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Zimbabwe: Dell, The guns of Kabul beckon Posted: Monday, July 16, 2007 The Herald Opinion & Analysis July 16, 2007 Six days from now, the man who has been at the helm of the US embassy in Harare, Christopher Dell, will pack his bags and head for Kabul, Afghanistan, to see the fruits of the "democratisation" project he failed to effect here. We can only say, goodbye, Zimbabwe will not miss you. Since Dell always accuses the Government of closing democratic space and human rights excesses, among other evils, we hope he will be honest enough to give us a fair assessment of those values as they obtain in Zimbabwe and the "democratised" Afghanistan. Dell has all the time in the world to do that, provided he lasts the three years in shrapnel-ridden Kabul. During his tenure here, Dell was supposed to be ambassador between Harare and Washington, but his activities were in no way ambassadorial which is why we find it a bit difficult to address him with that venerated title. He was supposed to promote relations, but all he managed to do was worsen them in the hope that they would be repaired after the opposition his country sponsors, assumes power. Only two days ago, Dell was up to his usual gangster behaviour, hurling insults at his hosts, in contravention of the Geneva Conventions that counsel mutual recognition and respect between state parties. It is not lost to us that Dell is spoiling for a fight. He clearly wants to leave Zimbabwe under the cloud of a diplomatic row akin to the one that prevailed at the time of his posting following the scandalous comments he made before a congressional hearing ahead of his posting. Then Dell boasted that he would effect illegal regime change in Zimbabwe using his experiences in Angola, Yugoslavia and Kosovo; but alas to be forewarned is to be forearmed, the Government matched him move for move which accounts for his frustration and childish ranting. In fact, his latest Fishmongers project, the one that made him gloat inflation would hit the 1,5 million percent mark by December, is crumbling like a deck of cards as all sectors that failed to justify their extortionate prices are slashing them like a jumble sale. The opposition he hoped to use as a battering ram against the Government is in tatters, and was recently chased out of Ghana by angry Africans twice shy after being bitten once over Dr Kwame Nkrumah. The Government he hoped to have made history by now, continues scoring diplomatic victories, one after another, the latest being Portugal's bold declaration that it would not be used against Zimbabwe as the dispute between former British prime minister, Tony Blair, tried to internationalise, is merely bilateral. We salute the Government for putting Dell in his place, let that message go forth to his successor. Zimbabwe is a different ball game altogether, there is no "I came, I saw, I conquered" here for foes, they get only sound defeat. Which is why Dell's reputation as "Mr Fix-it" is in tatters, his ego deflated. He can spoil for the fight he lost a long time ago; but Zimbabwe wages a principled fight, it never kicks a man when he is already down. Pick yourself up, Mr Fix-it, the blazing guns of Kabul beckon. |
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