Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Obi Egbuna
22 April 2008
opinion
Washignton,DC — Because Mother Africa's children, whether at home or abroad, are ancestral products of colonialism and slavery, we realise that fighting for democracy and human rights is an extension of our struggle for liberation and human dignity. The most intense phase of this process deals with barring our former colonial and slave masters from imposing their definitions of these concepts on us or to diminish our genuine efforts to achieve these noble objectives.
Those among us who choose this approach are almost guaranteed to be attacked viciously and mercilessly, since Africa's past and present exploiters feel it is not our place to plan our future without their approval or validation.
While the elections in Zimbabwe that took place on March 29, 2008 focused on four different levels of government; local government, senate, House of Assembly and presidential; Zimbabwe's President Cde Mugabe and the ruling party Zanu-PF approached the process with a two-fold responsibility: Firstly, to give Zimbabweans an electoral process with the level of fairness they had become accustomed to, and secondly preventing the imperialist duo of George W. Bush and Gordon Brown from exploiting the developments for their own benefit.
The American and British governments have campaigned tirelessly to convince the world that democracy cannot flourish in Zimbabwe without their watchful eye and direct involvement. This interpretation of politics in Zimbabwe is only embraced by those who are either ignorant of the country's history or for subjective reasons, have chosen to overlook it.
The first opposition party in Zimbabwe, after the Unity Accord was signed between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu, was formed by Zanu-PF's former secretary general Edgar Tekere who accompanied Cde Mugabe to Mozambique to direct the final phase of the Second Chimurenga (the armed struggle).
Tekere formed the Zimbabwe Unity Movement and challenged Cde Mugabe for the Sate presidency in 1990. He claimed he was opposing the proposed one-party State and was committed to a socialist driven economy.
Ex-combatant, Margaret Dongo wanted to challenge President Mugabe in the 1996 presidential election but was found to be below the minimum age required for the presidency, 40 years. Dongo contested the Harare South constituency seat as an independent, won and latter formed the Zimbabwe Union of Democrats.
Former Minister of Information and Publicity Professor Jonathan Moyo, after being expelled from Zanu-PF, was also linked to a political party called the United People's Movement. He contested the Tsholotsho constituency as an independent and won.
This is why Western media claims that Simba Makoni's departure from Zanu-PF was something monumental and unprecedented, simply do not wash.
The unwarranted attacks by Western opposition in relation to President Mugabe and Zanu-PF's efforts to maintain democratic standards during elections, have taken on a predictable character since their tactics of choice are on display for the third time this decade.
The US State Department initially persuaded the oldest civil/human rights group the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) not to publish their report of the Presidential elections in 2002, and for the 2005 parliamentary elections the reports of the (Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Southern African Development Community, and the African Union) were ignored by Western media, NGOs, and the British-based Amnesty International and US-based Human Rights Watch who appear rather comfortable in echoing London and Washington's isolationist views of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.
On April 2 2008, The Washington Post's express magazine published an excerpt from an interview conducted by the Associated Press with Mrs Imani Countess who is the senior policy advisor for Washington DC based TransAfrica Forum. The article stated Mrs Countess was an observer to the elections in Zimbabwe and quoted her as saying she had a conversation with a high level Zanu-PF official, who shared with her that the ruling party would use all instruments at their disposal to remain in power. This information raised several questions. Firstly, why would the Associated Press refer to Mrs Countess as an election observer when her organisation was not invited to observe the elections?
How does withholding the identity of the Zanu-PF senior official who made these remarks help the people of Zimbabwe? Why would any Zanu-PF official share such incriminating comments with an organisation that is its biggest critic in the African American community in the United States? It appears the current propaganda slant President Mugabe and Zanu-PF's detractors both inside and outside Zimbabwe want to project is -- corruption and intimidation are the only way Zanu-PF can hold on to power.
This explains why the convener of the Southern African Political Economy Series Dr Ibbo Mandaza and senior advisor to Makoni told The Mail and Guardian that intelligence agents representing the MOSSAD of Zionist Israel, were in Harare six months before the elections to plan vote rigging and sabotage exercises at the invitation of the ruling party. The claim was supported further by MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti who claimed an Israeli IT company called Cogniview provided President Mugabe with technical support to "rig" the elections.
The MDC-T and Mandaza want Zimbabweans and observers throughout the world to believe that the British and US governments would allow an alliance between Zimbabwe's CIO and Israel's MOSSAD, when we know that President Mugabe and Zanu-PF have maintained the strongest ties with the Palestinian people arguably more than any party or government in the Sadc region or Africa for that matter.
This attempt to link President Mugabe and Zanu-PF to the intelligence agency of Zionist Israel, is even more absurd than US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's reference to MDC-T as a peaceful opposition party in his resolution submitted to the US Senate and Congress attacking President Mugabe and Zanu-PF in March of 2007.
President Mugabe and Zanu-PF are teaching Africa's daughters and sons that practicing democracy is directly connected to defending your sovereignty. We must commend President Mugabe and Zanu-PF for creating a political atmosphere and demonstrating a flexible approach, in the face of Britain and American attempts to force illegal and racist regime change in the name of democracy and human rights.
Zimbabwe's elections were observed by 14 regional and sub regional organisations, all 13 countries from southern Africa, 10 other African countries, five Asian countries, four countries from the Americas, one from Europe and a Liberation Movement from the US -- the December 12 Movement.
It should be noted that Nigeria and Ghana were invited to observe the elections despite the fact that President John Kufour while chairing the African Union criticised President Mugabe and Zanu-PF for the way the altercation with Tsvangirai's goons and MDC was handled on March 11, and in December shortly before the EU-Africa summit in Portugal Nigerian President Yardua attacked President Mugabe for what he called "heavy handed tactics against his opposition."
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is performing the function that was assigned to various bodies in previous elections. The dynamics and procedure were explained by Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa to the Sadc Group of Ambassadors on April 10th 2008.
The main concerns raised by the collective groups was whether the election results of the Parliament reflect people's frustration with the sanctions and if Zimbabwe was in a position to finance run-offs in light of the current economic challenges.
The "Sadc" meeting in Lusaka chaired by Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa on April 13 2008 saw the collective body commend the Government of Zimbabwe for ensuring that elections were conducted in a peaceful environment.
The body also commended Sadc facilitator Thabo Mbeki and his facilitation team for the role they played in ensuring elections were successful, and commended the people of Zimbabwe for their peaceful demeanour they maintained before and after elections.
Because this conclusion was reached even after unofficial consultations with both opposition candidates -- Tsvangirai and Makoni, President Mugabe and Zanu-PF can look forward to Washington and Britain accusing Sadc of quiet diplomacy, instead of realising their brand of diplomacy is without eyes or ears since they refuse to listen to those in the region who have the most to lose if Zimbabwe loses complete political and economic stability.
The task of reinventing Tsvangirai has truly taken its toll on London and Washington. In nine years, he has gone from a trade unionist fighting for workers, to a lobbyist who was to convince his own family sanctions against Zimbabwe were better than defending the land reclamation programme, to a civil disobedience maverick who encouraged throwing petrol bombs at police stations was an act of peaceful protest, to now becoming Zimbabwe's "new president" beginning the dawning of a new era in Southern Africa.
If Tsvangirai is given too much exposure he will become like the meteorologist that always gets the weather forecast wrong.
On February 17 2008 the Washington Post's Parade Magazine ranked President Mugabe the "sixth worst dictator" in the world, the sources for this annual ranking system comes from the US State Department, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters without Borders even though President Mugabe was ranked among the bottom half, he had the distinction of having an entire article dedicated to him entitled My Life Under a Dictator written by Jabulani Moyo who teaches at a small college in the US where he was placed by the Scholar Rescue Fund of the Institute of International Education.
If the Blair and Bush administrations believe true democracy is to let all voices be heard, when will the travel ban be lifted on President Mugabe and Zanu-PF in order for them to travel around the US and UK, with the same latitude that MDC continues to have.
This leaves us with one question who should have the last word on Democracy in Zimbabwe, those who once colonised the nation or those who liberated it?
l Obi Egbuna is a member of the Pan African Liberation Organisation and Zimbabwe-Cuba Friendship Association.
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People like you who are enjoying Bush's American dream, and eating apple pie should never ever try to lecture us on what democracy is. We know whats good for us, we know who is good for us and we are certainly learned enough not to eat your whole load of hogwash!! Slavery and colonialism are long gone phases that people like you always try to use as an excuse to avoid criticism from the west. Why then are you not living in your beloved dictator-infested Africa??
I find it strange the writer is living outside Zimbabwe, perhaps he is enjoying the vestiges of slavery under white rule condoned by Britian while taking white electricity and white cars and white petrol to go to his white work. his delusion is of the same level as Muagabes. Where does my land generate these people from I have no idea. If he went to school in Zimbabwe he wrote British examinations, read from Europen books and drove an european car. He also flew to America in a european made jet. But he condemns all that plus more in his commentary. Zimbabwe is where it is NOT because of Britian or white people but from bad management by a dictator who has failed his people, and failed Africa and we should treat him as such, a failed leader.To put the blame on the West just doesnt wash anymore.Look to yourself to solve the problem. You ran away from Zimbabwe to feed yourself on western riches, if you were a true Zimbabwean you would be there voting for your failed president.
I am white, I am American and have no connection whatsoever to Zimbabwe, it's people or politics. However, I am saddened by what has transpired in Zimbabwe.
At the present, I can see no hope in sight for the people of Zimbabwe. Their current leaders, and others in other countries, cling to an idea of "liberation" whose time has passed, in case you didn't get the memo - you won! The colonizers have left. In the REAL world, the well-being of the people results from commerce. Who in the "West" wants to invest in Zimbabwe at the current time, when there is no guarantee that their investments will be respected? China might be willing, but their investments will only be for raw materials and "security cooperation". What do you think the eventual bill from China will be for their current support?
Zimbabwe is in it's current state because the ZANU-PF do not recognize property ownership (except for themselves). Russia has given up on this myopic Marxist idea, as has China. At a certain point, there will be no more white citizens in Zimbabwe - who will the ZANU-PF blame then? Who is to blame for 80% unemployment and 160,000% inflation? it is not the West!
it is not the West that is conspiring to cause the economic catastrophe that is presently afflicting Zimbabwe - there is a LOT of money circulating in the global economy that is not from the West looking for opportunities to make a profit, AND enough money that certain investors will look for a mutually beneficial relationship. Where is India's venture capitalists?, Taiwan's? What about Venezuela's Hugo Chavez (who similarly has no respect of property rights)? What about Iran? Where are the counties that allegedly helped supervise the recent "elections" in their investment in Zimbabwe? What is the profit motive for ANYONE to invest in a country that ignores property rights in a country that has shown a propensity to rig elections, yet still vainly calls itself democratic? ZANU-PF has shunned the opportunity to be a viable part of the world economy and resultingly, has impoverished the people of Zimbabwe. I seem to recall that the ANC took over power from a similarly white/colonialist racist regime and they (despite their problems) have managed not to throw their entire economy into chaos! Why should ZANU-PF be considered any differently? They've had MORE time than the ANC to "set things right" and yet their economy is doing far better than Zimbabwe's.
If you want to rant on with racial hatred or the old Marxist ideology of "redistribution of wealth", well, most of the whites have left Zimbabwe, who are the ZANU-PF going to fleece next when there are no more white farmers? They certainly aren't going to take land they themselves took from white farmers and give it to the poor are they? The Chinese themselves have somehow gotten around this ideological hurdle and they seem to be doing quite well!
It's not about ideology! It's about results! ZANU-PF has failed to bring the people the prosperity they once had and currently deserve. Somehow, Zimbabwean's standard of living has fallen dramatically the last 25 years, even though infrastructure, healthcare and education were all considered to be in good condition when ZANU-PF took over from Ian Smith's Rhodesia! Anywhere else on earth, they would be thrown out of Power. Even the Russians and the Chinese have discovered that the legitimacy of their power derives from the well-being of the people they claim to represent. The "revolution is over"! The people of Zimbabwe threw out Ian Smith, it's been over 25 years since he's been there, how much longer can anyone blame him or the former colonial powers (with any credibility) for what's gone wrong since he/they left power?
The bigger problem is not how to overthrow a government like Ian Smith's (no matter how illegitimate) but how to govern once you obtain power. The results provided by ZANU-PF are a sorry testimony to post-revolutionary promise that Zimbabwe once held. Again, 80% unemployment and 160,000% inflation are enough an indictment of this regime whatever their ideology - but is it not the impoverishment of the people of Zimbabwe not enough of a farce for their African neighbors, let alone the World community, to demand a change?
What is happening in Zimbabwe today is not about the correction of the past , but about selfishness from a few minority Black African rulers who are the worst oppressors. Mugabe is simply denying people their voice and right> If the people have chosen to go back to the colonial life there is a reason for that and their wish should be granted. Who is Mugabe who is already finished , what can he tell the Children of Zimbabwe whom he is killing each and every day. The people are fed up and they have spoken, and the more you force yourself to be their leader the further they will sail away from your crude ideas and rule. Zimbabwe cannot fight for slavery that happened in the past moreover there were no slaves taken from Zimbabwe, why then should Mugabe use that as the reason of extending his rule. Really why did he decide to have elections if he was'nt going to respect the people's choice, wasting tax payer's money as is the norm in Black leadership.
As a South African it really hurts to read your thoughts on the matter. Driving out farmers, raping and torturing opposition leaders, bulldozing communities, 80% unemployment, 160,000% inflation, stuffing ballot boxes. This is not freedom for the people of Zimbabwe. You may not be starving in Washington, but most of your coutnrymen are. Robert Mugabe lives in incomparable luxury while his people suffer intolerably.
Racism, appartheid, colonialism, slavery. I agree that these inexplicable evils have left a horendous void of value and morality. But selfish aspiration, greed, violence and dictatorship are not an improvement. The people of Zimbabwe (perhaps apart from a wealthy few) have less freedom that under any of the previous horendous regimes. Out of them all this is the worst. People are dying. There is no food. Please, you are an educated black Zimbabwean, if the anger you feel can change you can bring a change too. Please don't turn a blind eye to what is really going on. Please. Let's bring the oppressed freedom. We can work together on this.
Isaiah 58 is a good place to start.
Matt
The writer of this article is very foolish. I guess you have never been to Zimbabwe and you write from the comfort of USA. You don't know how it feels like to live under a dicatator. Its unfortunate that you wasted your time writing this hogwash.
Why is this Cmde Obi Egbuna living in a first world country enjoying first world country living standards and then critisizing their leaders decisions ? Why don't he live among his advocating regime mates (Mugabe etc ). He is a member of the Pan African Liberation Organisation and Zimbabwe-Cuba Friendship Association. Meaning actually a terrorist organisation. Look at the recent history of African countries who fought for freedom, there is hunger and food aid because the freedom fighter regimes can not supply for their people. Please don't hide behind the fight for freedom, ancestral colonialism slavery excuses. YOU CAN NOT DO IT.
I beleive the writer is an Ibo extract from Nigeria who has forgotten the struggle his people had gone through under military dictators and how corruption and social degradation has almost eroded the fabric of our existence in Nigeria. We have never been able to step into the future brcause of people like him who will never leave the past because the thought of the future is too frightening. The Ibo's in Nigeria after the Biafran war have always stood in the side lines and have never been able to integrate fully into the Nigerian society. They are suspecious of every one and Mr Egbuna has deep rooted Biafran mentality. The idea that every western country is out to rape Africa and plunder us,what about Africans like Robert Mugabe who are raping and plundering their people. Zimbabwe has thrived in the past and has been an economic driving force in Southern Africa does it take sactions on Mugabe's movement to destroy all that or is it as a result of a small group of people looting and completely destroying the future of their people.(Common to African nations-like Nigeria) So Mr Egbuna you of Biafran origin who has no clear understanding of what being free to choose who leads you means revisit your roots and your elders back in Iboland will teach you. Toks