By Margaret Kamba
ZANU PF Secretary for External Relations Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi says the ruling Party is a dependable partner.
He made these remarks while representing the National Chairman of the Party Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri during a virtual meeting of the Regulations of the Organizing Committee session held with other progressive political parties.
There has been an increased attempt to thwart neo-colonial attempts by the West and its allies to dominate the world.
Speaking during the session, Cde Mumbengegwi highlighted that these political parties need to be united now more than ever.
"Comrades and Friends, our meeting has been convened in response to the growing twin threat of neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism. Having once conquered and colonized other regions, the Western world has aspired to dictate the direction of international affairs and to rewrite the history of humanity as they willed and according to their own narrative," Cde Mumbengegwi said.
"We must provide fresh approaches to counter the latest methods of Western domination that stifle sovereignty and self-determination. We must consistently challenge the viewpoints of Western rationalists and universalists, who claimed that their systems of reasoning were superior and that morality, reason, and the law were better developed in the Western world.
"The strategies used by the West to conquer and expand have changed with time and space. In the past, European colonisation of the Americas, Africa, and Asia was achieved via conquest, but, in the present, socio-economic and political control are achieved through various neo-colonial strategies. Neocolonial strategies of dominance are increasingly articulated not through the language of the civilizing mission as in the 19th century, or through the American-driven narrative of modernization, but through a new universalist ethics of human rights, labor standards, environmental standards, and intellectual property rights. In this emerging Western-sponsored order, neocolonial power operates not only through military action but also through economic and cultural hegemony."
Cde Mumbengegwi added that the West has stopped at nothing to dominate other countries in order to enforce its superiority.
"In this context, many Western human rights discourses are frequently entwined with dominance in the international sphere. More precisely, Eurocentrism and global capitalism have become deeply ingrained in today's human rights discourses. Economic sanctions, such as trade embargoes and blockades have been imposed on our countries in order to weaken our countries for purposes of their Regime change agendas. One emerging strategy is the use of wars by proxy. We are gravely concerned with the genocidal events occurring in Gaza against the Palestinian People. The International community must unite to stop such blatant violation of humanitarian international law and recognize the right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation of their territories by Israel," he said.
"The war in Ukraine is another war by proxy. The Western policies on Ukraine completely ignored the security interests of the Russian Federation who like every country have the right to protect and defend their security interests by all means at their disposal.
"It should be acknowledged that the institutions of global governance laid the foundations for the protection and perpetuation of Western interests. It is therefore imperative that the rest of the world should come together and refashion these institutions to reflect today’s communities and realities. To that end, we should nurture common approaches by rejecting the moral, legal, and cultural foundations of Western hegemony and dominance over our societies. In other words, what is the potential of developing a counter-Western hegemonic discourse? This question deserves an answer. We firmly believe that the current international architecture requires profound transformations in global values and institutions."
The Secretary for External Relations insisted that "the Western-led system is no longer suited for the current era. It is archaic. This is a signal to push for reshaping the post-World War II order championed by the United States and other Western powers. In it is in this context that we welcome the increased global interest in the world order initiated by the BRICS group countries since it offers viable alternatives."
He also said these political parties "should have more in-depth conversations with other interested parties to create a coalition that opposes the negative forces of neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism. This can only be achieved by challenging the status quo and charting a collective effort for the benefit of the overwhelming majority of humanity.
"The purpose of our meetings therefore is to fulfill our mandate of critiquing and counteracting the further deployment of Western values and interests in international relations. This is why it is imperative to hear from all players and stakeholders involved in this noble global initiative. This collaborative initiative is not an end in itself. It is aimed at complementing other global initiatives that are already in motion. This includes the initiatives pioneered by BRICS, Russia-Africa Summit, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
"Allow me to reiterate what we have emphasized before in the previous meetings, that ZANU PF is a party of principles; a dependable friend and ally. We are part of this informal alliance in yet another struggle against neo-colonial and hegemonic tendencies. Political Parties of this Forum have in the past voiced their support against the illegal, heinous sanctions imposed on our countries and people by some western countries. As ZANU PF and the people of Zimbabwe, we are ready to continue playing our part in the world-wide struggle for the complete eradication of all forms of neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism. We will cooperate with all the forces who have also been entrusted with the responsibility to counteract the nefarious activities of neo-colonial forces and their proxies."
He said he also needed to "emphasise, though, that to successfully combat contemporary neocolonialist practices, we require goodwill and cooperation of all parties involved in this endeavor, including those of the informal alliance of Political Parties and Social Forces. The evil schemes of neocolonial and neo-imperial forces will be decisively defeated by these new frontiers of global engagement. No nation or region should rule over another or prioritise itself over others. The global situation requires a cautious approach because of its complexity.
"Our future is bright, for we are resolute and have been strengthened by the relentless attacks and maneuvers that have been made against our countries in recent years. For far too long, the evil forces of neocolonialism have interfered with our economic development and prosperity from both within and outside of our borders. They have thrived on dividing us. Let us as an alliance embrace the call for resisting the attempts to blackmail us.
"Let us insist on the recognized principles and rules of international law. Let us all reject the practice of imposing illegal sanctions. Now is the time to embrace the opportunities of unity before us. Let us reaffirm our collective determination to transform the international order by agitating common positions at international forums. In unison we must proclaim that ‘enough is enough’. The onus is, therefore, on us to engage each other for the good of our countries and peoples. It is our sincere hope that we will rise to the challenge and defeat neocolonialism and neo-imperialism in all its manifestations."
Other political parties who included the Communist Party of China CPC, Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, United Russia Party, Communist Party of Cuba, the ANC, FRELIMO, and Belaya Rus Party amongst others also emphasized the need to join hands to and challenge the status quo.