*Zimbabwe: MDC must be responsible*
* *
Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2007

*By Reason Wafawarova*
*
July 12, 2007*

*IT is unbelievable, indeed shameful that at a time we should all be ganging
up against imperialist forces bent on destroying our nationhood, there are
some among us who are not only doing nothing but shamelessly availing
themselves at the disposal of the brutal forces working against us.*

It is mind boggling to imagine that those in the MDC have chosen to showcase
their usual double-minded approach to everything by trying to undermine the
Sadc initiative, being spearheaded by South Africa.

That feuding MDC leaders have teamed up with the self-anointed
representative of the church, a self-styled activist running an organisation
claiming to have the mandate to write a national constitution and an
overzealous student under the illusion he is the custodian of all students,
testifies to this.

That this is happening at a time talks meant to help Zimbabwe pull in the
same direction only goes to show that the so-called democratic forces are
nothing more than destructive forces that every well-meaning Zimbabwean
should be wary of.

It is amazing that MDC leaders and their allies in the so-called civil
society have the temerity to brag about their shameful trip meant during
which they sought to outdo each in selling-out.

In reality, the European tour by the feuding opposition forces was a mere
competition for recognition by the members of the delegation; a competition
meant to get gullible westerners to loosen the purse strings.

The Save Zimbabwe Campaign team was made up of renegades who need to be
educated on the basics of serving Zimbabwe before they can even think of
saving it. The important question begging a speedy answer is how MDC leaders
and their allies intend to save Zimbabwe by teaming up with the same people
working to bring the country to its knees?

They may be pleasing themselves, their masters and their supporters but they
should rest assured that they are not doing their 2008 campaign any good as
their tour was viewed as the epitome of treachery by discerning Zimbabweans.


MDC leaders were also insulting Sadc as their Western campaign was a direct
slap in the face of those working at finding common ground between the main
political players in Zimbabwe.

The same goes for the African Union that recently reiterated its support for
Zimbabwe in Accra.

MDC leaders are also slighting the United Nations by undermining the world
body's position that Zimbabwe is not an acceptable candidate for sanctions.

However, they are doing the hawks in the European Union a world of good by
proving to be good, faithful stooges.

Those who have played similar roles in the Middle East, some parts of
Africa, South America and even Asia have traditionally operated as exiled
politicians, carrying out their treacherous missions from the bases of their
masters. The situation is, however, quite different for the MDC in that it
operates from the same Zimbabwe it is working to destroy, and in the process
confirm the country's democratic credentials.

Of course, none of the quislings will ever admit that Zimbabwe is a
democracy that tolerates divergent views, which is why they can pursue their
ruinous mischief at will.

Zimbabweans have the freedom to form political parties of their choice, even
treacherous ones. MDC leaders are free to openly deride the living and
fallen heroes of our liberation struggle at will, hiding their mischief
under the cover of freedom of expression.

MDC leaders have no qualms vilifying the same system that makes it possible
for them to exist as a political party, even though their activities would
have invited a ban in less democracies.

Tsvangirai and Mutambara flying in and out of Zimbabwe, because they have
freedom of movement and association, they back rabid online websites that
tell the world everything but the truth, all in the name of Press freedom.

They associate with all sorts of subversive characters, because they enjoy
freedom of association. They are blissfully unaware that their Western
masters outlawed Communist Parties in their countries, simply because they
were identified with the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In fact, the MDC and its allies enjoy so much freedom and rights that they
are now convinced that it is their "democratic" right to unconstitutionally
unseat an elected government. They believe that to the extent of publicly
declaring a "defiance campaign" and a war against the police. They are even
more than convinced that a speech that threatens the violent removal of a
sitting President is well within their "democratic" rights.

MDC leaders will tell their supporters that urban orgies of violence
disguised as mass actions are a "democratic" attempts to unseat a Government
in a country where the majority of people, over 70 percent, live in the
rural areas.

They are convinced that putting screws on one's own economy by way of
campaigning for isolation is well within "democratic" rights.

It is high time the MDC and like-minded organisations and individuals are
reminded that yes, they do have a lot of legitimate rights under the
international human rights regime but those rights will only yield benefits
if one takes up the responsibility that goes with the enjoyment of such
rights.

Irresponsible people should not expect to benefit from the rights at their
disposal. It is the simple rule of sowing; you can't sow a mango seed and
expect to see a guava tree germinating.

The MDC needs to be reminded that the right to gather or assemble comes with
a lot of responsibility and most certainly, planning violent protests and
inciting people to revolt against the Government is not responsibility. MDC
leaders need to know that they have every right to hop in and out of
Zimbabwe at will but that their forays also demand responsibility.

Again, flying out to campaign for sanctions and increased suffering for
one's own people is being responsible, it is simply unacceptable and
Zimbabwe has had enough of such shameless betrayal.

The right to free expression is at everyone's disposal but it comes with
responsibility. Certainly, lies, exaggerations, foul language and running
"houses of lies" in the name of media houses is not part of the expected
responsibility.

Fighting police officers in an attempt to effect illegal regime change
cannot pass for the responsibility expected under freedom of expression,
assembly or protest.

The current double standards being shown by MDC leaders that see them
pretend to be willing participants in inter-party talks on one hand, while
embarking on an anti-Zimbabwe campaigns in Europe on the other is just what
we have all along seen of this quisling party.

MDC leaders hail election results that go in their favour as free and fair,
and reject all outcomes that go against them as fraudulent. They purport to
love the very people for whom they create massive suffering by grovelling
for ruinous Western sanctions.

They take part in parliamentary elections and conveniently boycott elections
where they see pending defeat and claim to be doing so out of commitment to
democratic principles.

They say the land reform programme is failing because it is not well
supported with machinery and inputs and loudly cry in protest when the
inputs and machinery are delivered.

They cry that the economy is bad but stand up to protest every effort to
turn around the same economy. To them, the only legitimate economic growth
that Zimbabwe can ever have must be under an MDC government.

MDC leaders must assure Zimbabweans where they are going to get interest for
Zimbabwe's national interest if ever they are elected to power. Right now,
they do not only lack appreciation for the national interest, they actually
stand as prime enemies to the national interest in all its forms, that is
the economic interest, the ideological interest and the cultural interest.

What drives their hearts, souls and spirits are western interests, all
because of the motivation they derive from the power of treacherous silver
in the form of foreign donations.

Agreed, this is a one-sided analysis of part of the political process in
Zimbabwe and that is deliberate and for a purpose. That purpose is to tell
the MDC that Zimbabwe is getting sick and tired of bei ng taken for a ride
in circles of treacherous madness.

People may want change, indeed they do, but not the MDC kind of change
geared at destroying the economy in the hope of rebuilding it under an
opposition dispensation. Zimbabweans want economic development and ownership
of their economy in all its forms.

If Zimbabwe is to have a change of government then the alternative
government must be made up of well-meaning and loyal citizens who have the
national interest at heart; not the hopeless donor mongers who are
masquerading as opposition politicians today.

It is a tragedy to have an opposition party that takes part in elections as
a civilised political party that then turns itself into a rebel movement
seeking to topple the sitting government between elections. That is what we
have seen of the MDC since 2000 and one wonders what would happen if Zanu-PF
was organising counter-violent marches to overthrow local governments in
places like Bulawayo, Masvingo and other urban areas under MDC control.

It is high time the MDC started acting in good faith and Zimbabwe hopes for
a better opposition sooner than later.

*Reason Wafawarova is a Zimbabwean writer living in Australia; he can be
contacted on [log in to unmask]*

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