Tendai Ruben Mbofana
Only that their serious implications stop people as myself cracking my ribs in a fit of laughter.
What are we to say about a ruling establishment whose only defense – when exposed or held to account for its misdeeds and misdemeanors – is to immediately label the accused a ‘puppet of the West’?
It does not matter what the accusation is – the response it always the same…’puppet of the West’.
Never do they ever confront each accusation on its own merit and respond as is appropriate to the charge.
This is what we witness daily in Zimbabwe – where the ZANU PF regime has become a circus act and a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.
Surely, how can these people be taken seriously!
They can be caught red-handed in their dastardly schemes to loot our nation’s mineral resources – as occurred in the Al Jazeera ‘Gold Mafia’ documentary, where those directly involved implicated themselves unawares they were being secretly filmed.
Instead of addressing these grave damning revelations – by instituting sincere investigations and bringing those involved to book – the Zimbabwe ruling elite resorted to their usual tired lame accusation.
All those who had anything to do with the production of this exposé were ‘puppets of the West’!
In spite of the revelations showing the country being prejudiced billions of dollars through gold smuggling, money laundering and other illicit financial flows – the government of Zimbabwe chose to ignore this.
Most recently, after the 23rd and 24th August harmonized elections – several regional, continental and international election observer missions declared them as falling far short of acceptable standards for free, fair and credible elections.
SADC, the AU-COMESA, and Commonwealth all produced adverse reports condemning the plebiscite – as not meeting Zimbabwe’s own Constitution and electoral laws, as well as regional and international guidelines governing democratic elections.
Yet, as has become the norm, the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa administration elected to brand these election observers as ‘puppets of the West’!
This, notwithstanding the fact that all the irregularities, flagrant violations of the law, and stifling of democratic space had been there for all to see – leading to writers as myself flagging these issues well before the election observers even penned their respective reports.
Not once did the ZANU PF regime ever bother to, at the very least, provide a plausible explanation or response to the issues raised in these reports – thereby giving their side of the story.
Furthermore, even when ordinary citizens complain over their horrendous mistreatment and gross abuses of human rights at the hands of the ruling establishment – the only response to these allegations is that the accusers are ‘puppets of the West’.
When those affected by the deplorable state in our health care facilities expose the shameful lack of essential medications, functional cancer machines, ambulances, and adequate surgical equipment – they are all branded as ‘puppets of the West’.
When teachers complain not only of the pathetic miserly salaries they are receiving, but also the poor standards in our educational institutions – characterized by a shortage of basics learning material, more so in rural areas – they are classified as ‘puppets of the West’.
When the government prints hordes of Zimbabwe dollars – in order to feed the black market so as to buy hard currency, in the process driving the market into a freefall – any who exposed these shenanigans is branded a ‘puppet of the West’.
In all these instances, never do those in power ever attempt at directly addressing the concerns raised.
How then are they to be taken seriously?
Who, in their right mind, can believe a government and ruling party that only has one answer to every accusation?
Now, as the SADC Troika is reportedly arranging an extraordinary meeting to discuss the damning report produced by their election observers – the Zimbabwe government does not appear to be preparing a reasonable and believable response.
Instead, they are busy making noise, as they accused the chair of the SADC Troika (Zambia) of being a ‘puppet of the West’.
It is most unfortunate that governments are seldom diagnosed as insane.
Surely, how would anyone psychologically classify a person who can not defend himself using intellect – but simply resorts to the same old statement over and over again?
If the ‘puppet of the West’ tag does not seem enough – ‘agent of regime change’ is curiously added to the mix.
Wow, so being an ‘agent of regime change’ is now an undesirable thing in Zimbabwe?
This is the height of absurdity!
Let the Mnangagwa administration be reminded that the whole essence of democracy is ‘regime change’.
That is why we even go for elections every five years – which is an opportunity for Zimbabweans to change the regime in power, if they so desire.
As such, seeking to demonize ‘regime change’ is a sick attempt at demonizing democracy itself.
In my book, Zimbabwe is being governed by a bunch of lunatics!
I can not think of any other way of describing this undeniable craziness.
Nevertheless, what this proves is that all these accusations directed at the ZANU PF regime hold water and are credible – of which the ruling elite can not find any defense.
How can they defend the indefensible or justify the unjustifiable?
Not everything under the sun can be successfully spinned – even by the greatest spin doctors.
That is why the ‘best’ that they can come up with is the same tired line.
What else can they say?
How else can they deny or defend accusations that are there for all to see are true?
What is more insulting, though, about all this ‘puppet of the West’ labelling, is the apparent insinuation that black people can not possibly think for themselves – neither can they act on their own – except only when under the command and direction of whites.
All this coming from a government that wants to portray itself as pan-Africanist and made up of leaders who believe in the abilities of black people!
Is this not pure hypocrisy?
It is acceptable and normal for a government not to agree with its own citizens.
Nonetheless, perceiving them as dimwits, who are incapable of independent thought – just because they are black – is the highest form of self-hate.
It just goes to show what type of leaders we have in power – who look down upon and demean their own black folk!
- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: http://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/