Opinion / Columnist
Malema indicating left, turning right
19 Jul 2016 at 06:15hrs | Views
The recent statement attributed to South Africa's Julius Malema purporting to express solidarity with "the people of Zimbabwe" exposes the sheer duplicity of this young and impressionable politician, who has turned himself into a veritable blunt weapon for bludgeoning liberation movements on behalf of imperialism.
His laughable attempt at turning himself into a trans-border politician on behalf of reactionary forces in the region and beyond, exposes his agenda as falsely radical and uninformed by facts on the ground, or by interests of the racially oppressed peoples of Southern Africa.
Zimbabweans cannot understand how a politician who purports to support land restitution in his own country, South Africa, and in other countries in the region affected by settler colonialism, can suddenly turn around to support and celebrate politics and political activities which white activists of erstwhile settler landowners in Zimbabwe represented by Ben Freeth find hospitable.
Zimbabweans, too, cannot understand how a politician pretending to be on the side of the still disinherited Southern African peoples can be at one with politics that win the active support of ambassadors of countries whose role in the history of colonisation and raping of the continent of Africa is a matter of poignant, painful record.
Much worse, Zimbabweans, who cherish peace and reject politics of violent and destructive demonstrations as shown by their rejection of the failed lockdown called for this (last) week, cannot understand, let alone appreciate, how a politician masquerading as an economic freedom fighter sides with fringe political upstarts bent on reversing the gains of the liberation struggle.
Julius Malema should be reminded that the 1980 victory he alludes to in adulatory terms on his Twitter did not just happen; it came about as a result of purposeful leadership of the Patriotic Front, whose present day name is the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (zanu-pf).
zanu-pf's status as the people's vanguard party, and its unwavering stance against imperialism and in defence of the broad masses of Zimbabwe, as well as in solidarity with the African peoples and liberation movements of Southern Africa, including the governing African National Congress of South Africa, cannot be gainsaid, challenged or impugned by storm-in-tea-cup politicians of Malema's ilk, who now delight and revel in the company of apartheid political bed-mates.
The people of Zimbabwe, themselves moulded by a protracted armed struggle, cannot be taken in by protestations of cheap solidarity from such pseudo-revolutionaries, whose organisations daily attract support and sponsorship of oppressive racial capital, while falsely dressing themselves in the garb of exploited workers.
Quite to the contrary, Zimbabwean people know who their real enemies are, and who their real friends are and will be in their continuing struggle to complete the liberation project now in the middle of its economic phase on national empowerment. They fully comprehend and are able to interpret the wiles and subterfuges of imperialism at every stage in history.
A politician who cannot appreciate that Zimbabwe has been under crippling illegal Western sanctions for more than a decade and half, simply for recovering stolen land from its people, cannot be expected to be an ally of the Zimbabwean people.
Nor can he be expected to understand the dynamics that shape the politics of our country, let alone to be counted upon as a useful voice in the continuing struggle we are bound to win.
Let it be very clear to Malema and the neo-colonial forces he masks that zanu-pf is a solid liberation party capable of defending the Zimbabwean revolution and sure to outlive the machinations of imperialism.
It has seen a lot and survived bigger adversities. Equally, let Malema know that the Southern African tradition founded on successful liberation struggles is well entrenched and too mature to succumb to, or be outmanoeuvred by formations spouting and repeating slogans of liberation in order to hide their imperialist provenance.
Zimbabwe will survive and prosper through her own efforts, and with the support of genuine allies and friends.
Hon. Dr C.C. Mushohwe is Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services in the Government of Zimbabwe
His laughable attempt at turning himself into a trans-border politician on behalf of reactionary forces in the region and beyond, exposes his agenda as falsely radical and uninformed by facts on the ground, or by interests of the racially oppressed peoples of Southern Africa.
Zimbabweans cannot understand how a politician who purports to support land restitution in his own country, South Africa, and in other countries in the region affected by settler colonialism, can suddenly turn around to support and celebrate politics and political activities which white activists of erstwhile settler landowners in Zimbabwe represented by Ben Freeth find hospitable.
Zimbabweans, too, cannot understand how a politician pretending to be on the side of the still disinherited Southern African peoples can be at one with politics that win the active support of ambassadors of countries whose role in the history of colonisation and raping of the continent of Africa is a matter of poignant, painful record.
Much worse, Zimbabweans, who cherish peace and reject politics of violent and destructive demonstrations as shown by their rejection of the failed lockdown called for this (last) week, cannot understand, let alone appreciate, how a politician masquerading as an economic freedom fighter sides with fringe political upstarts bent on reversing the gains of the liberation struggle.
Julius Malema should be reminded that the 1980 victory he alludes to in adulatory terms on his Twitter did not just happen; it came about as a result of purposeful leadership of the Patriotic Front, whose present day name is the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (zanu-pf).
zanu-pf's status as the people's vanguard party, and its unwavering stance against imperialism and in defence of the broad masses of Zimbabwe, as well as in solidarity with the African peoples and liberation movements of Southern Africa, including the governing African National Congress of South Africa, cannot be gainsaid, challenged or impugned by storm-in-tea-cup politicians of Malema's ilk, who now delight and revel in the company of apartheid political bed-mates.
Quite to the contrary, Zimbabwean people know who their real enemies are, and who their real friends are and will be in their continuing struggle to complete the liberation project now in the middle of its economic phase on national empowerment. They fully comprehend and are able to interpret the wiles and subterfuges of imperialism at every stage in history.
A politician who cannot appreciate that Zimbabwe has been under crippling illegal Western sanctions for more than a decade and half, simply for recovering stolen land from its people, cannot be expected to be an ally of the Zimbabwean people.
Nor can he be expected to understand the dynamics that shape the politics of our country, let alone to be counted upon as a useful voice in the continuing struggle we are bound to win.
Let it be very clear to Malema and the neo-colonial forces he masks that zanu-pf is a solid liberation party capable of defending the Zimbabwean revolution and sure to outlive the machinations of imperialism.
It has seen a lot and survived bigger adversities. Equally, let Malema know that the Southern African tradition founded on successful liberation struggles is well entrenched and too mature to succumb to, or be outmanoeuvred by formations spouting and repeating slogans of liberation in order to hide their imperialist provenance.
Zimbabwe will survive and prosper through her own efforts, and with the support of genuine allies and friends.
Hon. Dr C.C. Mushohwe is Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services in the Government of Zimbabwe
Source - zimpapers
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