Zambian opposition blasts MDC
>From Innocent Gore and Munyaradzi Huni in Lusaka,
ZAMBIAS main opposition leader Mr Michael Sata has blasted the Morgan
Tsvangirai MDC delegation and its network of non-governmental organisations
here as a "harem of Western agents that has descended on Lusaka to earn
breadcrumbs by selling out their birthright".
There is a heavy presence of the Tsvangirai faction delegation here, being led
by faction vice-president Ms Thokozani Khupe, with representatives of a number
of civic organisations in tow in their attempt to demonise Zimbabwe at the 27th
Sadc Summit that opens today.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe, accompanied by First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and
senior Government officials, arrived in Lusaka yesterday.
He was met at Lusaka International Airport by Zambian Minister of Education
Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Simbarashe
Mumbengegwi, Industry and International Trade Minister Cde Obert Mpofu,
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa and
Finance Minister Cde Samuel Mumbengegwi.
Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi was already in Lusaka attending the Council of
Ministers meetings that drafted the summit agenda.
Soon after his arrival, President Mugabe was taken to his hotel where host
President, Mr Levy Mwanawasa, paid him a courtesy call.
In a statement dismissing the MDC side show; Mr Sata, leader of the main
opposition Patriotic Front, said he admires President Mugabe for his courage
and passion in fighting for the rights of poor people.
Mr Sata said the Zimbabwean opposition delegation was in Lusaka to sell out at
the behest of their Western paymasters.
Said Mr Sata: "One, therefore, does not need to be a rocket scientist to notice
that this harem of Western agents has descended upon Lusaka during the current
Sadc Summit, in their numbers, to earn breadcrumbs by selling out on their
birthright, against Zimbabwes national interests. This is at the behest of
their Western paymasters.
"Zimbabwes land reform is now complete and no longer reversible. Government is
now preoccupied with affirmative policies to empower the new farmer with the
correct attitudes, skills, finances and inputs to maximise both productivity
and profits."
He described the MDC and "its network of NGOs", along with some academics,
church leaders and pressure groups, as "paid foot soldiers of the anti-Zimbabwe
crusade".
"They specialise in fabricating the evidence that supports the allegations of
bad governance, human rights violations, (absence of) rule of law, Government
interference with the judiciary, denial of Press freedom, corruption, political
intolerance and repression of the opposition.
"They also talk of selective enforcement of existing laws, enactment of
draconian and repressive legislation, lack of democracy and electoral fraud as
well as lack of transparency and accountability that now pervade international
opinion on Zimbabwe.
"For example, the now self-discredited Archbishop Pius Ncube of the Catholic
Church in Bulawayo makes a living out of rabid unsubstantiated accusations
against President Mugabe and the Government, and even praying publicly for his
death," said Mr Sata.
In an interview, Mr Sata said he admired President Mugabe because "material
wealth accumulation is not his preoccupation".
"He was vulnerable to be corrupted as someone who was in power, but he decided
to remain poor and fight for the poor. Cde Mugabes struggle is my struggle."
On Tuesday, Ms Khupe held a Press conference that was largely snubbed by the
Zambian media where she claimed the Government was solely responsible for the
problems in Zimbabwe.
The media here has apparently refused to buy the rhetoric.
For instance, Zambias top-selling private newspaper, The Post, wrote an
editorial yesterday supporting the Government of Zimbabwe, saying, among other
things:
"It is very clear to us that the United States and Britain have not and are not
playing a positive role in Zimbabwe. And anyone who is looking to these two
countries for a solution to the Zimbabwe crisis is wasting time."
This is the second time in as many months that Ms Khupe and her delegation have
hit a brickwall in their attempts to demonise Zimbabwe abroad.
At the end of June they were in Accra, Ghana, ahead of the African Union summit
with the intention of presenting a draft resolution condemning the Government
for alleged human rights abuses to the AU General Assembly. However, ordinary
Ghanaians, university students and the media gave the MDC-led delegation a
torrid time, forcing them to leave the country before the summit opened.
President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa is expected to present a report on the
political dialogue in Zimbabwe to the Sadc Organ on Defence, Politics and
Security, which will, in turn, report to the summit.
President Mbeki was tasked by the Sadc Extraordinary Summit in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania, in March this year to mediate on the political situation in Zimbabwe
and convene a dialogue between the Government and the MDC.
Sadc Executive Secretary Mr Tomaz Salamao, who was also tasked by the
Extraordinary Summit to undertake a study on the economic situation in Zimbabwe
and propose measures on how the bloc can assist Zimbabwe mitigate the effects
of the illegal Western sanctions, is also expected to report to the summit.
Mr Salamao has been to Zimbabwe twice during which he held meetings with
officials from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and several Government economic
ministries and departments. He also met President Mugabe during one of his
visits.
Also on the summit agenda is regional economic integration, infrastructure
development and the launch of the Sadc Standby Brigade.
Sadc member states are scaling up the provision of regional infrastructure, a
critical foundation for the speedy realisation of regional economic integration
objectives.
Infrastructure support intervention has been placed at the core of the regions
community-building agenda and concerted efforts are being made to ensure the
availability of an integrated, efficient and cost-effective system to sustain
regional economic development and trade.
The Sadc Standby Brigade is part of an AU initiative to develop a common
security policy by 2010. Sadc is one of the five continental regions that are
each contributing a brigade to form an African Standby Force.
The summit is also expected to adopt the Protocol on Gender and Development,
which will provide a legal and institutional framework for the region to
accelerate implementation of the commitment to gender equality and womens
empowerment.
Meanwhile, Vice President Joseph Msika is the Acting President.
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