Commonwealth Heads of Government, your ECHOES

This week has been like no other and I thought of sharing this with my wider audience. Firstly I was invited to Westminster Parliament as one of the Think Tank to prepare for CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) in Malta later this year. But then how do you relate that Zimbabwe is no longer a member of Commonwealth? Having of late come to understanding that I am no longer the Zimbabwean boy I was a couple of years back but now a son of the global village (technically), I couldn’t say no. Firstly as usual I believe in research based on informed decision. While I was busy pondering the Commonwealth agenda, then came another invitation from USA based think tank to be on panel, “Russia Re-Emerging: The End of the Liberal Order”. Discussing about escalating tensions in the Middle East, demilitarization, NATO and US; Assad and shaping a world order free from premise of war. I studied both invitation closely none of those could have made sense 20 years ago, even 5 years ago, for the first time I came face to face with reality that I have now to think globally and act locally. It has been as if the world needs me more than my own country. I know I am not alone, Zimbabweans have intellectual capital aggregate, that can shape any world order, our only shot comings is a ZANU PF with 19th century ideology. I am not going to discuss about Syria militarization and demilitarization but I will dwell on Commonwealth which I know best.

The Commonwealth was established in the 19th century as a colonial club but later reformed after the Pakistan and India got Independence in 1947, but still the head is the Queen of England. It is a grouping of 54 nations some most of which were former colonies, Commonwealth countries have over the years benefited immensely from trade pact and technical assistance accessible to member states. The Commonwealth block as it is sometimes known, share common culture, language, common wealth, trade pacts and legal system. The Heads of state reinforce their pact through a Heads of State Meeting after every 2 years known as CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting). It also has a rich and popular sport, the Commonwealth Games after every 4 years.
These advantages have helped them prosper—African members of the club are conspicuously better off than their non-Commonwealth neighbours. That was one reason Rwanda, which was colonised by Germany and Belgium, not Britain, nonetheless joined the club and Mozambique joined the club recently.

Zimbabwe was suspended in March 2002, after elections which observers said were marred by violence and intimidation. In December 2003 the suspension was extended indefinitely. The Zimbabwean government responded by announcing the country was leaving the Commonwealth for good. What benefits has Zimbabwe lost, well this is the untold story, Mugabe is always talking about sanctions from the West yet he has never talked about sanctions which he has brought to Zimbabwe through his political tantrum by pulling out of one of the best economic block in the world, actually Mozambique saw a void and applied to replace Zimbabwe. Mozambique today is one of the most prosperous country in SADC. In so doing we have lost the trade quotas, the benefits that come with a club of mutual respect and trade. Zimbabwe needs to ask itself why is it that countries who were never colonized by UK have applied to join. Yet Mugabe has been quick to pronounce Commonwealth as a racist colonial club. Zimbabwe UK remain the biggest humanitarian donor to Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe’s highest trade partner South Africa is in the Commonwealth, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Uganda, and Nigeria just to mention a few in Africa.

Zimbabweans where ever you are, please contribute, what do you want me to present to CHOGM?
I remain a village boy from Nyakatondo, Mt Darwin, Bindura and Mashonaland Central.

Contributions:

PZ-The people of Zimbabwe are suffering, No anything no nothing, my biggest set back is how do i tell if ChOGM can provide as relief in terms of employment under theses conditions back home, its burning out there, Zimbas are educated, are disciplined, hardworking that's why they are scattered everywhere in the world, that's why man of them die i n thousands in South Africa during the barbaric xenophobic attacks

BS- Mukoma Elliot,the sooner you realise that there is nothing common about the so called common wealth the better.White man`s way of white washing over our poverty while they remain with everything they stole from the colonies.To borrow from Trevor Noah the South African comedian,the wealth is all in one place where the English man wants it to be.Worse still nowadays were you have to have a visa to come to their country yet they tell you that their head of state is their head of state too....How does that even work out when one cant come to a country where their so called head of your state lives because of some stupid stamp in your passport? Anyway get to my point on the subject,Zimbabwe is still part of this pointless group called the commonWealth as the membership can not be withdrawn in a way Zanu Pf tried to do.They should have been expelled to validate their exit at least.Pulling out is a bit more complex and involves the Queen and a certain number of the member state countries signing it off.Zimbabwe "pulled out" nemuromo and nobody formalised anything....I am pretty sure they didnt.I have always voted in every election using my green passport and not a single time have i been told that i couldnt do so because zimbabwe is no longer in the commonwealth.

WM-I hope yu will learn a lot out all the meetings and preapare for our future as a country after this current mess prevailing in our country.Let it be an eye opener for MDC that the people are important.yu will learn that the people are more important than yourselves.Keep well keep focused.Don't be carried away.Be a people s representative at home and away at heart and mind.may the lord guide and bless yu.

MRS-

The Zimbabwean or if I can say African situation is like being between the hard surface and a rock. The Mugabe regime is a thorn in the flesh whilst the Western interests are like selling our children's inheritance. I am not for propaganda but research has taught me how Africans have been robbed of their true position in civilised world by omission of history. Someone might ask how that has effects. Unless the true history of African civilisation is revealed our children will grow up thinking that an African is good for nothing but a beggar. Our children need to know that the early Egyptians were black people not Arabs. They need to know that the Moors (black people) invaded Europe before it was civilised. Our children need to know that Hannibal the conquest was not Arabic but an African man. Our children should be taught that civilisation didn't start with the Greeks but the Greeks were educated in Ethiopia, Somalia and Egypt by black people. This is rich and it actually changes the psychological slavery in our heads and that which we are going to pass to our children. Don't underestimate the power of omitting one's history. A man without roots is like a house without a foundation. Let's not take hand-outs before we know whom we are.

WC-I hear some echoes of grumblings abt how zim wud jst minimally gain from membership of é commonwealth. I choose to disagree mainly becoz è benefits of such membership may not necessarily only be measured on what è member states get 4rm è UK but in my opinion ,what they can get & gain 4rm befriending each other! Trade pacts,scholarships (largely free of political partisanship BUT attainable thru merit) etc! To think dat zim exited this association thru anger of some individual NOT è "uselessness" of é organization speaks volumes abt how our country is misgoverned!

TN-

Congrats for your invitation to such forums Nyakatondo boy. Anyway, you didn't mention the agenda of that meeting which is to be held in Mata but since you have have joined their think tank proved your capabilities in certain field. The situation back home is bad beyond explanation and you being in CHOGM panel will only inform other panelists and lack solutions because of your position here in Zim. I only wish you the best there and represent us as we know your capabilities.

 

EC- Commonwealth is a neo-colonialist club meant to extend imperialist hegemonic agenda. Africans are satisfied by the crumps that fall from the table of these unrependent neo-colonialists. The trade pacts and economic architecture is defined by the Washington Consensus. This doesn't benefit Africa because raw materials are traded for a song. Commonwealth should be disbanded altogether and create an organisation that protects the interests of Africans. Why is the Queen the uncontested leader of this discredited organisations? As paragons of democracy we should question this rather than involve in veneration of this club. Africans need to wake up from the deep slumber and chart a new discourse that is completely divorced from the Western parochial democracy. As a true academia of Afrocentricity we call for a total withdrawal from these useless organisations. We can continue bowing down to the Queen of England who has become the uncontested leader of this organisation. In your paper highlight the need for a purely democratic commonwealth that is sensitive to the needs of Africans. Let's not continue re-echoing and mimicking the Western sterile litanies. We need to be catalysts of change in this world, nonconformist and reformers. Africans can not continue following the European masters even into an abyss, glorifying them like like puppets and parrot their ideals. We call for African Renaissance as a new paradigm shift.

 

WC-African rennaisance championed by who! The same despots who spring to their defence dat them & them alone can be the only ones to best promote & safeguard african interests! They even choose to label anyone who differs with them a puppet! They even see it fit to own more than 1 farm in a purported land reform (in zim 's case) coz they deserve to be rewarded for their resolute, unwavering stance against neo colonialism! After all,they argue,the same ppl cryn foul today,wud never dare raise a finger in protest had it bn a white boss owning multiple farms! They even strategically position family to take over! The same despots wud rather send their kids to imperialists' domain for education,fly out to get treatment,go to europe for shopping,i declare they re hypocrites! They hide behind africanism to shield their LOOTING!