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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief—
FORMER colonial masters have infiltrated the South African economy and are behind the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals aimed at making the world believe that Africa cannot rule itself without them, Democratic Republic of Congo ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mwampanga Mwana Nanga said. Speaking on the ZBC Current Affairs programme, Eye on Africa on Friday, Mwana Nanga who is also the Dean of Corps said imperialists have unleashed dark forces to discredit Africa’s self-rule.

He said:

“You know, we’ve dark forces that don’t want Africans to rule themselves, they want Africa to be ruled by thugs they control. We used to have our own dictator, Mobutu (Sese Seko former DRC President). He was there like he was holding the key for those who own the capital.”

He said South Africa’s Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini was right to attribute the xenophobic attacks to a third hand which he alleged had also misquoted him.

Mwana Nanga said because of the imperialists’ hand, South Africans were now on the throats of foreigners.

“ So what the King (Zwelithini) said in some sense is true that there are dark forces hiding behind his words to try to bring South Africans to get on each other’s throats and that of fellow blacks. But we as progressive forces we know who are our enemies. We know and we don’t want finger pointing,” he said.

The diplomat added: “Progressive forces on the continent be it here in Zimbabwe where Zanu-PF’s credentials of Pan Africanism can’t be doubted, ANC (African National Congress) whose credentials of Pan Africanism can’t be doubted, Chama Cha Mapinduzi in Tanzania these are the progressive forces that are fighting.

“The struggle still continues, the struggle against dark forces is continuing and we know what the King said is true. We know that the dark forces want to manipulate the weakest members of our society and we’ll resist that by remaining resolute.”

He said Africa was the continent of the future adding that it was high time member States worked together to become masters of their own resources.

The Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans and War Collaborators, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, who also participated in the ZBC programme, said the ultimate victim of the xenophobic attacks is President Jacob Zuma and his African National Congress (ANC) for welcoming President Mugabe recently during his three-day State visit.

He said the dark forces were against human progress and were using the periphery of the economy where there was lack of understanding of the dynamics of the economy.

“It’s a century old problem and that’s what we need to address with our independence. The dark forces which have always menaced are against human progress and are taking advantage of the periphery of the economy where there’s lack of understanding.

“If the economy dives, they blame each other. There’s also the issue of tribalism, there’s also the issue of seeing foreigners as enemies, these are dark forces at play,” said the Minister.

Ambassador Mutsvangwa said there was a need to understand that similar dark forces existed in Southern Africa during the liberation struggles.

“We need to understand that we had similar enemies when we fought for independence, people who divide and rule Africa, the Selous Scouts. We had forces such as Renamo in Mozambique that were used.They incite Africans to commit heinous crimes in order to depict the African as a savage,” he said.

Ambassador Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe could not afford to see South Africa being painted like a country where heinous tendencies were rife.

“We can’t afford as Zimbabwe to have our most successful state South Africa being seen as a country which has got such kind of heinous behaviour in its midst. It’s trying to paint Africa as a place where no progress can be made,” he said.

The ultimate victim in all this, Ambassador Mutsvangwa said, was ANC, Zanu-PF’s sister liberation movement.

He said President Zuma was also under attack for going out to identify with Africa.

“President Mugabe was there in SA recently much to the chagrin of the dark forces and he was welcomed by President Zuma as an African brother,” said Ambassador Mutsvangwa.

South Africa ambassador to Zimbabwe, Vusi Mavimbela, said the government of South Africa said the conflict was taking place on the periphery of the economy.

“That’s where black migrants operate from. This conflict is happening there in the markets. But also I don’t agree that it’s just hatred of the black race by South Africans because those from Pakistan have also been affected,” he said.

Mavimbela said President Zuma was consulting widely on the matter adding that South Africans were by nature not xenophobic.

Seven people have been killed in recent violence against poorer immigrants, most of them nationals from South Africa’s neighbours.