THE attempt by social media trolls, opposition activists and their handlers, like the former British MP for Vauxhall, Kate Hoey, to dilute the impact of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent visit to Glasgow for the Conference of the Parties (COP26) Summit is a manifestation of the divisions that have been sown by the West’s brutal attempts to paralyse Zimbabwe.

President Mnangagwa went there with two specific objectives.

First, to present Zimbabwe and Africa’s position on the measures that his country has taken to curb the vagaries of climate change which have been brought about by the excesses of highly industrialised Western nations in polluting the earth.

The world is seeking to avoid temperature rises of 1,5 degrees Celsius and we are currently at 1,2 degrees Celsius.

The gathering sought to put to an end to deforestation, use of coal (which will severely affect countries like Zimbabwe which holds reserves that can last up to 800 years), greenhouse methane and use of fossil fuel funding.

President Mnangagwa did that with resounding success but the silence from the media has been nothing but deafening. 

“It is most unfortunate that the impact of climate change is disproportionately borne by vulnerable communities that have contributed the least to the current stock of atmospheric carbon,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Vulnerable countries must, therefore, be capacitated to mitigate, adapt and build resilience to climate change. The expectation is that the major emitters will scale up mitigation action and show greater interest in adaptation.

Decisions at this COP26 should strengthen the implementation of current nationally determined contributions.

It is further imperative that the set emission reduction targets are anchored on supporting, financing and equipping countries to gradually and sustainably migrate from fossil to renewable energy.”

He then laid the country’s plan on climate change:

“Notwithstanding that as a country we are ‘a net sink’, I am pleased to highlight that Zimbabwe has revised its nationally determined contributions, a committed conditional 40 percent per capita greenhouse gas emissions reduction target by 2030,” he said.

“Comprehensive strategies are being implemented towards mainstreaming climate change adaptation and resilience across all sectors of our economy.”

All that was ignored by some media and a section of the population bent on seeing the continued isolation of Zimbabwe.

Instead, focus has been on how the West can continue to sanction a Zimbabwe that has been going on about its devices to end the illegal economic sanctions and isolation.

This is where we differ with the MDC and their handlers.

One of the effects of the Western-imposed economic sanctions on Zimbabwe, as captured by former US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Chester Crocker was ‘to separate the Zimbabwean people from ZANU PF (read leadership)’.

What has not escaped our attention is that, indeed the attempt to separate the people from their leadership is one of the intended consequences of the sanctions as seen by the anger and fury that emanated from the opposition, its fanatic followers and their malicious handlers over the revelation by President Mnangagwa that he had decent conversation with principal sponsors of the sanctions — US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Union Council, Charles Michel.

The plan which President Mnangagwa unveiled at his inauguration on November 24 2017 was to bring to an end the hostilities that have been wrought by the West’s obstinacy through their illegally-imposed sanctions.

He has not deviated from that plan and the Glasgow gathering was yet another opportunity to push his engagement and re-engagement drive, which he did with aplomb.

There is little surprise that there is hostility on that end.

Here is why: A Zimbabwe that is a friend to all does not bode well for the MDC’s aspirations, given their brazen inclination towards the maintenance and sustenance of colonial interests.

Also, their politics have revolved mainly on the continued suffering of the masses as a ticket to Number 1 Chancellor Avenue.

What we know, and which will public knowledge in the near future, is that there were, indeed, high level engagements between President Mnangagwa and the sponsors of the illegal economic sanctions.

There too were acknowledgements from the West, albeit a little too late, that the sanctions have severely affected the innocent while fracturing relations between Harare and the West.

That will be unravelled soon when the West starts making overtures towards normalising relations with Zimbabwe as they did in Glasgow.

What is lost to the opposition is that these overtures are meant for the greater good of the same country that they want to see suffer.

We will be generous with them on that regard because President Mnangagwa has made it clear that the new dispensation trajectory does not leave anyone out.

As such, they will be the biggest beneficiaries of the masterstroke that was pulled in Glasgow.

A developed Zimbabwe benefits us all.

While the trolls were at it, lampooning their country, Zimbabwean officials were busy cleaning up the mess that was being created back home.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Frederick Shava was meeting with a group of 20 British investors who not only expressed interest in investing in Zimbabwe but are on their way to Harare to reconnect with a lost past.

Again, that will conveniently be omitted in certain media spaces.

But the results will be there for all to see.

This is why we find the comparisons with Zambia by the likes of Hoey rather nauseating, if not irritating.

Zimbabwe and Zambia can never be separated by ramblings of an eccentric woman and we will cover this extensively.

What we can say is that Hoey’s obsession is well-documented and she has been consistent in trying to remove ZANU PF from power — even to the extent of chairing the UK All Party Parliament Group on Zimbabwe.

This grouping was made up of remnants of characters who shamelessly supported Ian Smith’s Rhodesian regime!

Zimbabwe’s re-admission into the league of nations is very much on track but it is, as usual, being derailed by some in our midst.

Let those with ears listen.