We all remember that in March 2008, Zimbabwe experience a tumultous time, because of unprecedented electoral violence before and post the 29 March 2008 general election.
Mugabe, Zanu PF stalwarts and securocrats had lost relevance because of the continued suffering and hunger across Zimbabwe and the people were clearly hungry for a change of power due to economic situation.
General elections were held in Zimbabwe on 29 March 2008 to elect the President and Parliament. Because of Zimbabwe’s dire economic situation, the elections were expected to provide respite for suffering Zimbabweans.
Unsurprisingly so, President Robert Mugabe, lost the election as Zimbabwe’s main opposition, MDC T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, clearly won, but Mugabe refused to step down or publish the result and chose to publicly declare that thieves were about to steal the nation.
What most Zimbabweans did not realise at that very moment in time, was that, a Chinese ship (pictured) named, the An Yue Jiang whose ship master reportedly identified as Captain Sunaijun, was on standby in the South African, Durban Port, laden with arms destined for Zimbabwe.
The ship’s deadly consignment of 77-tonnes of weapons included three million rounds of ammunition for AK-47 rifles and small arms, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and thousands of mortar rounds, mortar tubes and other military weapons, from Beijing to Harare, leading to South African Port workers refusing to offload the shipment as they knew very well, Mugabe was preparing to massacre Zimbabweans in a bid to stay in power even though he had lost the ballot but was unwilling to announce the result.
At the same time, the South African High Court, played a critical role in delaying a potential massacre of Zimbabweans by declaring that, the deadly ammunition could only be unloaded at port but not be transported by road. This court stance, coupled with the Port workers refusal to offload the weapons, led to the An Yue Jiang, sailing off towards Mozambique in an attempt to offload the weapons there.
With the political stalemate in place, any nation assisting the movement of the weapons to Zimbabwe, would have played a key role in suppressing a people’s defiance to oppressive authority as the cargo, was enough to run a full blown war, yet Mugabe was dealing with unarmed civilians seeking democracy for all
As far as the Chinese government was concerned, they were simply engaging in normal trade with Zimbabwe and all was in order, and they would not or involve themselves in interfere with a sovereign state’s internal affairs as was the case then, or so they claimed.
South African opposition foreign affairs and independant Human rights groups, along with International security, and international media and International pressure groups, tracked the ships movements , also using planes and helicopters, knowing very well that the Chinese government had supported Robert Mugabe by training and arming his guerrillas during the war for independance against the British government in the 70s. , while at the same time they had now reportedly furnished Mugabe’s Zanu PF government with radio-jamming devices to prevent independent stations from disseminating information to the public.
To the ‘Discerning Eye-newzimbabwevision;, China is a stumbling bloc to democracy in Zimbabwe, as, it considers Zimbabwe like an annex because Zimbabwe ‘owes’ its freedom to Chinese benevolence, hence why China has, reportedly , on past occassions vetoed the UN security council from debating Zimbabwe’s crisis arguing that Zimbabwe’s issues were an internal not a public matter.
The An Yue Jiang, having sailed around the Southern coast of Africa and met up with the same defiance all round as different port workers at different countries, refused to offload, what they knew was a looming bloodbath through Mugabe butchering their kith and kin.
Mugabe would have butchered Zimbabweans with the deadly weapons, irrespective of what race, tribe, religion or colour one was in a second wave of his gukurahundi genocide ‘moment of madness’ and that would have included many of those singing for their supper, in favour of Mugabe and his Zanu PF today,…..LITTLE DID THEY KNOW! The ship eventually sailed off back to China, with its consignment, and Zimbabweans received a lifeline but never realised how close they were to being butchered by Mugabe over Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s war veterans must take the president seriously when he warns them that he will unleash a wave of the murderous gukurahundi genocide upon them,…he means it! We all know how he militarised the Chiadzwa diamond fields and cleared 30 000 diamond prospectors by using two gunship helicopters to mow down 140 people in broad day light, following it up with soldiers on foot with dogs. Mugabe is the devil’s incarnate on earth!
The problem was later resolved as Zimbabwe, shortly later on discovered Chiadzwa diamond fields, the largest and richest diamond fields ever discovered in the world over the last 100 years., thereby breathing life into a broke despot, his Zim1 family, Zanu PF stalwarts and securocrats.
An airport then larger than harare international airport with a longer runway, was built in Chiadzwa and the Chinese were granted freedom of Chiadzwa, with weapons being brought in, diamonds smuggled out and cash externalised, while Chinese companies partnered the Zimbabwe defence forces in mining diamonds.
Unsurprisingly so, Mugabe, today publicly acknowledges that the Chinese ‘cheated’ us as he cannot account for at least US$15 Billion dollars worth of diamonds. I repeat, to the ‘Discerning Eye, newzimbabwevision’ China is a stumbling bloc to democracy and Mugabe’s controversial ‘Look East ‘policy is simply legitimised crime and corruption. Mugabe, Zim 1 family, Zanu PF stalwarts and securocrats, continuously loot national wealth by monopolising wealth and power, in the name of sovereignity. At least now he will butcher his own war veterans, while we sit back and watch,…its a free show! Mugabe Must Go!
It therefore is the ‘Mother of all stupidity!’ to insist that the wealth of informed diasporans worldwide must return home. Lest we forget, at the most difficult times and even up to now, the diaspora keeps Zimbabwe running by channelling money and resources back home and maintaining the welfare and health of remaining family and relatives.
Mugabe and his Zanu pf could never have liberated Zimbabwe without the help of the outside world including countries like Russia and China who offered training for guerrillas, supplied weapons and equipment and technical support for the guerrilla war along with support from other countries like Zambia and South Africa.
Let us also realise that the situation in Zimbabwe would have been worse off if everyone had stayed back in the country and listened to ZBc and State propaganda from Herald and Chronicle newspapers which continuously spew false information designed to elevate Mugabe and brainwash the people.
The diaspora wave is the ultimate weapon of defiance by the people of Zimbabwe to oppressive authority by Mugabe, Zanu pf Stalwarts, securocrats and zim1 family.
by the time we hold the 2018 ballot, every Zimbabwean born in the diaspora after the year 2000 will be eligible to vote along with those already at or above the minimum voting age by then, With an estimated 4 million Zimbabweans in the wilderness or diaspora, the majority of whom are anti Mugabe and his Zanu pf, the diaspora has the power to push Mugabe out of power if allowed to vote and therefore that leverage must be fought for.
Diasporans must use all influence upon international bodies such as UN, EU and countries such as UK, US and South Africa to gain the right to vote at their local embassies for Zimbabwe. as sad and as painful as this sounds, the diaspora can slow down or completely run Zimbabwe aground by stopping all support going back home through the official channels thus starve the weapon of oppression.
Locals must also stop buying any products made by or associated with Mugabe, Zim 1 family, Zanu pf stalwarts and securocrats, just run them out of business. Such products can be dairy products, eg milk, ice cream and yoghurt made and sold by the Gushungo dairies, Gideon Gono chickens etc and just refuse to buy or deal with anything associated with Zanu pf such as any farming product be it beef, pork, chicken, mutton, vegetables, flowers , game and other things sold by the despot led regime members.
People must realise that the chaos and corruption in Zimbabwe was deliberately created to allow the criminal regime to amass corruptly gained wealth, such as mines, multiple farms, businesses and so forth while the people became destitute.
The reason why the Registrar general Tobaiwa Mudede now seeks to ban dual citizenship is to stop the diaspora from voting as he very well knows that the majority of the diaspora would love to see Mugabe and his Zanu pf removed from power so the Zanu pf regime wants that stopped.
Look at whats happening today in online newspapers and social media. Would we be so well informed had we all remained under the oppressive authority of Mugabe and his Zanu pf? Of course not! We would probably be like one of those rogue states who almost worship their leaders due to fear, are starved of both food and information and literally have no hope of freedom without outside intervention, but thank God, many Zimbabweans managed to escape that as they fled into the diaspora.
These criminals have amassed millions of US$ in wealth and much as don’t like Mugabe themselves, they prefer to have him stay in power, just as a symbolic leader while they loot more in the dying minutes of the corruption rather than risk losing their farms and loot to a constitutional government that would prosecute them for past crimes and genocides and pursue all their stolen wealth local and abroad.
In other words, if you thought Zanu pf are going soon as easily as that,…think again! Wake up Zimbabwe,..you need a plan,…..fast! Lets work together rather than fight amongst ourselves as that only feeds into the very profile Mugabe and his Zanu pf seek to create, such as claiming the diaspora are Western puppets,…really? By Sibusiso Ngwenya
