adminFarirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWEANS from all walks of life have urged Zanu-PF to use its two-thirds majority to tighten laws on foreign funding of political parties and quasi-political groups whose activities border on the treasonous and seditious.This follows reports carried by our sister paper, The Sunday Mail, yesterday that the Western-funded opposition MDC-T recently wrote to South Africa lobbying for new facilitation, a development analysts described as “treasonous” and an attempt to undermine the will of the people who rejected quisling politics in the harmonised elections.
Zanu-PF won well over two-thirds majority in Parliament in elections endorsed as free, peaceful, fair, credible and an expression of the will of Zimbabweans by the African Union, Sadc, Comesa, ACP countries and over 40 progressive countries worldwide.
Despite this, MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti wrote to South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Vusi Mavimbela, calling for South Africa to mediate the establishment of a GPA-like institution called the Zimbabwe Political Parties Dialogue.
The attempt was quickly rebuffed, with the South African embassy in Harare insisting there was nothing more to discuss on the July 31 elections after Sadc endorsed the polls as an expression of the will of Zimbabweans.
Zanu-PF, MDC-T and the MDC negotiated a power-sharing agreement with the help of South Africa which had been tasked by Sadc.
The agreement culminated in a coalition Government after the March 2008 elections produced a hung Parliament. This year’s elections, however, delivered a resounding victory to President Mugabe and Zanu-PF, obviating the need for any coalition.
Political analyst Mr Gabriel Chaibva yesterday said Mr Biti’s actions would be treasonous in other countries given that they amounted to undermining the newly-elected Zanu-PF Government.
“Sweden is one country where such behaviour or actions which are likely to bring the monarchy under the undue influence or control of foreigners is regarded as treasonous. The actions by (Tendai) Biti and his colleagues in the MDC-T sit very well in such legislation.
“The good thing for them is that Zimbabwe is a democratic and free country which allows such traitors to behave in the way they do and then turn around and cry out that there is lack of democracy,” Mr Chaibva said.
He added that Zimbabweans spoke loudly on July 31.
“This kind of a debate would have been appropriate if people had not spoken on the 31st of July. The people spoke and what Biti and his company are doing is to undermine the decision of the people who are the final arbiter in this matter.
“They are just trying to seek relevance after they were rejected by the people of Zimbabwe and what is surprising is their contempt of Sadc and its leaders whom I believe will not take the MDC-T seriously,” he added.
Some elements in opposition politics continue to violate the Political Parties Finance Act which outlaws foreign funding of political parties.
Bindura University of Science Education political scientist Mr Bowden Mbanje said Zimbabwe had gone for too long tolerating external interference in its affairs.
“Government should come up with tough laws that deal with such people and organisations. We have a lot of people like those in the MDC-T who thrive on chaos and do not have anything positive to speak about their country.
“We have a properly elected Government that has been recognised by the wider international community and so it boggles the mind how Biti wants to continue with this so-called facilitation. He simply wants to find a new way to sustain their regime change agenda that has failed dismally,” Mr Mbanje said.
Mr Mbanje said the attempt to revive the now defunct Jomic through the back door was a ploy by MDC-T to maintain avenues for foreign funds into the country through illegal means.
“They want to have these NGOs so that they continue to receive foreign funding. Their donors are beginning to see that the regime change agenda has failed and some are withholding their money, so this attempt to create the ZPPD is just an attempt to ensure that funding continues to come their way.
“They want the outside world to believe that they are still relevant in our politics when we all know they are a party in decline that was rejected by the electorate,” he added.
Another political analyst Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said Zanu-PF had the parliamentary majority to make laws that ensure adherence to the United Nations’ principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of others.
“There should be laws in line with the UN principle of respecting sovereignty of nations and non-interference in the affairs of each other. What the MDC-T is trying to do is to keep Zimbabwe in a crisis mode and distract Government from fulfilling the promises it made to the electorate.
“Zanu-PF was given the mandate to rule and should therefore not be afraid to make laws that rein these parties or individuals that want to see the continued suffering of the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mr Mureriwa said it was clear MDC-T was looking for relevance and should not be allowed to hold the country to ransom.
Midlands State University media studies senior lecturer Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri said MDC-T’s actions exposed the party’s inadequacies.
“Intervention is necessary when there is a crisis but here we do not have a crisis as shown by the endorsement that the elections were free, fair and credible so what the MDC-T is trying to do here is trying to be relevant.
“It shows that the party thrives only when there is crisis and it is a big problem when a party thrives in an environment where there is a crisis. They should be engaging Zanu-PF locally for example in parliament where they have representation but for them to go and seek outside assistance shows the inadequacies of the party,” he said.
He said it was ironic that MDC-T was seeking recourse from a country that is part of Sadc and AU who endorsed the elections.
The bloc has also sealed the election deal by appointing Zimbabwe deputy chair of the regional body, a situation that will see Zimbabwe chairing the body next year.
“It’s a big anachronism for them to go to South Africa who are part of Sadc that has made their position clear on the outcome of the elections,” he said.
Dr Mhiripiri said the major issue that Zimbabwe should grapple with included the fight to have the illegal sanctions removed in their entirety and the turnaround of the economy.
Online Reporter