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Let’s re-examine Ourselves AMERICAN President Mr George W. Bush’s five-nation
tour of Africa has come and gone. He enjoyed a mixed reception. While some of
the African heads of state in the countries he visited seemed too eager to roll
out the red carpet for him, the people were reluctant to do so.
From Dakar to Pretoria, he was met by demonstrations and he seemed to go out of his way to look nice in the presence of the African leaders. He was conscious of the need to portray himself as a friend to a continent that knows him better as a warmonger. He was called all sorts of names and attracted all sorts of descriptions, the sum of which was that he should go back home and leave Africa to its own devices. For Zimbabweans the visit turned out to be more significant than most people would want to admit. For over two years opposition politicians and so-called civic organisations have performed all sorts of theatrics to demonise Presi-dent Mugabe and his Government. All these were meant to attract the attention of the British and the Americans, particularly Mr Bush. But after Mr Bush’s visit to Southern Africa, where he all but conceded that President Thabo Mbeki and his colleagues know best how to handle the challenges in this region, notably those in Zimbabwe, we expect to see a change of attitude among those elements that thought otherwise. President Mbeki has been explicit and consistent in his assertion that the people of Zimbabwe should solve their own problems. Yet we still see among our ranks some that still would like to look outside for help. The current economic difficulties were wished upon this country by Zimbabweans who sought to invite outsiders to punish them for reclaiming their land. But now the majority of people are suffering under biting sanctions, which have become unbearable. The starting point for a national repentance for the curse that their loud mouths have brought upon us is to agree to stop the rhetoric and focus on practical ways of solving both the economic and political problems that are haemorrhaging the country. Early this year the Government unveiled a highly imaginative economic revival programme, but its implementation has been mired in inertia. The business community, in particular, has continued to play games as part of this agenda to cripple the country and force a change of government. This is an agenda that has seen them co-operate with the opposition MDC in such destructive practices as the mass stayaways and the so-called final push, all which have added to the misery of the general population. Now that they have gone the full circle and those they sought to please have turned their backs on them, we expect that they will now rejoin the rest of the nation in current efforts to lift the country from the economic quagmire. We expect to see a measure of sincerity when they participate in such forums as the National Economic Consultative Forum and the Tripartite Negotiat-ing Forum. In all honesty we should all examine ourselves and see what roles we are playing in perpetuating the suffering of the people. Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and his colleagues in the opposition MDC have a greater responsibility of, even at this late hour, learning what national sovereignty means and begin to use their mouths to wish blessings upon Zimbabwe and not the curses that they have pronounced day in and day out. For its part we expect the Government to show greater commitment to solving the prevailing problems of transport, skyrocketing prices of basic commodities and the availability of the same goods. The
Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
