Fearful of demo violence ZHOCD "exhort politicians to dialogue" - Alas, hearts right place but not heads N Garikai

There are many reasons why Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess; Zimbabweans’ failure to pay attention to detail and thus resulting in the country blundering from pillar to post, is one, the top five, such reason.

“The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to urgently find common ground and dialogue to ensure the country does not slide into anarchy,” reported Newsday.

"The church leaders also reflected on the growing tensions and threats of violence following the call for mass demonstration on the 16th of August 2019 by the MDC. The church leaders are deeply worried by the invocation in some quarters of the violence of August 2018 and January 2019 to sow fear and deepen political polarisation amongst our people," ZHOCD said in a statement following its leaders' meeting in Chinhoyi on Thursday.

"To this end, church leaders do hereby exhort His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the leader of the MDC, Advocate Nelson Chamisa to explore the possibility of accelerating much-needed dialogue in this time of deepening national division and despair.”

The greatest cause of national despair is not the prospect of the demonstrations become violent or the country’s worsening economic meltdown it is the country’s failure to reach a consensus on this issue of Zanu PF and MDC dialogue. After a year since the July 2018 rigged elections the nation is still stuck on need for a meeting between Mnangagwa and Chamisa to and yet no one has ever explained what such a meeting will accomplish.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is Zanu PF’s blatant rigging of last year’s elections and thus confirming Zimbabwe is a pariah state. Yes, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections, seized the instruments of state and presented the nation with a fait accompli of a Zanu PF government. That reality does not alter the fact that the regime is illegitimate, and Zimbabwe is a pariah state.

The Zanu PF government is illegitimate; this is the fundament detail that we must address and we ignore it at our own peril.

At the heart of the suggested of political dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa is an acceptance of the Zanu PF as the de facto government. Whatever government that emerges from this dialogue will include Zanu PF, it is inconceivable that Zanu PF would ever negotiate itself out of power. In short, the dialogue is just a circuitous route to legitimise the illegitimate Zanu PF regime.

Sadly, Zimbabwe will still remain a pariah state because no one will ever be fooled by the contrived whitewashing the Zanu PF regime. Zimbabwe will not accomplish any meaningful economic recovery as long as the country remains a pariah state.

Besides, as long as Zanu PF remains in power till 2023 the party will see to it that no meaningful democratic reforms are implemented, and the party will go on to rig that year’s elections. Zimbabwe will still be stuck in the position we are in right now - a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs.

Zanu PF rigged last year’s election, the regime is illegitimate and the only way out is for the party to step down so the country can appoint an interim administration that will be tasked to implement the democratic reforms designed to end the curse of rigged elections and pariah state.

It is clear that the church leaders acknowledge that this Zanu PF government’s legitimacy is dubious, to say the least. But instead of demanding that the regime steps down the church leaders are calling for interim arrangement in which Zanu PF continues to play a dominant role, just to appease Mnangagwa and company.

It has been a year since the rigged July 2018 elections, enough time for these church leaders to acknowledge there is nothing to be achieved by appeasing the illegitimate Zanu PF regime by allowing it to stay in power. Nothing.

Yes, the church leaders have their hearts in the right place, the are right to be concerned about the worsening economic situation and the possibility of political violence. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about their minds; calling for Zanu PF to remain in power will only drag the nation deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth Zanu PF landed us in.

After 40 years of blundering from pillar to post and sinking deeper and deeper into this man-made hell what Zimbabwe needs desperately is to do the right thing. Demanding that Zanu PF step down is the right thing and the only way out of this mess!