Zimbabwe must bolt the doors to biased observers

Recently, an African teenage boy living in the French ghettos known as banlieues was shot dead in a botched traffic stop that was captured on video, spotlighting systematic violence and racism in France and the Western world at large.

The shooting triggered widespread protests in France, a country that was recently crippled by pension strikes, we will not talk about the French police racism and brutality, but rather the lack of the same condemnation on France by its Western counterparts.

Indeed, riots in France appear as a footnote in the globally dominant Western media probably receiving less attention than the doomed Titan submersible where five rich people perished in the North Atlantic Ocean.

In a way, the world follows what is regurgitated in the Western media hook, line and sinker and this has been the bane of African nations that have for long been portrayed negatively, not only by the Western media, but by the intrusive Western capitals.

Zimbabwe in particular is a classic case of a sovereign state that has been negatively cast by the West with the ultimate objective being to cause regime change in the aftermath of its land reform programme that corrected historical land inequities.

Indeed, the African story, which is the Zimbabwean story occupies the global centre stage, not for the development that is taking place against all forms of adversity including sanctions, climate change, and the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, but rather, a story of conflict, democracy or lack of it, pirates and terrorists.

This was captured in a 2019 job posting by the New York Times when it was looking to fill the position of Kenya bureau chief, in an ad that overflowed with racial and white supremacy undertones.

The advert read thus, "The right candidate, would have an opportunity to dive into news and enterprise across a wide range of countries, from the deserts of Sudan and the pirate seas of the Horn of Africa, down through the forests of Congo and the shores of Tanzania."

It went on to describe the region as one that offered crucial story leads, including terrorism, the scrambling for resources, and tussles between dictatorship and democracy.

This is how the West views African states and this is why as Zimbabwe prepares for its harmonised elections, which are open for all objective observers, there are already signs that some Western countries such as the United States have predetermined and prejudiced judgements as they seek to steer the election in a particular direction that meets their foreign policy expectations.

President Mnangagwa has set the right tone, that Zimbabwe is open for business, and this does not mean it is open to abuse, and that Zimbabwe is a friend to all, and enemy to none does not mean it brooks interference in its domestic affairs.

Zimbabwe respects the sovereignty of other countries, follows the policy of non-interference, and does not seek to interfere in the affairs of a country like France which is burning, in return the West should extend the same courtesy to Zimbabwe.

While addressing a meeting with small to medium-scale miners in Gweru last week, President Mnangagwa noted that there are some countries that have already predicted and announced Zimbabwe's election results before the election day.

"Elections are upon us, those who want to come and observe our elections can come. But there are some who have already predicted our election results even before the elections are held. They must not come why should they come when they claim they already have the results, to hell with them," he said.

Understandably, but regrettably, there are some, especially those in the opposition, who seek power by all means necessary, who would dismiss the notion that the West, in particular, the US is intrusive, it is a common secret that has been proved beyond any doubt including by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of the Illegal Sanctions, Ms Elena Dohan and most recently by the South African ruling party, the ANC Secretary General of Fikile Mbalula, who said, US "will never be satisfied" with Zimbabwe "till they get their puppet in power".

This is why the US, as noted by Waijiaobu (Chinese Foreign Affairs Office), has abused its financial hegemony and technological clout to engage in economic coercion in the name of protecting national security.

It is trite that the US' illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction have gravely undermined the sovereignty and security of countries like Zimbabwe severely and gravely impacting the economic development and people's wellbeing, with the aim being of course to effect regime change, never mind the fact that the same sanctions constitute a gross violation of international law and basic norms of international relations.

The question arises, can a country that imposed illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe to cause regime change, be expected to be an impartial umpire when the country goes for elections, the answer is an unequivocal "NO".

Whereas efforts of the US have failed for the past two decades, statements and actions from the US Embassy are rather illuminative of their preferred election winners come the nation harmonised elections on August 23, and offer a glimpse of their post elections reports if the result does not go their way.

Although Zimbabwe, under the Second Republic, has embarked on the pillar foreign policy of Engagement and Reengagement, it is noteworthy that Western countries like the US are living in the past and pose yet another danger even as observers in the forthcoming elections because they still seek the same elusive outcome they sought before.

Kudos of course must be extended to the European Union which has revised most of its illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, with the bloc's current Ambassador to Zimbabwe Jobst Von Kirchmann trailblazing a new path of cordial relations that are based on equality, one hopes Uncle Sam learns a lesson from a fellow westerner.

Is it not rather ironic, if not shocking that when the opposition in the country is at war, brazenly defecating on democracy, and when the same opposition members attack their own leaders like Mr Amos Chibaya, the West is erringly silent, but is swift to perpetuate lies and propaganda peddled by the same elements when the end result means negative portrayal of Zimbabwe.

President Mnangagwa noted Zimbabwe is one of the most peaceful countries on the continent and was capable of running a free, fair, and peaceful election.

"There are some who wish for a violent election in Zimbabwe, but that will not happen.

"We are one of the most peaceful countries on the continent, we are a peaceful country, we are united and we are democratic," he said.

What the Western media under the thumb of the US will not tell you is that since the end of World War II, the United States has either launched or participated in many wars overseas, including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Afghan War, and the Iraq War.

Those wars caused extremely severe civilian casualties and property losses, and lead to colossal humanitarian disasters.

Since 2001, US wars and military operations in the name of counterterrorism have killed more than 900 000 people, about 335 000 of whom were civilians, injured millions, and displaced tens of millions.

But the same media will seek to come and set camp in Zimbabwe to hunt for a negative story that perpetuates the stereotypes of violence, hunger, and deprivation, they will ignore the fact that President Mnangagwa has composed a soundtrack for this year's elections, that is peace, before, during and after elections.

While their puppets are at war, Zanu-PF is waging another form of war, to lift Zimbabweans into an upper-middle-class economy by 2030, a positive direction they are shy to report on as they would have wanted the country to be on the International Monetary Fund list of the world poorest countries by GDP per capita that was recently published.