By Golden Guvamatanga
RECENT remarks by President Emmerson Mnangagwa that rogue elements within and outside the country will be put in their rightful places are meant to consolidate the multifarious gains of our hard-won independence while cementing the country’s peace and security as it forges ahead with its developmental trajectory.
Zimbabwe’s quest for total economic emancipation of its citizens has faced numerous hurdles from individuals and countries who bizarrely drive the malicious agenda of maintaining colonial structures of ownership and control of its economy, land and abundant mineral resources.
There could not have been a more appropriate time and place to make those poignant remarks than at the National Heroes Acre where the nation was bidding farewell to yet another national hero, Cde Ezekiel Chaunoita, a former intelligence officer with a distinguished career record.
The country has in the past two decades faced a relentless but vain onslaught from detractors who have come in various forms, shapes and sizes.
There have been several attempts in recent times, going as far back as 1999 with the formation of the so-called Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) by a coterie of regime change activists working in cahoots with their Western handlers from to destabilise Harare.
That ‘initiative’ — as they derisively call it — is the so-called ‘struggle for democracy’, a malicious attempt to equate their futile fight with the country’s epic struggle for freedom which ironically delivered the same democracy they claim to be ‘fighting’ for.
The prime target of that vile project is the economy, which in their evil minds must ‘scream’ so that they can galvanise the masses to turn against the people’s Government.
History has shown, here and elsewhere, that fighting for democracy does not mean going to bed with foreigners to harm the country’s economy in order to claim the keys to State House.
The route to power in any democracy, ours included, is very simple and straightforward.
One just needs to get endorsement from the electorate as ZANU PF has done in all the elections held since April 18, 1980.
Not surprisingly, their mantra is that for any election to be declared ‘free and fair’, it should be won by the opposition even it has failed dismally to woo the electorate.
The opposition prides itself in ‘controlling’ the local authorities, but that has come at the price of poor or non-existent service delivery.
But that is a story for another day.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has since the turn of the millennium been contending with rowdy elements whose sole objective is to reverse the gains of independence on behalf of outsiders who want to subdue our economy and regain control of the same.
Now those same elements have upped the tempo and are taking aim at the recently unveiled new currency, the ZiG, which is backed by the country’s strategic mineral resources, mostly gold. Hence the name Zimbabwe Gold, shortened to ZiG.
The upcoming SADC Ordinary Heads of State and Government Summit to be hosted by Zimbabwe in August is also on their radar.
Their heinous plan revolves around preventing the country from exploiting its vast mineral resources while bringing it under global spotlight as a pariah state.
But as has been the case with previous attempts to destabilise the country, the latest machinations will fail dismally.
And those who are pursuing the same strategy should not forget that the law has not taken a nap.
Let us listen to President Mnangagwa speak.
“Let us stay on this trajectory (of unity, peace and development) working together in unity and common purpose,” he said.
“Rogue and retrogressive elements who are found undermining our broad and people-centred policies should continue to be exposed as our people’s revolution keeps moving forward. Forward ever, backward never.
Therefore, in his (Cde Chaunoita) honour and that of other veterans of our liberation struggle, let us continue to preserve and consolidate our independence, as masters of our destiny, building our country brick by brick and stone upon stone.
This duty and privilege are underwritten by the blood, sweat and selfless sacrifices of our forebears.”
And those sacrifices will never go to waste.
They will never be abandoned or forgotten.
This is why we take exception to former opposition CCC leader Nelson Chamisa’s recent attempts to take the shine off Zimbabwe’s assumption of SADC Chairmanship and its subsequent hosting of the August summit.
Last week, Chamisa, using his paid media cohorts, claimed that SADC was ‘seized’ with what he said was his ‘dispute’ with the ruling party in the wake of his trouncing in the 2023 harmonised elections.
While we would rather ignore the fact that this was an attempt to disturb the country’s impending smooth hosting of the SADC summit, we will however unravel some uncomfortable truths here.
When it emerged to Western countries, his then handlers, that he had been walloped in the August 23 2023 harmonised polls, Chamisa was ‘advised’ by the West’s election point man — SADC Election Observer Mission chairperson Nevers Mumba — to lodge a ‘complaint’ with the bloc.
He was assured that his ‘complaint’ would be endorsed by a certain Head of State from a neighbouring country who would ‘push’ President Mnangagwa and ZANU PF into another Government of National Unity.
According to impeccable sources, Chamisa was eyeing a Cabinet post in one of the security ministries with the sole objective of infiltrating and weakening the same.
Other SADC leaders refused to go along with those machinations, opting instead to tell the victorious President Mnangagwa that the formation of Government was his sole prerogative.
About six months later, Nero’s ‘allies’ started dilly-dallying, and advised him to seek dialogue with Zimbabwe’s leadership. But the clueless opposition leader has been changing his envoys on a daily basis.
Again, this is a story for another day which we will explore extensively.
In the meantime we warn him that he is not above the law and any attempt to foment anarchy in the country will be crushed.
Let those with ears listen.
