There is a real danger of Zimbabwe sending the wrong and confused message to SADC and the international community at large; yet again. SADC and the world at large want to know whether Zimbabweans want the 2023 elections to go ahead without any democratic reforms implemented, yet again as happened in 2013 and 2018?
In 2013 SADC leaders told Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to their faces, not to participate in the 2013 elections until the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF blatantly cheating and using wanton violence, as happened in the 2008 elections. “If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!” the MDC leader were told.
As we all know, MDC leader paid no heed and participated in the 2013 elections. Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig those elections, as SADC leaders had rightly predicted.
Zimbabwe’s opposition opportunists led by Nelson Chamisa and his MDC Alliance went on to participate in the 2018 elections with not even a token democratic reform implemented. “MDC A has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” Chamisa announced, boastfully.
Yet again, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the 2018 elections!
“The electoral commission (Zimbabwe Election Commission) lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” state the EU Election Mission Final Report.
“Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
The EU report contained a string on recommendations designed to ensure the next elections meet international standards. Sadly not even one of the reforms have seen the light of day.
Both SADC, the EU and everyone else with any democratic credential worth a spit have made it clear that it is nonsensical to keep participating in an election process so flawed the “election is done” before the first ballot is even cast!
Still, the final decision to participate or to demand the reforms before the elections is for the people of Zimbabwe themselves to make. And so far, Zimbabwe’s opposition camp led by the main MDC faction parties, have participated in these flawed and illegal elections. By participating, the opposition have given legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF. What is really outrageous about all this is that the MDC leaders know all this!
“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 (2013) elections,” wrote David Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“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.”
This was just a feeble excuse for participating because four of the MDC factions did come to gather to form the MDC A before the 2018 elections. They went on to participate in the elections for the reason reason they had participated in 2013 and had stopped them implementing even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU - greed.
Zanu has offered a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate and MDC leaders have found the bait irresistible.
Make no mistake about it Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A are participating in the 2023 elections with no reforms in place!
“NGIYABONGA…THANK YOU MATEBELELAND.THANK YOU ZIMBABWE. It has been a memorable tour and interface. You warmly welcomed us.
You spoke. We shared joy, ideas and wisdom. We listened and heard you. Citizens together can never be defeated. #siyanqoba #KangeneUjaha #CCC- Advocate Nelson Chamisa” said Nelson Chamisa on twitter.
What SADC , EU and the rest of the international community must understand is that Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A and all those opposition opportunists participating in these flawed elections to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy no longer truly represent the ordinary Zimbabweans. Chamisa and company sold out by failing to implement reforms and are selling outs now on the common cause of implementing reforms and free elections.
The number one question SADC, EU, etc. must answer is how long are you going to continue to punish the ordinary Zimbabweans for the sins of MDC leaders?
Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A know that Zanu PF is rigging these election and they are participating regardless out of greed.
ReplyDelete“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 (2013) elections,” wrote David Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“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.”
"Citizens together can never be defeated!" Yeah right! Zanu PF has remained in power these last 41 years not because the people had failed to come together but because Zanu PF rigged elections. Zanu PF is once again rigging these elections and MDC A are giving Zanu PF legitimacy by participating in the flawed process!
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa's "Zimbabwe is open for business" mantra has placed the whole country "under siege" with women in mining communities the worst affected, rights activists have said.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking in Harare yesterday at the launch of the "Right to Say No" national campaign for women affected by extractive industries in Zimbabwe, Farai Maguwa who is the director for Centre for Natural Resources Governance, said Mnangagwa's "open for business" mantra had done more harm than good to mining communities.
This is a regime with a propensity to blunder from pillar to post! “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was supposed to attract investors but no investor worth his salt was ever fooled by the regime. The could see nothing of substance had change in the country, the country was still a pariah state or be it under new management.
It is not surprising that many of the so-call new investors where the cowboys coming in to loot are get away as soon as possible!
Most of the cases in South Africa have been from its most populated province, Gauteng, of which Johannesburg is the capital city.
ReplyDeleteOnly about 24% of South Africa's population is fully vaccinated, which could see a rapid spread of cases there, Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M), told the BBC on Friday.
In Hong Kong, the variant spread during hotel quarantine between a person who had arrived from South Africa and another hotel guest who tested positive a few days later, the Department of Health revealed. Both were fully vaccinated.
Israel's PM Naftali Bennett said on Friday it is "on the verge of a state of emergency" regarding the new variant, and that he would "act fast, strong and now".
One case was detected in a person who returned from Malawi, according to Israeli media reports quoting the country's health ministry. Another two suspected infections were yet to be confirmed with test results. All three are said to have been fully vaccinated.
This is a very worrying development! So far, for whatever reasons, most African countries had managed to escape the high covid-19 mortalities seen in other parts of the world. This variant may well constitute the variant that will sweep the continent like a wild fire. Africa with its very weak economic and health care service - will be hit hard!
TREASURY has allocated $11 billion to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to carry out its activities that include conducting by-elections next year.
ReplyDeleteThe by-elections, which will be held during the first quarter of 2022, were necessitated by recalls of MDC-T members from Parliament and local authorities while other seats became vacant through death.
A total $7,75 billion was allocated for preparatory works for the 2023 elections while $3,25 billion was for holding of by-elections next year.
Give that not even one token reform has been implemented to ensure free, fair and credible elections this is just one expense but utterly meaningless ritual that the country can do without particularly with the threat of covid-19 still hanging over our heads!
"If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!" SADC leaders told Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders. The ELECTIONS ARE DONE that is truly putting it bluntly, loud and crystal clear. Of course, even the slow and dunderheads in the MDC leadership could not have failed to comprehend what was said.
ReplyDeleteThere is one reason why MDC leaders had no choice but to participate in an election process they had just been assure Zanu PF was going to rig and they were certain to lose big time. It was one thing asking for elections to be postpone “to implement democratic reforms” but another when it became clear there were no outstanding reforms t be implemented. Indeed, it turned out that MDC leaders had ever submitted even one reform proposal in the five years of the GNU.
When the SADC leaders heard MDC had never submitted even one reform proposal in five years, they too gave up pushing to have the elections postponed. This also explains the complete about turn by the regional body. They endorse the July 2013 Zimbabwe elections “substantially free and fair”; elections they had correctly predicted would be rigged and were rigged. Why?
The reason for SADC leaders’ volte-face in endorsing elections they knew Zanu PF had rigged was simple enough; in Zimbabwe politics there was only one political player of substance Zanu PF, MDC was a total waste of space.
But I totally agree by endorsing the Zanu PF rigged elections SADC leaders were not only punishing MDC leaders but the ordinary Zimbabweans too whose lives corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule has turned into hell-on-earth.
SADC should just confine themselves to pronouncing judgement on the conduct of the 2023 elections and not worry themselves about the consequences of judging the elections were rigged. They must leave Zimbabweans ourselves to sort out the “what then” if the elections are rigged.
The country has so far recorded 133 951 cases, 4 705 deaths and 128 646 recoveries. The national recovery rate rises to 96 percent with active go up to 600
ReplyDeleteMatabeleland North recorded one death while other provinces recorded zero deaths.
The vaccination programme is continuing countrywide with 3 764 538 people having received the first dose while 2 795 050 people got the second jab.
A total of 8 040 people received their first jab yesterday and 8 071 their second.
Zimbabwe’s official covid-19 cases and deaths are much, much lower per capita than say SA but only because Zimbabwe has not been testing anywhere near WHO recommendations or what common sense dictates.
The failure to test, trace, track and isolate diligently will mean the omicron corona virus variant will not be stopped getting into the country, if it is not already in, then spread far and wide. If this omicron variant is deadly, as most people fear, then we are in serious, serious trouble!