I AM one of those few people who do not believe in conspiracy theories and will not advance any.
But let us debate the fact that there seems to be a pattern in the words expressed by the US President George W. Bush, UK Secretary for Foreign Affairs, David Miliband, MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, the “Elders”, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the Botswana President, Ian Khama.
Add Rhodesian born Lord Malloch-Brown and the “new kid on the block” who gave MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai “temporary leave to remain” in France and Germany last week, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, then you have a complete team that is “concerned about Zimbabwe”.
All these men behave like members of some particular family, and if anyone heard them speak on Zimbabwe, they use almost similar words, even before they have met to discuss the country.
Infact, I should hasten to say that they are all “relatives of the British” or are British descendants (save for France and Germany of course who speak only at the opportune time.)
They almost have a synchronised way of responding to Zimbabwe and the responses they give to media answers are almost similar.
The speeches they give on the country are almost memorised, for instance the expression “the people spoke on March 29” as if June 27 does not exist at all. They are blind to June 27, yet refer to Robert Mugabe as President and invite him to the UN General Assembly and maintain diplomatic relations with his Government. Surely the first true gesture would be to withdraw their ambassadors. Or am I wrong? That would send a very clear signal. Wouldn’t it? President Bush still has his ambassador, James McGee still tucked away nicely in Samora Machel Avenue.
After the harmonised June 27 election these people, save for the “Elders”, used the word “sham election” which was first mentioned by the MDC President, then the other players “caught the bug” and their accompanying media and activists followed suit. Now that phrase has been dropped.
Is it a coincidence that unelected President Khama met with President Motlanthe at a time when the “Elders” and Morgan Tsvangirai were in South Africa? Is it also a coincidence that Raila Odinga is ratcheting up pressure from crisis-ridden Kenya at about the same time as Tsvangirai is meeting with Western leaders? Where was Odinga the last few months?
Odinga seems to suggest the impossible all the time and sounds almost like he is reading from an unfamiliar script. How can he honestly suggest peace keeping troops in Zimbabwe? To do what? To monitor the cholera outbreak? And besides, where are the troops going to come from? There is a shortage of AU/UN troops in Somalia and the DR Congo. The man does not seem to know what else is happening in other parts of Africa.
Is it also a coincidence that outgoing US President, George W. Bush has called the government of Zimbabwe “illegitimate” at about the same time?
The world community, or should I say the ‘UK-US-Community’ seems to have been shocked by the decision of SADC. The reaction by this “Community” was almost nauseating starting with Tsvangirai – on a charity trip – saying Zimbabwe will not last for more than two months without a Government, but at the same time refusing to join an all-inclusive Cabinet.
Zimbabweans have died, have been maimed, have endured more pain than Tsvangirai can ever imagine in the last 10 years. What is two months to them, if not the time he spent in Botswana when people were dying from post-electoral violence? While he was being groomed for Presidency and looking at which campaign coach to buy with secret funders’ money, Zimbabwe was burning.
Allies of the US-UK-Community have pledged more funds for “humanitarian assistance” a week after saying they were considering further sanctions. France made a pledge and so did Germany to assist Zimbabweans, but at the same time lobbied for more sanctions through the EU.
Besides, if the “Elders” were in Zimbabwe were there to assess the extent of the problem, how come the pledges were made without the report of the “Elders”?
President Bush has also indicated that Washington will extend sanctions, or rather “targeted sanctions” if a government is not put in place. He also, in the same breath, says humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe will be increased. What a joke. At least his policies are consistently flawed: he dropped bombs and burgers in Iraq; he destroyed and reconstructed.
I am yet to understand the logic behind all these statements issued by this “family” of leaders. The US-UK-Community has an agenda which has nothing to do with the plight of Zimbabweans and they should now come in the open, if they are not already in the open.
The “Elders,” it is shocking, defied the work of the SADC Community, the UN-WFP reports, the reports by the Government of Zimbabwe and many other NGOs and charity groups in the country. They wanted to come in for 48 hours and assess work that has taken specialised agencies months to assess.
Kofi Annan as former Secretary General of the UN should know how impossible the task of finding out the extent of a humanitarian problem in 48 hours was.
One professor Stan Mukasa said on SW Radio on his “Letter From America” show that there is nothing the “Elders” would not know about Zimbabwe given the improvements in telecommunications in this day and age. I wondered: “So what’s the fuss about visiting Zimbabwe?” He is also the same person who compared a 400 year old US political system with a 28 year old Zimbabwean political system – one which is still being subjected to interference by the former. Interesting critics, activists, analysts!
philipmurombedzi@yahoo.com
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Mhofeti • pasizw@yahoo.co.uk Subject: Why do you hate Mugabe so much? Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:44:03 • Jo, your personal hatred of the person of president Mugabe is pathetic. Where is this idea about only Mugabe is right coming from? Where do you get this assumption that Mugabe is alone? It's an open secret that UK, USA and allies threw away any diplomacy and openly said they want a regime change in Zimbabwe. USA and its western allies then imposed crippling sanctions as a stimulus for the revolt that would lead to Mugabe's ouster. The fact that USA and UK can publicly claim sanctions are for protecting ordinary citizens from Mugabe says depth about their view of Zimbabweans' if not Africans' capacity to reason. Inspite of it all Mugabe polled at least 40% of the presidential vote in March 2008 and you are welcome to deny he still commands significant respect and support in Zimbabwe.
jo • jojo@yahoo.com Subject: mugabe right? Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:46:17 • and all those people are wrong and only mugabe is right?
Clarabella, Manchester • na. Subject: RHETORIC BINDS Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:21:03 • Raila Odinga Ratcheting up pressure - what an amazing expression, Philip! You have such a way with words!
After watching Panorama last night on how the Ministers are all fiddling funds in Sierra Leone and Uganda dont you think that just perhaps, maybe the same is going on in Kenya becos they have everything going for them yet they are screaming for more funding?
Everytime someone from that side of the continent yells Foul in Zimbabwe! another scoop of the coffers in Kenya takes place, while the next one stands in line rubbing his sweaty hands to scoop.
how come they have so much money and are doing so well in tourism yet they are broke and starving? How embarrassing for Obama.
when the Queen was in Uganda a year ago for Chogm did they show her the true state of their Ministry of Health, despite all their funding? Never, and they will never show the three wise monkeys the true state of Zimbabwe if they ever get across our borders.
the lives of Zimbabweans mean stuff all to these foreign bystanders who just want to get their hands on a country that is still one of the most amazing on the continent of Africa.
in the meantime they continue to hold all ZDs (Zimbabwean Diasporans) as hostage by their negative input - binding them to their sides with their rhetoric mouthing on a country they surmise to know all about....
Pachatofamunhu Chete • n/a Subject: n/a Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:19:34 • Well said bro! Its just that the western countries economies are now bankrupt.They have to find resources elsewhere from which to start funding their profligate lifestyles otherwise they are doomed! A few of them stole and this has had repercussions that are now afflicting their povo and theirs is a very restless and spoilt povo which cannot stand the notion of going hungry! Hence they need to remove leaders like Mugabe replacing them with imbeciles like Tsvangirai who can give them carte blanche access to our resources as long as they are pronounced ''president'' and ''his excellency''. Just look at ''elder'' Annan and the slapper from Mozambique to get an idea of what this charade is all about. However, in Bob, they still have a long, long way to go! At his age it will take a lot of effort on the part of both these young pretenders and political upstarts as well as their so-called senior statesmen to know how to deal with him! The man is just brilliant, straight forward and they should know what he wants. Simple! All there is to it is a sense of fair play and the realisation that Zimbabwe is an independent country that has a right to choose who its friends are going to be. Zimbabwe also wants to be able to trade with other countries fairly, paying and being paid for its resources without being shortchanged by the global corporate thieves who have set up a group of embarrassing and politically naive upstarts as ''elders''. Otherwise with Bob this is one guerilla warfare they are not going win! Its a pity that people like Carter would nearly suffer Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) flying all the way to Africa from America on a mission they knew had already failed long before they had even boarded their cut price Virgin Airline flight to SA! They never learn!
Mhofeti • pasizw@yahoo.co.uk Subject: Phillip Murombedzi Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:52:39 • Philip has consistently and successfully put himself across so clearly that most of the responses to his articles have resorted to name-calling and all sorts of Mugabe and Zanu PF allegations. You can barely fault his research and facts. If it was the X-factor audition that was going to be another YES from me. GO GO GO!!!.
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