 Zimbabwe Independent Opposition, Not For Real
By Ayinde
rastafaritimes@yahoo.com
April 22, 2007
The pro-western groups that oppose Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe have found themselves in a bit of a bind. Those groups in Zimbabwe were the first to appeal to the international community to get involved and take sides in Zimbabwe's internal politics, now they are offended when some of us 'outsiders' formulate our own opinions from evaluating the history and information being presented.
The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper took objection to my support for the land reclamation exercise and my exposure of the US government's hand in opposition activities. They have tried to flip the script to claim that I am being paid by the Zimbabwe government. Now that is just silly. If I was interested in getting paid to take sides in Zimbabwe, the opposition forces in and out of Zimbabwe have the ready cash to spend. We already have the US admitting to supporting opposition activities and having applied sanctions that froze the accounts of government officials, so I doubt it is that easy for the government to buy foreign support. The attempted spin by the article just does not fly.
If the Zimbabwe Independent was against 'outsiders' commenting on Zimbabwe, then they would have been outspoken against the interferences of the US, Australia, other European governments and non-Zimbabwean commentators who support the opposition. Clearly the newspaper is not against 'outsiders' supporting the opposition, they are just against those who do not support their efforts to demonize Mugabe for reclaiming land from White settlers and returning the land to indigenous African Zimbabweans.
As Chris McGreal reported in the 2002 Guardian UK's article:
Mr Kansteiner [then US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs] said the US was working with trade unions, pro-democracy groups and human rights organisations to bring about change. He did not say how he believed Mr Mugabe could be brought down...
In an Independent UK 2004 article, Kim Sengupta reported:
Mr Blair declared in the House of Commons that Britain "would work closely with the MDC" to put pressure for change in the Mugabe regime".
A 2007 Guardian UK article stated:
In an unusual piece of candour, the [US] state department report says: "To encourage greater public debate on restoring good governance in [Zimbabwe], the United States sponsored public events that presented economic and social analyses discrediting the government's excuses for its failed policies.
The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper did not condemn these outside interferences so their hypocritical agenda is clear.
The opposition forces have to accept the fact that they would not be able to get one hundred percent international support with their "demonize Mugabe campaign" or one hundred percent support to assist them in ousting the government that currently is supported by the majority in Zimbabwe.
My input is to add balance to what clearly is racist US and UK sponsored news and views about Zimbabwe that even reaches folks in the Caribbean. Not all of us are so naïve as to be unable to see through the agenda of the opposition forces in cahoots with the US and Britain. As a Diasporan African who is fairly knowledgeable of history, I am able to speak on any issue, especially issues that affect Africans the world over.
Diasporan Africans also have a stake in the continent of Africa and many of us want to see the land issues in Zimbabwe resolved by returning the land that was taken during colonial rule to its indigenous population. We would also like to see Western colonizing powers compensate Africans in and out of the continent for their part in the slave trade, the murder of millions of Africans and the theft of resources from indigenous people.
My agenda is to encourage all people to raise their awareness about issues that affect Africans in and out of the continent, to support efforts to reclaim land from White settlers in and out of Africa, and to promote human development based on respect and equal opportunity. There can be no respect without a truthful reflection into our history to examine root causes of problems. We cannot have equal opportunity unless historical wrongs are redressed.
Do not try to tell me how bad President Mugabe is unless you first admit that White settlers are not entitled to be on land that was stolen from indigenous Africans. Do not tell me how bad Mugabe is unless you admit that there is a history of White abuses and excesses that need to be addressed. Admit that racism and a denial of land, among other resources, play a major role in the impoverishment of Africans.
White farm occupiers must come to accept that they have long benefited from ill-gotten gains and they are not entitled to keep those resources. If they feel they should be compensated, they should look to Britain to compensate them. But Africans do not owe Whites anything for having to return what they stole.
Whites should learn history, encourage anyone who has been coerced to support White supremacy to learn their history too, stand up for what is right and join us who are not paid by any side to fight for the rights and respect of indigenous people by first correcting the injustices that have pauperized them.
Email: zimbabwecrisis@yahoo.com
Visit: Zimbabwe Watch
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