SOUTHERN AFRICA’s liberation movements that gathered last week in Victoria Falls shared notes on how to maintain the ideological thrust that brought about freedom and counter threats from the ever intrusive and relentless West which seek to ouster them from power, especially in Zimbabwe.
The renewed push by the West and neo-colonialists to plunge the region into the abyss through putting in power pliant regimes that will allow them to loot and plunder the region’s abundant natural resources necessitated the Victoria Falls meeting.
Zimbabwe, host to the well-attended meeting, has for close to two decades been a victim of a sustained Western onslaught over its unwavering stance on matters to do with sovereignty.
It was a crucial congregation of converging minds graced by secretary-generals of the liberation war movements ZANU PF, African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Tanzania), South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) of Namibia, FRELIMO of Mozambique and the People’s Movement for the Liberation (MPLA) of Angola.
Speaking at a Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Dar es Salaam in March 2007, former South African President Thabo Mbeki aptly said: “The fight against Zimbabwe is a fight against us all.
“Today it is Zimbabwe, tomorrow it will be South Africa, it will be Mozambique, it will be Angola, it will be any other African country.
“And any government that is perceived to be strong and to be resistant to imperialists would be made a target and would be undermined.
“So tell us not to allow any point of weakness in the solidarity of SADC, because that weakness will also be transferred to the rest of Africa.”
The battle is far from over for ZANU PF.
Morgan Tsvangirai, the West’s ever willing tool in the regime change agenda continues to be a ‘political nuisance’.
The talk in town is that the numerous opposition outfits in the country intend to form what they call a ‘grand coalition’ in their feverish bid to remove ZANU PF from power.
History is surely repeating itself and fingerprints of Western powers are visible in this fresh attempt to dismantle ZANU PF.
Many will remember that the US was, and is, overt in its anti-President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF project.
In its State Department report, Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The US Record 2006, released in Washington DC on April 5 2007, the US proudly admitted to subverting President Mugabe’s government and to supporting the opposition (MDC).
It added: “To further strengthen pro-democracy elements, the US government continued to support the efforts of the political opposition, the media and civil society to create and defend democratic space and to support persons who criticise the Government (of President Mugabe).”
The report itemised the following among US subversion tactics:
l Direct funding to the opposition MDC.
l Direct funding to MDC-affiliated international and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
l Direct funding to human rights groups affiliated to the opposition.
l Direct support to the labour union, ZCTU, from which the MDC emerged.
This is why the Victoria Falls meeting was more than a retreat.
It was important in many ways.
But most crucial, it was about re-strategising and coming up with fresh counter-attacks on neo-colonialists and their collaborators whose mission is to divide and destroy Africa.
Fresh in the minds of the West, in particular Britain, Zimbabwe’s former coloniser, is the damage Harare inflicted on London through the protracted war of liberation and most recently through the historic and heroic Land Reform and Resettlement Programme.
Such successes don’t just happen overnight, although the impact of once derided leaders such as President Mugabe, Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda can be overstated and with pride too.
From these great men’s commitment and dedication towards the freedom of the majority, the foundations for something remarkable were present in their respective nations long before freedom arrived.
Zimbabwe is today paying the price of its stance on empowering its people while President Mugabe is seen as a villain for bruising the perpetually inflated British ego.
The sanctions Harare is reeling under are meant to scare other liberation movements from giving land as well as control and ownership of resources to the people.
They are meant to break the connection between ZANU PF and the people.
Former US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Chester Crocker laid bare this plan in September 2001 during a debate on sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Said Crocker: “To separate the Zimbabwe people from that man Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF we are going to have to make their ‘economy scream’ and I hope you Senators have the stomach for what you have to do.”
To buttress their dishonesty inside Zimbabwe, US officials had been under instructions to deny that Zimbabwe is under real sanctions or that Uncle Sam was, and is, meddling.
Instead, their brief is to insist that the problems facing the Zimbabwean people are authored by one man and his Government; President Robert Mugabe.
It is noteworthy that the crucial meeting in Victoria Falls ended with delegates resolving to co-operate more closely on the strategic implementation of joint programmes of action, designed to closely monitor and pro-actively intervene in situations where regime change is a threat.
The liberation movements also resolved to liaise and co-operate in the speedy implementation of the joint political party school, as well as prioritise the training of party cadres in member countries, with a view to raising their political, ideological and leadership competencies.
With leaders like these, the future indeed looks bright and regime change efforts will never succeed.
Let those with ears listen.