"Imposing sanctions of Zanu PF for human rights abuses is not the solution" - rubbish, punishment is tripod tenet rule of law stand W Mukori

 

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" Is rightly considered the "Golden Rule" because it is the fountain of all just, fair and peaceful human relations; the fountain on which human civilization is build.

 

Like all rules, the Golden Rule is there to protect the just against the unjust and the weak against the strong, the fair against the unfair and the peace loving against those who would disrupt the peace for whatever reasons. There are unjust and selfish individuals out there who, if left to do as their please, will spoil everything for us all.

 

It is therefore imperative that those who break the Golden Rule must be punished. The punishment must serve two purposes; to reprimand the wrongdoer and thus making it clear their behaviour will not be tolerated. The punishment must assure the victims and society at large that the lawlessness will not happen again and, if practical, compensate the victim(s) of their lose.

 

The Golden Rule is common sense really. Sadly, many societies, nations, etc. have descended into chaos and lawlessness with some of them stuck there for generations because they have failed to apply common sense. It is not so much that these societies have failed to grasp the essence of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!” They grasped all that! They have fallen flat on the faces on policing and enforcing the Golden Rule.

 

So, the Golden Rule alone is not enough to guarantee justice, peace, liberty, progress and prosperity for all. The Golden Rule must be policed and enforced without fear or favour. That too is common sense!

 

There is no denying Zimbabwe is a Banana Republic, a failed state, a pariah state, ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs who have been rigging elections to extend their tyrannical rule. The Golden Rule has been corrupted the wicked rule the roost. There is no justice, no peace and no progress.

 

The few ruling elite have become filthy rich at the expense of the majority who have been denied their freedoms, human rights and dignity. 41 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption  

And rank lawlessness have all but destroyed the country’s once robust and promising economy. 50% of our people are now living in abject poverty and basic services like education and health care have collapsed after decades of being starved of funds.

 

Zimbabwe is standing on the edge of the precipitous abyss; the decades of corrupt and tyrannical rule have brought us here. There is only so much human beings can endure before they rebel and all hell breaks lose. Rebellion transforms rational humans into a lawless mob hell bend on death and destruction. Zimbabweans have been pushed well beyond the limit of endurance. We must act quickly to restore the rule of law and walk away from the edge of the abyss.

 

"The findings of the United states on human rights abuses in Zimbabwe are correct and everyone wants a situation where we don't continue on that path," acknowledged Lovemore Madhuku, National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader and a member of Mnangagwa’s POLAD.

 

Madhuku was commenting on the recent USA report castigating the Zanu PF regime for its repeated human rights violations. The Americans have made it clear they will not lift the economic sanctions impose of the regime until there are democratic reforms and good governance in Zimbabwe.

 

"The re-engagement efforts must not be affected by the human rights issues,” argued Madhuku, according to The Standard.

 

"There must continue to be reengagement, but the fact that there are human rights abuses must not justify the continuation of sanctions.

 

"Their approach to punish by imposing sanctions is not the way. You keep pointing them out and ensuring that Zimbabweans themselves are alert.

"For example, let us convince those that continue to vote for Zanu PF not to do so and let us continue to have reforms and push for electoral reforms and political reforms so that the next elections will be better and ultimately the solution to end all this is to change the government in the future.”

 

Madhuku’s arguments must be dismissed with the contempt they rightly deserve for two reasons:

 

1)     Madhuku does not deny that Zanu PF is a repeat abuser of human rights notable denying the ordinary Zimbabweans the right to a meaningful vote and good governance. For 41 years and counting Zanu PF has blatantly rigged elections and has, to this day, stubbornly refused to implement any democratic reforms. To argue that the regime should not be punished for its contemptuous disregard of the rule of law and the heart-breaking human suffering and deaths the decades of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule have brought is foolish.

 

It is the more contemptuous considering Madhuku is a Law Professor! One shudders to think what he is teaching his students if he is against punishment, one of the trio tenets without which rule of law cannot stand.

 

2)     “Let us continue to have reforms and push for electoral reforms and political reforms!” This is laughable if this was not such a life and death matter! The MDC leaders had five years to table reform proposals during the 2008 to 2013 GNU; they did not have to “push” Zanu PF then. They failed to table even one token reform in five years.

 

And ever since the GNU debacle, the MDC and the rest in the opposition camp, including Madhuku, have all participated in the flawed and illegal elections for the sake of few gravy train seats, a cut of the Political Party Finance Act budget allocation and, for presidential candidates, a seat on POLAD.

 

By participating in the flawed elections the opposition have given credibility to the process and legitimacy to the results. As long as Zanu PF is assured of the opposition’s participation and legitimacy the party will never ever implement any reforms. The opposition is not doing anything to end Zanu PF’s corrupt and tyrannical rule; they doing the exact opposite, they are perpetuating Zanu PF’s tyrannical rule.

 

Instead of lifting the sanctions imposed on Zanu PF leaders, the Americans and their Western allies must increase the sanctions and make them bite. Indeed, there is good reason to extent the sanctions to include the opposition leaders who have taken it upon themselves to frustrate efforts to pressure Zanu PF to implement reforms.

 

The worst this to happen to Zimbabwe today would be for all those in a position to punish Zanu PF thugs, for their contemptuous disregard of the Golden Rule, to let the rogues go scot-free!