West blind to Zims successes
By Obi Egbuna in WASHINGTON D.C
ON JULY 13 2007, a correspondent for the Washington Posts foreign service,
Craig Timberg, wrote an article titled "In Zimbabwe fewer affairs and less
HIV".
Because of the anti-Mugabe slant of his work, Timberg received front-page
coverage, a distinction very few journalists can say they have accomplished in
their careers as reporters.
This article validated the assertion and sentiments pro-Mugabe supporters
worldwide maintain, that the propaganda war being waged by the West in an
attempt to discredit and isolate Zimbabwe knows no bounds or parameters.
Timberg highlighted a discussion he had with a mathematics teacher by the name
of Thomas Muza whom he said recounted his struggle in trying to support his
wife and mistress on a teachers salary.
While Timberg apparently couldnt resist the temptation of magnifying what he
considered decadent behaviour, his motivation for incorporating this in the
story should never be mistaken for journalistic integrity or commitment to
Western family values.
If Timberg chose to, he could have discussed how Zimbabwes Ministry of Health
and Child Welfare prioritises HIV and Aids prevention with priority on
behavioural change.
This is extremely significant because most African countries focus on treatment
and care due to limited resources.
Timberg also conveniently omitted Zimbabwes National Aids Levy, the only one
of its kind the world over, that benefits child-headed households, support
groups for people living with HIV and Aids, and patients on home-based care.
Because the Washington Post foreign service office that covers the Sadc region
is based in South Africa, and Washingtons political muscle has failed to
convince countries in the region that it would be "advantageous" to betray
Zimbabwe, articles aimed at downplaying President Mugabe and Zanu-PFs
significant achievements should never surprise Africans at home or abroad.
Timberg claimed "Zimbabwes experience shows that the connection between Aids
and economics is not nearly so straightforward".
A sweeping indictment of this nature gave him the luxury of not informing the
millions of people who read his article, that when Zimbabwes applications to
the Global Aids Fund for rounds 2, 3, 4,and 6 were denied, the decision was
made by former United States health secretary Tommy Thompson and his British
counterpart Richard Feacham, who were the Funds chair and executive directors.
Both men were living up to the mandates from their respective governments
instead of the mandate of the Fund, which aims to assist all people in need of
resources.
Timberg went on to talk about how the 18,1 percent HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe
is higher than all but five countries in the world, instead of informing his
readers that the 15 percent decline in HIV/Aids cases in Zimbabwe is one of
only three success stories in Africa, and the most rapid.
Timberg also ignored the fact that Zimbabwes blood transfusion programme
became a training centre in collaboration with the World Health Organisation,
that resulted from the initiative taken by President Mugabes Government when
the first HIV/Aids case was identified 22 years ago.
In addition to failing to highlight the genocidal implications of using
humanitarian aid as a political weapon against Zimbabwe, Timberg failed to
inform his readers that Zimbabwes land reform programme was the motivating
factor for the Western policy of using HIV and Aids funds as a weapon against
President Mugabe.
The fact that the development agencies representing Canada, Sweden and Denmark,
who were on the ground in Zimbabwe doing HIV/Aids support projects, all
informed the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, that
they were instructed by their respective governments to leave Zimbabwe, speaks
volumes about the Western worlds "compassion" for Africa.
If Timberg spoke to Dr Parirenyatwa, he would have learnt that the World Food
Programmes commitment to assist Zimbabwe is because of the progress being made
by his ministry and the National Aids Council another example of how
self-determination stemming from the Third Chimurenga goes beyond the political
realm in Zimbabwe.
While George W. Bushs emergency plan for Aids relief excluded Zimbabwe, the
William J. Clinton Foundation sponsors 10 000 HIV and Aids orphans after
initially refusing to provide assistance until it discovered Zimbabwes
commitment to the eradication of HIV/Aids.
The timing of Timbergs article was not coincidental.
During the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust meetings in September
2006 and May 2007, many of the health advocacy organisations in attendance
discussed how they had ignored the increase of HIV and Aids in our communities
in the US because of too much focus on Africa.
This explains why Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California, who chairs CBCs
Brain Trust on HIV and Aids, or CBC health liaison Donna Christensen of the
Virgin Islands, have refused to address this issue, even though they both
received a resolution spearheaded by 15 grassroots organisations concerning
this matter. Which resolution was submitted to the UN, Sadc, the African Union,
and WHO on April 19 this year.
We know that sometimes journalists, depending on how they were trained, believe
that current events take precedence over historical developments.
Poor Timberg appears to be a victim of this shabby orientation.
We remember the Elian Gonzalez situation in Cuba seven years ago when
Commandant Fidel Castro boldly proclaimed that US citizens learnt more about
Cuba in four months than they had in 41 years because of the childs abduction.
As long as President Mugabe continues to lead the fight against HIV and Aids
and imperialism, he will neutralise US and British imperialisms political
fantasy of trying to effect illegal regime change in Zimbabwe.
Obi Egbuna is an African-American, and member of the US-based Pan African
Liberation Organisation, and Zimbabwe Cuban Friendship Association.
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