Paranoia and self-delusion – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary

Source: Paranoia and self-delusion – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary: 21st September 2019

https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/48770812866/sizes/m/

The longer dictatorships last the more paranoid they become as they resist the pressures of reality bearing ever more heavily upon them. They eventually come to the state of self-delusion shown in an article in the government mouthpiece the Herald this week under the title ‘Uncle Sam ups black ops in Zim’.

The article basically says the US Embassy was behind the kidnapping of Dr Peter Magombeyi, the president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association, who it dismisses as ‘this boy’. It raves: ‘Big Brother has instituted a cocktail of black operations, from financing violent demonstrations, organising them, executing them through his CIA agents (not diplomats) housed at his expanded new embassy in Westgate, as well as through Trojan Horses in the form of the MDC and the motley host of civil society organisations.’ (See: https://www.herald.co.zw/uncle-sam-ups-black-ops-in-zim/).

To objective observers, Zimbabwe is in a catastrophic meltdown with inflation racing beyond 800%, massive unemployment, shortages of fuel. power, water, food, medical supplies – everything except luxuries for the elite.

To the leaders of Zanu PF, who believe they ‘own’ the country, any complaints about the situation are treasonous because the problems have been caused by ‘illegal’ sanctions (and now climate change caused by the West).

This was the argument of the Mugabe regime which proved so successful that it has been adopted wholesale by his totally unimaginative successor Mnangagwa and has indeed become the lifeblood of Zanu PF: ‘do what we have done that has worked before’.

Apart from rigged elections (taken for granted), abductions have always been a feature. Jonathan Moyo, Zanu PF insider, now in exile, says a group called Ferret made up of security agents under the control the shadowy Joint Operations Command was responsible for Magombeyi’s abduction.

 The Herald doesn’t say why the US should take such a close interest in Zimbabwe, a country of no particular importance. Could it be that it wishes to help the suffering people or stop it from collapsing into the oppressive arms of China?

Other points

• We had a large turnout today for our protest against the abduction of Dr Magombeyi and the waste of government money on the Mugabes when the situation of people in Zimbabwe is so dire. People were particularly upset at the extravagance of a mausoleum for the monster Mugabe. We were glad to be joined by the MDC Manchester branch and by an old friend Geoff Hill the Zimbabwean journalist who has written a number of books on Zimbabwe. Special thanks to Rosemary Maponga and Heather Makawa who organised today’s protest and made placards.
• Thanks to those who helped set up the front table and put up the banners today: Babula Gwatiringa, Shailet Manyange, Patricia Masamba, Richard Munyama, Collen Mupazviriho, Mary Muteyerwa, Farai Mutumburi, Molly Ngavaimbe, Casper Nyamakura and Hazvinei Saili. Thanks to Hazvinei and Delice Gavazah for looking after the front table, to Babula, Bigboy Sibanda, Simbarashe Jingo and Tawanda Chitate for handing out flyers, to Mary and Hazvinei for drumming and to Casper, Hazvinei and Jonathan for photos. Thanks also to Salani Mutseyami who made a long video of the Vigil, check: https://www.facebook.com/406387486235820/posts/1146787545529140/.
• For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimb88abwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.

FOR THE RECORD: 40 signed the register.

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• • The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents us.
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