Let’s keep our eyes firmly on the ball

The country has been under a coordinated attack in recent months; the usual culprits taking us back to the 2000-2017 era. The US is leading the way now as then. Like dutiful puppets that they are, the MDC Alliance, their partners in the civil society, the foreign press and the local private media are echoing their master’s voice. Even the Democratic Alliance, an opposition party in South Africa that is better known for advancing apartheid interests than democracy, and trade unions in that country, Botswana and Nigeria are back to their default positions.

The entire force is back to their sledgehammer tactics that they deployed against our country since the launch of the land reform programme in 2000, softening a bit from November 2017 to the July 30 elections last year.

Immediately after it was clear that the MDC Alliance was losing the July poll the attacks resumed with opposition activists engaging in violence on August 1. When President Mnangagwa appointed a team to investigate the violence that resulted in the death of some people, the US, MDC Alliance and their hangers-on went all out to criticise the composition of the commission instead of supporting a wellmeaning effort by the Government to understand the background to the violent protests and exploring a way forward.

As this happened, MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa went about seeking to besmirch the election result that gave President Mnangagwa and his party Zanu-PF a resounding victory. He talked up a plan to make the country ungovernable as well as continuing to campaign against the Government and the country abroad while communicating messages meant to spread alarm and despondency among the people.

The so-called national shutdown of January 14 to 16 this year that was accompanied by wanton violence against the State, looting of businesses, physical violence against law-abiding citizens and other disruptive behaviour was to be the culmination of that range of strategies to collapse the Government.

Fortunately that failed but we are seeing an intensification of the media and diplomatic attacks against Zimbabwe since then. This is the first time since November 2017 that the country has been attacked so viciously. They are trying to divide the top leadership of the party and Government, questioning the cohesion of the security establishment, alleging a breakdown of the rule of law and spreading messages to damage the economy mainly through social media while amplifying opposition voices in that discourse.

The national leadership appreciates the plot against it and the people of Zimbabwe. A week ago, the Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana indicated that the Government was aware of the abuse of the media against the country.

Speaking to journalists in Harare last week, President Mnangagwa highlighted that the US is making so much noises because it always wants to advance its foreign policy objectives in our country not to promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

“The West does not care about human rights,” he said.

“I’m (certain that) the US is more worried about its interests in the region than anything else. They would accept a dictator as long as they are pliable and do their bidding. Our crime has been our insistence on equality of all nations. We are trying to build a democracy and must be given space to do that. We all know where we are coming from and it is my duty as a leader to make sure the country moves in the direction it ought to.”

Amid all the demonisation and plotting, we urge the Government and the people of Zimbabwe not to lose focus. They must continue with their efforts to reconstruct the economy in unity. They must not waste their time listening to the crude propaganda that does not advance their personal and national interests, but Mr Chamisa and his handlers’.

While doing this, it is also critical for the Government and the people in general to counter the propaganda with nothing but the truth. In that respect, the President last week sent some envoys to some countries in the region with a special message that represents the correct position of what has been happening in the country lately. He sent them to Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and Rwanda. Namibia is holding the rotating chair of Sadc while Rwanda is holding the African Union chair. On the other hand, Zambia is chairing the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

We expect more of these high level interactions so that Sadc and the continent are well briefed on developments in our country instead of leaving the opposition to drive their false message abroad. The people of Zimbabwe are encouraged to play their part as well by projecting the truth of what is happening in their country.