One of the biggest Zimbabwe foreign policy blunders the British government has ever made in the last decade was to believe Mnangagwa’s foolish rhetoric that Zimbabwe had changed for the better following the November 2017 military coup. The British believed village idiots like Professor Stephen Chan that Mnangagwa deserve a chance to prove himself.
Well; three years on, Mnangagwa has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that he is the same corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous tyrant he was during Mugabe days. A leopard will roll in elephant dung to hide its scent, it does not lose its spots too.
The British government should have listened to then Labour MP Kate Hoey who condemned Mnangagwa and his regime for blatantly rigging the July 2018 elections and recommended that the regime should receive no support. It is refreshing to see that the British government has finally come to its senses.
"The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 now provides the legal basis for the UK to impose autonomous sanctions, and we are in the process of considering our approach to the future sanctions regime in Zimbabwe,” said UK Minister of State for Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development Baroness Elizabeth Sugg.
Baroness Sugg was responding to a question raised by British MP and former anti-apartheid campaigner, Lord Peter Hain who asked what specific steps the UK government was taking to sanction Zimbabwe for gross human rights abuses.
40 years of Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical rule have left Zimbabwe in economic ruins, basic services such as education and health have all but totally collapsed and millions of Zimbabweans now live in extreme poverty. The corona virus pandemic has overlaid it own the health and economic problems turning a tragic situation into a catastrophe of Biblical proportion. Zimbabwe is standing on the edge of the precipitous abyss.
40 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship have dragged this nation to the edge of the abyss. Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies must now be stopped before they dragged the nation over the edge. All pressure must be brought to bear of Mnangagwa and company to accept the reality that economic situation in Zimbabwe is unsustainable, to accept the reality that Zanu PF dictatorship is the root cause of the economic meltdown and must therefore be dismantled.
Without meaningful democratic change, Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown will continue and drag the nation over the edge into the abyss. All pressure must therefore be brought to bear on Zanu PF to accept democratic and peaceful change now before it is too late. The targeted sanctions imposed by the west are a part of that cocktail of democratic pressure.
Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean welcomes the British government’s decision to renew the sanctions on Mnangagwa and his cronies. The alternative to peaceful pressure is the violent change brought about by street protests or worse. The consequences of violent change are death and destruction; no thinking person wants that!
The renewed sanctions must be a lot more than the token sanctions of the past to reflect the seriousness and urgency of the present situation. The sanctions must target the usual suspects but rope in new players too.
Sell-outs like Professor Mthuli Ncube and Minister Kirsty Coventry must be added to the sanctions list for working with the regime knowing fully well that it rigged the elections. And opposition leaders too must be included on the list for participating in flawed elections and thus giving the Zanu PF regime some modicum of legitimacy.
"We note, as deeply unfortunate, the implied threat of more sanctions from the UK and the assurance given to the Lords that such measures are currently under active consideration in London,” commented Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sibusiso Moyo.
“Equally unfortunate is the clear acknowledgement by the British government that it is actively engaging others, including the African Union, the European Union, the Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South Africa with a view to further intensifying pressure upon Zimbabwe.”
Zanu PF must be left in no doubt that the party will not be allowed to get away with yet another rigged elections in 2023. AU and SADC turned a blind eye to rigged 2018 elections; the British government is right in making sure that SADC and AU do not make the same mistake ever again.
It is now over two years since the rigged July 2018 elections; Zanu PF has not implemented even one reforms to ensure the 2023 elections are free, fair and credible. There is nothing to suggest the party has any intention of implemented any reforms. Zanu PF is determined to stay in power until 2023 and will go on to rig those elections.
Ideally, pressure must be brought to bear on Mnangagwa and company to step down a.s.a.p. so the country can appoint an interim administration that can bring order and sanity, end the economic and political chaos and mayhem and stop the nation taking the final step over the edge.
The interim administration will also be tasked to implemented the democratic reforms to guarantee free, fair and credible elections; the pre-requisite first step back from the brink. Free and fair elections is Zimbabwe’s ticket out of this corrupt, tyrannical and dysfunctional dictatorship into a healthy and functional democracy.
If we cannot get Zanu PF to step down and get the democratic reforms implemented before the 2023 elections then we must make damn well sure the 2023 elections are declared null and void and a Zanu PF regime declared illegitimate. The last thing Zimbabwe wants is a Zanu PF government beyond 2023; it will be the last push over the edge, if the nation has not tumble over the edge already.
@ Mathew
ReplyDelete“Sanctions have not and will not work to these guys. Instead they hurt ordinary citizens. EU and UN have proof they committed crimes against humanity, why they don't come and take them?”
Whatever sanction hardships the ordinary people have faced, they are nothing compared to the hardship the people have faced brought on by gross mismanagement and rampant corruption. In 2016 Mugabe admitted that the country was “swindled out of US$15 billion in diamond revenue alone”. I have yet to hear a sound argument to explain how the nation has lost US$10 million because of sanctions.
Of course, we are being penny wise and pound foolish in making a big song and dance about how sanctions are hurting the ordinary people and yet do little to address corruption!
I totally agree with you that the EU and UN have the evidence that Zanu PF thugs have committed crimes against humanity and I am equally disappointed they have done nothing about it.
However, I am even more disappointed at you, me and the millions of Zimbabweans out there for doing nothing about Zanu PF’s corruption, vote rigging and cold blood murders. For 40 years we have allowed Zanu PF thugs drag this nation to the very edge of the abyss. We are helpless and voiceless and voteless but only because we have chosen to be helpless.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. The EU condemned the elections as a farce. The silence from Zimbabweans out there was deafening! ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s sake!
Like it or not we are an independent nation and per se masters of our own destiny. Like it or not we are responsible for landing ourselves in this mess and, if we do not snap out of our sloth-like slumber, we will tumble over the edge into the abyss.
Zimbabwe is in a real serious economic and political mess, it has been long in coming, 40 years to be exact. This is a man-made crisis and, like all man-made problems, within the powers of man to solve; for 40 years we have done nothing. Why we have done nothing whilst unemployment soared to 90%, whilst our education and health services collapsed, etc.? Only God knows!
ReplyDeleteDigging ourselves out of this mess is going to be a Herculean task. The recovery will only start in earnest if we cure ourselves of the curse of bad governance.
Zanu PF has not only dragged us into this economic and political hell-on-earth, has no clue what to do to get us out and, worst of all, will never acknowledge it has failed much less allow peaceful change. Mnangagwa and company created this de facto one-party dictatorship and they will do everything in their power to retain absolute power at all cost.
Sure enough, there have been many opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship in the last 40 years, Zanu PF thugs are corrupt and ruthless but they are also incompetent. Sadly all the opportunities have been wasted because the opposition has been breathtakingly incompetent and the people, themselves, naive and gullible.
I totally agree, if the people of Zimbabwe do nothing to end the curse of bad governance this nation is doomed. After 40 years of twiddling our fingers, time is fast running out for us to get Zanu PF to step down. Zanu PF is counting on the opposition to participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms in place and it will be 2018 all over again.
@ Unknown
ReplyDelete“Point of correction is , if Opposition should have not participated in 2018, elections, how would you have known/seen what is happening now.
“Sell-outs, And opposition leaders too must be included on the list for participating in flawed elections and thus giving the Zanu PF regime some modicum of legitimacy”.
“The opposition participation to me was good because some of us who were not doubting that ZANU PF would rig openly, are now well educated, for the taste of pudding is in the mouth and as well they say give them enough rope to hang themselves. Opposition gave them enough rope to hang themselves, and hence giving you the opportunity to write this article.”
The opposition did not have to participate in the elections for us to know 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote, to know that ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, etc. Zanu PF knew that the party could blatantly rig the elections and still get the opposition to participate as long as they allow the opposition to win a few gravy train seats.
By participating the opposition gave credibility to the flawed elections and, by extension, legitimacy to the Zanu PF regime. What is more, the opposition knew these things as David Coltart admitted in his book.
It is interesting to note that many Zimbabweans are refusing to accept that the opposition leaders sold-out even with the leaders themselves admitting it - proof of have a naive and gullible the electorate. Democracy requires an informed and diligent electorate, something we clearly do not have!
GOVERNMENT yesterday admitted there was a crisis in the education sector and was working towards addressing grievances raised by teachers who downed tools last month demanding a living wage.
ReplyDeleteTeachers downed tools last month when schools reopened for examination classes and have vowed to stay away until government reviews their salaries to at least US$520.
The industrial action has left students unattended, with some reportedly engaging in drug and sexy orgies. Primary and Secondary minister Cain Mathema early this week denied that there is chaos in schools, insisting that teachers were reporting for duty.
However, his deputy Edgar Moyo yesterday told delegates during commemorations of the World Teachers' Day that all was not well in the education sector.
"Government is aware of the challenges that teachers are facing and is working hard to improve teacher welfare issues," Moyo said.
"We need to think beyond the COVID-19 and work to build greater resilience on our education system so we can respond quickly and effectively to these and other crises. This means protecting education financing, investing in high-quality teacher workforce as well as improving the welfare of the teachers.”
Zimbabwe’s education and health services have all but completely collapsed. They collapsed decades ago and have just been ticking along and everyone has been pretending nothing is wrong.
What kind of nation will this be with no educated citizens and no health care?
"That history has been preserved. One would expect that there should be excellent relations between us and those who came after King George VI."
ReplyDeleteRhodes, who was born in 1853 and died in 1902 was an imperialist, businessman and politician who played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th century, leading the invasion of Zimbabwe by colonialists.
He founded the De Beers diamond firm which until recently controlled global trade and his remains lie interred at Matopo.
"I have been shown the coach which King George VI used to come here and use with the King George family, including Queen Elizabeth, when she was a young girl. Pictures are here, the utensils they used for diner, lunch for breakfast; all those things are here. We have looked after these things for nearly 100 years now or thereabout," Mnangagwa said. "I am happy that I have been able to see the coach which was used to colonise us.”
How ironic that Zanu PF takes great pride in taking five star care of Cecil John Rhodes and King George VI memorabilia but has completely ignored the basic needs of millions of ordinary Zimbabweans. Unemployment has soared to the nauseating heights of 90%, education and health care have all but collapsed, etc.
Many Zimbabweans have lost their lives since independence at the hands of this Zanu PF regime for selfish political gain.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and political paralysis is because Zimbabwe is stuck with a corrupt, tyrannical and failed political system. The people have failed to remove Zanu PF from office all these last 40 years because the party rigged the elections.
The British government is rightly concerned that Zanu PF has continued to ride roughshod over the ordinary Zimbabweans denying them their basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life.
Only a village idiot would argue that the world should turn a blind eye to heart breaking suffering of millions of Zimbabweans at Zanu PF’s hands just because the regime is looking after 100 year old the train coaches and utensils!
@ Mete
ReplyDelete“It’s as evil as the writer of this sanctions celebration.”
Zimbabwe is in a real economic and political mess, this did not happen in the last year or decade but over 40 years.The country is looking over the edge into the abyss, one more step forward and we will tumble over.
Zanu PF got us into this mess and it is naive to think the regime will get us out of the mess. All Mnangagwa and his cronies care about is to retain absolute power at all cost, this is why the regime must step down and allow the nation to step back from the abyss.
It is very sad indeed that even now, at this the 59th minute of the 11th hour some people refuse to open their eyes. we up the business end of the gun.