Hurting the poor to gain political office

DEAR EDITOR—THE recent developments in Zambia and Botswana leave a bitter taste in my mouth. The Botswana government, has stopped bulk fuel movements into Zimbabwe and I understand will be introducing visas for entry into the country. The Zambian government now has a quota on entry by Zimbabweans at the border. They are calling traders prostitutes and not allowing them entry into Zambia.

How do you know a prostitute before you catch them ‘selling sex’? Zambians have forgotten that we used to allow floods of Zambians into Zimbabwe during the ‘copper slump’ days.

I cannot help to think that these two countries are Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s best backers at the moment and are the ones being arm twisted by the U.S. to pressure Sadc to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Remember President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia called for an extra-ordinary summit on Zimbabwe which then ended up as a rubber stamp for what people were already saying—that President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa should be allowed to mediate.

It is surprising that Seretse Ian Khama, a new President is already encouraging division, rather than bringing both leaders to the negotiating table.

It sounds like Arthur Mutambara taking over the presidency of one faction of the MDC, taking a jibe at Morgan Tsvangirai calling him an ‘intellectual midget’, only to be seen sitting down with him in South Africa, endorsing his presidency a few months later.

I call this 'thinking in reverse'.

Mr Tsvangirai should realise that Zimbabweans are already suffering and further sanctions against Zimbabwe will only hurt the people he is purporting to help.

To Mr Tsvangirai I have to say if you want to be a Mahatma Ghandhi, a Malcolm X, a Martin Luther King Jr., or a Mother Theresa help the people of Zimbabwe, not hurt them. He is sitting pretty commuting between Botswana and South Africa in a private jet afforded him by Ian Khama when Zimbabweans are dying.

Tsvangirai said, "Do you want a dead hero?" No Mr Tsvangirai, but are you a hero? A hero is seen by their deeds. A hero doesn't live away from the poor. Jesus was my hero. Mr King Jr. was my hero. They understood the needs of the poor and meek and did not seek political office.
 

I also have to remind Mr Tsvangirai that during Zimbabwe’s Liberation War, leaders remained amongst their people, got incarcerated and spent decades in prisons—they wanted to be among their people and suffer with them. Yes they set up bases abroad, like you did in America, Britain, UK and Australia; but they remained at home amongst the people.

Stop calling for sanctions against your own people to gain political office; and then have the audacity to call yourself a hero.

To Mr Tsvangirai I say: "You have just robbed my brother, Mike of a livelihood. He was selling petrol across the Zimbabwe-Botswana border." 

Peter Chimutsa

peterchimutsa@yahoo.com