell. He ate leftovers. In the house they ate high up on the hog. The Negro in the field didn't get anything but what was left of the insides of the hog.
The field Negro was beaten from morning to night; he lived in a shack, in a hut; he wore old, castoff clothes. He hated his master. I say he hated his master. He was intelligent. That house Negro loved his master, but that field Negro - remember, they were in the majority, and they hated the master. When the house caught on fire, he didn't try to put it out; that field Negro prayed for a wind, for a breeze. When the master got sick, the field Negro prayed that he'd die. If someone came to the field Negro and said, Let's separate, let's run, he didn't say, Where we going? He'd say, Any place is better than here. - Courtesy to Malcolm X.
jinja boots • faz2@sky.com Subject: join pop idol Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:29:29 • phillip yu are dead right , zimbabwe is being debated by people who have crammed from the media such words like regime,dictator,tyrrany,genocide,henchmen,brutal,murder , flawed election process,violence and state sponsored intimidation,calling upon the west to interverne ,etc in describing Mugabe and they feel happy to mention these words while on television, the so called mdc representatives in uk its actually a pity to think these are the people representing opposition party which is fighting to rule zimbabwe our beloved country it's sad ,these guys are empty politically ,the history they know and remember was when they were having stay aways that's it .
Chief Negomo • chiefnegomo@yahoo.com Subject: WHY CANT WE ALL C Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:05:12 • A noble idea.This is what has caused the MDC fail to move from opposition to proposition.Its the calibre of its leaders and no wonder why its supporters.
At one time speaking to an MDC apologist,he argued on why i was bringing issues of somalia,iraq and Afghanstan.That failure to engage a world political discourse makes their contributions and ideologies a charade
na • na Subject: join pop idol Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:18:30 • you are right on the money.I could not agree with you more .
SUBMITYOUROPINION
Please make sure you fill in all sections for your post to be submitted. Use n/a if not submitting details. The submission code below is case-sensitive. Also make sure you get confirmation that your comment has been submitted.
