By Babbot Muchanyerei
The incessant utterances by former South African president Thabo Mbeki on Zimbabwe, which I view as tantamount to meddling in the country’s political processes, should stop forthwith. I have been following his comments for quite some time and I think it is high time that, as a concerned Zimbabwean, I respond to these comments.
It appears the former president is duplicitous as he insists that “…it really is the responsibility of the people of Zimbabwe to determine their future…” whilst he is doing just the opposite by commenting on the affairs of the country every time he gets the opportunity. It does not matter whether or not he has been pressured by journalists or whoever to make a comment, it is better he prevaricates the subject.
Recently, during a radio talk show, Mr. Mbeki spoke about the British being driven by own interests rather than the future of Zimbabwe. Whilst this might be true, Cde Mbeki need to understand that Britain and Zimbabwe share a long colonial history and the ties between the two countries cannot be easily washed away.
Britain continues to have some of its people, who came during the colonial period, still domiciled in Zimbabwe. Accordingly, British interests in Zimbabwe will continue. As Zimbabweans, we are a people who may not forget but we can forgive. Some of us have therefore forgiven the British for all their transgressions during the harsh period of colonialism.
It is therefore our sole responsibility as Zimbabweans to determine how we should coexist and relate with the British rather than being influenced by third forces such as Mr. Mbeki who believe that the British have a hidden agenda, hence they need to be shut out. The question should be, however, about the interest of Mr. Mbeki in Zimbabwe which makes him to be an advocate of the Zimbabwean people against neocolonialism and the prolongation of British expansionism. I therefore opinionate his interminable prying into Zimbabwe’s affairs as a veritable cause for perturbation.
In summary, Mr. Mbeki should leave Zimbabwe to Zimbabweans. We are a sovereign nation and have the capacity to emancipate ourselves from any form of political oppression, the same way we did against colonial rule.
Mr. Mbeki should know that some Zimbabweans, myself included, have not forgotten about his injudicious and inopportune role he played in 2008 in Zimbabwe. His deportment on the country seems to remain unchanged and one might wonder whether he has the wellbeing of the poor Zimbabweans at heart or he is driven by something else including self-aggrandizement. I respect people’s personal ideologies including Mr. Mbeki’s Pan-Africanism.
Nonetheless, he should not be misguided into believing that his belief is a panacea to the array of problems currently afflicting Zimbabwe. My advice to him is therefore that he should stop delving on the Zimbabwe crisis though he might want to erroneously believe that there is no crisis. His continued nosiness and ghoulishness is not in our best interests. I therefore believe that he is out of order.
