Professorial folly, by Nathaniel Manheru

Professorial folly, by Nathaniel Manheru

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Former information minister Jonathan Moyo has reacted angrily to the Nathaniel Manheru column in last Saturday's issue of the Herald. Moyo insists that the column was offensive and "blatantly tribal". Below, we reproduce the "offending" part of the column, which Moyo says is the work of President Robert Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba

From The Herald, Saturday, July 8, 2006

Professorial Folly

By Nathaniel Manheru

Did you read Jonathan Moyo, the declining professor? He says, after so much circumlocution, Mugabe has gone back to the colonial question.

Unless he is a fake professor who did not read his own propaganda he surely should know from himself that we have been and still are indeed dealing with an outstanding colonial question, namely that of land which has yielded the big farm he underutilizes in Mazowe.

Without the bold steps taken by President Mugabe, the man he abortively snipes at, he would have been at Wits, landless and living off the American Ford Foundation.

Today he has what his whole lineage never dreamt of having: land in the heartland of Mashonaland of Zimbabwe. And well fed by generous returns from his meager harvest (thanks to Mai Moyo), he feels stout enough to insult the man who made him jump racial, tribal and geographical barriers to have land in the choicest part of Zimbabwe. And he pillories him (Mugabe) from its anthill. What cheek!

The land question is colonial and many moons back, moons before he was fired, President Mugabe challenged Blair to a palaver. Jonathan knows that, and was part of that quest. Where is the return? What greater humiliation to a former colonial power than to get it to edit its own agreement, force it through bold deeds? Would a changeling politician so treacherously hobnobbing with strange fathers in Bulawayo for strange ends, do it? Cry the beloved country.

And a whole professor who was a petty refugee (on Zanu-Sithole ticket) in Tanzania—yes Mkapa’s Tanzania—dares lecture the former President of Tanzania on Zimbabwe’s politics? Mkapa was Foreign Minister of Tanzania at the time of talks with Britain. Mkapa was President when Jonathan simulated nationalism, and then lost it all. Now he dares tell anyone about Zimbabwe’s politics, which have vomited him to fringes, set to be buried come next poll? Come on!

And how does he do it? By reciting the World Bank thesis of 1989 declaring Africa to be facing a crisis of governance!

Just last week it was a recital of Harvard studies and their dull echo by ICG. Americans take the whole mind to get the whole person. Rare, professorial wisdom indeed!

Icho!

Nathaniel.manheru@zimpapers.co.zw
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