US embassy staff in Zimbabwe accused of behaving like opposition functionaries




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GOVERNMENT has been challenged to call to order the United States to desist from meddling in the country’s domestic affairs through brazen attacks on the country’s democratic institutions and processes.

This follows bizarre calls by the US for Zimbabweans to register to vote, an undiplomatic stance that dovetails with what the opposition has been pushing in recent months, an unsavoury nexus that exposes a foreign hand in the country’s internal affairs. This also comes at a time when the United States through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has tabled a whooping US$5 million to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), ostensibly to entrench the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democracy, but in reality the funds are meant to promote dissent among the general public.

Inadvertently baring its sordid motives, the US Harare Embassy in a glut of microblogs wrote; “Voter registration numbers will help define electoral boundaries in the delimitation process. Ensure complete representation for your community! Register to vote today!”

The tweet was followed by another reading; “Your vote is your right! Register to vote at ZEC’s provincial and district offices today”.

Unsurprisingly, this is the message that is being parroted by the Western sponsored MDC led by Mr Nelson Chamisa, leading critics to conclude that the opposition party is yet again on the strings of its intrusive and powerful handlers.

Analysts slated the US for “poking its big nose in the country’s electoral processes” saying Uncle Tom has to clean up his mess in countries like Afghanistan before it lectures Zimbabwe on democracy”.

They said while there is nothing wrong with political parties urging their supporters to register to vote, it stinks to high heavens for a foreign nation to do so.

Political analyst Mr Alex Munyonga said although the statement may, at face value, sound noble and proactive, a telescopic look into such encouragement from vicious diplomatic stations raises a stink.

“The embassy deceitfully argues that voter registration numbers will help define electoral boundaries in the delimitation. A mind-boggling question arises as to why this refereeing by a prejudiced match official.

“Some scepticism arises as to why a perennial critique of the country’s developmental prospects call for ensuring complete representation of Zimbabwean communities through mass voter registration.”

“Whilst registering to vote and voting for candidates of choice is not bad, it is the interests of the outsider refereeing internal affairs of Zimbabwe that needs to be queried.

“The comments by the US Embassy came not as a mistake; instead it is cementing US President Biden’s sentiments at the UN General assembly when he gave a nod to Zambian youths who ‘harnessed power of their vote.’

“He called for ‘building a better future’ but better and brighter to whom? It needs to be observed that instead of unleashing the potentialities of international states, the US stifles the actuality of such. In the guise of supporting the democratic election of leaders, the US ends up signing asymmetrical ties with the unsuspecting African nations.

“Such blindfolding needs to be unravelled and arrested. It is a proven historical fact that American diplomatic and scientific skills are double edged swords. The seeming courtesy can be analogised to 30 pieces of silver intended to betray our people and our future. The Zimbabwean future is not on sale. Why such interest lest there are congealed intentions of instituting porous hegemonic entry points. Ulterior motives and hidden hostile designs are manifest in the US Embassy’s tweet,” said Mr Manyonga.

Another political analyst Mr Caution Torovei said the US desperation belies the fact that their Trojan Horse is now a spent-force.

“We need to guard against foreigners dictating to us what needs to be done, the owners of this nation must dictate the pace. This trend of the US parading its powers, shows that there are sinister developments happening behind the scenes. Issues to do with Zimbabwean affairs are for Zimbabweans and no foreign institutions or ambassadors should interfere,” he said.

Another political analyst, Mr Collin Mharadzano said for a so-called paragon of democracy to blatantly interfere in the affairs of a sovereign republic speaks volumes of its disdain for the nation and its people.

“Is it not a case of supposed superiority complex by the American administration to imply that Zimbabwe and its people cannot make independent decisions of their own. How would Americans feel if any embassy on its soil was to encourage Americans to act likewise. Isn’t it time the embassy is called to order given this uncouth and brazen interference,” said Mr Mharadzano.

But the nauseating intrusion by the Americans has a method to it, according to another political analyst Mr Believe Mobonderi: “Elections in Africa mean more to the western world than to us hence their interest. They have interests to protect and are very much wary of the emergence of China as a dominant world power”.

Mr Gibson Nyikadzino, a researcher and political analyst weighed in saying diplomatic engagement is reciprocal and in this instance the US embassy in Zimbabwe has shown its appetite to operate like a pressure group.

He said the UN Charter notes that states are equal and their engagement is based on mutual respect under the Vienna Convention on diplomacy.

“It is important to engage diplomatic etiquette through government to government channels and not on social media platforms. Traditionally, the USA knows that Zimbabwe’s elections produce an outcome that distantly confirms their preferred candidates as winners, so they try to speak ill and negatively project the country’s internal processes to influence its allies and other anti-Zimbabwe countries to form a negative opinion about the sovereign which Zimbabwe is.”

This, he said, shows that the USA still sees itself as a global policeman.

The elections in Zimbabwe are a cyclical process that is constitutional and the state does not seek to negate that.

Recently, ZEC indicated that there are 73 voter registration centres, 10 provincial centres, 63 district offices and anyone willing to register can. – Herald