By Golden Guvamatanga and Elizabeth Sitotombe
YET again the House of Lords held their so-called debates on the ‘situation’ in Zimbabwe.
The British House of Lords incessant debates on Zimbabwe expose their untamed appetite and desire to lay claim on a former colony.
Zimbabwe has become the most discussed country in that Parliament.
The time and energy spent by the British discussing this little teapot-shaped country is prompted by their bitter sweet frustrations. All the unnecessary attention stems from a misplaced deep seated optimism that Zimbabwe will once again become a whiteman’s ‘little England’.
Remember it was these aristocratic Brits who sponsored the BSAC that violently dispossessed Zimbabweans during the colonial era.
Never again!
In their latest sitting, the House of Lords claimed that the pre-election period and election day “…fell short of regional and international standards…”. The Lords expressed concern over fictitious narratives of pre-election violence against opposition members by the ZANU PF-led Government.
We expected this all too familiar outcry on ‘rigged’ elections and post-election violence. It is a pattern we have become accustomed to; the country has never been so peaceful during the post-election period in years like it has been this time around
Undoubtedly the elections can only be ‘free and fair’ to the West if the opposition wins.
But that can never be.
Late last year, the Lords straight up declared that they would exhaust all options in ensuring credible elections in Zimbabwe.
What did they mean?
They recklessly poured funds into the opposition war chest and many champions of the regime change agenda. Every move by the opposition, Team Pachedu and the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, among others, had been well calculated.
They thought they would unseat the ruling Party, ZANU PF, through rigging mechanisms; we all know how that went.
Continuing with their discussion, they also noted Zimbabwe’ s strategic importance to the UK’ s foreign policy goals of preventing China and Russia from being dominant in Africa.
Lord David Howell did not mince his words on the subject matter: “My Lords, I am sure that the Government’s present concerns and those of the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, are quite correct, but will the Minister accept that Zimbabwe is a vast country of potentially great wealth?”
“Will he accept that, in the longer term, we will need its markets, its raw materials, and its support in keeping the Russians and Chinese from dominating the whole of Africa?
Despite the present difficulties — and remembering that Zimbabwe was once a member of the Commonwealth and could be again, although clearly not now — will the Minister accept that these things should be kept in the back of our minds?”
His sentiments were buttressed by British Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, who highlighted the overtures that are being made by his country in Zimbabwe.
“The UK is working to increase trade and investment with Zimbabwe to help drive economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty. Through our Economic Partnership Agreement, Zimbabwean companies have duty-free and quota-free access to the UK market, and we are particularly focused on supporting Zimbabwean exports of horticulture produce like blueberries and peas, increasing choices for UK consumers,” said Mitchell who was responding to a question from the Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Ruth Jones, on what Britain was doing to promote economic co-operation with Zimbabwe
“We are also working to reduce barriers to UK investment in renewable energy and our technical assistance to strengthen the policy environment is unlocking new investment into independent solar power projects.”
This is where we believe that Britain must douse the inferno it ignited in Harare from Western capitals.
No matter the seemingly good intentions that are coming from Britain, it is important to keep in mind that it was them, the country’s former colonisers, who created the mess that the country is stewing in after it mobilised the West to impose sanctions and ostracise Zimbabwe over the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme of 2000.
Following the Brexit crisis, Britain needs Zimbabwe more than ever to shore up their economy and they are getting desperate — they need Zimbabwe’s vast natural resources once again.
The Brits became filthy rich from the resources they freely looted in the then Rhodesia; today many of them still hoard vast wealth owing to this.
It boggles the mind that these very people can sit and discuss a nation they subjected to vile and cruel practices with straight faces while sounding and acting concerned about the people of Zimbabwe.
It is impossible to write our history without including the gross inhumane abuses by the British. They hunted and haunted our kith and kin like animals; treated dogs better than they did our brothers and sisters; they whipped, raped, shot and killed young children; they had them shackled in groups for days on end in pools of their own urine and faeces while they waited for the inevitable to happen, that is either be hanged or auctioned to the highest bidder as slaves.
Today they pride themselves as champions of human rights who dispense millions of dollars in humanitarian aid towards the country.
Yet they are the architects of inhuman practices that trample on the basic rights of Zimbabweans.
But back to the latest debate: “…the UK will work with SADC to find a lasting solution to the Zimbabwe problem…,” they stated.
What problem!
A mere report made by Western puppets will not change the election outcome.
After all, the SADC Electoral Observer Missions only observes elections and make recommendations and that is it.
Said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the side-lines of The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA): “The SADC report on Zimbabwe selection never declared the election as invalid, it only highlighted challenges that Zimbabwe must address.”
Indeed, It is time we all moved on.
Interestingly, in the aftermath of the debate, the SADC chair, Hakainde Hichilema, called for an extraordinary SADC Troika meeting to discuss, among other things, the report on the recent election in Zimbabwe on September 27.
However ,the SADC Council of Ministers went on to congratulate Zimbabwe for holding violence-free, free and fair, credible elections in accordance with SADC, its Constitution and its Electoral Act.
The election outcome serves as evidence of the will of the masses. The West has done so much to deprive the people of Zimbabwe through their continuous meddling.
Zimbabwe is a sovereign State capable of charting its own destiny!
