The worsening
economic situation in SA is forcing ANC to revisit its indifference to Zimbabwe’s
curse of rigged elections and bad governance. SA cannot afford a new wave of
economic and/or political refugees flooding across the Limpopo River if Zimbabwe’s
2023 elections are rigged!
“The unemployment
rate in South Africa hit a new record high of nearly 35% in the third quarter
of 2021 which some allege had an influence on the African National Congress
(ANC) dismal performance in last year's local government elections,” wrote
Tapiwa Gomo in Bulawayo 24.
“For the first time since
1994 - when South Africa attained independence - the ANC garnered less than 50%
- in fact 46% - of the vote marking its worst result in 27 years.
“The ruling ANC has responded to this, partly by targeting foreigners who the
ruling party and others accuse of many things including taking jobs and
economic opportunities from locals, illegal migration, crime, drug dealing and
all sorts of ills.
“Some special permits have been scrapped.”
Many Zimbabweans
have sort refuge in SA to escaped political oppression and/or economic chaos
back home starting at the turn of the century in 2000. The situation in Zimbabwe
has got progressively worse not better over the years forcing even more
Zimbabweans to leave the country.
If next year’s
elections are rigged, signs are Zanu PF is rigging these elections, then we can
be sure of a new wave of economic and/or political refugees leaving the
country.
The economic situation
in SA, the most popular destination for Zimbabwean refugees, means many will
not be welcomed there anymore! The pressure for Zimbabwe to sort out its
economic and political mess is that much greater. The pressure on the regional
leaders, notably SA, to make sure Zimbabwe sort out its problems is that much
greater too.
SADC leaders know
the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political mess is the country’s
failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. After decades of rigged
elections SADC leaders pressured Zanu PF to sign the 2008 Global Political
Agreement, agreeing to the implementation of a raft of political reforms to end
the culture of rigged elections.
Sadly, MDC, Zimbabwe’s
main opposition party led by the late Morgan Tsvangirai turned out to be
corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent. They failed to implement even one
meaningful reform in five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. SADC leaders made one
last minute bid to have the 2013 Zimbabwe elections postponed until reforms
were implemented and, once again, MDC leaders paid no heed.
Zanu PF went on to
blatantly rig the 2013 elections as SADC leaders had predicted. The region
leaders ignored the rigging and endorsed Zanu PF’s electoral victory – Zanu PF
was the only game in town and it was futile to pretend otherwise.
However, endorsing
Zanu PF rigged elections and perpetuating the pariah state across the Limpopo
River in 2013 and 2018 has not brought the desire economic recovery as we can
see. President Cyril Ramaphosa will be damned if he will repeat the same folly
of endorsing yet another rigged Zanu PF elections next year especially if the
next thing is a flood of economic and political refugees pouring into SA.
There are Zimbabweans
who know and understand SADC leaders’ disappointment with MDC leaders’ failure
to implement the democratic reforms during the last GNU. They know and
understand implementing the reforms is Zimbabwe’s ticket out of this
hell-on-earth Zanu PF landed the nation into. They will implement the reforms and
all they need is the opportunity to do so.
By
refusing to endorse Zanu PF rigged 2023 elections, SADC will recreate the same
political crisis of no legitimate government that led to the formation of 2008
to 2013 GNU in Zimbabwe. The subtle difference is that the new GNU will have
competent men and women who will implement the reforms.
Ndlovu dismissed rumors that the meeting discussed an amalgamation between MDC-T and CCC.
ReplyDelete"On speculations that the meeting discussed coalitions or working together; currently there are no discussions on a coalition but we are of the view that to push out an authoritarian regime like ZANU PF, the opposition must unite and vote in numbers so that the will of the people will be respected. As you have seen in the upcoming by-elections, the MDCT took a principled and deliberate position not to field candidates because we don't want to further split the opposition vote.
"Finally, the meeting agreed that this time around (going to 2023) all genuine opposition political parties will have a common approach to voter registration, delimitation, and electoral reforms."
Chamisa, Ncube, Biti, Mwonzora, Khupe, all the CCC, MDC-T, MDC-N, etc. leaders who were in the 2008 to 2013 GNU are now paying lip service to “electoral reforms”. They, without reference to Zanu PF, had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the GNU and failed to implement even one reform in five years.
MDC/CCC leaders sold out big time during the GNU, they will never implement any reforms, they are beyond the pale. Chamisa and company are participating in these flawed elections come rain come thunder, to give Zanu PF legitimacy and get the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is offering as bait.
MDC/CCC are not going to deliver free and fair elections, they are the one keeping Zanu PF in power for a share of the spoils. The sooner the ordinary Zimbabweans out there accept this reality the sooner the nation can start on the important task of implementing the reforms and getting out of this hellhole.
There is no denying that SADC leaders have abandoned MDC leaders in sheer disgust after the sell-out performance of Morgan Tsvangirai and company throughout the GNU. Of course, the regional leaders knew that without reforms Zanu PF was rigging the 2013 elections and told Tsvangirai and his banded mongoose friends not to participate.
ReplyDelete“And after that Summit, Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, all of them were called to a separate meeting by the Heads of State of SADC in the absence of Mugabe, that same evening. And they were told; I was sitting there outside the room with Mac Maharaj; they were told ‘if you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done’.” Dr Ibbo Mandaza told Violet Gonda in an interview.
Zanu PF had blatantly rigged the elections and SADC leaders knew and yet they endorse the process as “substantially free and fair” to demonstrate their own disgust at MDC leaders’ pathetic performance in the whole GNU affair. Yes, endorsing Zanu PF rigged elections punished the corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders but it also punished the ordinary Zimbabweans who found themselves stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.
In judging the 2023 elections President Cyril Ramaphosa and his fellow SADC leaders must know they are being asked to judge whether the election process is free, fair and credible: nothing more, nothing less. They must put aside their knee-jerk yearning to kick MDC leaders in the teeth for selling out during the GNU!
President Ramaphosa should not concern himself with what will happen to Zimbabwe if the 2023 elections fail to produce a legitimate government; if the elections are not free and fair then there will be no legitimate government and it is not for him or SADC to foster one on the nation by pretending the elections were free and fair. It is not for SA or SADC to manage Zimbabwe's transition from a dictatorship to a democracy; let the people of Zimbabwe and the international community manage it this time.