The State sponsored corruption, the incompetence of the 2nd Republic, the resulting hunger, poverty, the silly sanctions march and rebuke of Diplomats have made it into the British @TimesLondon.
Source: The looting of the central bank RBZ using SAKUNDA – The Zimbabwean
From preachers to teachers, those who stand up to Zimbabwe’s rulers risk being beaten, jailed or worse.
In the past few weeks alone, masked men have abducted and tortured a doctor, a female comedian and a singer whose lyrics were deemed to insult Emmerson Mnangagwa, the president.
A market trader in Harare was beaten so badly that he died.
Now, however, the regime faces a less vulnerable critic: the American ambassador.
His straight-talking upsets the government so much that it is threatening to kick him out.
Brian Nichols has visited victims of violence from state security forces, posting photographs of himself with them.
But what really upsets the regime is a series of tweets in which he has revealed extensive details of its corruption.
The trigger for this was an attempt by Mnangagwa to blame America and the EU for a looming famine that the UN describes as Zimbabwe’s “worst-ever hunger crisis”.
Half the population is running out of food.
The real causes are years of mismanagement and a severe regional drought, but Mnangagwa has tried to pin responsibility on American and EU economic sanctions.
Although these apply only to members of his regime and related companies, the president has erected billboards across the country proclaiming “Sanctions — a crime against humanity”.
Nichols, experienced at fighting mafia as a former counter-narcotics expert, hit back, initially with a YouTube interview, pointing out that America is the biggest donor to Zimbabwe and the country’s real problems are corruption and economic mismanagement.
“If you don’t want people to say bad things about you, maybe don’t do bad things,” he suggested.
Nichols wrote, in a column for an independent newspaper, Newsday: “Our targeted sanctions are not responsible for Zimbabwe falling tragically short of its potential.
The fault lies in catastrophic mismanagement by those in power and the government’s abuse of its own citizens.”
The regime ramped up the confrontation nine days ago with an official Anti-Sanctions Day, closing schools and bussing people to a rally attended by Mnangagwa, his wife and the cabinet.
Nichols responded with almost hourly tweets with the hashtag #ItsNotSanctions, detailing corruption he said amounted to $1bn (about £775m) a year. “$2.8bn disappeared from agricultural subsidies,” he wrote.
“$25m from national road administration, $4.9m from the Zim electricity company for transformers never delivered.” Another tweet read: “Diamonds worth $10m would fund water treatment chemicals for Harare for 4 months that Zimbabweans desperately need.
But they were shipped out of the country for ‘training purposes’.” And: “$51m to lease three planes never used.”
The White House then added Owen Ncube, Zimbabwe’s state Sunday november 3 2019
security minister, to the list of those sanctioned, banning him from travel to America.
The regime was furious. On Thursday night General Sibusiso Moyo, the foreign minister, wrote to the ambassador, accusing him of “behaving and conducting himself like some kind of opposition member, with complete disregard for all norms of permissible diplomatic protocol”.
He added: “Persistent behaviour of this nature will test the patience of even the most tolerant . . . We have the means to bring all this to an end.”
For Zimbabweans such words would be a clear warning — 17 people were killed in a crackdown this year. But an American envoy is a different matter.
The US State Department said: “Promoting freedom, democracy and transparency and the protection of human rights are central to US foreign policy.”
COMMENTS
ZanuPf came not to have a one man one vote system in Zimbabwe. Liberation movements tend to believe only the top have the right to rule a country and plunder their resources no questions asked , especially by its citizens. The protectors of our human rights notably the judiciary , have colluded with the regime to legitimise whatever they do and then say the citizens are the enemy . Complete hogwash . First Smith ,then Mugabe and now Ed. When are we going to be free.
“First Smith, then Mugabe and now Ed. When are we going to be free”. At least with Smith you had jobs, you were educated, you had healthcare and no-one went hungry. Then along came mugabe&co, the matuvi hit the fan and you finished up with nothing. Mnangagwa is mugabes shadow so don’t expect things to change for the better anytime soon. You will be free when your leaders think about you and not just about themselves. You will be free when you have your own version of Ian Douglas Smith.
The irony is that had Rhodesia and Ian Smith been allowed to continue 40 years ago then today, in all probability, you would have your black legitimate and capable government fully backed by a white population and their expertise. I, for one, would not have left the country 33 years ago. To this day am still saddened by what has happened to it.
Ian Smith and his Ministers never stole a cent!!! Don’t place Ian Smith amongst this group of despicable savages! Look at Rhodesia’s records, you never ever saw anyone black or white go hungry or go without a job or go without medication or go without transport or go without schooling. Just remember one thing comrade, you voted Mugabe and his thieves into power despite Ian Smith warning you all what he will do to the country and her people. Look at you all now, they’ve looted plundered and pillaged AND destroyed our once prosperous nation, and continue to do so while you lot are too spineless to do anything about this band of thieves. One other thing I just wonder how many of you would have joined Mugabe’s struggle had he not abducted and frog marched you over the border to those terrorist (not refugee) camps in Mozambique…I doubt one of you would have gone because you all knew you had it good under Ian Smith despite the fact that you couldn’t vote.
My sentiments entirely, presumably you are replying to Nyoni.
Correct, I am…my apologies.
Go USA!!
The Looting includes the RBZ hierachy also!!
The looting includes everyone in the zanupf government, the justice system (sic), the military, the police and all their many associates and hangers on. In 1980, nearly 40 years ago, Zimbabwe was a thriving country, a golden opportunity, handed over on a plate. Today we have a disaster of a ship wreck.
I though you movement promised that nobody would go hungry as they had ordered [joke] 2 packets of biscuits. Oh dear, why do you go on trusting pole who cannot get it RIGHT? The other day in the howled pages it was reported that your Mp’s has ‘blown’ $5M on some binge meeting or other. Seriously would it not have been better to have had the meeting over the biscuits and feed the population in some small part with the $5m? I know it’s only a drop in the grave yard, but if you really are in the state to portray – it’s CRISIS time! Unfortunately I would count on the USA as Trumpington is unpredictable look what he said to China
Zimbabweans get what they vote for…ZANU PF
Poverty
Hunger
Unemployment
Inflation
…and moral bankruptcy.
RIP for the next few decades.
That’s the problem, they did NOT get what they voted for. The elections, all elections since 1980, were rigged against them in favour of the relatively few so called elite. ie- Firstly Mugabe&Co followed by Mnangagwa&Co (Co being zanupf of course).