"Nelson Chamisa, my door is open and my
arms are outstretched, we are one nation, and we must put our nation first. Let
us all now put our differences behind us. It is time to move forward
together," Mnangagwa said.
Zanu PF and MDC have worked together very well
to further their own individual selfish interests to the detriment of the
nation’s interests. The two party saw to it that not even one democratic reform
was implemented throughout the five years of the GNU. Tsvangirai and his MDC
friends were too busy enjoying themselves with the trapping of high office, the
ministerial limos, generous salaries, a $4 million mansion for Tsvangirai,
etc.; they forgot about implementing the reforms. Robert Mugabe did not want
any of the dictatorial powers touched and thus got his wish.
The ordinary Zimbabweans, who had risked life
and limb to elect MDC leaders in to power on the understanding they would bring
about meaning democratic change, lost out during the GNU since not even one
reform saw the light of day. We would not still be talking of Zanu PF rigging
elections as happened in 2013 and this year if MDC had implemented the reforms
as expected. By participating in these flawed elections MDC are only helping to
give credibility to the process.
Robert Mugabe showed his appreciation of MDC’s
help in doing nothing about the reforms during the GNU and then taking part in
the 2013 elections when the most logical thing would have been to boycott the
elections by allowing Tsvangirai to stay in the $4 million mansion after the
2013 elections although he was not entitled to it. After becoming President
Mnangagwa gave Tsvangirai the mansion.
So we should not be at all surprise if Chamisa
too was to be rewarded for a job well-done in helping Zanu PF rig these
elections and get away with it!
"After the wholly unnecessary violent
protests, we welcomed the legal route which the MDC eventually took to
challenge the election,” continued President Mnangagwa.
"We have independent courts and we
promised to respect their decision. Just as with the insights received from the
international monitors, we will accept and implement all recommendations to
further improve our democratic process."
Mr President, you can go ahead and reward Chamisa
for helping you short-change the people of Zimbabwe by successful denying
millions of ordinary Zimbabweans their fundamental right to a meaningful say in
the governance of the country. Just do not add salt to injury with all this “independent
courts” nonsense! Until the country implements all the democratic reforms as
agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU we will never have any independent courts,
ZEC, Police, etc.
Zimbabwe needs a strong and independent
opposition to hold the government to account, this normal in a healthy and
functioning democracy but even more so given we have a corrupt and tyrannical
Zanu PF dictatorship. “Nelson Chamisa, my door is open and my arms are
outstretched!” Given your one-party dictatorial tendency, you would want to
swallow up MDC the same way Mugabe swallowed up PF Zapu!
The government badly needed a credible election to end its status as a global pariah, have international sanctions lifted - Mnangagwa himself remains under U.S. sanctions - and open the door to investment. State-run media this month estimated Zimbabwe's debt arrears at $5.6 billion.
ReplyDeleteFinal reports are pending from dozens of Western election observers invited for the first time in nearly two decades. Observers noted few issues on a peaceful election day but expressed concern about "excessive use of force" two days later, when six people were killed as the military swept into the capital to disperse protests.
On Saturday, the joint mission of the U.S.-based International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute said Zimbabwe "has not yet demonstrated that it has established a tolerant, democratic culture that enables the conduct of elections in which parties are treated equitably and citizens can cast their vote freely."
You are 100% correct there, holding free, fair and credible elections was the key to Zimbabwe's economic recovery and political stability. After 37 years of rigging elections and getting away with it Mnangagwa, who was after all the Mugabe's pointer man when it came to rigging elections, thought he could do it again and get away with it.
Some dirty habits are hard to stop and others are impossible to stop. Asking Mnangagwa to stop rigging elections was an impossible ask, it comes instinctively as the stench is to the skunk! And so it is not surprising that Zanu PF blatantly rigged the just ended elections and thus forfeiting the nation's hopes of economic recovery. Investors and lenders do not do business in pariah states ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote-rigging thugs.
The world is particularly cheesed off with President Mnangagwa and his junta. Many people had believe all that talk of "new dispensation" and "Zimbabwe is open for business!" Now they rightly feel cheated that the regime turned round and blatantly rigged the elections!
If the rest of the western election observers teams follow the Americans and give their thumbs down verdict on the conduct of the elections, that will be the final chapter confirming Zimbabwe's status as a pariah state. Not that we needed outsiders to tell us we are a pariah state, we know that ourselves but preferred to pretend to be a healthy and functional democracy. Well now we will be forced to face the reality that we are a pariah state and, worse still, face the economic and political consequences that comes with it!
The government in Harare is the same corrupt, incompetent and vote-rigging Zanu PF dictatorship that has ruled and ruined the nation these last 38 years or be it with a new face at the top. Zimbabwe is still a pariah state and the world view it that way and will treat it that way too. So those who see a new dawn are describing what they hope to see, an illusion, and not what is there, the reality. Real people live in a real world and not some cloud-cuckoo-land.
ReplyDeleteDr Mwanananga, who is also the Dean of Diplomatic Corps in Zimbabwe, said it is time for Zimbabweans to come together and start rebuilding the nation.
ReplyDelete"It is now time for Zimbabweans to rebuild their country. You have got a lot of talent, very educated people and we all saw this process (elections) unfold and now it's time for the people of Zimbabwe to go back to work and rebuild their country and make it a tool of Africa," he said.
Does Dr Mwanananga realise that these elections were rigged or that does not matter to him?
Zimbabwe is in economic and political ruins because it has had the misfortune of being ruled by a corrupt and tyrannical regime all these last 38 years. Just as we were helpless to stop the rot over the years we will be equally helpless to stop it continuing in the next five years much less do something to help the recovery.
As long as Zimbabwe continues to have rigged elections then the economic meltdown will continue. It is nonsensical to expect investors to invest their money in a country that is so unstable that the next regime change must be yet another military coup or violent street protests!