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Vukani Madoda The Sharp Shooter
United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Harry K Thomas Jnr’s latest ranting has vindicated me. When he was appointed more than 100 days ago I was quick to take a swipe at him. I was immediately suspicious of his appointment. I was cynical. In fact, I was quite hostile and did not even give him a chance to sit down the moment he set foot in this country.
I labelled him all manner of things and both friends and enemies were quick to censure me.
“Give him a chance, comrade; you are judging too harshly too early. He might turn out to be the US ambassador we were all waiting for,” some said.
Others said my prejudice and language was in bad taste for the country’s leading family newspaper.
I must admit I was mortified and I let it go. I ceased all criticism of Harry for a while and allowed him to get on with his job.
It seems what I was really doing was inadvertently giving him the proverbial long rope.
So after many weeks of silence about Harry as I turned my attention to other lost causes such as Zimbabwe People First, the American ambassador last week decided to finally hang himself.
Here was a man sent by Washington to enforce oppression of fellow black people through heinous and diabolic crimes such as the illegal US sanctions on Zimbabwe.
That’s Harry for you. The Harry some comrades wanted me to give a chance to tell us that Zimbabwe’s economy is in a “deep hole”, that sanctions have nothing to do with the economic quagmire we are faced with, that sanctions are only targeted at 98 individual Zimbabweans and 68 Zimbabwean entities, that our Government needs economic policy changes, and that debt got us to where we are way before sanctions were imposed.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, you are in a deep hole and this notion that sanctions are the reason Zimbabwe is in this economic state is a myth and it’s incorrect and it’s an excuse for bad behaviour,” said Cde Harry.
When I read that condescending boast, the image that immediately came to mind was of the character called Squealer in George Orwell’s masterpiece, “Animal Farm”.
How dare you, Harry? How dare, you?
Harry has very quickly joined the list of failed US diplomats who have tried to browbeat Zimbabweans into rejection of their own Government, a Government they have consistently returned to office since 1980.
Clearly Harry isn’t here to build bridges. He is here to enforce sanctions to the bitter end.
Like Charles Ray before him, Harry is Washington’s foot soldier in fighting our Government.
We understand that Harry, like his predecessors, is desperate to show his bosses back home that he is the man who can finally break our Government.
Well, that will never happen Harry. And, unfortunately for you, you are just another in the long line of Western diplomats who will soon be disabused of their condescension.
Harry, you have sadly focused your energy on entrenching the greatest human rights abuses of Zimbabweans since colonialism by supporting an evil sanctions regime.
You have turned a blind eye to what the sanctions have done to this country and have propagated white Western capitalist supremacist thinking.
Behind the fine suits, the smooth tongue and veneer of intelligence, you are just another tool in the hands of Washington.
It takes a special kind of self-delusion to believe that the sanctions on Zimbabwe only affect 98 individuals and 68 entities.
Everyone knows, including your masters back in Washington, that the whole idea of sanctions is to hit ordinary Zimbabweans economically so that they withdraw their support for President Mugabe and his black empowerment agenda.
The fact, not the myth, of sanctions is that the US has maintained its embargo on Zimbabwe knowing full well that the ordinary man on the streets of Zimbabwe will suffer like he does today; and that the more he suffers, the greater his rage against his Government.
Forget the myth that the US sanctions regime was targeted, or was a result of the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons allegedly undermining democratic institutions and processes in Zimbabwe. It is just a fable.
The US is the most undemocratic nation on this planet by virtue of imposing undemocratic and illegal sanctions in a bid to achieve undemocratic ends.
The fact, not the myth, of sanctions is that since the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economy Recovery Act, the US has been preventing Zimbabwe’s access to international financial assistance.
That is the fact, Harry.
Perhaps you should go and read what Zidera says about Americans at international financial lending institutions opposing extension of support to Zimbabwe – not to 98 individuals and 68 entities, the whole of Zimbabwe.
Dubulaizitha!
Online Reporter