Mutambara Sounding a lot like Mugabe

I've been and remain skeptical of Arthur Mutambara unfettered rise in the pro-senate faction of the MDC. So it was much to my chagrin to find that some in ZANU-PF don't seem the least bit bothered by his apparent arrival on the scene of Zimbabwean big time politics,

Newly elected MDC pro-senate faction leader Arthur Mutambara’s acceptance speech received kudos from the ruling Zanu PF party that has apparently been pleasantly surprised with the new leader’s stance on land and foreign relations while the real opposition MDC has sneered at the speech, accusing the rocket scientist of being an appendage of the ruling party. Zanu PF youth secretary Absalom Sikhosana said he could not understand why Mutambara was in the opposition while he so articulately espoused Zanu PF policies and ideals.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t understand why he is in the MDC,” Sikhosana said. “What he said is exactly what our leaders in Zanu PF have been saying. He must come back home (to Zanu PF). That’s where he belongs. I can’t understand why he is opposing Zanu PF while echoing Zanu PF policies.” In his acceptance speech, Mutambara said: “We are a Zimbabwean and an African political party. We are freedom fighters. We stand on the shoulders of the founding fathers of this nation; such as Nikita Mangena, Josiah Tongogara, Herbert Chitepo, Leopold Takawira, Joshua Nkomo, and Robert Mugabe.”

Ok, lets see; not endorsed by the anti senate MDC faction, not trusted by his own faction, but liked nay, worshipped by some in ZANU-PF. How so I ask?

Well, there might be answer from A.G.O himself. NewZimbabwe has an interesting article here in which Arthur airs his sentiments on the MDC;

He says the party needs a makeover. He said Africa's perception, rightly or wrongly, was that the MDC was too close to western governments, such as the United States and Britain.

"The MDC had a problem of image, a branding problem. They failed to effectively de-link themselves from interests or perceptions of imperialism. If you are perceived as a puppet, those perceptions become a reality. You have to actively disengage yourself from those that give you that terrible image," he said.

"They gave the impression that the major driver of their policy was white farmer interest. Rightly or wrongly the impression was out there that these people were pursuing and pushing an agenda on land for white farmers. It was their job to clarify and make sure that thier position was unequivocal taht their desire was to have a land revolution meant for all Zimbabweans, white and black."

Why must the MDC's well defined opposition stance be percieved as tantamount to a pro-European stance. Isn't it expected that when someone does something bad the whole world condems them? Mugabe & Co. are being very bad for the nation righ now. The MDC knows this, Zimbabweans know this, heck the whole world is aware of this. If so, why is it pertinent to Arthur that the MDC is percieved to be singing the same tune with western governments? Why isn't it just as repulsive to him that the MDC is joined by the majority of the country in it's anti-Mugabe stance? On the ground Arthur, people are much sicker of Mugabe than you think the MDC has branded themselves. The whole country is pregnant with dissdain for this regime which has now run the country into the ground.

I'm not sure what he means by all this, but I can tell you this one thing: He sounds like Mugabe to me.


Zimbabwe, Situation, MDC, Arthur Mutambara