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Obi Egbuna Jr, Correspondent

At the exact moment that Cyclone Idai struck Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, each and every Sadc nation were forced to deal with both their ecological and political reality. 

From a strictly environmental standpoint, the latest projections of crippling droughts that can potentially occur every five or 10 years, in the region that is the agricultural backbone of Mother Africa. 

If the pressure of finding both short term and long term solutions, to a region that if properly protected and consolidated can end the starvation crisis on our mother continent isn’t enough, we couple that with maintaining solidarity with a nation that frightens US-EU imperialism to no ends. 

Without diverting attention away from the loss of innocent lives in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique at the hands of Cyclone Idai, or the fact that Namibia is facing its worst drought in 40 years, we cannot ignore US-EU imperialism’s diplomatic opportunism which has been illustrated by their feeble attempt to politicise a natural disaster.

This deceitful manipulation was on full display when earlier this month, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches Dr Kenneth Mtata, visited Washington DC and held high level meetings with the US State Department, US Institute of Peace, and United States Agency for International Development.

The main points of contact who handled Dr Mtata’s itinerary were Mr Rory Anderson the director of religious and global affairs for the US State Department, and Mr Derek Brown of the Peace Appeal foundation.

Among the policymakers and gatekeepers Dr Mtata engaged were the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US State Department’s Africa Bureau, Matthew Harrington, the former political officer at the US Embassy in Harare Ben Wiselogle, the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Oren Whyche Shaw, Reverend Susan Hayward the Senior Advisor for the United States Institute of Peace’s Religious and Inclusive Societies Programme.

Based on the high level meetings Dr Mtata held, it can be argued this was his most important trip to the west since he participated in the World Conference on Xenophobia, Racist and Popular Nationalism in the context of Global Migration that occurred in Rome last September, where the delegates had audience with Pope Francis.

As Dr Mtata sat across the table from the faces who represent the humanitarian industrial intelligence police complex, one can only imagine the level of humility and diplomacy it requires, to engage individuals who have mastered the art of covering up crimes against humanity with band aid politics.

Based on his religious and spiritual foundation in addition to his political analysis, Dr Mtata feels they are three types of Christians in the church.

The first group prepare believers for heaven and the afterlife and are not interested in political debate and policies, the second group feel almighty God put all governments in place, and the third feel critical engagement is a necessity.

Dr Mtata also believes that the church cannot wake up one morning and start to criticise a government they have never praised. What this exposed is US EU imperialism would do everything within their power to shield Dr Mtata from grass roots organiSations, who felt historically obligated to assist Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, completely independent from the US State Department and USAid.

While Dr Mtata was deprived the opportunity to meet face-to-face with these organisations, who have no desire to sit in the same room with the US State Department, USAid or the USIP, that task would fall on the shoulders of the diplomatic corp representing Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. 

On Tuesday, April 15, 2019, at the Namibian Embassy in Washington DC her excellency Monica N Nashandi the Namibian ambassador to the US hosted a meeting with her counterparts Edward Yakobe Sawrengera Malawian ambassador to the US, Carlos Dos Santos Mozambican ambassador to the US and Ammon Mutembwa Zimbabwean ambassador to the US. 

The purpose of the meeting was to engage a coalition of grass roots organisers who are spearheading a month long effort of benefits in strategic pockets inside US borders to help the victims of Cyclone Idai. The theme of this project is a month of unity, solidarity and good will with the people of Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. 

The meeting was arranged by Ambassador Mutembwa, who was in a position to facilitate the process because of his tireless efforts to engage US based Africans, primarily for the purpose of geeting the US -EU sanctions on Zimbabwe lifted once and for all. 

The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Nanshandi because Namibia is the current chair of Sadc. The main representative who appeared on behalf of this coalition was Dr Kelechi Egwim the executive director of APPEAL INC which stands for the Association Of People for Pan Africanist Economic Advancement Thru Leverage, there was additional representation from the Mass Emphasis Children’s History and Theatre Company and Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association. 

The other co sponsors of the benefit to launch this initiative are Bitmari INC, The Friends of the Congo, Sankofa Home School Community, and the DC Council of Elders. 

The host of this historic gathering is none other than the historic Union Temple Baptist Church, under the courageous and visionary leadership of the liberation theology icon Reverend Willie Wilson. Prior to this effort Reverend Wilson allowed former Zimbabwean Ambassador Dr Simbi Mubako to address the entire congregation. Reverend Wilson also added his name to an appeal to the US Senate and Congress, United Nations and World Health Organisation condemning, how Zimbabwe’s applications to Global Fund to combat the HIV/Aids pandemic were banned on political grounds. Reverend Wilson followed that up by singing a diasporan wide appeal in 2009 sent to the Obama administration calling for the lifting of US EU sanctions on Zimbabwe. 

Another crucial part of the meeting was when the Zimbabwean,Mozambican, and Malawian ambassadors stressed that Namibia is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years, and that this coalition should also turn immediate attention to that effort, while still generating support for the victims of Cyclone Idai.

The night of grass roots entertainment will feature local DC talent Ayanna Gregory who is the daughter of the Civil Rights and artistic pioneer the late Dick Gregory, Kaba The SoulSinger, The Proverbs Reggae Band, Kuumba Kids/Daughters of the Baobab and tbe Mass Emphasis Children’s History and Theatre Company and Sitali Siyolwe a Zambian jazz guitarist who is the nephew of the current Namibian President, Hage Geingob.

The meeting then shifted into using this golden opportunity to build and consolidate the strongest ties with the Sadc region, since the days of the frontline states, were deeply embroiled in armed struggles for self-determination and national liberation. 

The organisers of the events agreed that the illustrious and robust history of the Sadc region is too often reduced to the autobiography Madiba Nelson Mandela and occasionally Mama Winnie Mandela.

The discussion shifted to educational linkages, where the exquisite chronology of Sadc’s political history chronicled by the late Pan African giant Tanzanian Foreign Minister Brigadier General Hashim Mbita can begin to be used by universities inside US borders. 

Other projects discussed were an agriculturally and ecologically driven effort called the Songhai Centre and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture-based in Benin, that can partner with all the Sadc nations especially because of the recent news that droughts could come as rapidly as every five years. 

Nearly 10 years ago the former Anglican Bishop in Harare Dr Nolbert Kunonga had called for a Martin Luther King Centre, that could serve as a base for so-called African American Churches to strengthen ties with the Sadc region. This would ensure that Dr Mtata and other high level dignitaries in church bodies throughout Sadc in particular and Africa in general, can spread their wings, and not allow the US State Department to handcuff their programme when they touch down in the US.

All four Ambassadors were pleased to hear that the Mass Emphasis Children’s History and Theatre Company has written and performed plays about Zimbabwean national heroine Amai Sally Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s National Heroes’ Acre and the late national hero and guerrilla warfare architect General Josiah Tongogara and the African revolutionary giant, former President of Mozambique, Comrade Samora Machel.

If these projects come to fruition, the future history books will share how a natural disaster introduced Africa’s most politically stable region, to its extended family of comrades more than ready to defend their sovereignty and human dignity.

-Obi Egbuna Jr is the US Correspondent to the Herald and external relations officer of the Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association (ZICUFA) [email protected]