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Political Editor
AHEAD of the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, Western aligned organisations have been clandestinely channelling thousands of dollars towards opposition elements to spearhead anti-Government demonstrations in Zimbabwe.
Towards that nefarious end, the Oppenheimers’ funded Brenthurst Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have been bankrolling the Job Sikhala-led National Democratic Working Group and opposition leader Mr Jacob Ngarivhume to lead the demonstrations, information gleaned from several sources reveals.
Informed sources said Messrs Sikhala and Ngarivhume have signed a funding pact with the said organisations in their fresh bid to destabilise the country and undermine Zimbabwe during the SADC Summit when President Mnangagwa will assume the chairmanship of the 16-member regional bloc.
A similar funding pact was signed between the Brenthurst Foundation and the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU).
On the other hand, USAID has renewed its funding for Crisis Coalition as anti-Government and often hostile elements double-up their efforts to disturb the prevailing peace through violent demonstrations.
On July 5, Messrs Sikhala and Ngarivhume threatened to roll out crippling demonstrations.
The two indicated that their mandate to lead protests will be coming from the people, and hinted that “something will soon happen”.
But the police have assured the nation that they will brook no dissent and will decisively deal with any rogue elements.
Asked about the threats of violent demonstrations, Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications), Mr George Charamba, said Government will defend the prevailing peace with all its might.
“For some time, the Government has been aware of the collusion between the Oppeinheimers’ Brenthurst Foundation and USAID in seeking to subvert our hard-won peace. What is even more worrisome is that these organisations seem to find willing partners within our country, who previously had a brush with the law. It would appear they haven’t learnt their lessons. They should know that the Government is not just willing but is capable of delivering to them a lesson that is handsomely appropriate,” said Mr Charamba.
Zimbabwe is hosting the 44th SADC Summit on the 17th and 18th of August, but already activities related to the Summit have begun in earnest, with the SADC Industrialisation Week (SIW) currently underway in Harare.
Thus, the month of August will be packed with programmes and events related to the SADC Summit, and in quintessential fashion, the opposition is seeking to use or abuse a major international event to score cheap political goals.
“It is treachery for a Zimbabwean to collude with a foreign organisation in the hope of undermining the country’s peace, it is worse when Government considers the organisation hostile,” said Mr Charamba.
He said all non-governmental organisations and political actors in the country have been made aware that they should not jump into bed with hostile foreign elements, and should advise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade or the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare should they be approached.
Online Reporter