Guess who is celebrating election victory? MDC Alliance but especially
Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti and their respective MDC and PDP followers!
“The MDC National Organising Secretary, Amos Chibaya yesterday met with
the Harare Provincial Council at the party head office in Harare to map way
forward in the face of an MDC Alliance win in the just ended harmonized
election,” reported Bulawayo 24 News.
“Chibaya updated the Council on the route the party was taking towards
bringing back legitimacy to the electoral processes in Zimbabwe.
“He encouraged them to remain calm and to prepare for celebrations because the MDC Alliance won the election.”
“He encouraged them to remain calm and to prepare for celebrations because the MDC Alliance won the election.”
MDC Alliance was God send as far as both MDC and PDP were concerned
because the two parties’ chances of winning an seats in these elections
improved significantly by not having to compete against Zanu PF and Chamisa led
MDC-T candidates too. Both Ncube and Biti are celebrating that they had a share
of the scraps the Alliance won.
None of the MDC Alliance leaders, Ncube, Biti, Chamisa, etc., were ever under
any illusion the Alliance would win these elections; they knew that with no
reforms in place there was nothing to stop Zanu PF blatantly rigging the
elections to secure yet another landslide victory. The Alliance leaders also
knew that Zanu PF will be dishing out a few gravy train seats to entice the
opposition to contest the flawed and illegal elections. It was these bait seats
that they were after and Ncube and Biti swallowed their pride to join Morgan
Tsvangirai’s big-tent, MDC Alliance, just to make sure they has a share of the
scraps.
International election observers have already highlighted some of the
glaring irregularities in these elections. There was no free public media. ZEC
failed to register 3 million or so Zimbabweans in the diaspora; a very
significant number given 5.6 voted last month. Zanu PF robbed the nation blind
to bankroll its vote rigging schemes. Probably the most shocking of all was ZEC’s
failure to produce clean and verified voters’ roll. How anyone, anyone with
half a brain would agree to go into the elections with no verified voters’ roll
beggars belief.
“Tsvangirai made the stupid mistake of going into the 2013 elections
with no voters’ roll. I will not make the same mistake!” Nelson Chamisa
announced.
Lo behold, MDC Alliance went into these elections with no clean and
verified voters’ roll.
For the last five years the nation had bought Biometric equipment and
gone through all the motion of producing a biometric voting system at great
expense. Coming voting day, ZEC used a printed voters’ roll and none of the
biometric equipment were on sight. Not even one of the opposition candidates
even asked ZEC to explain what was going on!
There are two things all the international observers can say about these
elections:
1) The elections were
not free, fair and credible. How can they be, when no one could produce something
as basic as a voters’ roll. The voters’ roll that was made public had numerous
errors was not the same as that used on voting day, the latter had photographs.
2) Why Zimbabwe’s opposition
agreed to take part in such a flawed and illegal process left many
international election observers puzzled. There is no doubt that many have been
forced to ignore the glaring vote rigging and pass the elections as acceptable.
“If Zimbabwe’s opposition are happy with the flawed and illegal process; why
should they, outsiders interfere!” they reasoned. A fallacious excuse, and a
feeble one at that, for failing to do the honourable thing – declaring the
election a fraud and a mockery to democracy.
The ruling party and the opposition candidates and parties are the
contestants in the elections but they are not the only stakeholders in these national
elections. Every Zimbabwean, in the country or abroad, has a right to a
meaningful say in the governance of the country. By failing to hold free, fair
and credible elections the ruling part
with the connivance of the opposition are denying the people of Zimbabwe their
basic and fundamental right. It is downright criminal that some of the
international election observers should see it fit to collude with the country’s
corrupt and incompetent politicians at the expense of the long suffering
majority.
Zanu PF will be celebrating another landslide elections victory and that
the party had once again successfully lured the opposition to take part in the
flawed and illegal election process giving it the modicum of democratic
legitimacy.
After 38 years of rigged elections, Zanu PF leaders like President
Mnangagwa and his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, are particularly impressed with
how they have entrapped the opposition making them forget the all-important democratic
reforms. For the last week, the Zanu PF tyrants has unleashed its thugs with
instruction of shot to kill to stop all street protest. This was to remind the
people the regime’s reputation as a murderous one is well earned. This is the
only way the regime has managed to stop the masses revolting in the face of the
unprecedented economic meltdown that has left 75% of the population living on
US$1.00 or less a day.
Now that it is certain the country’s economic recovery will never
happen, investors do not do business in pariah states ruled by vote rigging
thugs; another five more years of this economic hardships will try the patience
of the country’s impoverished masses to the limit. Whether the regime’s use of
brute force will still be enough to stop the people revolting; time will tell.
MDC leaders have occupied political centre stage for nearly 20 years now
on the promise to bring democratic change. They have failed to bring about even
one democratic change although they had many wasted golden opportunities to do
so. Ever since they sold out during the GNU, they have since settled for being
Zanu PF’s acolytes in return for a few gravy train seats.
@ Brian Hungwe
ReplyDeleteNow Mugabe may even be regretting his choice as he is still without friends in the corridors of powers.
He revealed that he has yet to receive a pension worth US$467 000 from the government and that his mansion in Borrowdale Brooke is leaking and needs renovations.
As a voter I have learnt one thing from this election - never trust a politician. They have few, if any, principles.
I for one has never considered Robert Mugabe to be a clever man; how could I, only a first class idiot would kill the goose that lays the golden egg. By completely destroying Zimbabwe's once thriving economy Mugabe did kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Still, I thought he was shrewd and had some common sense; now I must admit that I had been too generous; the tyrant is just a first class village idiot who was very lucky to be found himself into a very powerful position.
I too watched Mugabe's press conference. One could not help but get the feeling that Mr Mugabe believed the elections were going to be free, fair and credible. For someone who has been at the very heart of Zanu PF's vote rigging machinery and knew that without reforms the juggernaut was already in overdrive. How he could still expect the elections to be free and fair beggars belief!
I can understand why Chamisa had no choice but to accept Mugabe's help in these elections; it is no secret that MDC is stone broke and so even a promise of cash to fund the party's elections would have been very difficult for Chamisa to say no to.
It is very possible that Mugabe knew his old party was rigging these elections and he just played along to give the world the impression these elections were a democratic contestation. Which would make the tyrant truly the "kiss of death" as Mwonzora rightly put it. After all Mugabe would have good reasons never to entrust his destiny and that of his family with the MDC idiots, he knows just how naïve, incompetent and corrupt they are.
@The Independent
ReplyDelete"The heads of mission of the EU, Canada, Switzerland and the United States of America note with grave concern the eruption of violence and occurrence of serious human rights violations following the peaceful election of 30 July 2018 ," they said in a statement.
"These tragic events stand in sharp contrast to the high hopes and expectations for a peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible election in Zimbabwe."
That the statement was made after Sibusiso Moyo had denied the crackdown shows that his explanation has found few takers.
The Australian government also joined the chorus of condemnation.
It remains to be seen whether Mnangagwa, who is perceived to be the proverbial cat with nine lives, can recover from the wreckage of a shipwrecked PR campaign at the tail end of his bid for legitimacy.
On the economic front, the shrewd and savvy investors and lenders have seen enough to make up their minds. They are not investing their money in a pariah state whose only hope for regime change is a military coup, widespread street protests or some such violent process.
On the political front the international election observers and the nations they represent are yet to release their verdict on the elections and decide on whether or not the regime is legitimate.
With the country's economic recovery now out of the question it will be a cynical move to grant the regime legitimacy knowing the regime is doomed just to see it do so slowly.
"While Zimbabwe had a historic opportunity to move the country toward a brighter future for all its citizens, an electoral process marred by violence that does not respect constitutional rights and procedures is not a step toward that future," said US Press Statement.
ReplyDeletePart 1 of 2
ReplyDeleteBy the late 1990s, when the MDC was formed, there was a discernible and growing public consensus for the need for democratic changes to stop Zanu PF remaining in office by rigging elections. Morgan Tsvangirai and his friends formed their political party and called it the movement for democratic change (MDC), to tap into this growing national aspiration. Over the years, people have risked life and limb to elect MDC politicians into public office on the understanding that they will bring about the democratic changes the nation was dying for.
MDC leaders have had many golden opportunities to bring about the democratic changes, the best opportunities by far coming during the GNU when all they had to do was implement the democratic reforms SADC leaders had forced Zanu PF to accept as necessary at the onset of the GNU. MDC leaders failed to get even one democratic reform implemented in five years. Not one!
It is now clear that MDC leaders never really cared about bring about democratic change and had pretended to care for the sake of getting public support and votes to help them secure public office. As soon as they got into power they used their position to enrich themselves. Mugabe was quick to exploit the MDC leaders' greed as he bribed them with the trappings of high office, ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, $4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. In return MDC leaders kicked all reforms out of the window.
There is no doubt that MDC leaders have sold-out big time during the GNU in failing to implement any of the democratic reforms needed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. They have been warned of the sheer futility of taking part in elections with no reforms in place.
"If you take part in next month's elections, you will lose; the elections are done!" SADC leaders warned Tsvangirai and company in 2013. As we know, MDC leaders paid no heed because of greed. Zanu PF went on to rig those elections.
Part 2 of 2
ReplyDelete"If you take part in next month's elections, you will lose; the elections are done!" SADC leaders warned Tsvangirai and company in 2013. As we know, MDC leaders paid no heed because of greed. Zanu PF went on to rig those elections.
After the 2013 rigged elections MDC leaders passed party resolutions never again to take part in elections without first making sure the reforms are implemented. "No reform, no elections!" they promised. As the 2018 elections approached MDC leaders have once again ignored SADC's warning and violated their own party resolution and again participated in the flawed and illegal elections.
Zanu PF leaders know that as long as they allow MDC leaders to win a few gravy train seats Chamisa and co. will participate in these elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process gets.
It is now 20 years since MDC entered the political stage and nothing has changed, Zanu PF is still rigging the elections. The people must now accept that Chamisa and company will never deliver the democratic changes and stop Zanu PF rigging elections; just as 20 years ago they had to accept that Mugabe and Zanu PF will never deliver freedom, justice and economic prosperity.
There three reasons why the ordinary Zimbabweans have taken this long to accept that MDC leaders are running with the hare and hunting with the hounds:
1) Most people have never understood what the democratic changed were about; they have chanted "CHANGE! CHANGE!" aware of the need for change but with no clue what those changes were much less how they would be achieved.
2) Most people have failed to understand that MDC leaders sold-out by failing to implement the reforms. They accept that Zanu PF has continued to rig elections but have failed to appreciate that is the task MDC is supposed to do all these years. Even with the benefit of hindsight, the people still fail to how MDC keep promising free and fair elections and fail to deliver.
3) The people have a binary mentality, they can deal with two things good vs bad at present they Zanu PF as the bad guys and MDC as the good guys. Accepting that MDC leaders are sleeping with the enemy is a hard pill to swallow. And so the nation is stuck in a rut created by MDC leaders promise of change without implementing the reforms. However by accepting that MDC leaders have sold-out these people will be free to explore how else to bring about the democratic changes.
High-profile security bosses and experts fear that the current environment might precipitate a bloody fight between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, and their militarised factions.
ReplyDelete"Now that Mnangagwa has caved in to pressure to appoint a team to investigate the shootings, which suggest he did not deploy the army himself and ordered the killings, this will bring him into direct confront with Chiwenga," a security boss told the Zimbabwe Independent this week."
If this was to happen then SADC and the AU must hang their heads in shame! Both bodies knew that Zanu PF rigged the 2013 elections and instead of putting their foot down and demand that the reforms must be implemented first before the election the endorsed the rigged elections. Big mistake because four years later there was a military coup in Zimbabwe. This was a warning shot across the bow!
SADC and the AU had the chance to ensure Zimbabwe returned to political stability by insisting the country held free, fair and credible elections this year. Sadly the missed the chance, both SADC and the AU have already accepted the blatantly rigged elections. The chaos in the country and growing tension within Zanu PF itself will only grow worse given there will be no meaningful economic recovery.
By failing to hold free and fair elections Zanu PF confirmed the country is still a pariah state ruled by vote rigging and murderous thugs. Investor do not do business with thugs!
Shame on you all you utterly useless SADC and AU leaders!
@ Mandaza
ReplyDelete"The events taking place in the past week, and the processes leading to the election were predictable from 2016 onwards when the Platform for Concerned Citizens (PCC) first offered a solution to the party-state-military conflation. This conflation could not be undone through an election: it required a thoroughgoing national response," you say.
How many times have you also encouraged the elections to go ahead? You were right to suggest the need for elections to be postponed to allow democratic reforms to be implemented but, alas, you have dithered and changed so many times you have lost all credibility!
“However, reports of voter intimidation, efforts to politicise food aid and increased military presence in rural polling stations are deeply concerning. The people of Zimbabwe, as well as the international community, remember the horrific violence that occurred during the 2008 elections. That cannot happen again,” Congressman Ed Royce, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.
ReplyDeleteWell that is exactly what has been happening in Zimbabwe these last few days!
The only way out is for these flawed elections to be declared null and void. This will clear the deck and allow the appointment of an interim administration that will be tasked to implement the democratic reforms agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU.
@Ncube
ReplyDelete“Courts have the principal responsibility of addressing disputes, but often and especially in developing countries their function is compromised by lack of judicial independence,” you say as if you do not already know.
For your own information the same Zimbabwe Courts have ruled that military coups are perfectly “legal” in Zimbabwe anywhere else they are high treason. So you think the same Courts will find a lesser offence like tampering with the voters’ roll high treason? Wake up for Pete’s sake.
Chamisa and his MDC idiots are challenging the election result in Court because having been stupid enough to contest the elections knowing fully well that ZEC was not independent they are also stupid enough to go to court know it too is not independent! There is nothing new here; MDC leaders are stupid and they are being consistently stupid!
“Insanity,” said Albert Einstein, “is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result!”
Chamisa went into these elections expecting to win rigged elections even after 38 years of rigged elections! You can be certain of one thing MDC will contest 2023 elections with not even one reform in place; the one dependable thing with idiots is doing the same foolish thing over and over again!
The tragedy here is that it is the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who have paid dearly for MDC’s stupidity. Zimbabwe would not be in this mess still if MDC had implemented the democratic reforms designed to ensure an independent judiciary, ZEC, etc.
“Chamisa poll case litmus test for Zimbabwe judiciary.” After 38 years of tyrannical rule you still need to test the system and, no doubt, expect a different result!
"Chawawana batisisa, midzimu hapikaviri!" (You must make the best of the chance you are given because you may never get another one!) goes the Shona adage.
ReplyDeleteDuring the GNU Zimbabwe had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms which would have severed the Zanu PF dictatorial controls that had corrupted ZDF, ZEC and all the other public institutions to what they are today - a department of Zanu PF in all but name. MDC failed to get even one reform implemented in five years of the GNU. This was the one in a generation golden opportunity to escape the autocracy Mugabe and Zanu PF had imposed on the nation and MDC wasted it.
The longer these Zanu PF thugs have remained in power the deeper they have dragged the nation into this hell-on-earth and the more powerful they have become. Their hunger for power and wealth has grown in leaps and bounce and they will drag the nation even deeper into this hell in a futile effort to gratify their insatiable appetites. It is times like this that one regrets the wasted golden opportunity to dismantle Zanu PF!
@Ncube
ReplyDelete"Courts have the principal responsibility of addressing disputes, but often and especially in developing countries their function is compromised by lack of judicial independence," you say.
Eight months ago Zimbabwe's judiciary ruled that military coups are perfectly "legal". If that did not prove to you that our judiciary is NOT independent then I do not know what will!
"Insanity," said Albert Einstein, "is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result!"
After 38 years of rigged elections, Chamisa and his MDC friends dragged the nation into these elections knowing with no reforms in place Zanu PF will rig the elections. MDC contested the elections regardless, expecting to win rigged elections!
Having agreed to contest the elections knowing ZEC was not independent why should anyone be surprise they are filing a court challenge with a judiciary they know is not independent.
The one thing dependable about the insane is their inert inability to learn from the past and so they will repeat the same foolish mistake over and over again.
Look at you, Ncube, you have your litmus paper ready to test the independence of the judiciary ignoring the hundreds of thousands of similar test in the last 38 years which have all proven the judiciary is in all but name a department of Zanu PF. You are no different from one with a whole book of litmus paper using one piece after another testing the same glass of water!
No wonder Zimbabwe is in a real mess, we have more than our fair share of first class idiots; we have a whole brigade of them in the opposition camp complete with their hundreds of thousands of blind as a mole supporters; a whole army of intellectuals testing the ph of water; etc.! Cry the beloved country!
@ Majome
ReplyDeleteA very good read, thank you.
"The opposition popular leader Mwai Kibaki from the opposition coalition National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) succeeded Moi in 2002 and for the first time since independence, Kenya was out of Kanu's hands. The elections were hailed by most of the world as the turning of a new and exciting page in African politics. It was encouraging for many other African countries to see that it was possible for opposition parties to win against established parties which claimed a monopoly over independence struggles against colonisers," you said.
One of the big mistakes the people of Kenya made in 2002 was to believe that the removal of Moi and Kanu was all the country needed to do and the nation will have the "they will all live happily ever after," fairy tale ending. What Mwai Kibaki did was consolidate his own hold on power by adopting the very autocracy Moi and Kanu had developed over the years to work for him.
We have seen this happen again and again in other countries like Zambia when Kenneth Kaunda (KK) was remove, in Malawi when Dr Kamuzu Banda was removed. In Zimbabwe the GNU has the nearest we ever got to removing Mugabe and Zanu PF! In all these three countries the nation was soon stuck in the old autocracy and corruption rut just as happened in Kenya when Kibaki took over.
What Kenya should have done at the end of Moi's reign is establish an interim administration tasked to draw up a new democratic constitution and reform the existing state institution to free them from the dictatorial control of the governing party and restore their independence.
We have accepted that long establish corrupt and tyrannical regimes like Kanu and Zanu PF will never reform themselves out of office. What we have been slow to grasp is that parties that takeover from long established dictatorship very rarely dismantle the dictatorship other than fine tune it to serve their own purpose of retaining power at all cost.