HomeOld_PostsBlair exposure: Will Britain apologise?

Blair exposure: Will Britain apologise?

Published on

UNDER normal circumstances, the admission by the British government that it sold the world a dummy by claiming that the illegal economic sanctions regime imposed against Zimbabwe by the European Union (EU) was an ‘asset freeze’ on President Robert Mugabe and his so-called ‘inner circle’ must be accompanied by an apology.
However, this will never happen given that Britain’s history is replete with cases of unbridled arrogance and hypocrisy.
British dishonesty when it comes to dealing with its enemies is not only legendary but a vital part of the game; its interests come first.
Zimbabwe is a classic example of this dishonesty.
Britain will not apologise, instead, they think we owe them.
But more importantly, Britain has her eye firmly on re-engaging Zimbabwe therefore Blair’s admission is no cause for celebration.
Britain was led by deposed Prime Minister Tony Blair when the sanctions regime came into effect.
Successive British Prime Ministers after Blair’s unceremonious exit from office have exhibited similar political dishonesty when it comes to the so-called ‘Zimbabwe issue’.
Britain, the EU and the United States and their allies passed a raft of economic sanctions on Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium that included travel bans and asset freezes on top government officials. Sanctions cut Zimbabwe’s lines of credit from multilateral lending institutions.
The sanctions have cost Zimbabwe over US$42 billion in revenue over the past 14 years.
The Blair admission is contained in an article titled ‘Robert Mugabe’s 2013 Presidential Election Campaign’ that was published in the Journal of African Studies, 2013, Vol 39 released last week.
The article, quoting former South African president Thabo Mbeki, revealed that Britain had ‘frozen’ non-existent assets and that the then British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, had in year 2000 exerted pressure on South Africa in a bid to establish a military base to attack Zimbabwe and depose President Mugabe.
“Britain began saying to us (South Africans) that ‘Bob Mugabe’ had a castle in Scotland, money in British banks, and these were the things they were going to freeze,” President Mbeki is quoted as saying in the journal published online on Monday.
“We said we cannot stop you.
“We can stop you (from) invading Zimbabwe from here (South Africa), but we cannot do anything about your sanctions.
“After about three months, Tony’s people came to say to us that we have looked high and low.
“Bob Mugabe has no assets in Britain, but we are going to impose sanctions anyway.
“So they froze assets that did not exist.”
There are several lessons to be learned from these revelations.
Blair remains a key figure of our recent history.
Last Friday we woke up to screaming headlines some of which ‘urged’ President Mugabe to ‘move’ with times and stop attacking Blair.
This was after President Mugabe had chronicled the long road Zimbabwe travelled in a bid to regain its land, saying the journey had been marked by untenable laws and international isolation at the behest of Britain.
The second lesson is that Britain like the leopard will never change its spots.
Its association with the opposition MDC has not officially ended.
The following are examples why Britain must for once have decency and own up to its shenanigans.
On the eve of the March 29 2008 elections, Blair’s predecessor Gordon Brown personally wrote and signed a letter to the Vice-President of British Law Society — one Holroyd on February 4 2008.
The letter sought to respond to a plea for British funding of the opposition in Zimbabwe, followed by serious lobbying by the MDC — affiliated Law Society of Zimbabwe to its equivalent, the British Law Society.
The British government confirmed what was already known to most Zimbabweans, that it was funding the opposition.
Another revealing issue on the British/MDC alliance in the imposition of sanctions is the January 19 2010 admission by former British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary David Miliband that the sanctions which the MDC had claimed to have no control over for a decade could only be removed at their instigation and calling.
Asked by a Conservative legislator what they intend to do with the sanctions, Miliband said they would only remove the sanctions if the MDC said so.
Said Miliband:
“In respect of sanctions, we have made it clear that they can be lifted only in a calibrated way, as progress is made.
“I don’t think that it is right to say the choice is between lifting all sanctions and none at all.
“We have to calibrate our response to the progress on the ground, and above all, to be guided by what the MDC says to us about the conditions under which it is walking and leading the country.”
In light of these revelations, it is not only Blair who should apologise to Zimbabweans, but the whole of the British establishment.
But as shall be seen, the apology will never come.
Let those with ears listen.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest articles

Kariba Municipality commits to President’s service delivery blueprint

By Kundai Marunya IT is rare to find opposition-controlled urban councils throwing their weight on...

The resurgence of Theileriosis in 2024 

THE issues of global changes, climate change and tick-borne diseases cannot be ignored, given...

Britain haunted by its hostile policy on Zimbabwe

TWO critical lessons drawn from the recent debate on Zimbabwe in the British House...

The contentious issue of race

 By Nthungo YaAfrika AS much as Africans would want to have closure to many of...

More like this

Kariba Municipality commits to President’s service delivery blueprint

By Kundai Marunya IT is rare to find opposition-controlled urban councils throwing their weight on...

The resurgence of Theileriosis in 2024 

THE issues of global changes, climate change and tick-borne diseases cannot be ignored, given...

Britain haunted by its hostile policy on Zimbabwe

TWO critical lessons drawn from the recent debate on Zimbabwe in the British House...

Discover more from Celebrating Being Zimbabwean

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading