Harare — THE MDC-T leadership has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of the launch of their party over the past few months culminating in the finale held at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield yesterday.
Whether by omission or commission, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was reluctant to call sanctions by name as he toured the other nine provinces, but yesterday, he not only called the sanctions by name, but also revealed that his party invited the ruinous economic embargo.
As we report elsewhere in this issue, Mr Tsvangirai told the gathering at Zimbabwe Grounds that, "they (Zanu-PF) talk about sanctions and we said kuti tizodaidza masanctions iwayo makambenge maita sei?"
While Mr Tsvangirai's admission was long overdue, it certainly raises a number of questions about the MDC-T and its commitment to taking this nation forward.
While the temptation would be to hail Mr Tsvangirai for finally seeing the light, we feel the MDC-T leader should go a step further and apologise to the nation and his Zanu-PF counterparts for inviting ruin and undoing the work they painstakingly carried out since independence. After that he should retrace the steps he took in campaigning for sanctions, but this time to tell his allies that the ruinous embargo has to go.
Sanctions constitute the greatest injury imposed on this country since independence, and are an issue for both the Organ on National Healing and the success of the inclusive Government.
We are under no illusion that Mr Tsvangirai's admission has been motivated by a sense of truth and justice, far from it. It appears the MDC-T leader has been pressured by circumstances because sanctions top the agenda of the ongoing inter-party talks and his party is duty-bound to pronounce itself on the issue once these talks are concluded and deliberations are released into the public domain.
Mr Tsvangirai had been reluctant to call sanctions by name, let alone acknowledge their existence simply because he spent an entire decade lying to his supporters in particular and the nation in general that the sanctions did not exist as he attributed the socio-economic problems to alleged mismanagement by Zanu-PF.
Well, the cat is out of the bag and we hope that will be the end of the MDC-T's infantile denials.
Put simply, the MDC-T has been complicit in waging economic warfare on the people while claiming to have their welfare at heart. This development that raises questions about the party's 10th anniversary celebrations.
What is it that the MDC-T leadership and supporters were celebrating at Zimbabwe Grounds? For when the profits and losses are tallied, we find a row of negatives in the debit column and nothing in the credit column.
From economic sanctions, destruction of infrastructure, decline in social services, decimation of livelihoods, destruction of dreams, reversal of the gains of independence, you name it. Instead of celebrating, MDC-T leaders should instead hang their heads in shame, self-flagellate and repent from the politics of destructive engagement.
Henceforth we expect them to be at the forefront of campaigning for the lifting of the sanctions, with the same vigour with which they invited the sanctions.
Comments 1 to 5 of 13 Post a comment
The heading and the story are miles apart. He has always said "chinja maitiro iwewe Zanu Pf if you want to be respected". Thus the meaning of the slogan and committment. What need to change is the way zanu pf maims, kills and stole elections and sanctions will vanish
What Zimbabwe needs is for Mugabe to step down along with any other self centered political figure...
mungodden: " .. maims, kills and stole elections and sanctions will vanish"
I shall venture to find out how incisive you are. Let us presume that you are reasonable. So you probably have good explanations for what does not fit your pretensions. .
" .. maims, kills ..."
So, a leader is responsible for all that happens on his watch.
So, who can be said to have killed more humans and in which cases were/have the sanctions been imposed: - Leopold(Belgium) - Blair/Bush/Gordon - Obama/Gordon? - Cde Mugabe? - Kagame? - Museveni?
.
" .. and stole elections .."
Where among the following countries have elections been "stolen" and where have sanctions been applied as a result. Feel free to declare any or all of them valid elections. -USA 2000? - USA 2004? - Kenya 2007(Kibaki)? - Uganda ( Museveni, pick a year)? - Rwanda (Kagame, pick a year)? - Egypt (Mubarak)? - Afghanistan 2009?
chokora well then if Tsvangirai owes the nation owes Zimbabwe an apology then Mugabe owes Zimbabwe so much more for all the suffering he has caused his own people and yes he has been the cause of many deaths in his own right so he should be a man and reisgn after being in control for way too long he has liberated his country but after that not much you can say about him... Of course chokora you will find something I am sure of that but admit it Mugabe and the Zanu-Pf have failed their people more than once and are a huge reason Zimbabwe is suffering like it is today. Trust I do not care if it is Tsvangirai or someone else who takes over but they need a honest politician but being in Africa I know that will never happen...
"Apology"?
From time immemorial ancestors of the lands of maZimbabwe - indeed all societies that survived and thrived in a cruel world - recognized that there are sins that are so threatening to the very survival of the society that they must be dealt with firmly - and the society's most extreme punishment metted out to the guilty as a warning and deterrent to would-be transgressors.
Often the culprits were banished from the society they wished to harm. Considering the insular attitude of societies toward outsiders at the time - and the wild terrain out there - such banishment spelled imminent death to the culprit - indeed a few uncertain days of life with nights filled with stark terror.
At times the death penalty was imposed. The culprits may confess and show remorse. That is good. But the punishment would be carried out.
Tsvangirai has brought great harm to the people of Zimbabwe, the country they love and the Chimurenga they treasure. By giving succor and comfort to those who killed Mbuya Nehanda, Tsvangirai has greatly agitated the firmament of millons of our ancestors murdered by the rhodie. Not one but many kids, mothers and fathers have died - as Tsvangirai hobnobbed with Zimbabwe's foreign enemies.
For those acts of betrayal the people of Zimbabwe must hold Tsvangirai responsible by imposing the ultimate penalty that he deserves in good measure. Any would be treasonous, seditious rabble-rousers who would put Zimbabweans at risk must be given reason to pause.
It is a cruel world - with plundering, exterminating rhodie christianist terrorist barbarians on the prowl. And Zimbabwe has a history with the murderous, barbarian hordes - who even now, continue to kill innocent kids in other lands such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan. Does Tsvangirai know this? The info is in the public domain.
* We presume that as an aspiring leader, Tsvangirai seeks to be charged with the responsibility of minding the present and future security of the land and the people. And being a diligent guy, he has this knowledge of threats - both local and international.
* We wish to presume also that a leader like Tsvangirai knows about the effects of the economic sanctions on the security and prosperity of any country - and Zimbabwe and its people in particular.
* We wish to presume also that a leader like Tsvangirai - and like the leaders of our valiant ancestors - will prosecute the rule of law and that he will deal firmly and harshly with paid agents who would destabilize the country with mayhem and sabotage that kills the citizens. He will also be sworn to deal harshly with traitors who jeopadize the survival of the society.
. Has Tsvangirai knowingly associated with, provided comfort to, and enabled the destabilizing/murderous designs of enemies, without and within, who harbour known ill-will towards the lands and glorious patriots of maZimbabwe? .
The survival of the nation of Zimbabwe and the security of the people cannot be predicated on infinite personal kindness towards ONE treasonous creep who would bring harm to the republic and the millions who inhabit it.
Tsvangirai played a key role in providing the local (treacherous) face and international diplomatic legitimacy to the foreigners' evil economic sanctions that are known - even by Tsvangirai - to cause widespread economic disruption of the target country - and lead to starvation and death of innocent kids. He has seen its effects in Saddam's Iraq. If he missed that he must have noted the effects of economic sanctions in Castro's Cuba, Iran, Amin's Uganda, North Korea ...
If none of the above examples ever interested him, then what wisdom or knowledge does he bring into the leadership?
.
Zimbabwe isn't that short of capable leadership.
.
And in case Zimbabweans are in doubt regarding the foreigners' appreciation of the critical part Tsvangirai in enabling their draconian plans, Tsvangirai was considered for one of the imperialist's highest honours recently. And there was no doubt that the naive traitor was greatly thrilled. To appreciate what this means consider this: Zimbabwe's people and the warriors of the Chimurenga would not offer their highest honour to a rat named cecil rhodes. But the rats would bestow upon him their highest honor - the knighthood. .
Did it bother, nay, occur to Tsvangirai that he had committed a deadly sin - that he had conspired with foreign enemies of Zimbabwe to kill his own people? .
Those found guilty of treason are punished severely in western and eastern societies. Consider King Shaka's or Chief Lobengula's court: What fate awaited a traitor who engaged in secret plots with the rhodies - enemies of the people?
.
Has Tsvangirai been plotting with known enemies against the people's Zimbabwe? .
The least the people of Zimbabwe can do for likes of Tsvangirai is to impose the ultimate penalty for treason - or let the berieved people he has greatly wronged impose and execute it - extra-judicially. After all, that treasonous scum doesn't care for the people's laws, does he?
See All Comments