"We are not interested in joining POLAD. We are very clear that POLAD is not a credible process. Chamisa is not in any political wilderness. He is the most relevant politician right now and is taking a principled stance in the interest of the people of Zimbabwe. The MDC itself is very happy not to be associated with POLAD,” explained MDC spokesperson Daniel Molokele.
Yes POLAD is a waste of time and space but MDC’s alternative is a waste of time and space too.
MDC is insists on a political dialogue leading to the formation of a National Transition Authority (NTA), a power sharing arrangement with Zanu PF in which MDC leaders like Chamisa will get cabinet positions.
MDC is also insisting that NTA will implement “comprehensive democratic reforms designed to end the problem of disputed elections”. Clearly MDC leaders have not thought this one through; it is mission impossible!
MDC has accepted that last year’s parliamentary elections were free, fair and credible and so Zanu PF will retain its 2/3 majority in parliament. Any one who thinks they can ever get that lot to pass any comprehensive democratic reforms and reform themselves out of office is insane!
Mnangagwa launched POLAD in May, now eight months ago, the body has yet to come up with even one thing it has accomplish. Just one! Nick Mangwana, one of Zanu PF’s ardent and creative spin doctors, made a complete arse of himself when he was asked to name POLAD’s achievements.
“The coming together of Political Actors under one banner (POLAD) and the official launch symbolised the unity of purpose,” answered Nick.
“The formulation of a Code of Conduct and subsequent adoption and signing of the same.
“Visit to Cyclone Idai POLAD delegates led to conscientisation of the nation about the problem and the need for urgent intervention by different stakeholders. Etc., etc.”
In short, POLAD has accomplished nothing. Zero!
Actually with his 2/3 parliamentary majority Mnangagwa does not need to court the opposition, especially those without even one MP in parliament! He should be getting on with the important task of finding solutions to the nation’s myriad problems and implementing them and not wait time on trivial pursuits like POLAD.
The truth is Mnangagwa has ran out of ideas on how to solve the country’s mounting problems and is hoping POLAD members may come up with some ideas. He has got nothing from the POLAD members because they too have no clue what to do. There is no surprise there, of course.
Remember the POLAD member are the opposition candidates who participated in last year’s elections when it was as clear as day that Zanu PF was rigging the elections. They did not even have the common sense to demand that ZEC must produce a verified voters’ roll, which is a legal requirement too!
The last four decades have been a relentless march deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth we now find ourselves in. Whilst many have been aware the nation was going in the wrong directions they have failed to do anything about it because Zanu PF rigged the elections and abused state machinery to whip everyone into line.
Today the nation stands on the edge of the precipitous abyss. Mnangagwa rigged the elections but failed to rig economic recovery and now is goading the nation forward, demanding we put our blind trust in him and POLAD. And, sadly, instead of offering the nation a way out of this hell; the opposition is bubbling some nonsense about a NTA.
Zimbabwe did not land in this hell-on-earth by accident; it is culmination of four decades of corrupt and tyrannical rule. And we, the people, have done nothing to stop it.
In the end, nations get the government they deserve and we, in Zimbabwe, certainly deserve this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of equally corrupt and incompetent opposition parties, many of whom have already in POLAD whilst others are holding out for an improved bribe!
Our relentless march into this hell-on-earth will continue, we are not yet ready to stop Mnangagwa and his POLAD acolytes. Many Zimbabweans have no clue what constitute free, fair and credible election, something as basic as that in this day and age, proof the nation is not yet ready to end the de facto one-party dictatorship.
Zimbabwe's problems are man-made problems, problems rising from bad governance, and well within our powers as mortals to solve. We have taken a collective decision to bury our heads in the sand and for four decades have done nothing and have paid dearly for our folly. And, if we do not snap out of our sloth-like slumber, Mnangagwa will dragged us even deeper into this hell, beyond the point of no return!
@ Mavaza
ReplyDelete“Zimbabwe is now in a situation where the diaspora needs to stand up and be counted. The diaspora action is not seen in big government projects where diaspora names are called. Diaspora must assist by starting helping their families nucleus and extended. Where ever is possible as humans we must help each other,” you say.
Zimbabweans in the diaspora have done well when it comes to helping relatives back home meet their basic needs such as cash for food, school fees, etc.
If there is one area Zimbabweans have neglected it is helping the nation solve its problem of bad governance so the nation can get back on its own feet again. Doing nothing to help end Zanu PF misrule has resulted in the economic situation sinking deeper and deeper into trouble and made those in Zimbabwe more and more dependent on help from those in the diaspora. This was not sustainable and the chicken have come home to roost.
Zimbabwe’s economy has all but collapsed, public health has collapsed, education collapsed, everything has collapsed. The demand for help has soared! Instead of sending money to buy medicine, for example; one must now send money to travel to SA, to pay hospital bills, accommodation, etc.
The nation must now turn her attention on stop the rot that has destroyed Zimbabwe because throwing diaspora dollars alone have clearly failed to stop the rot.
Zimbabwe is in a serious mess; if we are not doing the wrong thing we are wasting time and the odd occasion we have done the right thing it is often too little to late!
ReplyDeleteThe country’s nauseating 90% unemployment rate offers the opportunity for the most rapid economic growth with the least effort as seen at the start of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. The scrapping of the Z$ dollar ended the monthly hyperinflation which had soared to the dizzying heights of 500 billion %. The GNU scrapped the price controls too. These two measures alone were responsible for most of the 12% economic recovery in 2009 up from - 6% the year before.
The economic recover was not sustained through out the GNU period itself because none of the requisite economic changes such as stamping out of the gross mismanagement and rampant corruption and political reforms such the implementation of reforms to ensure free and fair elections never took place. The same economic changes and political reforms are still outstanding to this day and hence the reason for the economic meltdown.
Both Emerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa have made a big song and dance about POLAD and NTA respectively, as the way forward for the nation. They have each failed to explain how this was supposed to happen.
On the single most important challenge of getting the democratic reforms finally implemented, both POLAD and NTA are clearly a waste of time since Zanu PF remains the dominant player is both. Zanu PF will never ever reform itself out of office, not freely anywhere!
Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is now so bad that 90% of our people are now classified as poor with 34% of them living in extreme poverty; hospitals and clinics have closed due to lack of staff, medicine and equipment, hundreds are dying of curable diseases; etc.
The need to find a way out of this mess is a matter of life and death - it is that urgent. And yet neither Zanu PF and its POLAD nor MDC with its NTA seem to be in a great hurry to end the economic crisis.
If there was ever a time for the people of Zimbabwe snap out of their laid-back approach it is now. Zanu PF and MDC are wasting the nation’s time and people are dying.
“Mwana asingachemi, anofira mumbereko!” (The baby that does not cry, will die on its mother’s back!) as the Shona would say. Zimbabweans are dying because they have tolerated Zanu PF and MDC time-wasters. We can allow this to continue but at our own peril!