Thursday 20 February 2020 Meeting Talking points

Thursday 20 February 2020 Meeting Talking points 

After the November military coup that remove the late President Robert Mugabe after 37 year in office, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. Sadly, he did not honour his promise. 

If he had done so, he would have done the most honourable act comparable to former South Africa President Frederik Willem de Klerk’s 2 February 1990 speech announcing the dismantling of that country’s apartheid regime. 

Whilst many would argue that the apartheid system was doomed to fail there is no doubt its defeat was going to be a long and blood slog because South Africa was, in 1990, still formidable military and economic power. President de Klerk and his followers had the foresight to acknowledge apartheid was doomed, the courage to dismantle the system rather than drag the nation through any more years of bitterness, death and destruction before finally accepting change. 

For the foresight and the courage to do the right thing, President de Klerk was certainly a worthy winner of the Noble Peace Prize and will be rightly honoured in South Africa for many generations.

If President Mnangagwa had honoured his promise and held free, fair and credible elections, I would be campaigning for him and his team to be honoured in Zimbabwe for all times. Indeed, for all its worth, add my name as a worthy recipient of the Noble Peace Prize! For such is the critical importance of Zimbabwe being holding the country’s first ever free, fair and credible elections!

Implement the democratic reforms necessary for holding free, fair and credible elections and the country will cast off it pariah state label, have the hope to end corruption, have the key to open the doors so we can claim “Zimbabwe is open for business!” and mean it. Until then, Zimbabwe will remain a pariah state doom to sink deeper and deeper into this economic and political hell-on-earth, the de facto one-party dictatorship, bestowed on the nation by Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF cronies. 

The implementation of the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections is the Holy Grail for Zimbabwe; nothing, absolutely nothing of any value can ever be accomplished until we deliver free, fair and credible elections. Zimbabwe is a very sick nation, many innocent people are suffering and many are dying and free, fair and credible elections is the cure the nation is dying for!

There are three possible causes of actions to get the reform implemented that suggest themselves:

1. Let Zanu PF implement the reforms

Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections and installed itself as the fait accompli government. The EU, Americans, the Commonwealth and other observers condemned the election as a farce. The Americans refused to lift the sanctions imposed of Zanu PF leaders but could do little else, particularly since Zimbabwe’s opposition parties were oblivious to the flaws and illegalities. 

The accepted position was to pressure Zanu PF to implement the reforms. 

One and half years since the July 2018 elections, Zanu PF has not implemented even one reform.

It is no exaggeration to say Zanu PF would rather destroy Zimbabwe than see someone else rule it. The party leaders believe Zimbabwe is their personal property as the ones who liberated the country from white colonial rule. 

Whatever debt of gratitude the people owed to Zanu PF, it has been paid a thousand times over in treasure, human suffering and even human lives. It is intolerable that Zanu PF should be allow to hold the nation to ransom even for one more day. 

2. Let Nelson Chamisa’s MDC A implement the reforms

MDC A and the rest of the opposition has accepted the 2018 parliamentary election results giving Zanu PF more than 2/3 majority. MDC A is planning to pressure the Zanu PF controlled parliament to implement the democratic reforms. Zanu PF will never ever reform itself out of office. Zanu PF also knows that even if the party does not implement any reforms MDC A will still participate in the 2023 elections, just as the party has done in 2013 and then 2018 elections.

3. Appoint an independent body, free of Zanu PF influence, to implement the reforms

An independent body composed of Zimbabweans supported by a team of specialists seconded from the UN and other institutions and nations can be tasked to implement the reforms leading to the holding of free, fair and credible elections. 

The details of the composition of the independent body, its mandate, etc. can be worked out latter.

What the British can do to help sell the idea of the independent body:

1. Zimbabwe is facing serious economic meltdown, unemployment has soared to 90%, the country’s education and health care have all but collapsed, etc., etc. and as long as the country remains a pariah state the situation will only get worse. Zimbabwe is a slow acting disaster that is getting worse and worse which the country, the region and the world at large  can only ignore at their peril.

2. The setting up of the independent body be seen as serious act of intend to break the vicious cycle which has allowed Zanu PF rig elections and stay in power for 40 years. Whilst the international community will help Zimbabwe get a fresh start, it will not assist a pariah state. 

3. Now that the UK has left the EU, the British government must act decisively and reinstate all those Zanu PF individuals and entities on the previous targeted sanctions list. Other Zanu PF leaders to add to the list are people like Professor Mthuli Ncube, the 24 members President Advisory Council, etc. who are working with the regime knowing fully well it is illegitimate.

4. The MDC leaders have sold-out by failing to implement the democratic reforms when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the 2008 GNU. Their participation in the 2013 and 2018 election knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and that by participating they were giving legitimacy to the flawed and illegal process is unforgivable. MDC leaders but be added to the sanctions list, even is the move is largely symbolic.

5. Time is of the essence, many Zimbabweans are demanding dialogue between Zanu PF and MDC, this is just desperate people doing desperate things. The dialogue will result in a new Zanu PF and MDC GNU which will never implement the reforms as stated above. It is therefore important that a viable option is put on the table a.s.a.p.