MY Form One History teacher, Mubhedha, had an interesting definition of the subject that gave me a new, different perspective to the subject.
He defined history as ‘not only the study of the past as has been portrayed by colonial historians; history looks at past, present and even future events.’
It is from history that we shape the future but few in the country’s politics seem to have realised that fact.
The above definition by Mubhedha has been provoked by the US’ decision last Friday to amend their sanctions law, the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) of 2001, passed into law on December 21 2001.
Senators Chris Coons and Jeff Flake introduced the amendments on Thursday last week with the aim of ‘pressuring’ President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa to make some ‘reforms’.
In the amended law, America makes a raft of demands which they say Zimbabwe must adhere to if the widely discredited sanctions are to be removed and as pre-conditions to the holding of free, fair and credible elections.
So senseless are the demands that the US wants to know what happened to diamond revenue from 2000.
Who runs this country?
Is it us Zimbabweans or the US?
What is curious in this charade is that the demands read like Nelson Chamisa’s Plan and Environment for a Credible Election in Zimbabwe (PEACE) document conditions which he unveiled to the public on Wednesday last week.
It gets more interesting when one considers that Chamisa, together with Tendai Biti, Dewa Mavhinga and Welshman Ncube, went to the US in December 2017 to lobby for more sanctions against Zimbabwe.
The US has already made its position clear.
They want the MDC Alliance to win the forthcoming polls.
But in doing that, they have once again repeated the mistakes that have haunted them like a ghost that will not find peace in the yonder world.
This is where Zimbabweans have demonstrated in the past that they are not about to be governed through a proxy.
They will chart their way, on their own and without undue interference from outsiders.
The embargo is indicative of the West’s desire to control Zimbabwe.
Sanctions are a neo-colonial weapon being used to subdue the efforts of the small-scale miner in Kwekwe, that tobacco farmer in Karoi and that indigenous businessman in Chitungwiza.
And we broaden our perspective on this matter in the following way:
This latest move by the US is a continuation of their futile quest to install a ‘pliant’ regime in Zimbabwe.
It was not long ago that this paper warned Zimbabweans against excitement over the US’ re-engagement overtures.
We said then that Uncle Sam is still bitter on behalf of the Western world over the country’s Land Reform and Resettlement Programme and that they would stop at nothing to reverse the historic initiative.
This is one of the demands they make in their amended sanctions law.
‘It is the sense of Congress that the Government of Zimbabwe and the Southern African Development Community should enforce the SADC Tribunal rulings from 2007 to 2010, including disputes involving employment, commercial and human rights cases surrounding disposed Zimbabwean commercial farmers and agricultural companies,’ the Act states.
Surely, what has the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme got to do with the holding of free and fair elections?
What have our diamonds and how they are managed have to do with Chamisa’s impeding defeat?
If anything, removal of sanctions is the biggest electoral reform that has to be dealt with before we go for polls.
Sanctions make the playing field tilt heavily in favour of the MDC-T because a hungry person cannot make conscious decisions.
We shall deal with this matter in due course but for now we can say the US has made yet another fatal miscalculation — Zimbabweans will not be bullied.
We are not a sh**hole country, no, no, we are not!
We are a self-determining people and our worth and validity in global affairs will not be determined by the US.
Blacks and Africans are not puppets of the West to be ordered and dictated to.
An argument lost in history
The MDC-T, MDC-C continue to serve us with an interesting political dish.
They say ZANU PF people have ‘overstayed’ in power, but to a serious political observer charity must begin at home.
The majority of MDC legislators, including Chamisa, have been in Parliament since 2000 and that is a staggering two decades.
What becomes an issue is that the same Chamisa who has been complaining against service delivery is at fault in his constituency.
What does he have to show for the 18 years that he has been in office?
What of others who have been in office the same period?
This is an argument for kindergarten children who believe their route to State House is through sanctions.
A future the opposition dreads
Linked to the above is the not so shocking attempt by the opposition for Zimbabwe to remain with a dead economy so that they can continue to make the hollow noise about poverty, unemployment and moribund infrastructure that they have grown accustomed to.
We have an opposition which has failed to understand and articulate its position in politics.
An opposition that rides on people’s suffering.
We can only imagine what would become of this country if they were to ever taste power.
An opposition must assist, monitor and support Government programmes if it has the interests of the people at heart.
They do no stall progress.
Last week, the usual noises were all abound.
They increased in intensity when Government announced the signing of the historic US$4,2 billion platinum deal with Cypriot Kora Resources on Thursday last week.
We were subjected to the same when President Mnangagwa commissioned the US$40 million Willowton Group refinery in Mutare on Friday. (Willowtown Group is also set to inject another US$20 million in a crushing plant as expansion plans to its Mutare operations).
They will continue to make noise to disturb our peace as more deals are announced in the coming months.
Our progress report this week shows that we are on the right track and as things continue to happen, we shall soon be witnessing the fruits of the hard work that has been put in by the new dispensation.
Let those with ears listen.