Terence Rusirevi: On the issue of ‘sanctions’ and much else, SADC don’t care about ordinary Zimbabweans

By Terence Rusirevi

SADC has decided to stand in solidarity with Zimbabwe by organising anti-sanctions demonstrations. The majority of the words in the previous sentence are extractable from SADC’s own rhetoric on the matter. However, these words need to be italicized because not only are they vague, they are also incredibly misleading.  

But before even engaging any political statement from SADC, it’s important to recognise just who  these people are.  They are a coalition of mostly corrupt and self serving regimes in the southern region of Africa. A bunch of crooks in simple terms.

Admittedly, some of these crooks are more functional than others – no guesses as to who is the bottom feeder. Nonetheless, one really doesn’t need to be a radical political observer to question whatever political stance taken by this mob. 

SADC’s decision to call for the lifting of targeted sanctions against certain individuals in the regime and their cronies is just as corrupt and shameless as its support of the coup in November 2017.

SADC calling for the lifting of sanctions which – lest we forget – are designed to restrict the ability of the regime to mooch around  the west for the purposes of spending stolen public money, is just as complicit as  SADC’s decision to appropriate the illegitimate government of Zimbabwe.

I could go on and on.

After Mugabe was ousted, SADC were quite proactive in seeking assurances that the old men would not be harmed by the new lot. But when Zimbabweans were getting shot, beaten up and abducted by the army and other state sanctioned henchmen, the SADC were quite sclerotic in their response – in fact they turned a blind eye to all the abuses. Moreover, when Zimbabweans living in South Africa were being hounded and massacred by mobs of homegrown scum, SADC did nothing.

It’s clear as day that SADC are more concerned about the post coup after care of dictators like Mugabe but are unsympathetic to ordinary Zimbabweans when they are at the mercy of knuckle draggers. They are an elitist alliance of Southern Africa political leaders who masquerade as Pan Africanists whenever it suits their pockets.  

And we are expected to assume that this lot care about the plight of Zimbabweans when they call for the lifting of targeted sanctions on the Zanu regime? It’s madness! SADC don’t give a flying toss about the welfare of ordinary Zimbabweans. They are doing this sanctions grandstanding for their mates in Zanu. So shame on the progressives who are buying this con job. Shame on the progressives who are marching in solidarity with the SADC.

As democrats we recognise that Zanu are well within their rights to protest against targeted sanctions against their leadership, much as they are within their rights to  hold a televised ‘prayer’ vigil about the ‘evil’ sanctions and all the other forms of demagoguery which they pursue.

And if people want to be political cuckolds and join in the debased pageantry, they too are free to do so.  Still, it’s beyond irony how Zanu sanctions demos and democratic exercises whenever their pockets are being hurt. But the fact remains that the problems in the country are a result of corruption and cruelty.  

If the regime were genuine about the lifting of targeted sanctions they would take the matter to an international court. But they will not do that.  They know they would lose the case, ipso facto, because of the vastness of the evidence of their human rights abuses.

Anyway, in light of the SADC and Zanu demos against ‘sanctions’ on the 25^th of October, right thinking  progressives in London will be exercising their democratic right by taking part in a counter demonstration against this charade.

The main thrust of their message is that the problems in Zimbabwe are a result of corruption and cruelty, not the targeted sanctions against the thieves in Zanu and their cronies.