“Only Zanu-PF and MDC-T will share the $100 million allocated in the 2021 National Budget under the Political Parties Finance Act as all other parties failed to get at least five percent of the constituency votes in the 2018 election,” reported Herald.
“The $25 million budget of last year was quadrupled to $100 million in this year's budget to help compensate for inflation. The constituent parties that made up the MDC-Alliance are treated separately for the purposes of sharing the money, which is why only the largest, the MDC-T, exceeded the five percent threshold.”
In 2019 MDC-T got $3.4 millions and as the party’s leader then, Nelson Chamisa, reportedly got 20% or $680 000! Douglas Mwonzora is the new leader and, no doubt, he is rubbing his hands in gleeful anticipation of the $2.72 million!
Some people have often asked why the various MDC factions and the rest in the opposition camp participated in the 2013 elections even when it was clear Zanu PF was rigging the elections. Here is half the answer, they had their beady eyes on the annual Political Party Finance Act (PPFA) payout. And for the lucky few who go on to win the few parliamentary and senatorial seats there is the generous salary and allowances.
Ever since the 2008 to 2013 GNU Zanu PF has learned that the party can retain its dictatorial powers and rig the elections just as it did in 2008 but this time get away without any censor as long as the party enticed the opposition to participate in the elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process happened to be.
Zanu PF had just the honey pot to entice the opposition - the few gravy train seats plus the annual payout from the PPFA. A small price to pay for political legitimacy for the vote rigging Zanu PF!
Morgan Tsvangirai complained that Zanu PF “stole the 2013 elections” and his party made a congress resolution not to participate in future elections until the reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging are implemented. “No reform! No Elections!”
Tsvangirai and company soon forgot about the party resolution on reforms as they all geared up to contest the 2018 elections; the Zanu PF honey pot was just too enticing to resist!
Zanu PF leaders, for their part, are so cocksure of the opposition participating and giving them legitimacy they have dismissed those calling for reforms with contempt!
“Zanu PF ichatonga! Igotonga! Imi muchingohukura! Nokuhukura!” (Zanu PF will rule! And rule! Whilst you (calling for reforms) bark! And bark!) Mnangagwa has often boasted, publicly.
Zanu PF failed to produce something as basic and fundamental to free, fair and credible elections as a verified voters’ roll; a legal and common sense requirement. And still the opposition participated and in droves.
There were 23 candidates in the presidential race and 130 political parties and numerous independent candidates contested for the 210 parliamentary seats. Mnangagwa presented these figures as proof the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible!
“It is our hope that Treasury disburses the (PPFA) money early so that the political parties concerned will be able to carry out their duties. We will obviously engage Treasury with regard to that issue," said Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
No need to worry Minister!
Treasury has rarely, paid more than 20% or so of the budget allocation for such ministries as education and health and hence the reason why education and health care have all but collapsed. But when it comes to paying politicians their salaries, allowance, PPFA payout, etc. Treasury has always paid every penny and quick smart.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown; which has left over 50% of our people living in abject poverty; is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The country has been stuck for 40 years now with a corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime and the criminal waste of the nation’s human and material resources has left the country in economic ruins. We have failed to remove Zanu PF from power because the party rigged the elections.
The nation had its best opportunity to end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when all Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were tasked to do was implement the democratic reforms. MDC leaders have not only failed to implement even one reform but they are now giving the vote rigging Zanu PF regime legitimacy by participating in flawed and illegal elections.
Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A, Douglas Mwonzora and his MDC-T and all the other 23 candidates in July 2018 presidential race, the 130 political parties and numerous independent candidates in the 210 parliamentary races are all gearing for the 2023 elections. They all know with not even one token reform implemented, Zanu PF will rig the elections; they don’t care. All they care about is the honey pot of the few gravy train seats plus the PPFA payout!
After 40 years of rigged elections, it is for the ordinary Zimbabweans to end this madness by demand that the country’s opposition politicians place implementing the democratic reforms and delivering free, fair and credible above the selfish personal gains. Zimbabweans must withhold their support to all parties and individuals unless they give a cast-iron guarantee they will not participate in future elections until reforms are implemented.
Zanu PF has the coercive means to force people to attend its rallies but not so with the opposition. A discredited opposition cannot give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy!
Last time MDC-T got $3.4 million and as leader of the party, Nelson Chamisa got 20% or $680 000. So this time Mwonzora as the new leader will get $2.72 million! No wonder these opposition parties and individuals have been participating in these elections regardless of Zanu PF rigging; they have been after the PPFA payout plus the generous salary and allowances the winning MPs and Senators get!
ReplyDeleteMDC leaders have all but abandoned the fight for free, fair and credible elections in return for a share of the spoils of power Zanu PF.
It is shocking that many Zimbabweans out there still have no clue what the 2008 to 2013 GNU was about and much less that MDC leaders sold out.
Zanu PF is using taxpayers’ money to bribe MDC leaders to continue participating in flawed and illegal elections and the voters are not aware they are paying MDC leaders to sell-out on free and fair elections. No wonder the country is in a mess!
There is no doubt that Mugabe knew Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC friends were corrupt, the could be bought given the right bribe, and incompetent, they would have no clue of the issues at stake and so, like a child, would give up the priceless toy for the empty box. But even Mugabe must have worried that not all MDC leaders will be corrupt and incompetent much less that they will all remain thus for the five years of the GNU, especially given the constant nagging by SADC leaders, reminding MDC leaders to implement the reforms.
ReplyDeleteMugabe and his Zanu PF cronies could not believe it when MDC leaders ignored SADC leaders’ warning not to participate in the 2013 elections and they all duly submitted their nomination forms. As David Coltart readily admitted in his book, each one of the MDC leaders could not do the right thing and boycott the flawed elections because they hoped to win the gravy train seat for themselves.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” wrote Senator Coltart.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
By selling-out on reforms and on the fight for free, fair and credible elections the nation has found itself stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime. Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are getting what they wanted the right to rule and rule plus all the looted wealth that comes with it. Mwonzora, Chamisa, Biti and the rest in the opposition fight over the honey pot scraps Zanu PF throws at them. The big losers are the ordinary Zimbabweans who lives are hell-on-earth because they are stuck with Zanu PF dictatorship.
Zimbabweans have only themselves to blame for the economic and political mess they are in. It beggars belief why so many Zimbabweans have no clue what constitutes free elections, what the 2008 GNU was about, etc.; even with the benefit of hindsight. These issues are not rocket science, for Pete’s sake!
No nation on earth can ever have a healthy and functioning democracy with such a naive and gullible electorate, especially with such vultures for political leaders circling. Zimbabweans will have to snap out of their sloth-like mental slumber or there will be no end to their suffering.
If Zimbabweans allow themselves to be dragged into yet another meaningless elections by the opportunists opposition politicians it is their fault, they have been warned!
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has claimed that rival Zanu-PF is working flat out to "obliterate" his formation from the political landscape as it fears a strong opposition.
ReplyDeleteHe alleged that Zanu-PF was in league with MDC-T to achieve its aim.
In his first public communication this year through a letter to Zimbabweans titled ‘The Fog will soon clear' on Thursday, Chamisa said his formation is deliberately being targeted at but has remained "calm and resolute, not because we are unable to respond, but because we know the game they are playing".
Without mentioning names but seemingly referring to MDC-T, he claimed it is a Zanu-PF project but a ‘fog that will soon clear".
"ZANU-PF has never been comfortable with strong opposition. They aim to build an opposition that they control. This is the sole purpose of the project that they have moulded with our erstwhile colleagues," he wrote.
What is Chamisa blubbering about “strong opposition”! MDC is not and has never been a “strong opposition party!”
The divisions that have torn MDC apart these last two years have been self-inflicted and by none other than Chamisa himself. He can blame Zanu PF all he wishes but the fact remains that his seizure of power after Tsvangirai’s death was in violation of the party’s constitution.
It was then USA Ambassador to Zimbabwe 2004 to 2007, Chris Dell, who said in a leaked cable to Washington that the now late Morgan Tsvangirai was “a flawed and indecisive character who will become an albatross round the nation’s neck if he ever got into power.
Tsvangirai and his MDC friends did get into power and they failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Worst still the MDC are the ones giving legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF by participating in flawed election.
Chamisa and his MDC A are gearing to participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms implemented.
Ambassador Dell was right, MDC leaders, not just Tsvangirai, are now the milestone dragging the nation into the abyss.
The country is in this mess because the Zimbabweans themselves have failed to see MDC leaders for the corrupt and incompetent individuals they are. And unless they snap out of their sloth-like slumber MDC will drag the nation deeper and deeper into the abyss.
@ Matthew
ReplyDeleteAs much as Zimbabweans hate Zanu PF it is nonetheless foolish to be blind to the reality that voting for MDC has solved anything of substance. After 20 years of risking life and limb voting for MDC and with nothing to show for it; Zimbabweans must now abandon the foolish notion that anyone as long as he/she is not Zanu PF will do.
Like it or not MDC leaders are not going to implement the democratic reforms and deliver free and fair elections.
We need to look for quality opposition if we are ever going to get out of this mess.
Since 1999 we have managed to sustain this struggle and give hope to our people because we have successfully managed to outwit the regime by always electing and following a genuine political leader who can’t be bought by the regime to sell out the struggle. We succeeded with President Morgan Tsvangirai and we will succeed with President Nelson Chamisa.
ReplyDeleteOur Number one asset is our Leader. Even all other leaders are bought and we remain with him alone and the People Tinosvika Chete.
MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and thus end the Zanu PF culture of rigging elections during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. The party failed to implement even one reform in five years because Mugabe bribed the party leaders with the trappings of high office, the ministerial limos, the generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. And in return Tsvangirai and company forgot about the reforms for five years of the GNU. If that is not selling out, then what is?
MDC A are gearing to participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms in place and thus drag the nation into yet another meaningless election process out of greed.
MDC leaders will never deliver free, fair and credible elections. Never ever!
Many Zimbabweans are waking up to the reality that MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent and to the need for democratic reforms and quality leaders.
Police yesterday arrested Chin'ono and were reportedly hunting down MDC Alliance national vice-chairperson Job Sikhala over their social media comments on a report claiming that a Harare police officer killed a nine-month old baby using a truncheon.
ReplyDeleteChin'ono's lawyer, Doug Coltart confirmed the arrest. He said he was at the police's Law and Order Section.
"Yes, he has been arrested, and is charged with publishing falsehoods," Coltart said.
In a tweet, Chin'ono said he was being charged with publishing falsehoods for tweeting that a child had been beaten up by a police officer.
Sikhala also raised an alarm on Twitter that police were hunting for him over the same allegations.
"I am gathering that after my arrest they want to expose me to COVID-19. If anything happens to me, let it be known to Zimbabweans that I am COVID-19-free as I speak," he claimed.
Yeah we are stuck with a vote rigging regime obsessed about hanging on to power and so it is harassing people at every turn to cow down everyone.
Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections and we should have forced the regime to step down but failed to do so because by participating in the elections the opposition gave Zanu PF legitimacy!
Job Sikhala, Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa and the 23 presidential and parliamentary candidates in the 2018 elections; can anyone of you tell me what the opposition has accomplished by participating in an elections process we all knew was flawed and illegal? All you lot ever accomplished was to give legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF regime!
It is an outrage that MDC A and the rest of the opportunists in the opposition camp are gearing to participate in the 2023 elections for no other reasons than to share the spoils of power with Zanu PF at great expense to us all!
@ Mbofana
ReplyDeleteOf course, one main lesson to take from the South African experience is that, "repeating the same thing, yet expecting a different result" is pure madness - considering that, their struggle for democracy took on varied forms, strategies, and tactics, as previous means proved unworkable and failing to yield the desired results.
Yet, in Zimbabwe, we appear to be perpetually trapped in the same old strategies and tactics in our own fight for a better Zimbabwe for all, and a Zimbabwe where there are none who are more equal than others.
We have solely relied on elections for change - that have, repeatedly being rigged, with an unfair and unequal playing field, captured state media and institutions, deployment of ruling party militia and security forces to intimidate and brutalize opposition activists, supporters, and ordinary citizens, as well as traditional leaders abused into coercing villagers (through open threats, and partisan distribution of state assistance).
We have tried boycotts - that have yielded nothing of significance, as the formal employment base that these were largely premised on, has all been decimated through government mismanagement of the economy.
We have tried demonstrations - which, have been met with disproportionate force, as people have been shot dead, in cold-blood by security forces
The 2008 elections with its blatant cheating; took Mnangagwa six weeks to water down Tsvangirai’s 73% vote, by Mugabe’s own Freudian slip; and wanton violence in the run-off to finally force SADC and AU leaders to accept Zanu PF rigged elections.
SADC forced Mugabe to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA) agreeing to the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms designed to end the culture of rigged elections. The GPA was not perfect much less ideal but it did contain the most essential requirement - democratic reforms.
Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were tasked to implement the reforms and they failed to get even one reform implemented in five years! The GPA was our get out of jail card and MDC sold-out big time!
Talk of “pure madness” of repeating the same mistake over and over again that is exactly what MDC and the rest of the opposition opportunists have been doing in participating in elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging them.
Zanu PF learned during the GNU that the party can keep its vote rigging powers and MDC leaders will participate in the flawed elections regardless as long as Zanu PF allowed them to win a few gravy train seats. By participating in these flawed and illegal elections MDC is giving the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.
The most outrageous thing Zimbabweans can do is to allow themselves to be dragged by Zanu PF and its sell-out opposition cohorts into yet another meaningless election in 2023. If the 2023 elections go ahead with no reforms then the plebiscite must be declared null and void.
We know, or should know by now after 40 years of independence and in this day and age, what constitutes free, fair and credible elections. The real test here is not of our political resolve but rather whether we have any common sense to stand up and say enough is enough to the madness of 40 years of rigged elections.
@ Clifford
ReplyDelete“One thing that Zimbabweans without doubt know very well is that President Advocate Nelson Chamisa resoundingly defeated Mnangagwa in the 31 July 2018 elections.”
This is rubbish and you should be ashamed of yourself repeating such nauseating nonsense! No one not even ZEC or Nelson Chamisa himself “knows” what happened in the July 2018 elections because there were “numerous errors and the process was not transparent, could not be traced and verified”, as the EU Observer Mission rightly stated in its final report.
ZEC admitted it affidavit submission to the ConCourt that it had 90% or so V11 forms, the Polling Station summary vote count, and hence the reason the commission had three different vote tallies for presidential candidates. Chamisa too failed to produce the V11 forms to support his vote tally. And so to keep claiming that anyone “knows very well” the results of a rigged elections so flawed and illegal it is a mockery to democratic elections is foolishness!
Chamisa insisted in participating in the July 2018 elections because “MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections”, he claimed. We now know that he was lying!
Chamisa and his fellow MDC friends have been participating in flawed and illegal elections because they know Zanu PF will give away a few gravy train seats plus a share of the annual Political Party Finance Act payout, a honey pot the opposition could not resist.
Chamisa and company are gearing to participate in the 2023 elections, knowing fully well that Zanu PF will once again rig the elections. But, of course, Chamisa will claim MDC A will win the rigged elections.
After 40 years of rigged elections Zimbabweans must now insist on reforms being implemented before the next elections and dismiss this nonsense of winning rigged elections.
The opposition has been on the back foot ever since the rigged 2018 elections and thus highlighting the folly of participating in the July 2018 elections. There is really nothing of substance that the opposition, giving Zanu PF's 2/3 majority, could accomplish.
ReplyDeleteAll the opposition achieved by participating in the flawed elections was to give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. The opposition were after the few seats Zanu PF has been offering as bait and Job Sikhala was one of the few beneficiary of the Zanu PF honey pot.
Job Sikhala and company are gearing up for the 2023 elections with no reforms in place for the same selfish reason - the few gravy train seats on offer.
Zimbabweans must put their foot down and demand the implementation of the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections and end this madness of 40 years of rigged and meaningless elections.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has waded into a potentially explosive diplomatic tiff between Zanu-PF and the ANC over threats by Zanu-PF to "leak a bombshell" that would expose and embarrass South Africa's ruling party.
ReplyDeleteRamaphosa yesterday came out guns blazing, daring Zanu-PF's director of information Tafadzwa Mugwadi to come out with his "bombshell" and reveal the "real reason" which he claimed was behind his party's visit to Zimbabwe last year.
Mugwadi has threatened to expose the ANC's alleged sinister agenda behind their trip to Zimbabwe last year. The threat was an angry reaction to what Mugwadi views as hostile reportage against Zanu-PF by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. He is demanding that the ANC intervenes to stop SABC News reporter Sophie Mokoena from reporting what Zanu-PF deems is fake news about the goings-on in Zimbabwe.
Everyone knows that Zanu PF play dirty and President Ramaphosa should know this by now. He can deny it all he wants but everyone knows that he has not send back his envoys for the return visit as promised because he and his messengers were roughed up big time last year.
The most foolish thing President Ramaphosa ever did was to endorse Zanu PF’s rigged July 2018 elections. “The elections went well,” he said. That emboldened Mnangagwa and his thank you was to kick Ramaphosa in the teeth!
Of course, Mnangagwa rigged the July 2018 elections; ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. Ramaphosa should have kept his big mouth shut if he did not want to speak the truth!
Yesterday, political analysts told the Daily News On Sunday that all these developments were a sign that political dialogue, and possibly another government of national unity (GNU), could happen this year.
ReplyDelete"It is the first time that the ruling party has warmly welcomed the election of a leader of the opposition … This may suggest that the MDC … can work together in some kind of an alliance with Zanu PF, either to strengthen the already existing arrangement, Polad - which Mwonzora has not really said he has problems with - or some form of an inclusive government," University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, said.
However, the highly-regarded academic also pointed out that such a development would favour Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.
"Such arrangement will be whereby the MDC … will be a junior partner, because it is not possible to go in bed with Zanu PF on an equal footing at this point, and many are not sure that the opposition will come out of it unscathed," Masunungure added.
Zimbabwe is stuck in this economic and political hell-hole for many reasons and one of which is the inability to look at things objectively, a pre-requisite for one to learn from the past and their own mistakes. For 40 years and counting we have repeated the same foolish mistakes over and over again ad nauseam.
The country had a Zanu PF and MDC GNU in 2008 to 2013 and it failed to implement even one meaningful reform. Not one! And yet we have heard calls for a new GNU again and again. And to make matters worse these foolish calls have been coming from the very people one would expect to be objective and have some common sense, at least!