THE provocative letter to the EU and US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, by South African opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, last week, calling for ‘international support’ in that country’s forthcoming elections must be understood in the context of two pervasive issues associated with the West’s now intensified and aggressive push for the removal of former liberation movements from power. 

First is that it was a bare-faced confirmation that the unnerving collusion between that party and Western countries is very much alive. 

Second, and closely linked to the above, is that the much talked about illegal regime change agenda that has afflicted Zimbabwe since the turn of the millennium is now very much on South Africa’s doorstep as previously warned by this publication. 

Put simply, the regime change agenda is now confronting South Africa as the new scramble for resources continues to gather momentum. 

South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, has to be wary of the tempestous storm that is headed in its direction. 

There is, therefore, an inexorable and urgent need for the ANC to draw lessons from Zimbabwe which has managed to weather similar storms. 

When the ANC goes to the polls on May 29, it will be confronted by a myriad of challenges, mainly emanating from the West’s frustration with removing ZANU PF from power over the past two decades as well its continued failure to dislodge liberation movements. 

This publication has untiringly stated that liberation movements are being targeted by the West, in particular the US that has become increasingly agitated over what it deems ‘pressure’ from China and Russia whose foothold on African economies has kept many countries afloat. 

Zimbabwe, having traversed that rugged terrain, is in a position and is ready, willing and able to proffer solutions to other countries in the region that are under the cosh of the belligerent West on how to counter those manoeuvres. 

Here is why: 

In its March 7 letter to the bellicose Blinken, the DA claimed, among other things, that democracy is being trampled upon in South Africa. 

“It is our contention that as the ruling elite grow desperate to retain electoral support ahead of the upcoming elections; they may be willing to put their narrow political interests ahead of our country’s broader interests and sacred constitutional values,” reads part of DA MP Emma Powell’s letter to Blinken via US Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigerty. 

Brigerty has already torched a storm in South Africa, having made unfounded claims that South Africa ‘supplied’ arms to Russia in its ongoing military exercise in neighbouring Ukraine. 

He never proved his potentially damaging allegations against South Africa. 

In the malicious letter to the US, the DA claimed that the ANC was receiving or was likely to receive ‘support’ from what she described as ‘malign actors’ to ‘rig’ the election. 

“Here we are witnessing an increasing willingness by the ANC to forge alliances with malign international actors whose regimes are characterised by tyranny, terror and oppression. 

In the absence of permissions being granted by our Government for increased contingents of international observers to monitor NPE2024, resources could be made available to bolster the deployment of additional independent, domestic observers. 

“Lastly, we note with increasing alarm the potential for foreign interference in our elections by malign actors. Your country can help to safeguard against attempts to disrupt the democratic process or negatively influence the South African electorate through misinformation and disinformation campaigns. We, therefore, expect any available technological resources designed to mitigate sinister attempts to manipulate election outcomes, particularly within vulnerable communities.” 

But the biggest malign actor in the world has been the US which has destroyed viable democracies in its futile quest to dominate the now alert world. 

And the DA’s letter is a familiar script to Zimbabwe where those pursuing what they call ‘the struggle for democracy’ have openly joined with the West to effect regime change through illegal means. 

That malice is deviously designed to lay siege on the various struggles for liberation that were waged in Southern Africa by creating the impression that liberation movements have ‘failed’ to deliver democracy to their respective polities. 

But democracy is not only about casting a vote for and on behalf of Western countries’ proxies; it is about fulfilling the ideas, ideals and values of the liberation struggle through delivering ownership and control of the means of production to the rightful owners — the masses. 

Zimbabwe’s ‘crime’, in the eyes of the West, has been land redistribution and, for that, it must be persecuted. 

South Africa’s ANC finds itself in that invidious position for merely speaking out against the uneven ownership patterns of land, while puppets, like the DA, come in handy in furthering US interests. 

The land must, in their warped view, remain in the hands of the minority to maintain the hegemony that the world is drifting away from. 

In order to pursue that vainglorious objective, Westerners have sought to use the so-called civil society as conduits. 

That has duly failed largely due to the tenacity of ZANU PF which has been unwavering in its commitment to fulfilling and protecting the legacy of the liberation struggle. 

Let those with ears listen.