Does Zimbabwe really pose An Extra-Ordinary threat to American Foreign policy?
By Hosia Mviringi
Monday, 01 April 2019.
On 6 March 2019 President of the United States Donald J. Trump renewed the twenty year old regime of Economic sanctions on Zimbabwe, citing Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C.1622 (d)).
The usual reason was that 'Zimbabwe had not done enough reforms and she still poses an extra-ordinary threat to American Foreign Policy and interests'.
How did it all begin? Lets try to answer a few questions...
Is American the true champion of Democracy , human rights and rule of law?
Does the American government really care about black lives?
¶ Do Zimbabweans need a whole Sanctions bill called ZDERA to protect them from themselves ?
¶ Is it about safeguarding African democracy and rule of law ?
¶ To what extent does this Sanctions benefit the American people ?
¶ Has Zimbabwe conducted the worst elections world over since the turn of the millenium to justify continuation of ruinous Sanctions ?
¶ Have the American elections system produced perfect results so far since 2000 ?
The single answer to these questions is NO !
Lest we forget the infamous Florida vote.
So what’s the real reason behind American aggression against a small , poor, unarmed, landlocked African nation ? Zimbabwe neither harbors any ambition nor does she have the capacity to produce Atomic weapons. Zimbabwe is a peaceful nation which cherishes the principle of non-aggression towards other members of the United Nations.
America's Foreign Policy has forever been driven by her insatiable appetite for Conquest , dominance and Expansionism as part of its unwritten Foreign Policy framework. When they talk of national interest they refer to their ability to dominate and exploit another countries' resources to their own advantage.
The Land reform and the rather infamous Indigenization Laws in Zimbabwe have proved that the country can not be dominated and exploited easily. America cares less about democratic safety of world populations. The Americans care only and exclusively about their geo-political and economic interests.
Recently US President Donald Trump admitted to spending trillions of American taxpayers' dollars on sponsoring terrorist groups in Syria for purposes of regime change. This they shamelessly do without giving a hoot about safety of Civilian citizens whom they claim to represent and protect in other jurisdictions such as Zimbabwe.
In the Zimbabwean context Human rights and Democracy are used as pretext for active interference in internal affairs of independent states and subsequent use of coercive and aggressive measures such as Economic Sanctions and in some cases open warfare which they wage through funding rebel movements and mercenaries against legitimate Governments.
The world will one fine day recognize this international predator and criminal that America.
Zimbabwe’s trouble began in 1998 when the nation led a five nation intervention force into the Democratic Republic of Congo to help repel a war of aggression which was apparently executed by the Western sponsored mercenaries backed by Rwanda and Uganda.
Zimbabwe together with a SADC mandated force which included Angola, Namibia succeeded in repelling this aggression and the government of President Laurent Kabila was preserved.
Let us also remember that the DR Congo is the land of Patrice Lumumba.May peace be up on him.
The same aggressors of today killed Lumumba in cold blood becausebhe dared rise up to protect Congolese natural resources from imperialist plunder.
It is important to note that Zimbabwe executed and won a proxy war against American surrogates in the DRC .
Zimbabwe then uncharacteristically defeated the Americans and dashed or at least delayed their expansionist aspirations in the Great Lakes.
This is the unwritten yet unpalatable truth about the American involvement and its beef with Zimbabwe. It becomes folly to expect the Americans to easily forgive the Zimbabwean government for stubbornly standing right in their path to a looting spree in the vast mineral rich Great Lakes Region of Africa.
Nationalist Ideology.
To a nationalist there are certain things that are not for sale and are for keeps, such things as Land.Not even billions of American money can buy one's birth right. In the Liberation movement's scope of things Land does not have a Price tag and thus can not be sold. As such it remains in the hands of the State for future generations.
One of the Americans' most prominent demands in addition 'democracy and rule of law' is the so called protection of property rights.
To an ordinary man this demand sounds genuine. Who in his right senses would not want to have rights to his property respected ?
Property rights have been guaranteed and preserved and are still sacrosanct in Zimbabwe. No one has ever lost his house to the State or to any person for any reason. I don’t remember anyone demanding to take my house away for any reason.
So which property rights are they talking about ?Zimbabweans wont be hoodwinked by vague and broad terminologies with diverse and vexatious interpretations. Zimbabweans are political literates.
Property rights in the American Context refer to Land Rights. This relates to their demands for restoration of Land rights, meaning that all Farmland has got to be returned to former White farmers as a pre-condition for lifting of sanctions.
Does Zimbabwe have to do this ?Honestly not.
Zimbabwe can not, should not and will not surrender its people's right to land in exchange for lifting of sanctions. This is an untenable condition which quickly invokes the wartime spirit which saw Zimbabweans take up arms of war to fight for their rights. And this is a rude reminder.
Americans are furious and will never forgive Zimbabwe for taking away the Land from the White imperialist remnants and for seeking to be torch bearers and trailblazers in resource nationalism.
Zimbabwean authorities are very clear that the Land redistribution exercise is way behind us and thus cant be reversed.
The geo-political position that Zimbabwe occupies in SADC and Africa makes the Zimbabwean Land reform example the most 'dangerous' to the American Imperialist agenda.
If Zimbabwe is successful in its agrarian reforms it will set a precedence and an example too tempting to resist for many African countries. And America knows pretty well that once the Land reclamation fire has been lit it cannot be extinguished easily.
Thus the push to make Zimbabwe a bad example through the systematic annihilation and strangulation of its economy through Sanctions. It will be remembered how Britain and America reneged on the Lancaster House agreement of 1978 to fund Land reform and resettlement in Zimbabwe, prompting a violent takeover by the Veterans of the Liberation struggle.
The success of the Agrarian reforms in Zimbabwe is very important to Africa and SADC who are eager to adopt the Zimbabwean Land reform template. Zimbabwe will continue to be punished as a strong message to other African countries who might be eager to join the Land reform and resource nationalism band wagon.
In future it will be unimaginable to write a Zimbabwean Economic success story without the mention of Land reform.
Its so sad and unfortunate that South Africa has been intimidated and cowed into abandoning their stance on Land Reform. America has openly pointed to the Zimbabwean example of economic malaise as a result of sanctions, and South Africa chickened out. That’s a desired result for the Americans and the entire Western imperialist governments.Fear factor is driving fatigue into the rather Inspired African governments towards Agrarian reforms.
South African Banks have been instructed not to facilitate any Credit lines or payments to any Zimbabwean Bank even for trade purposes.
This is part of the widening of SANCTIONS against Zimbabwe, so bad that no other country would not want to be in a similar position.
Yes Zimbabwe defended the DRC in 1998.They defeated Uncle Tom's proxies.
But the real stroke that broke the camel's back was the Land reform.
This prompted the formation and continued funding of the MDC project. The MDC was specifically formed with the mandate to see through the return of white owned assets in form of Agricultural Land.
Zimbabweans should not be incited into hating compatriots or their own government but must instead be proud to have been under US Sanctions for close to two decades without shedding a brother's blood.
Its a rare feat for a poor African Country like Zimbabwe to remain under US microscope for twenty years and still survive. It shows how unique the country is.
Zimbabweans are indeed a strong nation and an rare species which stands firmly on Principle towards a chosen path of national governance.
Zimbabwe is a nation of the brave. A nation of the Principled.A true Land of the Psychologically Liberated.
Does Zimbabwe really pose an Extra-Ordinary threat to the American Foreign policy?
The strange answer to the question is an emphatic YES !
Yes Zimbabwe indeed poses an unusual foreign policy headache for American Foreign Policy planners.
Why would a world Super power be fixated on this small African nation and keep punitive measures for twenty years?
This alone says a lot about how special this country is.
It is actually a challenge for future younger generations to lead this country , preserve and take advantage of its strategic position amongst nations of the world.
Democracy and rule of law are just but a facade , a smoke screen which have been created and used / abused to mask the real intentions behind the American Sanctions and subsequent physical invasion of weaker nations.
In 2001 America held a sham of an election which couldn't qualify as free and fair even by African electoral standards. This election was contested up to the nation's High Court which later stopped a vote recount in Florida after three weeks of bickering. If this was in Africa we can all imagine the consequences.
Fast forward to 2016.The American elections which ushered Donald Trump into office were not witout its flaws and serious contestations ensued. To date it is still the subject of an inquest or investigations into allegations of rigging. Donald Trump won but allegations of Foreign meddling and electoral manipulation still haunt his Presidency.
Zimbabwe in July 2018 held a clean election by any standards, African or American. Not even a fly died in Zimbabwe as a result of elections related violence.
Observers were invited from all over the world. All were full of praise up until the close of poling. It was an election like never seen in Africa and in many parts of the world. But on 01 August 2018, barely 48hrs after polling violence was sponsored to justify condemnation of the rather clean electoral process.
At the turn of the millennium in 2001 it took three weeks for American elections results to be announced as Florida decided. George W Bush won a fraudulent election then. But in Zimbabwe, a third world African poor nation 48hrs was deemed long enough to ignite an uprising. Strange isn’t it ?
In addition to controlling all natural resources both underground and above the ground in Zimbabwe , America would do anything to secure Zimbabwe as their most central location for military purposes in the mould of Africom.
Yes they got bases in Djibouti, Botswana and in other locations but Zimbabwe's is of greater geo-political importance because of its strategic location ( centrality ) in Africa. If Zimbabwe was not as important why would America build a $200million dollar Embassy in Harare.
If Zimbabwe is uninhabitable as they claim elsewhere why commit such an investment in a country which they claim is on the verge of a civil war ?
Zimbabwe at the moment stands out as the only country that is truly independent which can choose its friends independently, thus the pressure of coercive SANCTIONS. At the center of the liberation struggle was Land reclamation. Lest we forget.
The biggest threat to American Foreign Policy is Zimbabwe’s thirst for self rule and hunger to determine own social, political and economic direction and destiny and the freedom to choose own friends.
Zimbabwe thus stands as the biggest impediment to America’s Cape to Cairo dream of expansionist excursions. Zimbabwe will continue to be under US Sanctions for as long as the word SOVERIGNTY remains part of OUR national political vocabulary. It is going to be so for as long as ZANU PF is in power in Zimbabwe.
This is reality check , fellow Zimbabweans.
It thus goes without saying that any negotiations with America or whomsoever on the lifting of sanctions is an exercise in futility which on its own will only see the nation getting fatigued by years of barren negotiations and begging.
This is a route that should be abandoned altogether.
The biggest threat to American Foreign policy is the Nationalist ideology of Zimbabwe's ruling party ZANU PF. Thus the sanctions are designed to separate the people from the ruling ZANU PF through resultant suffering.
This is the reason why sanctions will never be removed on Zimbabwe for as long as ZANU PF is in power.
Zimbabwe has to learn to live life without America.
Thus an unequivocal message has to be sent loud and clear that indeed we took the Land and we aint giving it back for anything including removal of sanctions.
If America really cared about human rights and rule of law today Rwanda and Uganda would be under UN sanctions for sponsoring a war of aggression against the DRC which killed millions of ethnic natives.
Its about the Land Resources STUPID !
Its time to go back to basics than spend invaluable time and effort trying to please a monster.
Its just impossible to please them. Zimbabwe can repay all its debts and remain poorer until it falls back into the same debt trap.
Zimbabwe risks making toxic concessions to the American demands until nothing remains to show for its Liberation struggle.
Forget human rights and rule of law.Forget 'property rights'.Its a gimmick to force the nation back to Titled Farmland which they will buy back for a song on the market.
Zimbabwe is not for sale.It was bought by the sacred blood of sons and daughters of the soil.
Its time to invoke the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda.
Zimbabwe carries the hopes of millions of Africans.
Zimbabwe has to do good for the sake of Africa.
It wont be easy but it is possible.
Aluta Continua !
Kutsho Mina !
By Hosia Mviringi
Monday, 01 April 2019.
On 6 March 2019 President of the United States Donald J. Trump renewed the twenty year old regime of Economic sanctions on Zimbabwe, citing Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C.1622 (d)).
The usual reason was that 'Zimbabwe had not done enough reforms and she still poses an extra-ordinary threat to American Foreign Policy and interests'.
How did it all begin? Lets try to answer a few questions...
Is American the true champion of Democracy , human rights and rule of law?
Does the American government really care about black lives?
¶ Do Zimbabweans need a whole Sanctions bill called ZDERA to protect them from themselves ?
¶ Is it about safeguarding African democracy and rule of law ?
¶ To what extent does this Sanctions benefit the American people ?
¶ Has Zimbabwe conducted the worst elections world over since the turn of the millenium to justify continuation of ruinous Sanctions ?
¶ Have the American elections system produced perfect results so far since 2000 ?
The single answer to these questions is NO !
Lest we forget the infamous Florida vote.
So what’s the real reason behind American aggression against a small , poor, unarmed, landlocked African nation ? Zimbabwe neither harbors any ambition nor does she have the capacity to produce Atomic weapons. Zimbabwe is a peaceful nation which cherishes the principle of non-aggression towards other members of the United Nations.
America's Foreign Policy has forever been driven by her insatiable appetite for Conquest , dominance and Expansionism as part of its unwritten Foreign Policy framework. When they talk of national interest they refer to their ability to dominate and exploit another countries' resources to their own advantage.
The Land reform and the rather infamous Indigenization Laws in Zimbabwe have proved that the country can not be dominated and exploited easily. America cares less about democratic safety of world populations. The Americans care only and exclusively about their geo-political and economic interests.
Recently US President Donald Trump admitted to spending trillions of American taxpayers' dollars on sponsoring terrorist groups in Syria for purposes of regime change. This they shamelessly do without giving a hoot about safety of Civilian citizens whom they claim to represent and protect in other jurisdictions such as Zimbabwe.
In the Zimbabwean context Human rights and Democracy are used as pretext for active interference in internal affairs of independent states and subsequent use of coercive and aggressive measures such as Economic Sanctions and in some cases open warfare which they wage through funding rebel movements and mercenaries against legitimate Governments.
The world will one fine day recognize this international predator and criminal that America.
Zimbabwe’s trouble began in 1998 when the nation led a five nation intervention force into the Democratic Republic of Congo to help repel a war of aggression which was apparently executed by the Western sponsored mercenaries backed by Rwanda and Uganda.
Zimbabwe together with a SADC mandated force which included Angola, Namibia succeeded in repelling this aggression and the government of President Laurent Kabila was preserved.
Let us also remember that the DR Congo is the land of Patrice Lumumba.May peace be up on him.
The same aggressors of today killed Lumumba in cold blood becausebhe dared rise up to protect Congolese natural resources from imperialist plunder.
It is important to note that Zimbabwe executed and won a proxy war against American surrogates in the DRC .
Zimbabwe then uncharacteristically defeated the Americans and dashed or at least delayed their expansionist aspirations in the Great Lakes.
This is the unwritten yet unpalatable truth about the American involvement and its beef with Zimbabwe. It becomes folly to expect the Americans to easily forgive the Zimbabwean government for stubbornly standing right in their path to a looting spree in the vast mineral rich Great Lakes Region of Africa.
Nationalist Ideology.
To a nationalist there are certain things that are not for sale and are for keeps, such things as Land.Not even billions of American money can buy one's birth right. In the Liberation movement's scope of things Land does not have a Price tag and thus can not be sold. As such it remains in the hands of the State for future generations.
One of the Americans' most prominent demands in addition 'democracy and rule of law' is the so called protection of property rights.
To an ordinary man this demand sounds genuine. Who in his right senses would not want to have rights to his property respected ?
Property rights have been guaranteed and preserved and are still sacrosanct in Zimbabwe. No one has ever lost his house to the State or to any person for any reason. I don’t remember anyone demanding to take my house away for any reason.
So which property rights are they talking about ?Zimbabweans wont be hoodwinked by vague and broad terminologies with diverse and vexatious interpretations. Zimbabweans are political literates.
Property rights in the American Context refer to Land Rights. This relates to their demands for restoration of Land rights, meaning that all Farmland has got to be returned to former White farmers as a pre-condition for lifting of sanctions.
Does Zimbabwe have to do this ?Honestly not.
Zimbabwe can not, should not and will not surrender its people's right to land in exchange for lifting of sanctions. This is an untenable condition which quickly invokes the wartime spirit which saw Zimbabweans take up arms of war to fight for their rights. And this is a rude reminder.
Americans are furious and will never forgive Zimbabwe for taking away the Land from the White imperialist remnants and for seeking to be torch bearers and trailblazers in resource nationalism.
Zimbabwean authorities are very clear that the Land redistribution exercise is way behind us and thus cant be reversed.
The geo-political position that Zimbabwe occupies in SADC and Africa makes the Zimbabwean Land reform example the most 'dangerous' to the American Imperialist agenda.
If Zimbabwe is successful in its agrarian reforms it will set a precedence and an example too tempting to resist for many African countries. And America knows pretty well that once the Land reclamation fire has been lit it cannot be extinguished easily.
Thus the push to make Zimbabwe a bad example through the systematic annihilation and strangulation of its economy through Sanctions. It will be remembered how Britain and America reneged on the Lancaster House agreement of 1978 to fund Land reform and resettlement in Zimbabwe, prompting a violent takeover by the Veterans of the Liberation struggle.
The success of the Agrarian reforms in Zimbabwe is very important to Africa and SADC who are eager to adopt the Zimbabwean Land reform template. Zimbabwe will continue to be punished as a strong message to other African countries who might be eager to join the Land reform and resource nationalism band wagon.
In future it will be unimaginable to write a Zimbabwean Economic success story without the mention of Land reform.
Its so sad and unfortunate that South Africa has been intimidated and cowed into abandoning their stance on Land Reform. America has openly pointed to the Zimbabwean example of economic malaise as a result of sanctions, and South Africa chickened out. That’s a desired result for the Americans and the entire Western imperialist governments.Fear factor is driving fatigue into the rather Inspired African governments towards Agrarian reforms.
South African Banks have been instructed not to facilitate any Credit lines or payments to any Zimbabwean Bank even for trade purposes.
This is part of the widening of SANCTIONS against Zimbabwe, so bad that no other country would not want to be in a similar position.
Yes Zimbabwe defended the DRC in 1998.They defeated Uncle Tom's proxies.
But the real stroke that broke the camel's back was the Land reform.
This prompted the formation and continued funding of the MDC project. The MDC was specifically formed with the mandate to see through the return of white owned assets in form of Agricultural Land.
Zimbabweans should not be incited into hating compatriots or their own government but must instead be proud to have been under US Sanctions for close to two decades without shedding a brother's blood.
Its a rare feat for a poor African Country like Zimbabwe to remain under US microscope for twenty years and still survive. It shows how unique the country is.
Zimbabweans are indeed a strong nation and an rare species which stands firmly on Principle towards a chosen path of national governance.
Zimbabwe is a nation of the brave. A nation of the Principled.A true Land of the Psychologically Liberated.
Does Zimbabwe really pose an Extra-Ordinary threat to the American Foreign policy?
The strange answer to the question is an emphatic YES !
Yes Zimbabwe indeed poses an unusual foreign policy headache for American Foreign Policy planners.
Why would a world Super power be fixated on this small African nation and keep punitive measures for twenty years?
This alone says a lot about how special this country is.
It is actually a challenge for future younger generations to lead this country , preserve and take advantage of its strategic position amongst nations of the world.
Democracy and rule of law are just but a facade , a smoke screen which have been created and used / abused to mask the real intentions behind the American Sanctions and subsequent physical invasion of weaker nations.
In 2001 America held a sham of an election which couldn't qualify as free and fair even by African electoral standards. This election was contested up to the nation's High Court which later stopped a vote recount in Florida after three weeks of bickering. If this was in Africa we can all imagine the consequences.
Fast forward to 2016.The American elections which ushered Donald Trump into office were not witout its flaws and serious contestations ensued. To date it is still the subject of an inquest or investigations into allegations of rigging. Donald Trump won but allegations of Foreign meddling and electoral manipulation still haunt his Presidency.
Zimbabwe in July 2018 held a clean election by any standards, African or American. Not even a fly died in Zimbabwe as a result of elections related violence.
Observers were invited from all over the world. All were full of praise up until the close of poling. It was an election like never seen in Africa and in many parts of the world. But on 01 August 2018, barely 48hrs after polling violence was sponsored to justify condemnation of the rather clean electoral process.
At the turn of the millennium in 2001 it took three weeks for American elections results to be announced as Florida decided. George W Bush won a fraudulent election then. But in Zimbabwe, a third world African poor nation 48hrs was deemed long enough to ignite an uprising. Strange isn’t it ?
In addition to controlling all natural resources both underground and above the ground in Zimbabwe , America would do anything to secure Zimbabwe as their most central location for military purposes in the mould of Africom.
Yes they got bases in Djibouti, Botswana and in other locations but Zimbabwe's is of greater geo-political importance because of its strategic location ( centrality ) in Africa. If Zimbabwe was not as important why would America build a $200million dollar Embassy in Harare.
If Zimbabwe is uninhabitable as they claim elsewhere why commit such an investment in a country which they claim is on the verge of a civil war ?
Zimbabwe at the moment stands out as the only country that is truly independent which can choose its friends independently, thus the pressure of coercive SANCTIONS. At the center of the liberation struggle was Land reclamation. Lest we forget.
The biggest threat to American Foreign Policy is Zimbabwe’s thirst for self rule and hunger to determine own social, political and economic direction and destiny and the freedom to choose own friends.
Zimbabwe thus stands as the biggest impediment to America’s Cape to Cairo dream of expansionist excursions. Zimbabwe will continue to be under US Sanctions for as long as the word SOVERIGNTY remains part of OUR national political vocabulary. It is going to be so for as long as ZANU PF is in power in Zimbabwe.
This is reality check , fellow Zimbabweans.
It thus goes without saying that any negotiations with America or whomsoever on the lifting of sanctions is an exercise in futility which on its own will only see the nation getting fatigued by years of barren negotiations and begging.
This is a route that should be abandoned altogether.
The biggest threat to American Foreign policy is the Nationalist ideology of Zimbabwe's ruling party ZANU PF. Thus the sanctions are designed to separate the people from the ruling ZANU PF through resultant suffering.
This is the reason why sanctions will never be removed on Zimbabwe for as long as ZANU PF is in power.
Zimbabwe has to learn to live life without America.
Thus an unequivocal message has to be sent loud and clear that indeed we took the Land and we aint giving it back for anything including removal of sanctions.
If America really cared about human rights and rule of law today Rwanda and Uganda would be under UN sanctions for sponsoring a war of aggression against the DRC which killed millions of ethnic natives.
Its about the Land Resources STUPID !
Its time to go back to basics than spend invaluable time and effort trying to please a monster.
Its just impossible to please them. Zimbabwe can repay all its debts and remain poorer until it falls back into the same debt trap.
Zimbabwe risks making toxic concessions to the American demands until nothing remains to show for its Liberation struggle.
Forget human rights and rule of law.Forget 'property rights'.Its a gimmick to force the nation back to Titled Farmland which they will buy back for a song on the market.
Zimbabwe is not for sale.It was bought by the sacred blood of sons and daughters of the soil.
Its time to invoke the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda.
Zimbabwe carries the hopes of millions of Africans.
Zimbabwe has to do good for the sake of Africa.
It wont be easy but it is possible.
Aluta Continua !
Kutsho Mina !
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