First Drafts - The Prospect magazine blog

6 Responses

1. Mambo says:

   July 31, 2008 at 7:01 am

   Sir,

   You are very condescending Sir!!!! You write with the authority of one privileged to be privy to the inner workings of ZANU (PF). On one thing I agree with you, Morgan should have never opted out of the run-off and I will go further and say, he should have never conceded to a run-off in the first place because he won the first round outright. That is what Zimbabweans know they did on 29 March not the fabricated results ZANU gave the world.

   You talk of Mugabe getting a sympathetic ear from the AU by couching his discourse in anti-imperialist rhetoric. You cannot be serious to imagine anybody in his right mind takes the AU seriously any more than anybody believes Mugabe is a victim of imperialism. Where was the AU when Rwanda exploded with the horror now permanently seared on our Conscience. Where were these men when the Congo exploded in bloody murder and 4 million people perished. Indeed where in Africa is this “august” body showing its moral authority to preside over the fate of millions?
   I suppose you idea of fighting anti-imperialism is one taken out of Mugabe’s HOW TO manual. Murder, maim, burn and brutalize your own people- and the world, at least that peopled by AU heads of state will applaud you for the anti-imperialist you are!!!!
   You have the effrontery of telling us ZANU is still popular and counts intellectuals among its supporters . Can you produce empirical evidence to support your assertions? We as Zimbabweans know what we want and can tell you with the authority of those that cast their votes that Mugabe has never won election since the 2000 referendum defeat. And launching a bloody campaign to recapture a presidency he had lost outright is proof positive of the that consistency in our voting patterns and our view of ZANU.
   Your insult our intelligence Sir by suggesting Zimbabweans as represented by Morgan are the cause of their grief. I am an exile living in extreme conditions and take great exception to the nonsense you write and which you pass here as a putative and learned piece on my country’s unfolding tragedy.
2. Sibane says:

   July 31, 2008 at 2:17 pm

   Prof Chan,

   Powerful writing there. You write with authority, and expose the farcical decision making in the MDC which has contributed to the Zimbabwean tragedy.
3. Kajepo Mukawere says:

   July 31, 2008 at 4:20 pm

   Good piece. I agree that Tsvangirai might have screwed up by pulling out, but still wonder what will have been achieved if he hadnt pulled out. You are right Zanu PF might have over played their only hand - violence, but even when Tsvangirai pulled out the violence continued. And also what is the is the evidence that tsvangirai got advice from the US embassy? Its always easy to analyse events long after they have taken place, if indeed the MDC has been rudderless, then how has it survived all this long despite all that has been thrown at it by Zanu PF.
4. Ini Hangu says:

   August 3, 2008 at 2:02 pm

   This article is full of half truths, some truth and downright falsehoods from a foreigner who has little understanding of the Zimbabwean political terrain.Yes one or two visits to Zimbabwe during elections does not make you an authority in Zimbabwe politics. Have you ever been to Chiendambuya? Have you been to Chipinge, Hwange, Mhangura, Kariba, Gwanda, Budiriro,Dombotombo,Mkoba,Redcliff,Sakubva?Until you have understoond how people in these areas react to and survive these political events, only then will you be able to comment fairly on Zimbabwe politics. Chances of this happening to Chan are equal to zero.
   You can not say Tsvangirai handed Mugabe victory on a Silver plate if you have seen and experienced the widespread violence against unarmed civilians by soldiers and ZANU PF militia, that is a false statement.There was no way Tsvangirai was going to win under circumstances whne voting for him meant death for his supporters. Its very easy for you to comment from the safety of hotel rooms and international airports and accuse Tsvangirai of doing wrong things while most of us Zimbabweans who have voted for him appreciate that the man has done the best that could be done under extremely difficult conditions. Most of this lot of analyts as this author were writing Tsvangirai off before the first elections of March 29, going to the extent of giving Simba Makoni overestimated weight and saying Makoni would be the main contender for the presdency against Mugabe with Tsvangirai a distant third only to be proven to have been extremely wrong by the Zimbabwean masses.Not one of these analyst and journalists has admitted they had it wrong and now you lot you are back at it again. Now you are bringing up that old and tired line that Tsvangirai caused the split because of dictatorial tendencial! I believe the March 29 election settled that issue once and for all because who is a dictator the one whose decision are supported by a few people as demonstrated by the pathetic support base of Mutambara, Ncube & Co compared to the massive suppport of Tsvangirai in the general elections.
   Another issue on which the author showed his little understanding of Zim politics is whn he stated that the NCA was npt happy when Tsvangirai left the NCA to form the MDC and goes on to say he has never been forgiven for this. This is far from the truth. Forming the MDC was a natural progression from the activism in the ZCTU and NCA and the MDC had a diffrent mandate to the MDC.The remaining NCA leaders have never said that Tsvangirai should have never formed a political party. In fact Lovemore Madhuku, head of NCA, is on records as saying NCA and MDC and ZCTU are members of the same family and they compliment each other.Madhuku himself benefited from Tsangirai leaving because he would have remained forever in the shadow of Tsangirai. It was also important to separate the fight for political space from the foight for a new democratic constituition. For now I rest my case but I have so many problems with this article I would spend the whole day responding to it because it lacks depth and understanding of many issues in Zimbabwe. The only thing that is evident from the article is that the author has been to a Harare hotel several times in his life andf now thinks that makes him an authority on Zim.Being given a chance to interview Tsvangirai and writing a biography about the man does not make you aan expert on Tsvangirai or ZANU PF politics and tactics.Neither does it give you the mandate to speak for Zimbabweans.
5. peter carter says:

   August 19, 2008 at 12:48 pm

   So it’s all very sad and eloquent but the bloody shambles in Zimbabwe is due to the miscalulations of the British Government and Morgan Tsvangirai. Dream on. This must be the intellectual wing of Zanu PF at work here. What a horrible thought. The reality is that the the Zimbabwe crisis was created after the land referendum gave the “wrong” answer. The technique is as old as Lenin.
   As for the lie that MDC belongs to Harare, did you hear about the street parties in places like Marondera after the MDC election victories?
   This is a dreadful article, condemning Zimbabwe to misery and at the same time easing the consciences of useful fools and fellow travellers everywhere.
6. JM Adams says:

   October 11, 2008 at 12:44 pm

   If is amazing to see how little Chan understands of the split in the MDC. Ncube was an early receipient of a farm (see the Dongo List) as was obviously finally turned by the CIO (after his attempted flight with his family to Botswana) and thereafter used to split the party. Getting ten seats in parliament (enough to give Mugabe the majority) did not quite work out when the support of the MP’s to support ZANU-PF could not be guaranteed (see the election of the Speaker of the House). For heavensake Mr Chan do your research.