BY THE CHAIRMAN: JULIUS MUTYAMBIZI-DEWA
Communities Point wishes to welcome and congratulate SADC and South Africa’s stance on Zimbabwe especially their stance on the inertia and bullying that has been displayed by ZANU PF in the Government of National Unity. The duty of South Africa and SADC remains to the people of Zimbabwe and not to any particular political persuasion. Yes ZANU PF fought for the liberation of Zimbabwe and won but it is an open secret that that ZANU PF of old has long gone and the current crop of ZANU PF save for a few progressive people, has largely abandoned the principles of the liberation struggle and now they are actually fighting to reverse them.
It was those principles that endeared them to other liberation movements such as ANC and PAC in South Africa, CCM in Tanzania, FRELIMO in Mozambique and ZAPU in Zimbabwe with the later actually moving out of the Unity Accord they had signed in 1987. We are left with a ZANU PF that forces people to attend its meetings by beating them and that does not have even the slightest regard for their property rights that views opposition parties as an enemy invasion on the territory that is Zimbabwe even though the liberation struggle was also for democracy. The Zimbabwean Defence Forces with the exception of the Perence Shiri-led Air Force of Zimbabwe now behaves like the Koevet Units of the apartheid-era South African Defence Forces.
Communities Point has previously castigated ANC for appearing to tow the same redundant line that is being towed by ZANU PF in Zimbabwe and we communicated our then disappointment to ANC which we reminded that their duty where it comes to foreign policy is to Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans. At every opportunity we have also reminded Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe of the special relationship that exists between those countries. The ties among those countries transcend the mere neighbour assumption that ZANU PF seems to be talking of. The ties are blood ties and historical and they are not even for good neighbourliness but good fraternity. It is therefore very untrue and an affront to our history that ZANU PF can say that the intervention of any of those countries in our affairs is anathema to our relations.
Since when have we started ignoring people we have such strong blood ties with? Since when have we folded our arms? As the Mwene Mutapas were becoming corrupt and they were selling the Empire to the Portuguese, Tjanga/Changa a MoPedi from South Africa revolted and defeated the Portuguese and the Mwene Mutapa. His people were given the name “Rozvi” by the Portuguese who also gave him the title "Mire" the Master. That was in 1684. That is the tradition, to this day we celebrate the heroics of Changamire and his people have earned the title as the "leaders of Zimbabwe" why because they gave themselves to the cause of a neighbour who was having it all wrong.
In 1995 Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana interfered militarily and reinstated the Monarch there. The 3 countries could not fold their arms and wait the next hour as a neighbour Lesotho burnt. As Ian Smith imposed apartheid in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique stood firm with the people of Zimbabwe against a rabid leader and a rabid regime. They could not wait a minute. As the DRC burnt ZIMBABWE embarked on Operation Sovereign Legitimacy, we could not allow disorder in our neighbourhood.
A neighbour who marvels as the house of his neighbour burns is not a only a bad neighbour but he is very sick and lacks vision because the fire that is burning his neighbours house or filed will surely gut his own fields and house next. SADC has two choices to make being a responsible neighbour and live in the same tradition as Changamire Dombo in 1684, the Frontline States in the 1970s and 1980s, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana in Lesotho in 1996 and Zimbabwe in the DRC in 1998-2002 or fold their arms and see their own houses burn next.
.www.communitiespoint.com or mutyambizidewa@yahoo.co.uk or 00447401182271 or 00447529705413
Communities Point wishes to welcome and congratulate SADC and South Africa’s stance on Zimbabwe especially their stance on the inertia and bullying that has been displayed by ZANU PF in the Government of National Unity. The duty of South Africa and SADC remains to the people of Zimbabwe and not to any particular political persuasion. Yes ZANU PF fought for the liberation of Zimbabwe and won but it is an open secret that that ZANU PF of old has long gone and the current crop of ZANU PF save for a few progressive people, has largely abandoned the principles of the liberation struggle and now they are actually fighting to reverse them.
It was those principles that endeared them to other liberation movements such as ANC and PAC in South Africa, CCM in Tanzania, FRELIMO in Mozambique and ZAPU in Zimbabwe with the later actually moving out of the Unity Accord they had signed in 1987. We are left with a ZANU PF that forces people to attend its meetings by beating them and that does not have even the slightest regard for their property rights that views opposition parties as an enemy invasion on the territory that is Zimbabwe even though the liberation struggle was also for democracy. The Zimbabwean Defence Forces with the exception of the Perence Shiri-led Air Force of Zimbabwe now behaves like the Koevet Units of the apartheid-era South African Defence Forces.
Communities Point has previously castigated ANC for appearing to tow the same redundant line that is being towed by ZANU PF in Zimbabwe and we communicated our then disappointment to ANC which we reminded that their duty where it comes to foreign policy is to Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans. At every opportunity we have also reminded Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe of the special relationship that exists between those countries. The ties among those countries transcend the mere neighbour assumption that ZANU PF seems to be talking of. The ties are blood ties and historical and they are not even for good neighbourliness but good fraternity. It is therefore very untrue and an affront to our history that ZANU PF can say that the intervention of any of those countries in our affairs is anathema to our relations.
Since when have we started ignoring people we have such strong blood ties with? Since when have we folded our arms? As the Mwene Mutapas were becoming corrupt and they were selling the Empire to the Portuguese, Tjanga/Changa a MoPedi from South Africa revolted and defeated the Portuguese and the Mwene Mutapa. His people were given the name “Rozvi” by the Portuguese who also gave him the title "Mire" the Master. That was in 1684. That is the tradition, to this day we celebrate the heroics of Changamire and his people have earned the title as the "leaders of Zimbabwe" why because they gave themselves to the cause of a neighbour who was having it all wrong.
In 1995 Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana interfered militarily and reinstated the Monarch there. The 3 countries could not fold their arms and wait the next hour as a neighbour Lesotho burnt. As Ian Smith imposed apartheid in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique stood firm with the people of Zimbabwe against a rabid leader and a rabid regime. They could not wait a minute. As the DRC burnt ZIMBABWE embarked on Operation Sovereign Legitimacy, we could not allow disorder in our neighbourhood.
A neighbour who marvels as the house of his neighbour burns is not a only a bad neighbour but he is very sick and lacks vision because the fire that is burning his neighbours house or filed will surely gut his own fields and house next. SADC has two choices to make being a responsible neighbour and live in the same tradition as Changamire Dombo in 1684, the Frontline States in the 1970s and 1980s, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana in Lesotho in 1996 and Zimbabwe in the DRC in 1998-2002 or fold their arms and see their own houses burn next.
.www.communitiespoint.com or mutyambizidewa@yahoo.co.uk or 00447401182271 or 00447529705413
