Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Mabasa Sasa
12 November 2008
opinion
WHEN Welshman Ncube walked out of the Sandton Convention Centre committee room where Sadc leaders had gathered to discuss Zimbabwe's Cabinet stand-off on Sunday, he had very few words for the media personnel eagerly waiting for any form of news from behind the closed door.
It is always an interesting encounter when journalists and lawyers are put in the same room.
The professions make up two-thirds of that breed of the human species that loves to hear the sound of its own voice and sincerely believes there is no melody more pleasing to the ear (the other third are politicians).
And after half a day of waiting for anything that can excite the readership, the journalists were almost bursting with anticipation that Ncube, the MDC secretary-general, would shoot his mouth off.
Instead, he had very few words for the media practitioners present.
"Tsvangirai must realise that he has reached the end of the road. The game is up," Ncube said before walking away.
And this perhaps best sums up the climax of the saga that has been playing itself out in Zimbabwe since President Mugabe's landslide June 27 election win and his magnanimous offer to enter into negotiations with the parties he had vanquished.
Normally, in a war situation the victor decapitates the enemy so that he does not have to face the same problem again.
President Mugabe chose, rather, to rehabilitate the opposition and present them with the opportunity to become part of the nation-building agenda.
And maybe it was at this point that Morgan Tsvangirai started overplaying his hand. Or maybe still, he started overplaying his hand on that day he tried to pull out of the June 27 run-off.
The West, who have for years advised and funded the opposition, thought President Mugabe was in a weak position and his offer to enter into dialogue meant he was ready to negotiate himself and the revolution out of political existence.
That is why they felt they could demand anything and everything and Cde Mugabe would obsequiously deliver it to them on a silver platter.
Buoyed by the loud noises coming from little people in Gaborone, Tsvangirai started to swell with expectation and began assuming the posture of a very powerful figure.
The ill-advised posturing came to a head when a few weeks ago Tsvangirai refused to travel to Swaziland for meeting of the Sadc Organ Troika because he did not want to use an emergency travel document.
No mistake should be made about this issue.
Our leaders are human and it is highly unlikely that they took too kindly to being made to run around like that by an opposition politician who has never held elected office and who even as Prime Minister will still be unelected.
It was a wonder that the Troika even agreed to reschedule the meeting for Tsvangirai's convenience and perhaps this only served to give him an even bigger impression of his status in Sadc.
As is known, that meeting failed to put a full stop on Zimbabwe's political impasse and Tsvangirai must have grown in self-esteem when his push for a full Sadc summit was acquiesced to.
But already, he had badly overplayed his hand.
When Zanu-PF told the Troika that they were not comfortable with Tsvangirai getting sole control of the Ministry of Home Affairs because of the alleged training of militias, the opposition leader should have counted his losses.
Political negotiations are much like gambling at a casino table with a set of players you do not really know much about.
And every gambler knows that the secret to survival is knowing when to walk away and knowing when to run.
Tsvangirai should have deduced that with the allegations on the table it was not in his best interests for the matter to be referred to a full summit.
And with memories of Renamo and Unita still fresh (and with the present instability in the DRC), Sadc would not be amused with him.
It could have been a case of reckless advice from his buddies in the West, a matter of sheer ignorance or the reception of false assurances from Gaborone.
Whatever it was, Tsvangirai went to Sandton, South Africa, believing Sadc would ignore the allegations, label President Mugabe an unreasonable negotiator, declare a deadlock and refer the matter to the AU and on to the UN Security Council.
It is obvious that for Tsvangirai the issue at stake is not the Ministry of Home Affairs.
MDC-T was actively pursuing a collapse of the talks hoping that an engineered sequence of events would lead to the staging of a fresh poll that would install Tsvangirai in State House and confine Cde Mugabe to Zvimba, or, better still for them, The Hague.
It was a serious gamble and he lost it badly.
On Saturday evening, Tsvangirai is said to have sought a meeting with President Mugabe in Sandton (he did after all travel with that much-reviled ETD, unless someone across the border issued him with another means of travelling).
Information available indicates that Tsvangirai wanted to explore ways in which the matter of militias could be withdrawn from the table.
President Mugabe reportedly declined to this meeting, pointing out that Tsvangirai himself is the one who had pressed for a full summit and he should find the spine somewhere to face regional leaders and look them in the eye.
Then on Sunday morning, just before the summit officially opened, a curious sight greeted onlookers as US Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee sought out Tsvangirai's advisors and reportedly gave them assurances that everything would be okay if they stuck to their guns (no pun intended).
And somewhere in that milieu of American and other Western diplomats and British MI6 agents milling around the venue and posing as journalists, briefly emerged a character called Christopher Dell.
At the official opening, Sadc chair President Kgalema Montlanthe of South Africa made it clear that the bloc would not tolerate any more pussyfooting.
Tsvangirai should have realised then that the summit would not entertain any reopening of negotiations and would not look favourably at the allegations on the table.
Though party officials from the three sides will not speak on record about what was said about the militia issue during the closed door sessions, it is understood that the matter was discussed at length, reports were tabled and tough decisions were made.
Politicians being politicians, they acted as if the issue was never mentioned, but a single line in the final communiqué hints otherwise.
"The Extraordinary Summit considered the political and security situation in Zimbabwe . . ."
This conclusive decision by summit came after much persuasion by a number of regional leaders after realising that the opposition was angling for a collapse of the talks.
Namibia, for one, was consistent in its view that Tsvangirai was trying to widen the agenda to include ministries other than the Home Affairs brief and yet the summit was specifically called to address this one outstanding issue.
In the end, even Botswana failed to give Tsvangirai the surcease he had wanted and now the attempt to take up a matter with the AU and UN is nothing more than face-saving antics of a gambler who has overplayed his hand.
Tsvangirai essentially has two options: to comply with Sadc or to pursue the reckless agenda set for him in far-away Western capitals.
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Gt, It should not surprise anyone for Mabasa Sasa to be singled out and appear on the European/American sanctions list. The whole of Zimbabwe appears on that list and anyone who does not is simply a sellout. PERIOD. Infact all patriotic Zimbabweans should wish and strive to be on the list as this will show the whole world that we are a courageous and resilient people who brook no nonsense and interference from imperialists. Noone should fear inclusion as we are, afterall, suffering and dying under the sanctions that Tsvangirai called for.
The only people who should not be there but are there through geography are Tsvangirai and all those in the MDC who are providing the names for the list. Mutambara tried to disentangle himself from the imperialist web but was threatened with the withdrawal of his "Green Card" and now he is singing from the same hym book as Tsvangirai.
When he arrived in Swaziland for the Troika meeting that was boycotted by Tsvangirai, Mutambara, instead of condemning his fellow faction leader for boycotting, stunned journalists by declaring that nothing will move without Tsvangirai. This was contrary to what he had said at the Heroe's acre and what he had always said about Tsvangirai - that he listens too much to their handlers, hence has no mind of his own.
Therefore, if a sellout like Mutambara could be threatened with sanctions, why not a patriotic and revolutionary Zimbabwean like Mabasa Sasa, Takunya, Mabhiza, Wafawanaka, Shire and many others. That should not scare us a signle bit, but should infact give us more vigour and vitality to continue fighting to defend our country, our independence and the revolution, and expose Tsvangirai and his cohorts for what they are - traitors and sellouts.
Tukunya ndebvu can you define the meaning of sell-out? Because I believe sell-out was used in the 50s through to the 70s. And with the current Zimbabwean Government it was legitimate until some ten years ago when it started to force itself and impose itself on people. Such words began to surface and the issue of sanction was used as an excuse of failure. Anyone opposing Mugabe was labelled as a sell-out indeed that is a cheap word which any reasonable person will tell you that is a propaganda word used by failures. Sanctions are well known among us as Zimbabweans relating to excuses of failure as world. Zimbabwe can be competitive anytime if we desist to be selfish and use hate filled rhetoric. Such rhetoric becomes meaningless to the suffering masses of Zimbabwe. If you are on travel ban and you believe its right why clamour about them being illegal, anyway why do you want to visit those countries? Why do you need the Pound and US Dollar?
Gt, Who do you want to define the word sellout for you when a dictionary is right in front of you? Just look it up and immediately Tsvangirai will come to mind. Tsvangirai's selling out did not start when he became the leader of MDC. He betrayed the struggle in 1978 when he teamed up with the Rhodesia Special Branch and this resulted in the death of uncountable number of freedom fighters.
As if that was not enough, he sided with imperialists and employers at the expense of workers when he was ZCTU Secretary General. It was Tsvangirai who campaigned for the govt to stop announcing minimum wages on May Day and this was calculated to protect employers who did not want to pay the said wages. It was when Tsvangirai was at ZCTU that he vigorously opposed land reform claiming that it will hurt his "Cousin" meaning absentee land lords in UK, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc.
In his effort to thwart the move by Zimbabweans to get back their land, stolen in 1890, Tsvangirai accepted filthy lucre from the WestMinster Foundation and formed the MDC. Against the provisions of the Political Finance Act, Tsvangirai received money for the MDC through Amani Trust and other non governmental organisations. He continues to recieve same through NGOs still operating in Zimbabwe and which are staffed or embedded with CIA and MI5 operatives.
As if that was not enough Tsvangirai personally campaigned for a "NO" vote in the constitutional referendum simply because there was a section in the proposed constitution that would have allowed us to acquire our stolen land from the thieving British without compensating them for the land itself but for improvements made to the land like roads, farm houses, dams etc. No other section was in dispute except this one and to Tsvangirai it was going to hurt his ""cousins" so he vigorously opposed it. He went even further to demonise the principles of the revolution and the whole essence upon which the struggle was fought.
He travelled from capital to capital campaigning for sanctions against Zimbabwe and its people always hiding behind non existent human rights abuses and the rule of law. He has taken it upon himself that Zimbabweans should suffer under hardships brought about by sanctions until he gets to State House.
He has threatened to remove President Mugabe violently, a project that had successfully been undertaken by the CIA and MI5 in countries like Yugoslavia, Ukhraine, Iraq, Afghanstan and other places around the world. He hired Ari Ben Manashe to assassinate the President and only failed to achieve this end because Ari Ben decided against carrying out the mission at the last minute.
Today, he again betrays the people by swinging with McGee while people are suffering from the sanctions he called for. He refused to travel to Swaziland where the dispute in Zimbabwe could have been settled but opted instead to perpetuate the people's suffering. He refuses to go along with SADC's ruling to form the inclusive govt immediately simply because his handlers - McGee in particular - tells him not to.
He has connived with Khama, the USA and UK to create a militia to achieve, fraudulently and through the barrel of the gun, what he failed to achieve through the ballot box. ALL this is in order to protect the interests of his imperialist "cousins".
Therefore when we say that Tsvangirai is a sellout, we are not spreading propaganda neither are we trying to dividing the people but telling it like it is. If any thing we are uniting Zimbabweans by telling what they are up against in the person of Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai will be the last person to deny what we are saying because he knows that he has done it and he is still doing it.
Tukunya Making allegations like you are doing is a clear example of Human rights abuse, denying children education and food is also human rights abuse we can go on and on about Zanu PF government. You will agree with me of their failures. Anyway that referendum was rejected because Zanu PF wanted to perpetuate its evil ways. By popular vote ZANU PF will never win in Zimbabwe ndopika naChirumhazu!! Ok Tuku
Lets see.
Lie number 1:He betrayed the struggle in 1978 when he teamed up with the Rhodesia Special Branch and this resulted in the death of uncountable number of freedom fighters.
Lie number 2: he sided with imperialists and employers at the expense of workers when he was ZCTU Secretary General.
Lie number 3: It was Tsvangirai who campaigned for the govt to stop announcing minimum wages on May Day and this was calculated to protect employers who did not want to pay the said wages.
Lie number 4: It was when Tsvangirai was at ZCTU that he vigorously opposed land reform claiming that it will hurt his "Cousin" meaning absentee land lords in UK, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc.
Lie number 5: In his effort to thwart the move by Zimbabweans to get back their land, stolen in 1890, Tsvangirai accepted filthy lucre from the WestMinster Foundation and formed the MDC.
Lie number 6: Against the provisions of the Political Finance Act, Tsvangirai received money for the MDC through Amani Trust and other non governmental organisations.
Lie number 7: He continues to recieve same through NGOs still operating in Zimbabwe and which are staffed or embedded with CIA and MI5 operatives.
Lie number 8: Tsvangirai personally campaigned for a "NO" vote in the constitutional referendum simply because there was a section in the proposed constitution that would have allowed us to acquire our stolen land from the thieving British without compensating them for the land itself but for improvements made to the land like roads, farm houses, dams etc.
Lie number 9: He travelled from capital to capital campaigning for sanctions against Zimbabwe and its people
Lie number 10: always hiding behind non existent human rights abuses and the rule of law.
Lie number 11: He has taken it upon himself that Zimbabweans should suffer under hardships brought about by sanctions until he gets to State House.
Lie number 12: He has threatened to remove President Mugabe violently,
Lie number 13: a project that had successfully been undertaken by the CIA and MI5 in countries like Yugoslavia, Ukhraine, Iraq, Afghanstan and other places around the world.
Lie number 14: He hired Ari Ben Manashe to assassinate the President and only failed to achieve this end because Ari Ben decided against carrying out the mission at the last minute.
Lie number 15: he again betrays the people by swinging with McGee
Lie number 16: while people are suffering from the sanctions he called for.
Lie number 17: He refused to travel to Swaziland where the dispute in Zimbabwe could have been settled but opted instead to perpetuate the people's suffering.
Lie number 18: He refuses to go along with SADC's ruling to form the inclusive govt immediately simply because his handlers - McGee in particular - tells him not to.
Lie number 19: He has connived with Khama, the USA and UK to create a militia to achieve, fraudulently and through the barrel of the gun, what he failed to achieve through the ballot box.
Lie number 20: Therefore when we say that Tsvangirai is a sellout, we are not spreading propaganda n
Lie number 21: either are we trying to dividing the people but telling it like it is.
Lie number 22:If any thing we are uniting Zimbabweans by telling what they are up against in the person of Tsvangirai.
Lie number 23L Tsvangirai will be the last person to deny what we are saying because he knows that he has done it and he is still doing it.
Takunya, thats 23 this time! I think thats your record. Keep up the good work showing what ZANU PF fools we are dealing with here. Love you xx
Awt_independent, You have not helped matters by breaking my post into itemised facts, if anything you have made it much better and easier for people to understsand what I am talking about. I thought you were then going to crash each point in turn.
Why don't you crash them one-be-one so that everybody can see whether I am lying or not. For instance tell the whole world where Tsvangirai was and what he was doing between 1977 and 1980, and why he happened to be at that place and not somewhere else. Tell me whether Tsvangirai is or is not complying with the SADC ruling, and why.
Blah blah blah. Everyone knows you're a fool. How does it feel?
See all comments (17).
Mabasa Sasa - it wont surprise anyone if you are of 170 people -> The "smart sanctions" target about 170 of the country's ruling elite, including Mugabe and his second wife, Grace, and include a travel ban and the freezing of foreign assets.