WITH the 2018 general elections around the corner, the civic society has passed a resolution to create discontent, chaos and crisis at grassroots levels to attract intervention by the international community.
And the country’s residents associations, among other groups, have been engaged for the role of creating chaos across the country.
According to Wikipedia: “Residents associations are organisations formed by groups of people from a specific geographic community who come together to address issues within their local area and act as a voice for their local community.”
After failing to effect regime change through opposition political parties that have failed to garner support in the country owing to their ideological bankruptcy, regime changers have changed tack.
The regime change proponents have resorted to using groupings that directly deal with communities.
The country has a number of residents associations and these have been identified as ideal since most of them are headed by people who have benefitted from the West and are outright quislings.
Residents associations in the country include: Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA), Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA), Gwanda Residents Association (GRA), Victoria Falls Combined Residents and Ratepayers Association (VICAFORA), Kariba Residents Association (KRA), Kwekwe Residents Association (KURA), Kadoma Residents Association (KRA), Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Association (MURA), Chiredzi Residents Association (CRA), Masvingo United Residents Association (MURRA), Buhera Residents Association (BRA), Bindura Residents Association (BURA), Mutoko Residents Association (MRA), Chitungwiza Progressive Residents Association (CHIPRA), Chitungwiza Residents Association (CHIRA), Mvurwi Residents Association (MRUA), Epworth Residents Representatives (ERR) and Beitbridge Residents Association.
At the behest of Western organisations, local residents’ associations have moved from their mandate of speaking for residents to delving into politics.
The associations have been tasked to infuse members of their communities with protest messages.
Speaking at a Citizen Manifesto launch in Harare recently, a Bulawayo Progressive Resident Association (BPRA) representative said they were now part of the social movements seeking to achieve the dream of a ‘new’ regime in Zimbabwe.
“We look forward to roll out this programme in Bulawayo as it will bring together elders and youths suffering from the current dispensation,” said the representative.
Gwanda Residents Trust ‘lamented’ that the rural folks have been left out in the protests and demonstrations being instigated by the so-called social movements.
“We need to take this dream back home,” said the representative.
The makeup of these leaders has made them effective tools of the the regime change agenda.
For example, Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) executive director, Mfundo Mlilo, was a prominent member of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) and a former ZINASU director.
CHRA is an umbrella organisation covering areas that include Harare, Chitungwiza, Norton and Ruwa.
Mlilo is also a beneficiary of the George Soros’ fund as an Africa University’s Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance (IPLG) graduate. Soros is a well known regime change financier.
In 2014, while at CiZC, he attended a meeting in South Africa where he told the world that there would be a coup in Zimbabwe after the dismal failure of opposition parties to ascend to power.
According to Mlilo and friends, all that is required to overthrow the ZANU PF-led Government is a ‘burning’ Zimbabwe that will warrant Western interference.
Mlilo is on record calling for illegal, unsanctioned and provocative protests by the likes of Patson Dzamara, who are in fact paid to get into the streets.
“We need to shift the mindset of Zimbabweans,” said Mlilo.
“That is why people like Patson (Dzamara), when they go to the streets, find that they are alone.”
Commenting on street demonstrations initiated under the #Tajamuka/Sesijikile banner, Mlilo said: “I argue that this is a significant development, the likes of which has not been seen before in Zimbabwe.
“Those who are doubting or questioning it are most probably informed by a fear of the unfamiliar and unconventional.
“It is not the campaign they are used to or expect.
“For the regime and security analysts, it’s a clear warning.”
Mlilo’s mantra takes its cue from his Western handlers who have deliberately downplayed the achievements of Government.
In typical Western fashion, he speaks in generalities and never specifics.
“President Mugabe’s leadership is failing to provide cures for social, economic and political malaise,” said Mlilo.
“The nation is angry, sick and tired of a failing leadership which is failing to provide social and economic answers to peoples’ needs and worries and taking everything for granted.”
Clearly it is by no coincidence that the CHRA was formed in 1999, the same year the MDC was formed.
Another association that has been roped in to do the bidding of the West is the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA).
BPRA was formed despite there already being the Bulawayo Residents Association (BURA) in the province.
BURA was deemed too timid to carry out the regime change agenda and not ready to unleash violence as it was officially recognised and worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Although BPRA states its mission as empowering residents of Bulawayo in issues of local governance and collective decision-making through effective participation and informed research, it has completely departed from its mission of representing the residents of Bulawayo.
Instead, it has formed structures in all the city’s 29 wards and has used these structures to facilitate research and dissemination of wrong information to the residents of Bulawayo.
The organisation, through its sponsors has supported increased dialogue between residents, councillors (all MDC) and MDC-T politicians.
So-called community projects, some in the guise of community gardens, have become forums to gather to share strategies on how to overthrow the current Government.
Residents are fed anti-government messages and urged to protest against the implementation of any programmes initiated by Government.
A notable case is when more than 1 000 residents were mobilised to march against a decision to install water meters in Bulawayo. All the demonstrators were paid US$10 each as ‘participation fees’.
Joining the ‘residents’ in the march were organisations that included Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe, Radio Dialogue, Bulawayo Agenda, National Youth Development Trust, Women’s Institute of Leadership Development, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development, Ibhetshu LikaZulu, the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Enterprises, Victory Siyanqoba, Women of Zimbabwe Arise, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Intsha.com and Christian Legal Society.
During the run-up to 2013 general elections, these same structures were used to mobilise campaign teams for the MDC.
They formed structures which worked hand-in-hand with opposition political parties to distribute materials and other literature that called for a ‘new’ Government.
A distinguishing feature of their campaign is the absence of any policy or programmes to accompany their professed ‘new’ Government.
As a result of these structures, a group of young opposition politicians entered the political arena under the two MDC formations — political parties equally void of any alternative programmes.
Although some of them won the elections, the remaining groups are working on sponsored projects under the regime change agenda.
During the elections, regime change agenda materials were produced by BPRA’s parent organisation Radio Dialogue, a ‘non-profit making community radio station’ that illegally broadcasted to the community of Bulawayo and its surrounding areas.
Recently, residents of Ward 13 comprising Iminyela, Mabutweni and Pelandaba in Bulawayo were up in arms against BPRA.
The residents accused the association of threatening to evict them from council-owned houses they were renting if they did not acquire membership of the association.
BPRA was reportedly threatening to use its ‘connections’ to have them evicted from the houses to make way for the organisation’s members.
The Harare Residents Trust (HRT), established to ‘advocate effective representation of residents of Harare Province in local governance issues’ by Precious Shumba in February 2008 is another organisation that has been targeted to help with the regime change agenda in the capital.
Shumba, the director of the Trust, is a journalist by profession and at one time worked for the Daily News.
After his stint with the Daily News, Shumba joined CHRA as its spokesperson and information officer.
He later joined Action Aid International as a governance consultant.
It is by no sheer coincidence that during the run-up to the 2008 harmonised elections, Shumba participated in America’s State Department International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP – Transparency and Good Governance, Africa Region programme).
Upon his return, Shumba formed HRT.
The trust, according to information from its website: ‘Is structured on the same lines as the US-based Jacksonville Community Council International (JCCI), a United Nations Best Practice, promoting community participation and accountability in Northern Florida’.
Other HRT members included Emmiliah Chakatsva (board chairperson), John Makamure, Albert Mazula (treasurer) and Elizabeth Rutsate (secretary).
Mazula is director of Africa Book Development Organisation (ABDO), an organisation that advocates, among other contentious issues, sexual rights and diversity.
Another association identified as relevant to the regime change agenda is the Chitungwiza Progressive Residents Association (CHIPRA)
CHIPRA was founded in August 2007 as the country was readying for the 2008 harmonised elections.
Again this was a calculated move by regime change proponents to try and drum up support for the opposition.
Characters playing a leading role in the association include former CiZC director MacDonald Lewanika.
Lewanika, who projects himself as a voice of reason, was forced to resign from CiZC following allegations of flouting tender procedures and abusing donor funds.
Thus the name ‘residents associations’ has become a misnomer as the groupings are instead representing the interests of colonial agents of regime change.