THE British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Melanie Robinson, recently met CCC leader Nelson Chamisa to ‘discuss the country’s forthcoming elections’.
This must be a stern reminder to the people of Zimbabwe that the forthcoming polls will be a contest between preserving the country’s war of liberation legacy and endorsing neo-colonialism and its innumerable vagaries.
There has been grudging behind the scenes consensus in Western embassies in Zimbabwe in recent times that their horse, CCC, is headed for a mauling in the 2023 harmonised elections hence their frantic attempts, since June 2022, to tarnish the impending elections.
Key to their ‘plan’ has been to interfere in our electoral processes, something that they have openly tried to do with no success in the past 10 months.
The opposition has been willing tools in the execution of that malicious plan.
This plan was first mooted during their so-called ‘pledges meeting’ held at the US Embassy in Harare which was attended by UK officials and members of the civil society who were tasked with finding ways of tarnishing the country’s electoral body ZEC and the polls as a whole.
Funding would be channelled to NGOs via a neighbouring country that has been deemed amenable to these hawkish manoeuvres.
And the plan has been swiftly busted by the country’s authorities.
But in fairness, and understandably so, the West have reasons to be livid with Zimbabwe.
More than two decades of trying to effect regime change in the country through illegal means have provided frustrating results for them.
That Zimbabwe is still standing tall and firm and very much on a recovery trajectory irks them.
And for the umpteenth time, Zimbabwe will be, in the coming weeks, up for discussion in UK Parliament with the hope of reviving the stuttering CCC whose election plan is up in smoke.
Sources in CCC said Chamisa was summoned by Robinson to explain why his party failed to successfully choose candidates for the elections.
The process to select candidates to represent CCC has torched a storm, with its staunch allies claiming the embattled party has failed to attract candidates in a number constituencies across the country.
As a result, nasty exchanges have been the order of the day for CCC, playing out in the public domain.
“Good to meet with CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa yesterday,” said Ambassador Robinson in a tweet.
“We discussed how important it is that the forthcoming elections are peaceful, credible and inclusive.
The UK is committed to promoting and protecting democracy and human rights [read gay rights and the interests of the West] around the world.”
We will ignore the last part of her tweet for very obvious reasons and focus on the attempt by Britain to interfere in the politics of its former colonies.
Soon after the meeting with Robinson, Chamisa resorted to the usual but now tired opposition rigging claims, telling a local weekly that there were plans to rig the polls.
“The Smith spirit has possessed Mr Mnangagwa,” Chamisa said in an interview with the weekly.
“I do not know why the demon of Rhodesia has to come back unto our fellow African brothers and sisters.
The one-man one-vote is the reason we attained liberation, so if you are now taking away with the left hand what you got with the right hand it is unacceptable, we will not allow it. Let the people vote freely. Let there be no coercion.”
He went on, deftly regurgitating the notes from the British Ambassador.
“The story and clamour for free, fair and credible elections is global and universal,” he said.
“The call for legislative reforms that will promote an uncontested, uncontaminated, undisputed election is a general expectation by citizens in the world and citizens in the country.
It is our hope that certain issues that we raised will be addressed to stop the abuse of key institutions and also the traditional leaders, who are being abused and forced to participate in elections.”
While fear of another embarrassing drubbing is palpable in Chamisa’s ramblings, there is no escaping the fact that the biggest threat to his prospects is from within his beleaguered party where daggers have been drawn by CCC members who want to push him out.
We have touched on this issue several times and now chickens are headed right to the core of his party to roost — and oust him.
And the fight to gain control of the opposition has nothing to do with the country’s interests.
It is mainly about who will pursue the interests of our erstwhile colonisers more.
Which is why it is important to keep in mind President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s statement in Epworth, recently, where the message was about peace, unity and development as well as preserving the country’s enduring liberation struggle legacy.
“When we go to elections you should vote wisely in a way that keeps the legacy of black people which is known by those who fought for it not those who came along the way,” said President Mnangagwa.
This is the legacy that is manifesting through the many developmental projects that Government has been pursuing over the years as well as the peace and tranquillity that is facing serious threats from the opposition and their Western handlers who desperately want to dabble in our affairs.
