From Omar Drammeh
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From: "Omar Drammeh" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: VS: Ayittey on Koigi
Date sent: Sun, 14 May 2000 12:18:44 +0200
Bro,
I got this from Koigi and tried to forward it to the L, but it bounced back. Kindly assist.
Regards,
Omar.
-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: Omar Drammeh <[log in to unmask]>
Til: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Dato: 14. mai 2000 12:11
Emne: VS: Ayittey on Koigi
>>>
>>>Opinion
>>>Monday, May 8, 2000
>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-
>>-----
>>>
>>>What is Koigi Doing in the Company of Despots?
>>>By GEORGE AYITTEY
>>>I was intrigued by the opinion piece, "Mugabe Is Right; Whites Must Give
>Up
>>Land," written by Koigi wa Wamwere (The EastAfrican, April 24-30). First,
>>parts of the piece are factually incorrect and, second, I doubt if it was
>>the same Koigi I used to know who wrote it.
>>>
>>>Nobody disputes the fact that there is basic inequity in land distribution
>>in Zimbabwe. But must this be settled at the point of guns, machetes and
>>violence?
>>>
>>>Of the 14 people killed in the Zimbabwe at the time of writing, 11 were
>>black opposition supporters. What in heaven's name have black opposition
>>supporters got to do with inequitable distribution of land? On April 22,
>the
>>office of The Daily News, which has been critical of Mugabe's handling of
>>the economy, was firebombed. Two weeks earlier, the black editor of the
>>paper, William Saidi, received a death threat, warning him to stop
>>criticising the government. "I don't think race is the primary thing," said
>>Saidi. "The plan is to silence all opposition."
>>>
>>>Zimbabwe's economy is in tatters, with inflation at 60 per cent and
>>unemployment exceeding 50 per cent. The currency has collapsed, the
>>government is broke, there are fuel and commodity shortages. The
>ill-advised
>>adventure in the Congo, where Mugabe has sent 11,000 troops, drains the
>>treasury of $1.2 million a day.
>>>
>>>Instead of taking responsibility for his failures, Mugabe blames the IMF,
>>greedy Western donors and white farmers. He asked the people of Zimbabwe in
>>a February 15 referendum to give him authority to seize white farmland
>>without compensation. The people saw through that ruse and rejected his
>>request by a 55 per cent majority. Mugabe went ahead anyway and flouted the
>>will of the people. So on whose side is Koigi wa Wamwere: The people's, or
>>the desperate despot's?
>>>
>>>At the 1979 Lancaster Conference, a scheme was set up to buy land from
>>white farmers for redistribution to landless black peasants. Britain, the
>>US, Sweden, Norway, France and Australia were to contribute to this fund.
>Up
>>until 1992, Britain had contributed more than $60 million to this fund but
>>it was grotesquely mismanaged by Mugabe. On March 28, Mugabe's own
>>parliament revealed in a written answer on the land issue to Margaret
>Dongo,
>>leader of the opposition Zimbabwe Union of Democrats, that the government
>>had distributed more than a million acres bought from white farmers under
>>legal compulsion to 400 wealthy Zimbabweans, most of them Mugabe cronies.
>>>
>>>Among those allotted the 270 farms acquired so far under the Commercial
>>Farm Resettlement Scheme are Patrick Chinamasa, the attorney general; Simon
>>Moyo, the Mines and Tourism minister; Cyril Ndebele, the Speaker of
>>Parliament; and George Charamba, a presidential spokesman. Two high court
>>judges, two deputy ministers and a retired general have also benefited.
>>>
>>>Back in 1994, 20 such farms acquired from white farmers were immediately
>>grabbed by high-ranking government officials. According to the New African
>>of September 1994, "The local press revealed that the Secretary to the
>>President and Cabinet, Dr Charles Utete, the Deputy Secretary for Commerce
>>and Industry, James Chininga, and Harare's first black mayor, Dr Tizirai
>>Gwata, are among those involved." In 1998, an additional 24 farms of the
>>Marula Estate in Matabeleland were acquired, ostensibly for resettlement.
>>But the land was divided among 47 government officials while 40,000
>>impoverished Zimbabweans remained crammed in the neighbouring Semukwe
>>Communal Area. Said the Chief of Semukwe: "They moved out the rich white
>man
>>and moved in the rich black man. There is a change of colour only."
>>>
>>>Mugabe's deputy, the late Joshua Nkomo, had interests in 16 farms while
>>army chief General Solomon Mujuru is now known as the country's largest
>>landowner. According to the Commercial Farmers' Union, the Zimbabwe
>>government continues to hold more than six million acres that have not been
>>distributed, while many farms bought since independence stand idle and
>>abandoned. Thus, it is factually wrong for Koigi wa Wamwere to assert that
>>no funds have been made available towards land redistribution in Zimbabwe.
>>>
>>>Second, I had thought Koigi wa Wamwere was always on the side of the
>>wananchi. A former member of parliament in Kenya and detained twice n from
>>August 1975 to December 1978 and August 1982 to December 1984, after which
>>he fled to Norway in 1986 n he wrote this in the Index on Censorship of
>July
>>1990:
>>>
>>>"African dictators are some of the most hypocritical leaders anywhere.
>They
>>condemn oppression of black people by apartheid, yet they organise
>>widespread massacres of their own black people. More than 2,000 Kenyans
>were
>>killed in cold blood by Moi's security forces at the Wajir massacre in
>>Kenya."
>>>
>>>Koigi wa Wamwere noted a grotesque irony about Kenya: "While the
>[colonial]
>>governor could be criticised by the British government, the president of
>>Kenya is above criticism. He is almighty and without accountability to
>>anybody."
>>>
>>>"In Kenya," Koigi went on, "the gap between the people and the leaders is
>>great. Leaders are fat and well-fed, the people are thin and ill-fed.
>>Leaders look at life with satisfaction and hate change. People are fed up
>>with life, cry for change, and in its absence dream about heaven liberating
>>them from their hell on earth.
>>>
>>>Leaders live in the exclusive former European residential areas that are
>>built on the high forested grounds of Kileleshwa, Karen, Muthaiga,
>Lavington
>>and elsewhere, while the people continue to live in former 'native' or
>>African quarters on the dusty grounds below, which are aptly named
>Kivumbini
>>['in the dust'], Land Panya ['the land of rats'] and Korogosho
>>['rattling']." He concludes that President Daniel arap Moi "has privatised
>>power and property to serve his personal ends. President Moi acts as if
>what
>>belongs to the state is his. This is why African presidents like Moi are
>>richer and more powerful than the governments they lead."
>>>
>>>Exactly the same things that he complained about in Kenya are happening in
>>Zimbabwe. Why is Koigi now taking the side of Mugabe, instead of the
>people?
>>>
>>>*George B.N. Ayittey, a lecturer at American University in Washington DC,
>>is the author of Africa in Chaos and Africa Betrayed
>>>
>>>
>>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
>>>Nyanyuka.Futa Machozi.Tabasamu.Piga Moyo
>>>Konde.Subira Huvuta Heri.Baada ya Dhiki,Faraja.
>>>Tazama:Kumepambazuka!
>>>
>>>__________________________________________________________
>>>Get your FREE personalized e-mail at http://www.canada.com
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
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