Zanu PF warns US diplomat against political activism

Harare, (New Ziana) – The ruling Zanu PF party, in its strongest rebuke yet of the United States of America ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols, on Monday warned the diplomat to immediately stop underhand destabilisation activities against the country or risk being sent back home.

The United States and Zimbabwe have had strained relations for almost
two decades over the latter’s land policies which Washington strongly
opposed.

This involved the compulsory acqusition of excess white-owned farmland
by the Zimbabwe government to resettle landless peasants.

Washington, like the rest of Western countries, strongly objected to the
land reforms, and imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe as punishment two decades
ago.

The sanctions are still in force, and the country estimates it had suffered US$100 billion in economic damage over the period.

As a result, there has been a cold war between Zimbabwe and the US, with
Harare accusing Washington of funding political opponents of the government in an attempt to dethrone it.

These include non-governmental organisations involved in politics and human rights work, in addition to opposition parties proper.

And with the opposition threatening to march against government on
July 31, Zanu PF acting spokesman, Patrick Chinamasa warned “Nichols
and his coterie of gangsters and mercenaries who are disguised as
diplomats” that the ruling party was aware of their shenanigans behind
the proposed march.

“He (Nichols) continues to engage in acts of undermining this Republic
and if he continues mobilising and funding disturbances, coordinating
violence and training insurgence, our leadership will not hesitate to
give him marching orders,” Chinamasa said.

“Diplomats should not behave like thugs and Brian Nichols is a thug.
We remind Nichols that he is not a super diplomat in this country.”

Chinamasa said Zimbabwe had nothing to learn from the US, which is
continuously trampling on the lives of black Americans which had given
birth to the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“The US Ambassador must be ashamed of himself. What has US to offer by
way of values and human rights observances. African Americans are
being treated like rats,” he said, adding the US propagated to other
countries, rights which itself did not observe.

Chinamasa said Zimbabwe was host to many diplomats and none of them
had sought to prefect the country as much as the US Ambassador was
doing.

Responding to questions, later, Chinamasa said the salvo against the
US diplomat was not an affront to re-engagement efforts the government
was undertaking.

“We will continue to re-engage and engage, even with the enemy, more
so with the enemy than with our friends because you want the enemy to
see that what they are doing is not right,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chinamasa said Zanu PF was ready to respond to the threats
of demonstrations by the opposition on July 31.

“We take the threats seriously because it has happened before in 2018
and last year, so we take them seriously that given their violent
disposition they will repeat it,” he said.

“There will be a serious response from our party.”
New Ziana