View from Zimbabwe

It was quite humbling to read the story titled "Mugabe is right - African liberation support rally September 17" in The New York Amsterdam News edition of 1 September 2016. The initiative by the December 12 Movement and Friends of Zimbabwe to speak against the neo-colonial agenda is laudable.

The demonstrations that Zimbabwe is experiencing, are a manifestation of a well-knit public diplomacy offensive by the west. It is an evolution from the direct confrontation stance embodied in the sanctions regime against Zimbabwe, which has failed to yield the desired result – regime change, but has wrought untold suffering on ordinary Zimbabweans on the street. The promulgation of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001, which ostensibly affects targeted individuals is all encompassing and punitive against even US companies which transact with key pillars of Zimbabwe's agrarian economy such as the Agricultural Bank of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company. Indeed, the sanctions are targeted – at the people of Zimbabwe, not the leadership.

The foregoing story is not new, but provides an insight into the machinations of regime change proponents. As rightly pointed out in the aforementioned article that, former Assistant Secretary of State, Chester Crocker's declaration in June 2001, unashamedly said that in order "to separate the Zimbabwean people from Zanu-PF, we are going to have to make their economy scream, and I hope you, senators, have the stomach for what you have to do." The idea then, as it still is, is to incite anger in the Zimbabwean citizens, who through public diplomacy, are disinformed that their plight is a result of alleged bad governance.

Because of the sanctions, yes, Zimbabwe's economy is screaming, but still resilient and refusing to implode. President Mugabe and his Government are still standing, despite Washington's unending and unrelenting onslaught, now in the form of anarchist terrorist groups such as #ThisFlag, #Tajamuka, #ZimbabweYadzoka and #ThisFlower.

The majority of Zimbabweans are suffering, but the ultimate aim of separating them from their Government has failed, serve for errand boys such as Mawarire.  The economy is wailing as a result of the illegal sanctions, we the ordinary men and women are suffering. Why one might ask? For simply exercising our God-given right to elect a Government of our choice!

These hash tag groups have been provoking the State by torching a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) Warehouse on 1 July 2016, torching a Police vehicle and attacking policemen on 24 August 2016. To show their aversion to democracy, particularly freedom of the media, the terrorists burnt down a Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) van. It is instructive that international paragons of media freedom have been defeaning in their silence.

The pawn in the game of chess that the west is now playing with Zimbabwe on the international scene is #ThisFlag leader, Pastor Evan Mawarire. Public diplomacy is misleading, it is a euphemism for propaganda. It gives the impression that locals are up in arms against their Government, yet in actual fact, the small section of urbanised locals and diasporans, are being used as puppets. They are in it because of the morsels they get from selling their souls.

Mawarire is the darling of Washington. He has left his small following back home in Zimbabwe, screaming intimidation. Ironically, he pitched himself in the public diplomacy ruse as a simpleton, ostensibly wielding a bible and a flag. The historical symbolic irony of the bible, no offence intended, in the colonisation of Africa, is inescapable in the neo-colonial agenda which Mawarire stands for. Mawarire is abusing the holy book, pursuant to the despicable neo-colonial agenda. An agenda which seeks to undermine the vision of Africa's founding fathers, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkurumah, Patrice Lumumba and the surviving beacon of Pan-Africanism, Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

Mawarire got arrested, rightly so, for inciting public violence in his social media tirades. Tirades which conveniently ignored the elephant in the room – sanctions. In typical Hollywood style, his court appearance was well-choreographed for maximum effect, international media houses, cameras, the works! Instructive!

Overnight, a man who was preaching "we no longer want, and no longer scared," turned into a squirrel, scurrying for cover in South Africa. The choreography continued. Mawarire found himself on several South African television and radio stations now playing victim in self-imposed exile.

He abandoned his followers. No! He was never with them. He was, still is, and will always be with his handlers. Handlers who have finally decided to reward his unpatriotic behaviour by officialising him as part of them with a green card!  He left disappointed followers in his wake. They teamed up on social media and on websites such as Nehandaradion.com, excoriating Mawarire for being a mercenary. Names such as Zimbabwe High Court lawyer, Fadzai Mahere, come to mind.

Mawarire has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is the proverbial coconut singing for his supper by organising a demonstration on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, (UNGA). Mawarire ensconced in the comfort of the hospitality of his benefectors, ironically and unashamedly, still claims to be crying for his flag. The irony of his #ThisFlag is inescapable. The detachment replete is unmistakable. It is not his, but ours, the true Zimbabweans. He could have said #OurFlag, in the process exuding ownership, but alas no, how could he, when he feels he does not belong to that flag! Instead, HisFlag is the one where he now possesses a green card! Mawarire should coin his campaign, #MyFlag while draped in the appropriate colours, not OurZimbabweanFlag.

Thank you Friends of Zimbabwe and the December 12 Movement, you are true democrats!! Your comradeship with the oppressed people of Zimbabwe, who continue to suffer at the hands of the Obama administration, through sell-outs such as Mawarire, is not going unnoticed. Viva Zimbabwe! Mugabe is right!