Quotes

“It is cheap ZANU PF politics to allege that the poor in Zimbabwe are in such a position because of these restrictive measures. The truth is that Zimbabwe under ZANU PF has suffered from crony-state capitalism – an economic system that is terribly hostile to the country’s poor and working people and that empowers and enriches political elites and their clients.” David Mpiyezwe Nyathi a Zimbabwean Law student at the University of Witswatersrand in SA arguing that its the EU not the MDC that imposed sanctions on Mugabe.

“Yet there is a general disinclination within his party to do things the democratic way. It is becoming increasingly clear that just as Mugabe has instilled sustained fear on the ordinary man and woman on the street, he has also done the same with those around him who might occasionally find it instructive to question the status quo.” Psychology Maziwisa writing on Robert Mugabe snubbing Jonathan Moyo in his politburo selections.

“First, ZANU PF, which was on its deathbed just before the GNU, has now fully recuperated. Thanks to MDC, which inadvertently supplied the much-needed prescription in the name of the GNU; they legitimized Mugabe’s presidency, gave ZANU PF the much-needed time to regroup and plan new strategies for survival. Writer Tawanda Mudzingwa arguing the MDC was warned about this.

“Zanu-PF failed and failed alone. They’ve made their mistakes, they’ve their own sins of omission and commission. We were not there when they committed crimes, we are not the ones who persuaded them to chase away journalists, we did not advise them to beat up people on the farms, we did not advise them to kill people – political opponents. These are the issues that have caused the kind of impasse between them and those who have imposed whatever measures.” MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa     speaking to SW Radio Africa’s Behind the Headlines about targetted sanctions on Zanu PF.

Brilliant Pongo’s WMDs will not exculpate Mugabe and ZANU-PF. Comrade Pongo can say falsehoods all he wants but his words will not change the immutable facts on the ground, namely, Zimbabwe’s sorrowful state is a culmination of Mugabe’s incompetence, mean-spiritedness and shamelessly exploitative character coupled with his association with and baffling promotion of a troop of hapless cheerleaders, shameless bottom feeders, criminally corrupt sycophants and hoards of brainless thugs specifically trained to constantly bay for the blood of their compatriots. Writer Tsanga Shanga

‘I am against the whole notion that the key to success is in the hands of the Whiteman, a belief sadly held by some Zimbabweans. Yes those who shamelessly proclaim that as black Zimbabweans we cannot run our own affairs, I am against the intellectual bankruptcy that makes some black Zimbabweans believe that only the whites could be great farmers, that only the whites are the divinely appointed pace-setters in economic progress.’ Writer and broadcaster Brilliant Pongo

“Amanpour failed to rise above the familiar frames of the western media’s analysis of Zimbabwe — dictatorship, hunger, land, Roy Bennett and white farmers. These are part of the issues, but more of symptoms of a deeper problem which we hoped CNN would probe.” Rashweat Mukundu on CNN’s interview with Mugabe.

“It is quite unfortunate that some thought sanctions would go as soon as Morgan Tsvangirai was named PM. They conveniently forget that sanctions were caused/invited by violence, torture, misgovernance, lawlessness, abuse of human rights, stifling of the media, corruption, looting, electoral theft and not by the MDC as the gullible would believe. What has changed? Now they want to readmit media hangman Jonathan Moyo, which clearly shows they are not ready for change as they wind back the hands of time. Unfortunately for them, the progressive and democratic world will not lose sleep over that but simply tighten their wallets. The sooner they realise it, the better.” Moses Chamboko.

“The national healing process should not only be a process for political transition but must also provide an opportunity for addressing past human rights violations so as to build a future with its foundation based on veracity, reconciliation and justice. One of the fundamental tenets of post conflict healing is that those responsible for human rights abuses should be held responsible for their actions. If the perpetrators of human rights abuses are not held accountable for their actions the result will be false healing and that is very dangerous as the victims will continue to harbor intrinsic retributive motives which will explode once an opportune time presents itself.”  Wisdom Katungu

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