admin
from the yoke of colonisation from Britain. China and Russia trained and armed the freedom fighters; equipping them with strategic and combat leadership skills in guerrilla warfare whose tactics were employed to outwit the Rhodesian forces.
It is again, these two friendly nations that came to the rescue of Zimbabwe from being slapped with UN economic sanctions. The British and Americans mooted the idea to have Zimbabwe put under UN Chapter Seven: a move they advanced at the behest of their local puppets; the MDC formations. Indeed, China and Russia have been and continue to be Zimbabwe’s all weather friends.
When the majority of the neo-liberal academics and the intellectuals in the MDC formations heard of the move to put Zimbabwe on the UN sanctions list, they ululated and continued to rubbish Zimbabwe; stage managing events and activities of violence to buttress their masters’ UN machinations. On the D-Day, meant to crucify Zimbabwe there was jubilation and horn-hooting in all urban centers conducted by an avalanche of traitors and sellouts.
It is amazing to hear some of our well educated intellectuals failing to properly interrogate the Look East Policy (LEP) and put issues into proper perspective. The private media too, went to town rubbishing the LEP.
However, it was heartening to note a positive and clear analysis of LEP when Dr Chinyan’anya of UZ asked participants in a debate on the LEP at SAPES.
Simple questions: “Those who are criticizing Zanu-PF for adopting the LEP, what alternative did you want Zanu-PF to adopt when Europe and America colluded to impose the illegal economic sanctions on Zimbabwe? Did you expect Zanu-PF to clap hands and say thank you to the British and Americans for the sanctions? Did you want them to sit like lame ducks until they perish, then perhaps meet in heaven? That would be ridiculous, nonsensical and atrocious.”
As if he had not heard the questions and comments from Dr Chinyan’anya, Dr Mandaza interjected and said: “The Chinese ambassador has repeatedly warned ZANU PF against courting China on the LEP.”
He further stated that the Chinese ambassador has said it on several times that the Look East Policy was a myth.
Dr Mandaza surprisingly posed a ridiculous question, asking the audience whether they knew about Cecil John Rhodes, who once claimed that Britain needed more colonies from which to get resources in order for it to develop as an imperial power. The good doctor continued to rubbish the Sino-Zim relationship and the LEP. Dr Mandaza (Ibbo Joseph) spoilt the sumptuous presentation on the LEP that was both academically and philosophically delivered by Dr Chingono.
Another Doctor from the UZ, whom I shall not mention for personal reasons concurred with both Dr Chingono and Dr Chinyan’anya that despite the LEP coming after sanctions the shift was a strategic alternative.
During discussion time Dr Ibbo Joseph, now Dr Mandaza surprised and shocked many with his imperialistic rhetoric. He clearly sounded like Uncle Tom’s public relations or media spokesperson. It was shocking to hear from him linguistically demonstrating that National Policies are moulded by bourgeois. What a capitalistic colonial hangover that still lingers in Dr Mandaza’s academic membrane!
He cannot see the demise of capitalism and imperialistic concepts or ideologies in Europe and America. A person of a doctoral academic position cannot see what is coming out of the chaotic violent protests that are against greed imperial executives in the West.
It is an open secret that Europe and America are queuing in China with begging bowls for capital to restore their battered economies. China has made it clear that it will not help unless the West acknowledges that China’s economic policies are sound and have produced the money that now can be used to avert the global economic crisis.
Dear reader, note that the current global economic crisis or the global liquidity crunch came as a result of the atrocious corporate management of business by Western business executives.
One doctor of philosophy at UZ told participants at SAPES during Dr Chingono’s public lecture on LEP that China’s economy is growing rapidly because there is evidence of government involvement in every sector of China ‘s economy. It is the government that chooses who to invest with and who comes to invest in China. The doctor further stated that the Chinese economic model is a success model from which Africa and Zimbabwe in particular can learn.
It was disheartening to see Dr Mandaza holed like a warthog against the LEP, in defence of the crumbling economic policies of the West. What was also disturbing was how he clearly wanted to brain wash the presenter by telling her outright that she must scrap the LEP from her good academic membrane. If this is the type of academic freedom that we get from our tertiary institution then we will remain colonized beyond redemption. One feels in an academic debate one should not use command statements like Dr Ibbo did to Dr Chingono. This writer believes to differ in opinion is as rich as gold. However it should not be differing in opinion without substance and facts.
This writer spoke to one of the fine professors on the land and asked him what he thought about the debates on the LEP and the Indigenous and Empowerment Acts. This was after I had seen the trajectory of debates that ran at MPOI, MISA, and SAPES. The professor said to me, comrade these people speak and behave that way in order to receive donor funds to run their programmes.
One wonders where the integrity of our academics has gone. The majority of their arguments are centered on blaming ZANU PF and in the process viewing the MDCs and the West as non corrupt and holds the best practice of good corporate Governance Accountability and Transparency. My colleagues have always said to me I always hold most of our intellectuals with low esteem. I then deliberately bought a DVD taken on a live debate on some of the above mentioned institutions of high learning were debates on various topics were done. I
gave it to my colleagues to watch and comment. One of them said: “I now agree with you “Pangi”. What I hear is atrocious and excruciating; it’s not about facts but money”. Those who wish to view the DVDs can contact me and I will direct them where to get the DVDs. Zimbabwe has a very powerful base of educated people; I mean highly educated people , some who were schooled in the UK & America. The tragedy is the majority have been corrupted by the West and Donor Community with money.
The way some of our highly educated intellectuals want money is extremely shocking. People blame the ladies of the night for using mini skirts to attract men so as to get money. Dear reader, these ladies of the night maybe better than some of our intellectuals who, through calling for illegal sanctions and instigating violence, sellout their country and sentence thousands of people to death through diseases, violence and hunger. Some get huge sums of subsistence money through fronting Western crumbling economic policies and ideologies.
Imagine a whole professor or doctor doing the unbelievable including lying, psyching people to behave in a stage managed manner, engaging in violence and instigating disobedience and dishonest.
Dear reader, Zimbabwe is on pole position in Africa in terms of education. One wonders whether we are on pole position in terms of our ability to formulate strategies that bring people together and develop our economy to unassailable heights.
One also wonders whether we are not also on pole position in Africa for having the highest number of highly educated people who do not believe in Pan-Africanism and are pseudo holders of human rights, rule of law, democracy and good governance.
Have we ever asked ourselves where Zimbabwe would have been, had all the hybrid brains been pulling in one direction? The war of liberation was mainly fought to repossess land and to indigenize the economy. It is believed the country could have avoided sanctions had the treacherous intellectuals in the MDCs not sided with Britain and America when land was repossessed. Dear reader it is hoped that all the reactionaries will do a critical introspection which makes them come back home as did the prodigal son.
However, let it be known to all sellouts that Zimbabwe is on a reconstruction path and no amount of selling out will stop it. The LEP is not a myth but reality. Vanhu vasvinura zvino vavekuonesa saka vatengesi chenjerai. Icho!
l Panganai Kahuni is a social and political commentator.
Online Reporter