Zimbabwe
is sitting of the knife edge of the abyss, one false move and the country would
tumble down. 37 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption, vote rigging
and murderous tyrannical rule have left the country’s once promising economy in
ruins, unemployment has soared to 90% plus, Zanu PF’s own Minister of Welfare
has admitted that 72.3% of the population now live in poverty, etc. This is socially
and politically unsustainable; the need to do something constructive and urgently to revive the economy, end the people’s
heart-breaking economic and thus step back from the abyss is the single most
important matter on the nation’s agenda.
If Zimbabwe’s
next elections are transparent, free, fair and credible the nation will heave a
huge sigh of relief that will echo round the globe because the country would
have taken its very first step back from the edge. Only a democratically
elected government that is accountable to the people will have the political
will and mandate to start addressing the mismanagement, corruption, etc. that
have landed us in this dangerous situation.
However,
if next year’s elections are rigged signalling that nothing has changed, the
gross mismanagement, rampant corruption, etc. will continue as before; this
will be the final push to send the nation over the edge. The people have
suffered in silence for nearly four decades now, there is a limit to how much
misery anyone can endure before they finally lash out. The prospect of another
five years of Zanu PF misrule and abject poverty will concentrate the people’s
minds. The cup is full to overflowing!
No
one can say when exactly the people’s dammed up anger will finally burst but burst
it will. And when it does, it will send a wall of water, mud, rock and uprooted
trees two storeys high and kilometres wide which will sweep all before it.
The
consequences of another rigged election in Zimbabwe are just too gustily to
contemplate.
This
is why we must do everything in our power to ensure Zimbabwe’s next elections
are free and fair. If we fail to stop the elections going ahead with no reforms
in place, then the whole process must be shown for what it is – a sham election
– and thus declared null and void.
It
is most disheartening that both Zanu PF and the opposition led by Morgan
Tsvangirai continue to behave in their usual reckless manner oblivious of the
people’s suffering, the precarious position the country is in and, most
important of all, the critical importance to ensure the next elections are free
and fair. In Zanu PF the factional war to decide who will take over from
President Mugabe is all the regime is interested in.
“There
is no succession which will take place without the involvement of Mugabe. I
know the president says: ‘No, no, I don’t want to impose a candidate”, comment
Grace Mugabe.
“But
I have always argued with him that you have a role, you have the right to be
part of that process. Because we respect him, his word will be final. Mark my
words, his word will be final. I am asking him right now in your presence. Don’t
be afraid, tell us which candidate we should back.”
Of
course, President Mugabe is lying, he has imposed himself on his party and the
nation. He has had millions of Zimbabweans beaten and/or raped and over 30 000
murdered in cold blood to establish and retain the de facto one party dictatorship
so he could ride roughshod over the people’s freedoms, rights and dreams. Grace
Mugabe wants her husband to name her his successor and thus impose her as the
next dictator.
No
one in Zanu PF is even concerned about next year’s elections because they know
the party will once again rig the vote to secure another landslide victory. With
not even one democratic reform in place, so the party retains its undemocratic
control over every aspect of the electoral process. The party’s war chest full
of cash, looted from the diamond bounty, to bankroll all its multifaceted and
expensive vote rigging schemes; etc. Victory for Zanu PF in next year elections
is given.
The
total chaos and confusion in the opposition camp fuelled by greed has only made
Zanu PF even more arrogant, confident the party’s political dominance makes it
the only serious political player in the land. Zanu PF’s refusal to concede to
even one token reforms since the July 2013 rigged elections has left the
opposition with excuse for contesting the flawed elections, other than greed.
“As
we approach the 2018 harmonised elections, the MDC would like to emphasize the
need for the holding of free and fair elections to enable the people of
Zimbabwe to choose a government that is legitimate and democratic,” was Obert
Gutu’s, MDC-T spokesman, response to Grace Mugabe outburst.
“We
will not tolerate the notion that Robert Mugabe, somehow, has got a God - given
and sacred role to appoint whoever is going to be the next President of
Zimbabwe. Indeed, Zimbabwe is not Robert Mugabe and Robert Mugabe is not
Zimbabwe.”
How
utterly predictable and utterly stupid!
As
long as President Mugabe continue to exercise his tyrannical powers; looting billions
of dollars of State wealth to bankroll his vote rigging schemes whilst millions
of people wallow in poverty and anguish; then, for all intent and purpose,
Robert Mugabe is Zimbabwe. And, which is more, the tyrant is set to pass on his
dictatorial powers to his success.
MDC-T
could and should have ended Mugabe’s tyrannical powers by implementing the
reforms; they failed to get even one reform implemented in five years of the
GNU.
By
participating in the flawed July 2013 elections, Zanu PF blatantly rigged to
stay in power; MDC-T gave the process the modicum of political legitimacy. SADC
leaders warned Tsvangirai & co. that all these would happen and, literally
begged they not to contested the elections but, of course, MDC paid no heed.
MDC-T
and all their friends in the opposition camp are gearing themselves to contest
next year’s elections knowing fully well that not even one reform was
implemented since the rigged July 2013 elections. They are doing this contrary
to SADC leaders warning not to contest flawed elections and in disregard of the
opposition’s own “No reform, no election!” pledge.
What
is the point of MDC-T claiming, “Zimbabwe is not Robert Mugabe” when the party
is doing nothing to stop him doing as he please! Indeed, MDC leaders’
blundering incompetence has helped Mugabe consolidate his iron grip on power
and by continuing to contest flawed elections they are giving the vote rigging
the veneer of legitimacy.
Zimbabwe is in a serious economic and
political mess and, today, the threat of the country descending into social and
political chaos is real and eminent. It has taken nearly four decades for the
nation to get here, we should have done something about but wasted many
opportunities to do so. We are staring down into the dark, dangerous and unforgiving
abyss. This is our last-minute chance to step back and all we must do is make
sure our next elections are free, fair and credible.
Zimbabwe
is standing on the edge of the abyss. It is Zanu PF’s insatiable greed for
absolute power, wealth and influence that has not us into this mess. If the
nation should tumble over the edge then it must be said it was MDC’s blundering
incompetence of participating in flawed elections, that pushed the nation over
the edge.
“Simbi inorobwa ichapisa!” (Hit the iron whilst it is still hot!) Is a universally acknowledged adage. In Zimbabwe’s political mess the adage has assumed great significance because the tragic consequence that are only now beginning to make themselves felt. MDC had five years during the GNU to implement the democratic reforms which would have put an end to Zanu PF’s vote rigging and reign of terror. Five years to carry out a task which other nations in a similar situation have carried out in six months or less, they have FIVE YEARS to hit the hot iron. They failed to get even one reform implemented; they failed to strike even one blow!
ReplyDeleteSADC leaders did their best to encourage Tsvangirai and company to implement the reforms but their council fell on deaf ears waxed shut by bribes. Mugabe saw to it that Tsvangirai and his friends were afforded every luxury and human comfort the country’s infamous gravy train for the ruling elite has to offer; ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, a former white-owned farm and $4 million mansion for Ncube and Tsvangirai, etc. MDC leaders relished it all and with their snouts down in the feeding trough they forgot the reforms.
“MDC leaders were busy enjoying themselves during the GNU they forgot why they were there,” SADC leaders complained, with understandable bitterness. The regional leaders were not amused that MDC leaders had ignored their council to implement the reforms and ignored the last-minute warning not to contest the July 2013 elections with no reforms. But most important of all, SADC leaders were bitter because they knew a golden opportunity to solve Zimbabwe’s bad governance problem had been wasted and there will be a heavy price to pay.
Zanu PF is on course to rig next year’s elections and by participating in the flawed elections MDC are helping the regime with the painting of the veneer of credibility. Obert Gutu’s “Mugabe is not Zimbabwe,” rebuke is nothing more than the jackal barking at feeding the lion! MDC is useful to Zanu PF in that its continued presence is helping the regime conceal the practical reality that Zimbabwe is a de facto one party dictatorship. MDC will never dislodge Zanu PF no more than even a family jackals will chase a lioness from a kill!
The tough reality is Zimbabwe cannot afford another rigged election next year; MDC’s barking will not stop Zanu PF rigging the election. We must show the elections are a sham and have them stopped or else have the result declared null and void, if they went ahead; I agree with you there 100%.
“Embattled MDC-T has temporarily shut down its Harvest House headquarters in central Harare after the Sheriff of the High Court attached its furniture to recover $108 000 in labour damages the party owes a former employee, Ms Sally Dura,” reported Zimeye.
ReplyDelete“The state media claims that the opposition party’s other assets risk attachment and auctioning as more creditors pop up to make their claims. The party is now holding its national executive and standing committee meetings at its leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s Highlands residence.”
MDC-T is financial broke and is finished politically. Harvest House is now an empty shell, “zumbu rakapinda nyoka,” as one would say in Shona. These MDC-T guys will never admit the party is bankrupt financially and politically just as they have never admitted that they sold-out during the GNU by failing to get even one reform implemented.
The $4 million Highland mansion Tsvangirai is now using as the party’s temporary HQ was the most priced bribe from Mugabe that clinched the deal not to implement the reforms. The mansion was Tsvangirai’s “vhara muromo!” Still, is the mansion that big to accommodate all the people who had occupied the emptied seven floors in Harvest House?
With more debtors waiting in the wings, Harvest House will soon be empty of anything of value.
“I was actually dealing with my team at Harvest House today,” said Obert Gutu. “Things are okay and this is a minor setback.
“We are Zimbabwe’s biggest political party and if Sally Dura and detractors thought that they were going to stifle our operations then they got it completely wrong. We are up and about. We have millions of supporters and well-wishers in Zimbabwe. Some of these things are just rumours.”
MDC-T is broke because all the party’s donors deserted them in frustration and disgust because the party failed to implement even one reform during the GNU and would not even do the only obvious and decent thing left of boycotting the July 2013 elections. The party is once again refusing to boycott the flawed elections because the leaders are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away.
Well at this rate, “Zimbabwe’s biggest political party” will be drafting its election manifesto sitting on logs or cross-legged on the floor of its leader’s $4 million mansion! The whole world can now see the only reason why MDC-T leaders will contest next year’s flawed election, no matter how flawed and illegal the process and how ill equipped they are, is greed. The whole world is not going to be fooled by that, they will refuse to endorse the elections as free and fair!