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coup that ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi and his government at a time when they are calling for security sector reforms here.
Analysts said the fact that the Egyptian army had actually dabbled in politics by deposing elected civilian authority should have drawn Western condemnation, yet the Westerners train their eyes on Zimbabwe where the security forces have always submitted to civilian authority.
Western powers have been calling for security sector reforms in Zimbabwe through MDC-T, which they bankroll and handhold.
Observers said the security sector reform calls were not motivated by principle, but rather by a quest to effect illegal regime change in Zimbabwe to accommodate MDC-T, whose politics are at variance with the nation’s founding principles which the defence forces swore to uphold and defend.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair — now the Middle East peace envoy for the US, EU and the United Nations — has since thrown his weight behind the coup.
Mr Blair told The Observer newspaper that the coup was an “awesome manifestation of power” and show of “free democratic spirit” as the alternative would have been chaos.
Mr Blair spoke as clashes spread throughout Egypt yesterday, with security forces cracking down on protests by Mr Morsi’s supporters.
Reports indicated that dozens were killed and at least 400 injured in protests in Cairo, Alexandria and the Sinai Peninsula yesterday.
The Egyptian generals are co-ordinating their crackdown closely with Washington.
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The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, spoke with Egyptian chief of staff, Lieutenant General Sedki Sobhi on Thursday, also contacting Israeli army officials.
Political scientist Professor Jonathan Moyo yesterday said the events in Egypt had exposed the West’s hypocrisy.
“The developments in Egypt have exposed the hypocrisy in our backyard and among the merchants of regime change in America and the EU who are openly supporting the coup and trying to embrace it as if it was not a coup but some kind of street uprising when it is a naked military coup and you had the military there pretending to be appointing civilians into an interim structure,” Prof Moyo said.
He added: “How do these people who are calling for security sector reforms even as we speak explain what is happening in Egypt where a military coup has taken place against a democratically elected government?
“This has exposed the hypocrisy of everyone calling for security sector reform, particularly the Americans and British including a neighbouring country seeking regime change in our country by calling for unwarranted, unjustified and even unconstitutional so-called security sector reforms.”
Prof Moyo said it was shocking that those advocating security sector reforms in Zimbabwe had all accepted the Egyptian coup.
“They are saying put in place steps for returning to democratic governance and they are not calling for the reversal of the coup.
“The democratically-elected president is under house arrest and key leaders of his party have been arrested. Whenever Americans and Europeans get involved in African affairs, disaster strikes and this is why we resist their involvement as it always makes a bad situation worse,” he said.
Prof Moyo said Zimbabwe was fortunate that its security sector was a product of the liberation struggle and was intertwined to Zimbabwe’s independence.
University of Zimbabwe academic Dr Charity Manyeruke echoed similar sentiments.
“When the Egyptian military issued a 48-hour ultimatum to President Morsi to resolve problems in that country and eventually chucked him out, the Americans were quiet because they planned the whole thing. It is America which is calling the shots,” she said.
Dr Manyeruke said it was a pity that other African countries were aware of American’s double standards but were mum because they were beneficiaries of US aid.
“They know that the security of a country is not an issue for public debate but most of these African countries do not want to disappoint America their godfather. I think African democracy is better than this treacherous democracy which is American or European,” she said.
Renowned lawyer Mr Goodwills Masimirebwa, said it was surprising that the MDC formations that were advocating security sector reforms in Zimbabwe to the extent of internationalising the issue were quiet on developments in Egypt.
“They are quiet because the Americans have condoned the behaviour of the Egyptian army. These calls for security sector reform in the country are part of the illegal regime change agenda,” he said.
Mr Masimirebwa noted that the Egyptian army received a direct annual budget from the Americans to the tune of US$1.5 billion.
“The Americans are not interested in democracy in Egypt. All they want is a strong army which protects the interests of Israel. Democracy does not exist in America,” he said
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