Aaron Gono
Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front (ZANU Pf) is one revolutionary party remaining in Southern Africa, as one that dislodged the Rhodesian Front of Ian Smith from power, in 1980.
After a protracted battle, the war ended with the Lancaster House agreement of 1979. Prince Charles (now King of England) came to Rufaro Stadium in 1980 and brought down the Union Jack flag.
That was when a new Zimbabwe was born and R.G. Mugabe became the first Prime Minister of the country and Canaan Banana its first President. Now it’s Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa which still have revolutionary parties still at the helm of power. In ghetto lingua, they say “vari panyanga.”
Zambia, and Botswana had shown their freedom fighters the red card. In Zambia Hichilema is taunted as a democrat. Despite his iron handedness with his enemies, especially the former first lady of the country. The Zambian President sees a security threat from that lady. She doesn’t enjoy her rights as a Zambian citizen. Fortunately the Westerners don’t notice such flaws in their chosen people.
That’s why we call him a “lackey or stooge” of western principles. This week SADC leaders are meeting in Harare to find a way for the Mozambican chaos. He decided to send his foreign minister citing his security in Zimbabwe as compromised. This is the first time l have heard a sitting President giving eccentric reason of not attending a conference. Barack Obama visited Cuba despite nearly a century of incommunicado.
It’s unfortunate that Zimbabwe is accused of interfering in its neighbors’ elections. First it was accused of rigging the elections in Zambia, where Hichilema won. Then came South Africa, thirdly Botswana and lastly Mozambique. If we look at Zimbabwe we see an impoverished country .Most of its citizens survive on a 5 cent per day. Our per capita is not even known or recognized because of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act ( Zidera).
Zidera operates like a python, when Zimbabwe boasts of some economic recovery; the hullabaloo won’t last. That source which brings in foreign currency will just lose value like lithium, platinum, chrome, gold, copper, tobacco etc. Our ZWL$ like the RTGS, ZwG, etc are made useless and hyper inflation is our success story.
So if an African president is clever he must not step on the white man’s foot. R.G. Mugabe poked the bear in year 2000, with his land agrarian reform. And North Atlantic Treaty Organization exhibited to us that we are just Joh-Vuli-Gate. Our economy is now 24 years old, from year 2000, only showing signs of distress and stagflation.
Zimbabweans are hard working and intelligent and many are highly educated. A Zimbabwean in South Africa can work in restaurants despite being degreed. That’s where we outfox other nationalities, we take what is on the table, not what we expect we deserve. We are hated for that. It’s now a world phenomenon whereby any failing government accuses foreigners of eating its lunch. If a ZANU Pf member exercises his/her so called democratic right by openly supporting the ANC of South Africa, Frelimo of Mozambique or BDP of Botswana, that doesn’t mean ZANU Pf is campaigning for the party. Or is helping to maintain the status quo.
Zimbabwe as a country is deeply polarized and its citizens won’t have time to waste in participating in our neighbors’ elections. We already have similar problems which our country is accused of causing on our neighbours. Zimbabwe’s economy is down and it doesn’t possess the capacity to turn events in foreign countries.
“Tichida kudiiko nhai vanhu vomu Afrika?”. Our house is also on fire and we are capable of dousing the fire next door. It can’t. Voters’ apathy in Zimbabwe is very high and l don’t think Zimbabweans can waste their time interfering in our neighbors’ elections. Conspiracy theories against Zimbabwe are from its former imperialists (exclude Britain and Germany from this line up). We have no qualms with King Charles or the Chancellor. We know who our distractors are?
These so-called pseudo African democrats are just enablers of neo- imperialism (Boko Duma is not one of them). He is level headed and a diplomat. These are new generation African leaders we expect. The moment you receive state of the art Chinook helicopters; we think subjugation. All foreign military bases in Africa must be decommissioned. We have had enough of western interference .
The Westerners are the ones who interfere in domestic affairs of third world countries with impunity. If Mnangagwa, Ramaphosa etc. differ, they are labeled and accused of nationalist hangover. Zimbabwe owes nothing to any African country and we are not qualified or have resources to waste in shaping their destiny.
