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Herald Reporter
Political analysts yesterday said the abuse of donor funds by non-governmental organisations, most of whom are affiliated to the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, shows the futility of the West’s regime change agenda, as Zimbabweans are solidly behind President Mugabe and the Zanu-PF Government.

The comments follow revelations that the local NGOs failed to account for over $850 million dollars meant for anti-Government activities poured in by the United States Agency for International Development.

The development confirms the Government’s assertion that the NGOs were established by Westerners for the purpose of effecting regime change.

Even former European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Aldo Dell’Arricia is on record  attacking NGOs saying they were stuck in the past and had become Anti-Government Organisations.

“The civil society has a role to play, but I feel you are a bit anchored in the past where instead of seeing NGOs, one sees AGOs,” he said.

“And if you start catching the flair of the time, the trend, there is an opening to be worked.”

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairman Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa said the investigations by the US authorities were an indication of the failure of the regime change efforts.

“The US Congress has awoken to the magnitude of the futility their country’s quixotic foreign policy vis a vis Zimbabwe,” he said.

“In the meantime, what recourse to thwarted and deceived American Congressional leaders? (Barack) Obama can do best to save face by leading in the repeal of the reprehensible Zidera and the obnoxious executive measures. It will surely be a badge of presidential honour to pull another Cuba on Zimbabwe.

Chairperson of the University of Zimbabwe Political Science Department Dr Charity Manyeruke said the US and its Western allies needed to accept the will of Zimbabweans.

“The regime change agenda collapsed, that mission to change the Government in Zimbabwe collapsed a long time ago and its failure was a result of the choices made by Zimbabweans to have President Mugabe and Zanu-PF Government,” she said.

Harare Polytechnic lecturer in the Division of Journalism and Mass Communication Mr Alexander Rusero said the developments in the NGOs vindicated Zanu-PF’s stance that the West was using proxies to effect illegal regime change. “It is now clear that Zanu-PF was right in that the West was funding some NGOs to effect regime change,” he said. “Some of these people were taking advantage of the situation in the country to enrich themselves.

Another political analyst, Mr Goodwine Mureriwa, said Zimbabweans were different from other countries that the West had destabilised using money. “From the time of George Bush and Tony Blair the West has made it clear that they want to effect regime change in the country,” he said.