Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has stated for the first time what many Zimbabweans quietly acknowledge - how do you confront a dictator using democratic means?
Speaking at the launch of a damning report on the use of torture by Mugabe's regime Tsvangirai said; 'It is very difficult to come to an occasion of this nature and not feel the cries of the victims. On hindsight how do you confront a regime that does not see any benefits of negotiation? How do you confront a dictator using democratic means?'
On Thursday the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition launched,'Cries from Goromonzi - Inside Zimbabwe's Torture Chambers', a report which contains 23 harrowing testimonies from individuals tortured between 2000 and 2009. Tsvangirai was there to commission the report and showed visible anguish as the wife of Glen View North MP Fani Munengami narrated how 10 armed soldiers broke into her home and raped her in front of her 9 month old son. She revealed that one of her abductors was the late ZANU PF Minister Elliot Manyika, who died in a car accident 2 years ago.
The Prime Minister told all those gathered that it was difficult to balance the cries of victims and the fear of persecution. 'There cannot be real forgiveness without justice. National healing has not begun meeting the needs of the people.' Although the coalition government formed a national healing organ, this has been criticized for doing nothing. Tsvangirai said the country needed some form of transitional justice before elections, which are being touted for next year. He added that the progress in the government that has been made in the last 12 months is being threatened by the unilateral decisions being made by Mugabe and ZANU PF ministers and the government was taking 'two steps forward and three steps back.'
'Cries from Goromonzi' examines the 'pervasive use of torture and imprisonment of citizens in secret detention camps in Zimbabwe to extract information, stifle public dissent and determine political processes and electoral outcomes,' a statement from the Crisis Coalition said. The report has recommended that government should criminalize acts of torture and should educate 'law enforcement personnel, civil or military, medical personnel, public officials, and other persons who may be involved in the custody, interrogation or treatment of any individuals subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment about the prohibition of torture'.
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In my opinion the Movement for Democratic Change must acknowledge that the Zimbabwe governments continuous 10 year wartime protect-the-land-resources national security mode may be attributed to the Movement for Democratic Changes (MDC) overt acts of disloyalty.
Imagine if the MDC-T conducted their Campaign for Change in any Democratic Western Country: Morgan Tsvangirai would be permanently exiled or worse; MDCs staff would have been convicted of treason, sedition, and other serious capital offenses. But, the Movement for Democratic Change was not successfully convicted. Nor did MDC take the court dismissals as a warning.
The possibility of the United States' Liberal, Democratic, Conservative, or Republican Party in collusion with foreign governments and entities to enforce financial and economic hardships, sanctions, and asset freezing against an opposition partys entire leadership would be considered rebellious in essence and unfaithfulness by implication. MDC-T would be in Guantanamo Secret Prison for terrorist.
The question or articles title should be Mugabe Asks How You Confront a Collaborator Using Democratic Means?
With MDCs Apartheid and Colonial connected fiscal sponsors and membership they leave the liberators of Zimbabwe little room for doubt as to its intention. The MDC also solicits foreign colonial powers for the purpose of installing an international integrationist government whereby foreign interest will dominate and indigenous Zimbabweans depositioned.
The MDC-T assisted the European Union, Britain, and United States to smartbomb Zimbabwe with devastating economic sanctions in order to produce Regime Change. Instead the sanctions are ruining the educational, social, health, and economic infrastructure.
In speaking of recent Zimbabwe Human Rights Reports I ask Journalist Lance Guma the following:
Are the institutions of Colonialism and Apartheid a Crime Against Zimbabwe Humanity? Second, is there a Statute of Limitations on Crimes Against Humanity? If not, why is ZANU-PFs alleged human rights abuses ten times more important than Rhodesias & Britains past corporate Crimes Against Humanity not as important? The death toll and profits extracted during Apartheid make ZANU-PFs accusation, true or false, a speck of sand in the Kalahari Desert in comparison.
You opined that "Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has stated for the first time what many Zimbabweans quietly acknowledge - how do you confront a dictator using democratic means? My answer is simple. First, if Mugabe was a dictator Mr. Tsvangirai would not be Prime Minister. And second and most important by addressing illegal Sanctions.
Last, imagine the entire White House administration of President Barack Obamas assets are frozen, their travel limited to North America; banks, financial institutions, and corporations forbidden by international law from conducting business with the Obama administration. All endorsed with the permission of the Republican Party and sanctioned-enforced by Foreign Governments?
Zimbabweans have short memories. How have dictators and their goons been treated in the past? Why should this one be treated any differently? Or, are there no men left in Zimbabwe?
European Culture does not support the idea of having large families, and their is an indication that they would like to reduce population growth of Africans in Zimbabwe hence no attention is being paid to saving children and people of Black African origin, it is my supposition that the background to Zimbabwes political Problems is based on this factor hence we can expect these assertions to rise, as the aim to disseminate Zimbabwes Black population continues. The old method of divide and rule to create political instability is working so well in Zimbabwe that this exercise should not take to long. And certain stakeholders will walk in and take what they believe is theirs
Mutetwa, who are the "they" who would keep the Zimbabwean population down? You have 13 million people. Guess what? You cannot even afford to feed them and still rely on international countries to feed your hungry. In the first pace, whose responsibility is it to take care of your children? Your own government's. And what is your government of Mugabe doing to protect its children? Nothing and I can say this with first hand knowledge. Who do you think is financing all the education and inoculation programs to keep your children from dying from childhood diseases? Where do you think those very vaccines are coming from? Man, you don't know what you are talking about.
Carlos4, how did the 86th birthday dining for Mugabe go?