Plot to Destroy Zimbabwe's Economy Exposed

Isn't it disgusting that world powers like the USA and the United Kingdom can gang up against one of the poorest third world countries? Simply because these powers want to protect white monopoly of Zimbabwe's resources at the expense of the Zimbabwean native. Its unbelievable that these superpowers would work tirelessly to make sure that 4000 whites hold 85% of Zimbabwe's arable land at the disadvantage of 13 000 000 Blacks. And to fool the world they claim they are working to re-eastablish democrasy. A democracy that was won through the barrel of a gun by Zimbabwe's blacks against the very same white oppressors waffling about democrasy today. I wonder what type of humans can afford this blatant hypocrisy and bigotry.

NEWS
21 June 2007
Posted to the web 21 June 2007
Harare

SHOCKING details of a major plot by the British and American governments to bring Zimbabwe's economy down to its knees and incite an uprising against the Government emerged yesterday.

The revelations explain why US Ambassador Mr Christopher Dell gloated on Monday that inflation would hit 1,5 million percent by the end of the year and that President Mugabe would soon be toppled.

Chronicle can reveal that the British and United States governments, after failing to incite a public revolt against the Government of Zimbabwe, are now working overtime to destroy the economy, mutilate the Zimbabwe dollar, foment civil unrest and then dangle a US$3 billion "rescue package" to win the support of gullible politicians.

The plan is to topple the Government before the March 2008 general elections, which the West knows the opposition could never win.

A top-secret document outlining the grand plan says the Western governments have -- through the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank -- set up a vast network of regime-change agents, dubbed the Fishmongers Group, that will spearhead acts of economic sabotage against Zimbabwe.

Mr Dell, who is leaving for a diplomatic posting in Afghanistan next month, openly boasted to journalists in Bulawayo on Monday that the inflation rate would reach 1,5 million percent by year-end. It has now emerged that his arrogant utterances, which even shocked opposition-aligned journalists, were made in the context of the Fishmongers Group plot.

At last week's World Economic Forum meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, the World Bank's chief economist, Mr John Page, made veiled references to this new phase of the anti-Zimbabwe campaign.

Political analysts say the statements made at the WEF meeting by some Zimbabweans and non-Zimbabweans show that the Fishmongers Group has already bought the services of some leading Zimbabwean politicians, civil society activists, non-governmental organisations and donor agencies.

Sources close to the goings-on said the recent substantial weakening of the Zimbabwe dollar on the black market -- with the subsequent hike in prices of fuel, food and other essential commodities -- pointed to the activities of foreign-sponsored agents.

A key point made by the IMF as part of the Fishmongers plot is that the Zimbabwe dollar must be sent "into a free-fall for some time". This, the institution says, is "a big bang approach".

It has also emerged that the British Department for International Development recently briefed a meeting of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and officials from governments active in "donor co-ordination" in Harare, including Sweden, the European Commission, Australia, the US, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Germany.

The DFID has its own special document, entitled Zimbabwe -- Economic Recovery, which smoothly dovetails with the Fishmongers plan.

Interestingly, the top-secret Fishmongers report says the Western governments want to bring back the white commercial farmers who lost farms during the land reform programme. In a bid to buy the support of gullible politicians and reverse the land reform programme, the British and US governments are proposing to provide US$150 million in food aid in the first two years, including US$125 million in the first year, as well as US$500 million for "land reform" over five years.

Foreign assistance of US$650 million is offered for the first year to support an economic reform programme that is part of a five-year US$3 billion package -- which will be released "the day after" the Government is topple.

The report talks of "donor-funded compensation for evicted farmers while the distribution of agricultural inputs and produce must be market-driven and involve the private sector" and also makes reference to a new land tenure to ensure the "multiracial farming community obtains access (to land) by means of long leases".

The statement is a virtual call for the reverse of the land reform programme, which is at the centre of the bilateral dispute between Zimbabwe and erstwhile coloniser Britain.

However, the catch is in the phrase contained in the Fishmongers report that the rescue package is "tied up with broader political questions around when Zimbabwe will transition to a rational, technocratic government".

The architects of the plot hope that the economic suffering that Zimbabweans will face as a result of their actions will precipitate an uprising against Government.

When he visited Bulawayo on Monday, Mr Dell was bubbling with confidence that the economy would collapse before the end of this year.

Although he grudgingly admitted that the Anglo-Saxon regime change agenda had failed, he said inflation will hit 1,5 million percent this year, sweeping away the Government.

"The spin will be too fast. No economic tool can stop it," Mr Dell told reporters.

However, he refused to explain further.

"What I can only say is watch this space," he added, almost letting the cat out of the bag.

The Government yesterday dismissed the new plot as an exercise in futility.

"It is the reason why Dell spoke so eloquently about devaluation of our currency because they are throwing spanners into the works to spiral the inflation. They have also targeted manufacturing companies in their strategy because politically they have failed and Dell has admitted this himself," said the Minister of Information and Publicity, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu.

"Their strategy is doomed to fail like all the others. Dell and his compatriots are failed prophets of doom and we say good luck to Dell as he goes to Afghanistan Hell for his new posting."

In June 2004, Mr Dell, whose tour of duty in Zimbabwe ends next month, promised to "ratchet up pressure" to ensure regime change.

"Dell leaves Zimbabwe a disappointed man. For him Zimbabwe has turned out to be mission impossible," said Dr Ndlovu.

Dr Ndlovu said Britain, the US and other anti-Zimbabwe forces were shocked that the Zimbabwean economy had not capitulated despite the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and said the promised rescue package was a useless gimmick.

He said only an "insane" person would be induced by the promised package to revolt against their own Government.

"It's really a choice between re-colonisation and freedom. You understand that these people (Britain and other imperialists) do not want governments born out of a revolution in Southern Africa and Africa as a whole," said Dr Ndlovu.

"As for the promised package, they gave money to the MDC but what has the MDC achieved?"

There have also been suggestions that some members of the ruling Zanu-PF, who have always embraced the neo-liberal agenda, are in support of the strategy to bring the economy to its knees.

One ruling party official reportedly told participants at the World Economic Forum last week that "change" was imminent in Zimbabwe.

"In any revolution there are sell-outs. So that won't be surprising. However, you would expect that a member of a party would know what channels to use to air out their grievances if they do not see eye-to-eye with the leader of their party. But then you see that is the sort of democracy that we have in this country, that you can say what you want against Government outside the country and come back and still eat your lunch and supper nicely," said Dr Ndlovu.

"As I said, even in the struggle there were sell-outs and some of the Selous Scouts were blacks."

The Western plan is a slap in the face for the Sadc-initiated talks between the MDC factions and Zanu-PF which South African President Thabo Mbeki is mediating.

On Monday, Mr Dell sounded pessimistic about the Sadc-brokered dialogue, choosing to use the euphemism "cautiously optimistic" to describe his attitude towards the dialogue.

Political analysts said this could be an indication that Britain, the US and other anti-Zimbabwean players are now convinced that their stooges cannot overthrow the Government of Zimbabwe.

Said Dr Ndlovu: "Dell and his colleagues are surprised at Zimbabwe's resilience in the face of the sanctions his country imposed on Zimbabwe through the so-called Zimbabwe Economic and Democracy Recovery Act and the sanctions imposed by bodies such as the IMF, in which the US, by Dell's admission, has used its vote against balance of payment support being extended to Zimbabwe."

The US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe over the land reform programme which corrected a racially skewed land ownership pattern that was a legacy of the colonial era.

Meanwhile, wire reports indicated yesterday that the Reserve Bank of Australia had amended the list of those subject to financial sanctions due to their association with the Zimbabwean Government.

"The Australian government has reviewed the list of individuals subject to financial sanctions and has directed the Reserve Bank to remove three individuals and add 27 new individuals to the annex of names," the RBA said in a statement.

The updated annex now contains 183 names.

The RBA said amendments have also been made to 64 entries on the previous list.

The list includes ministers and senior officials of the Zimbabwean Government as well as senior management of state-owned enterprises.

"Any transactions involving the transfer of funds or payments to, by the order of, or on behalf of any person listed in the annex are prohibited without prior approval from the Reserve Bank," the RBA said.

Although these Western powers have tried to hide behind a finger by often claiming that such measures were "targeted sanctions" or sugar-coating the restrictions as "smart sanctions", analysts have pointed out that these measures were hurting ordinary Zimbabweans. The Herald (Harare)