RECENT startling revelations by President
Emmerson Mnangagwa that Zimbabwe
rejected preconditions to access a
US$60 billion package that was availed by
the US at a recent summit are confirmation
that Uncle Sam will stop at nothing in
his quest to manipulate the world.
The US dangled the US$60 billion package
during the US-Africa Summit that was
held in Maputo, Mozambique, a fortnight
ago.
The plan was to counter a similar package
that China unveiled last year during
the Forum for Africa China Co-operation
Summit (FOCAC).
Zimbabwe enjoys good relations with
China and it stands to benefit from the
Asian economic powerhouse package.
On the other hand, with its aggressive
policy towards Zimbabwe waning, the US
has been making overtures, albeit with
demands for reforms, aimed at realigning
its relations with Harare.
While Zimbabwe’s reform agenda has
gained traction, the US, feeling left out,
has been using all sorts of tactics to curry
favour with Harare; hence the attempt to
make the Southern African country part of
beneficiaries of the US$60 billion package.
And history is the best teacher, especially
when dealing with the US.
This is because, after imposing illegal
economic sanctions on the country on
December 21 2001 in response to Zimbabwe’s
Land Reform and Resettlement Programme
of 2000, the US has studiously
refused to remove those sanctions, making
demand after demand as precondition for
the removal of the same.
But Zimbabwe has refused, rightfully
so, to give in to those demands which are
widely seen as an attempt to weaken the
country’s systems.
In 2008, the US even attempted to
bring Zimbabwe to the United Nations
(UN) agenda with a view to imposing
global sanctions on Harare, but China and
Russia vetoed the US’ vote.
Yet, America’s aggression knows no
boundaries.
Such has been the recklessness of the
US in its futile bid to control the world
that it has, time and again, used money
to either effect regime change, through
illegal means or simply by force.
The Maputo package is no exception.
Addressing Domboshava residents during
last week’s Friday clean-up campaign
at the Showgrounds, President Mnangagwa
revealed that the US had tried to accost
Zimbabwe to benefit from its package on
condition that Harare would vote alongside
Washington at the UN.
This would help the US sanitise its
reckless foreign policy which is firmly
anchored on destabilising governments
it deems to be opposed to its hegemonic
domination.
When all is said and done, what the US
is offering Africa is dirty money meant to
finish off all those who stand up for what
is right. In reality, the US does not need
UN blessings to kill its opponents.
On December 30 2006, Saddam Hussein
was killed by the US which had ignored
UN advice for an investigation into
allegations that the former Iraqi leader
possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction
(WMD).
President Mnangagwa revealed that he
met US Assistant Secretary of State for
African Affairs Mr Tibor Nagy and asked:
“ . . . you have imposed sanctions on
Zimbabwe, what have we done wrong to
you?
“You have prevented Zimbabwe from
accessing support from (the) World Bank,
IMF (International Monetary Fund), what
have we done against you?
“There’s not time in history that we have
done anything wrong against you, so what
is it?
“There’s no time that Zimbabweans
have done wrong against you, so what is
it?”
He went on.
“They just said submit your projects and
if they are accepted, you will be supported.
“But the Americans’ money comes with
preconditions they said when it’s time to
vote at the UN (on any issue), you vote
alongside us to access the US$60 billion,
but we rejected that. When we vote, we are
guided by our national interest of Zimbabwe.
“We are a full member of the UN and
we can’t sell out. If the money has no such
preconditions, we can get it, but if it does
have preconditions to sell out, then we
don’t.”
Currently, the US is involved in futile
attempts to destabilise Venezuela because
of the latter’s vast oil deposits.
Consider the following Centre for Economic
and Policy Research paper by Alex
Main.
Titled ‘The United States’ Hand in
Undermining Democracy In Venezuela
and published on May 18 2018, the paper
provides some useful insights on how the
US manipulates its targeted countries so
that they loot resources.
“It used to be generally frowned upon
to openly call for military coups and US
intervention in Latin America,” reads the
paper in part.
“Not anymore.
At least not when it comes to Venezuela,
a country where according to the prevailing
narrative a dictator is starving the
population and quashing all opposition.
Last August, President Trump casually
mentioned a ‘military option’ for Venezuela
from his golf course in New Jersey,
provoking an uproar in Latin America
but barely a peep in Washington.
Similarly, Rex Tillerson, then Secretary
of State, spoke favourably about a
possible military invasion of Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro.
In recent months, opinion pieces suggesting
that a coup or a foreign military
intervention in Venezuela might be a
good thing have dotted the US media
landscape: from the Washington Post to
Project Syndicate to The New York Times.
Occasionally a pundit argues that
a coup d’état could have undesirable
consequences, for instance if a hypothetical
coup regime should decide to deepen
relations with China or Russia.”
What ED has done is to not only stand
up to the US but stand on the moral
pedestal, which move will, in the long run,
infuriate the Americans.
Let those with ears listen.