— On Wed, 7/2/08, Chifu wrote:
From: Chifu
Subject: On Zimbabwe: Shut up, give us a break Odinga
Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008, 8:54 AM
Folks,
This herald.co item is from a government owned Herald newspaper
Changu Chandagwinyira.
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http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=965&cat=13
Shut up, give us a break Odinga
EDITOR — I have been closely following the unfortunate utterances on the political situation in Zimbabwe attributed to Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga.
While Zimbabwe’s deputy minister of Information and Publicity, Cde Bright Matonga was diplomatic in his response to Odinga’s provocative comments, I felt compelled as an ordinary Zimbabwean to air my views and call a spade, a spade.
Given the mayhem and destruction to human life and property following the chaotic elections in Kenya in December 2007, Odinga or any other Kenyan for that matter is least qualified to tell anyone that the elections in Zimbabwe were not free and fair.
Odinga has on his hands, the blood of more than 2 000 Kenyans he used as cannon fodder to land himself the post of prime minister.
Who is Odinga that he should tell the world that the AU should suspend President Mugabe from the continental body?
Who is Odinga to tell the world that peacekeepers should be sent to Zimbabwe to ensure “free and fair elections?”
On June 18, and obviously having been charmed by Condoleeza Rice, Odinga said, “what we need in Zimbabwe is actually an international peacekeeping force so that proper elections can be held.”
This is a very provocative statement especially when it comes from a dangerous Kenyan whom some view as a tribalist, murderer and power- hungry thug.
While there was indeed inter party political violence leading up to the presidential run-off election, which no one condones, Zimbabwe’s situation is nowhere near what happened in Kenya.
Wherein contrast to the political leadership in Zimbabwe, Odinga himself held several Press conferences where he called on his supporters to engage in violence until he got what he wanted; the post of prime minister at a cost of more than 2 000 innocent Kenyans.
Odinga should be told that peacekeepers are in fact needed in western Kenya where there is an unreported war pitting the Sabaot Land Defence Forces and the Kenyan Government on the issue of land.
Those who are aware of this conflict speak of horrendous atrocities being committed by Kenyan Government forces against the SLDF.
The SLDF took up arms over a land allocation scheme it considers unfair.
Reports indicate that five people were being taken away from their homes everyday and taken to mountains where they are killed in cold blood.
At the targeted homes, every member of the family irrespective of age and gender is taken away and butchered in the mountains.
And, Condoleeza Rice who claims to be a leader of democratic principles, human rights and rule of law has the audacity to share a platform with this murderer.
So, Odinga, and others like you, please give us a break, and just shut up.
Zimbabwe is capable of resolving its problems in a peaceful manner without you agitating them to be violent against one another.
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Date:Â Wed, 2 Jul 2008 20:01:52 -0700 (PDT)
From:Â Elvis mageto
Subject:Â Re: On Zimbabwe: Shut up, give us a break Odinga
Chifu,
It is unfortunate that people like you have the audacity to shout themselves hoarse at a man who has fought several battles to liberate the kenyan people. You are just a nondescipt as compared to Raila who ahs a track record of fighting for justice and democratic ideals for all kenyans.
Â
It is only Raila who has the leverage and capacity to denounce the Zimbambwe fiasco of an election because all other goons have the track record resembling that of your dearth president in thief.
Â
Like the proverbial story of Jesus and the adulterous woman, no man in AU was willing to throw any stones because they are tainted with sins. They are all unworthy the trust of the people they supposedly represent. It is only Raila who stands out in almost the entire African continent to question those who grab power from the people and abuse it to their adavantage.
Â
You should be ashamed of yourself especially when inflation in your beloved country is running in millions. Yes, in millions! From the most prosperous African country to a dubious position of savagery where hundrends of opposition supporters have been terrorized and butchered by the government. Democracy is not about the west or Raila, it is about letting people choose their political destiny without undue pressure from the likes of you. It is utter silly to argue that the great people of Zimbambwe had chosen the octogenerian Mugabe. The people of Zimbambwe deserve better and that was Raila was talking about. It is unfortunate that you did not get it.
Â
In case you did not know, my friend chifu, there is a new crop of leaders in town. Leaders who are ready to inspire the rest of Africa towards greater prosperity. What you and your ilk are advocating for is long gone and has no place in modernity. We pity the great people of Zimbambwe and yet people like you do seem to see what your own people are undergoing through. It is a shame that you could even respond to Raila’s brotherly concerns.
Â
Shame on you.
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sbj.: On Zimbabwe, and Kenyan prime minister
Dear Zimbabweans and other fellow Africans,
I would like to just point to some of the numerous and very serious misrepresentations presented in ‘On Zimbabwe: Shut up, give us a break Odinga.’ The writer asserts that “On June 18, and obviously having been charmed by Condoleeza Rice, Odinga said, “what we need in Zimbabwe is actually an international peacekeeping force so that proper elections can be held.”This is a very provocative statement especially when it comes from a dangerous Kenyan whom some view as a tribalist, murderer and power- hungry thug”(Herald Newspaper). He goes further by adding,”Wherein contrast to the political leadership in Zimbabwe, Odinga himself held several Press conferences where he called on his supporters to engage in violence until he got what he wanted; the post of prime minister at a cost of more than 2 000 innocent Kenyans”(Herald Newspaper). The author of these quotes, whomever it may be, is under the false notion that Raila, his honorable, Oginga Odinga, perpetrated the violence that resulted after our previous botched election. This is indeed a false accusation and is not a matter that should be taken lightly. The fallacy he commits is attributed to ignorance. He contributes no evidence to support his claim that Raila is responsible for the death of 2000 Kenyans, nor does he specify from where he acquired his information. He bases his arguments on heresay rather than on true facts.
He goes further by adding,â€Wherein contrast to the political leadership in Zimbabwe, Odinga himself held several Press conferences where he called on his supporters to engage in violence until he got what he wanted; the post of prime minister at a cost of more than 2 000 innocent Kenyansâ€(Herald Zimbabwe newspaper)
I would also like to point to the outstanding irregularity that suggests Raila was in pursuit of the Prime minister office. I view it as a sinister attempt to devalue Raila’s good reputation for loyalty to the people. Clearly, Raila was running for the oval office, the top seat, the presidency. Raila was not running for the post of prime minister of which did not even exist during the time due to its abolition in the last century. Raila was registered and on the ballot (sometimes not-through no doing of his own) as a presidential runner.
It is a known fact that the prime minister post was only recently re-created on March 6th of 2008(Constitution of Kenya [Amendment] Act, 2008). The post was created in order to resolve the chaos resulting from the controversial Kenya 2007 General elections. Of which Raila, Kibaki and Kalonzo were the main aspirants for the presidency. Raila had been campaigning vigorously throughout the country after winning a hard fought battle to clinch his party’s nomination. Raila was ODM’s nominee for the 2007 Kenya General Election.
Even in the past Raila has always indicated his interest for the presidency,“People have been asking me to declare my stand, whether I will go for the top seat. I want to say that when the opportunity comes, I will offer myself for the LDP presidential nomination. I will go for the top seat if picked by my partyâ€(Raila Odinga), as is evident from a quote while he belonged to the LDP party back in the 1990s.
The decision to take on the Prime minister post was a big sacrifice Raila made for his people. Once again proving his loyalty to the greater cause by laying his political ambitions down in favor of peace and tranquil in the nation. It was not preconcevied, it simply happened in the scheme of things.
I pity people like Chifu. They will remain in bondage throughout their lives or until people like Mugabe are called by the Almighty God. But that is not all, Mugabe has planted seeds of turmoil so even if he dies, there are mavericks who have learnt his trade and would like to continue oppressing the people of Zimbabwe. Look at how the Zimbabwean Army chiefs are talking and behaving – they will not accept any imperialist supported puppets even if they win an election!! I really pity the people of Zimbabwe who have to bear with a 3,000% inflation rate and empty food shelves. They have to carry a bagful of notes to buy a loaf of bread!! What is the solution? Remove Mugabe by all means – peaceful or by force. Mugabe is the material for the Tribunal at the Hague and he should head there dead or alive.
The ideals of Raila speak for itself. The man has struggled all his political life to liberate Kenyans from despotic tendencies of Moi and lately Kibaki. The man is selfless and has sacrificed his life for others to enjoy their loot. If it wre not for Raila, Kenya would have gone to the dogs after the 2007 elections!! In fact Raila is the President Kenyans never had. If he (read ODM) would have been given their rightful victory, the Government would have been cleaner.
Leave Raila alone to help chart our national destiny.
Subject: Re: On Zimbabwe: Shut up, give us a break Odinga
I do not believe there is anything wrong with the criticism of another African leader provided it is based on well researched facts regarding the causes of the turmoil being discussed and done privately
Like Kenya, Zimbabwe’s independence was paid for with blood of many Zimbabwean Africans killed and harsh detention doled out to people like Mugabe who actually fought for freedom. White minority regime of Ian Smith and company ruled the country with iron fist. The whites got wealthy by acquiring 90% of land and enslaved Africans to work on the land. They do not want leave or redistribute the land and have put a hefty price tags on what they took by killing and displacing thousands Africans in both Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Like in Kenya, Britain promised land redistribution when Rhodesia became independent in 1980 in Lancaster House. All hell broke loose when Tony Blair reneged on that promise in 2000 and opted for regime change in order to protect the white supremacist farmers in Zimbabwe. He was joined by USA in their regime change policy which started with Iraq. These white supremacist farmers have effectively used the opposition party, MDC, to achieve their selfish interests. They know very well they do not care about Africans but are willing to use trbalism or regime change to maintain control of Zimbabwean resources.
Africans leaders must, therfore, stop being Western song birds in exchange for financial aids because these aids are given at the expense of real economic growth for poor African citizens. They (critical African leaders) must also do the research on the root causes of problems in Africa and speak privately with one another instead of being coersed into doing so by powerful foreign financiers. There are tons of natural resources, enough to turn Africa into a developed continent.
There has to be an African solution to African problems which does not include use of foreign arms used to kill or drive thousands of fellow poor Africans from their lands to tents cities, where they are fed by foreign food agencies. In most cases, these food agencies come from the very countries causing the problems in order to protect their interests (African Natural Resources). I wonder how many of those African elites would like to live in tents for years. Yet they are willing to condemn their own people to degrading and congested lives.
Only in Africa can one find thousands of people lingering in slums and tent cities for years while oil, gold, diamond, timber and other precious are being harvested at no cost. Why is this?
Mr. Mugabe may not be handling this well. But Mr. Tsvangirai does not have a solution to the land problem either other than collaborating with very powerful surrogates in the West and the white farmers. These two guys could sit down and talk to each other privately in order to iron out their differences. After all Mugabe is 84 years old. He should now serve as an advisor to younger generation patriots of Zimbabwe, if there are any.
MANY AFRICAN YOUTHS DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WARS ARE FOUGHT OVER LAND AND RESOURCES THEREIN. LAND IS POWER. YOU DO NOT JUST GIVE IT AWAY FOR BRIBES, COME ON AFRICANS, USE YOUR HEADS AND QUIT KILING OR DISLODGING FELLOW AFRICANS FROM THEIR ACESTRAL LANDS ONLY TO GIVE IT AWAY FOR PEANUTS OR CANDY!
We do not need any “bloody” peace keeping force in any African country. We need visionary leaders in every African country who can protect African people and African natural resources. Period.
Peace keeping forces are tools used by THE WORLD’S ruling elites to control regular people. Remember that
(1) UN keeping forces were on ground in Congo when Patrice Lumumba was extracted from a safe house guarded by UN peace keepers and flown on an aeroplane piloted by Belgians for hours while being tortured. He was barely alive when the eventually landed him to the final phase of his demise. The Belgian torture team finally took out his teeth, keeping one of them as memorabila, before executing and burning him with acid to ensure his body was never found. The Belgian team reported: ” We did to him what nobody would do to an animal”!
(2) UN Peace Keeping Forces were in Rwanda and stood by while 8,000 Rwandans a day were slaughtered for 100 days. The UN , however, supervised the evacuation of western and other european citizens. There were Rwandan citizens who begged to be evacuated with these western folks, but were rejected.
(3) There are peace keeping forces in Democratic Republic of Congo and Dafur while thousands of Africans are being wasted in the make shift tents. These Africans are being fed by food programs provided by some foreign governments. While these feeding are going on, oil, diamond, gold , timber and other precious stones are being harvested on the very land these poor Africans were forcefully dislodged from using the arms supplied the very countries feeding them! THINK ABOUT IT FOLKS. Before you declared your fellow African the worst enemy and start vomiting poisonous words towards them, make sure the folks whose song you are singing are really friends without hidden agenda and interests.
So, “Peace Keeping Force” may depend on who is being protected from whom?
The Standard news paper had the following article on the link:
http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143989609&cid=4
Did you know that while Nelson Mandela’s statue was being erected a Trafalgar Square and his 90th birthday being celebrated by “who is who” in London, he was still on the Western terrorist list!!
Response to Akech,
I agree with your statement about the validity of criticism based on facts which are researched but I would also like to add that not only should you research but also verify that the information you are getting is coming from a credible source.
After evaluating your comments, I am left in a state of confusion. Confused with the logic with which you use to arrive at the point of justifying Mugabe’s rule. This is of course a purposeful intention of your argument, although not clear at first read. You are trying to supply evidence to contrast Mugabe from other African leaders who in your opinion are selling Africa to the West. And honorable Raila Oginga is your main target, explicitly stated in your introduction, “I do not believe there is anything wrong with the criticism of another African leader provided it is based on well researched facts regarding the causes of the turmoil being discussed and done privately”(Akech), a reply to the people opposing the ill-characterization of the honorable Prime Minister Raila Oginga Odinga by the Zimbabwean editor of the Herald, Chifu. You are therefore supporting Chifu’s attack of Raila on ‘On Zimbabwe: Shut up, give us a break Odinga.’
You provide in the defense of Chifu, the same misconstrued information he supplied in his newspaper editorial,”MANY AFRICAN YOUTHS DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WARS ARE FOUGHT OVER LAND AND RESOURCES THEREIN. LAND IS POWER. YOU DO NOT JUST GIVE IT AWAY FOR BRIBES, COME ON AFRICANS, USE YOUR HEADS AND QUIT KILING OR DISLODGING FELLOW AFRICANS FROM THEIR ACESTRAL LANDS ONLY TO GIVE IT AWAY FOR PEANUTS OR CANDY!”(Paragraph 8, Akech), however you add your own little twist. While Chifu provides the hunger for power and quest for the prime minister post, you use the West and their money as the reasons Raila allegedly perpetrated post-election violence in Kenya. An accusation that is completely false.
I am not going to pretend that I know much about the situation in Zimbabwe but I am sure of one thing, if the price of a necessary commodity such as bread is worth a million units of a country’s currency, then there is something very wrong with the leadership in that country. And any leader who openly refuses to give up his position under any conditions except death is a false leader, he is not thinking of the people. Mugabe is staying in power for selfish reasons. The Zimbabweans elected a new leader, whether or not he will be better than Mugabe is no grounds to dismiss the voice of the people.”Mr. Mugabe may not be handling this well. But Mr. Tsvangirai does not have a solution to the land problem either other than collaborating with very powerful surrogates in the West and the white farmers”(Paragraph 7, Akech) you state in defense of Mugabe’s refusal to acknowledge he lost the election.
At the 7th paragraph you change your perspective slightly. You offer a suggestion that maybe it is time for Mugabe to resign, “After all Mugabe is 84 years old. He should now serve as an advisor to younger generation patriots of Zimbabwe, if there are any”(Paragraph 7, Akech). So in your opinion the reason that Mugabe should resign is because of his age, not because he has practically nose-dived the Zimbabwean economy into the depths of the unknown. And how about offering that the people have elected someone else president as reason that he should resign!? His rule has been a practice in complete impotence. Of all the reasons he should resign, his age ranks the least.
Many Africans have the impulse to blame the West for Africa’s problems, but truthfully, how can the West be responsible when pathetic examples of leadership such as Mugabe still have sympathizers!?
THE MAFIA AND LANDGRABBERRS MUST LEAVE DR ROBERT MUGABE ALONE HE IS THE ONLY A FRICAN LEADER WHO HAS STOP
HIS COUNTRY TO SEEK BAK SISI FROM THE WESTERN WORLD.
MUGABE IS REAL POWERFULL AND HE IS NOT SCARED BY
BIBLIC TRUTH OF LET US PRAY AND WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR EYES ALL ARE GONE INCLUDING HEALTH.EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
HAS WAGED WAR TO AFRICA AND ALOT OF LEADERS LIKE NICOLAS SARKOZY ARE SEEING AFRICA LIKE HELL.MUGABE IS GOD GIVEN LEADER THAT NEEDS ALL RESPECT.YES I KNOW THAT MORGAN IS USING ALOT OF PROPAGANDA AND THE FRUIT OF LIES IS DEATH BUT MUGABE DID ALOT TO HIS COUNTRYMEN
AND HE HAVE NO REASON TO KILL THEM.MUGABE LOVE AFRICA
EVEN MANDELAKNOWS THAT.MUGABE IS AFRICAN LIVING PHARAOH AND EU THINK THAT PHARAOH IS WHITE-opado