What is the matter with our brothers who invest in the banking sector? Given how many indigenous-owned banks have gone under over the past decade leaving many a depositor seething, it seems the thinking is, ‘‘let’s form a bank and lend each other as much money as possible. Bugger the consequences!’’
This is the under-developed middle-class or comprador bourgeoisie that Frantz Fanon decries in his classic work, The Wretched of the Earth. They are not concerned really about creating wealth for the

nation but transient conspicuous consumption, which explains why they over-borrow to support lifestyles they can ill-afford. The end result being the collapse of their nascent businesses, many of which end up under curatorship.

These compradors give us a bad name particularly in this era of indigenisation and economic empowerment. They give white supremacists the ammunition they need by making it seem like we can not run anything bigger than general-dealerships.
Be that as it may, that is not my point this week.
I am surprised by people who want to liken our government over the past three deacdes to the leadership of such banks. People who misconstrue the strategic retreat that is the GPA and regional diplomacy manifest in mediation by Cde Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa, as akin to curatorship.

It is given that the MDC-T and its cousins in the MDC want to portray Zimbabwe as a failed state, a country that has failed at some of the basic functions and responsibilities of a sovereign government.
Common characteristics of a failed state include a central government that is so weak or ineffective that it has little practical control over much of its territory, has no legitimate authority to make collective decisions, a pariah that can not interact with others as a full member of the international community.

This is why, for instance MDC-T secretary general who is also GPA negotiator, Tendai Biti, wanted Zimbabwe declared a Highly Indebted Poor Country so that it could be placed under the curatorship of the Bretton Woods Institutions.
Having failed in the HIPC bid which would have made it easy for the MDC-T’s western overlords to invoke Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, the so-called ‘Responsibility to Protect’ as a prelude to invading Zimbabwe, the MDC-T and its allies have turned to the GPA.

Zuma’s backroom staff; principally his international relations advisor; Lindiwe Zulu, are conveniently elevated to the level of facilitators even though Sadc made it clear that there is only one facilitator, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, just like Thabo Mbeki before him.
Lindiwe Zulu and company are persona non grata in the councils of Sadc, and can not purport to speak on behalf of Zuma since a facilitator does not need a spokesperson, and neither can he speak on behalf of parties to a conflict.

All that a facilitator does is help the parties talk to each other. Where they are able to do so, the facilitator has no role to play but where they reach disagreements; the facilitator comes in to break the impasse.

That is the be-all and end-all of facilitation which means a facilitator does not speak for the parties or any of the parties but helps them find each other and speak to each other. But here are sections of our media, carving headlines out of the musings of Lindiwe Zulu who is purported, either through sheer ignorance or utter mischief, to speak for Sadc.

At its Ordinary Summit in Luanda, Angola last August, Sadc made it clear that Jacob Zuma was the sole facilitator and he should have a hands on approach to his delegated task as his reliance on proxies was spawning confusion and procedural irregularities.
As President Mugabe pointed out, in constitutional and administrative law, the principle delegatus non potest delegare, “one to whom power is delegated cannot himself further delegate that power”, holds and bids the facilitator to engage the principals directly. This principle holds in several jurisdictions like the United States, the United Kingdom and our own Roman Dutch law.

So why do we continue entertaining the likes of Lindiwe Zulu whose sole pre-occupation has been to spoil the broth? Why do we continue perpetuating the myth that she is a stakeholder in our politics, and that crucial national decisions like elections and appointments in the security services sector lie within the province of the likes of Lindiwe Zulu?

In their last visit here, Zuma’s backroom staff just barged into Harare uninvited, as if they are now administering our affairs from Tshwane.
It should be pointed out that Sadc appointed Zuma, the man, not Zuma the South African president to be mediator. Msholozi mediates in his personal capacity. If he selects backroom staff, they should be just that, backroom people.

It’s high time we stopped the charade by the likes of Lindiwe Zulu. They do not have locus standi before Sadc and by extension shouldn’t be tolerated when they overstep their boundaries like they did in holding meetings with fringe parties like Job Sikhala’s MDC99 and Wurayayi Zembe’s Zimbabwe Democratic Party. Fringe outfits not only outside the GPA but without representation even at ward level.

What will it take for Zanu-PF to give Lindiwe Zulu the boot the next time she exercises her jaws? For how long shall she urinate in our faces and tell us its raining?
We are not a failed state, neither are we without a government. Infact we are the only nation in Africa that is deemed to pose ‘‘an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States.’’ No dysfunctional state can achieve that feat. Its not as if the MDC-T and its allies do not know this, they do which is why they have poured millions in attempts at regime change.

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Still on GPA matters, but on a lighter note.
Here is to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s GPA wedding! I couldn’t help but notice that the MDC-T leader has slated his nuptials for September 15 this year. September 15 coincides with the fourth anniversary of the signing of the inter-party political agreement that gave him the lofty office of premier when he appeared doomed to opposition trenches, that he — however — has refused to outgrow.

The symbolism becomes even clearer when one considers that bad ole Morgan loves fishing in the Zanu-PF pond given that his bride Elizabeth, just like Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo before her, grew up in a Zanu-PF household. But who can blame him given what MDC-T womenfolk have been prescribing for our nation!
Well here is to hoping there will be no outstanding issues Save!