“You never want to
do anything that you don't want your mother to see, because it will haunt you
and eventually come back to bite you!” advised the TV personality and author,
Kimora Lee Simmons. Advice that served the late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC
cum CCC friends the trials and tribulations of the past coming back to haunt
them.
Zanu PF’s blatant
cheating and, worse still, the wanton violence of 2008 Zimbabwe elections
should have been dealt with during the 2008 to 2013 Government of National
Unity (GNU). SADC leaders played the motherly role of forcing Zanu PF to sign
the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the need for Zimbabwe to
implement the raft of democratic reforms to ensure cheating and wanton violence
would not the repeated ever again.
The task of
implementing the reforms was left to Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. Credit
where credit is due, SADC leaders notably SA’s Lindiwe Zulu, did their best to
remind the MDC leaders to implement the democratic reforms throughout the GNU
but were ignored.
When it became
clear that Zimbabwe was going into the 2013 elections with not meaningful
reforms in place, SADC leaders stepped in and tried to have the elections
postpone.
“In 2013 the
Maputo Summit, in June 2013, before the elections, the Maputo Summit was all
about having the elections postponed – the SADC summit. I went there,” Dr Ibbo
Mandaza told Journalist Violet Gonda.
“I was there at the Summit and Mugabe pretended to agree to a postponement of
the elections. If you recall, the postponement was based on the need to reform
at least electoral laws.
“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 (2013) elections are done’.”
As we know MDC
leaders ignored the last plea by the SADC leaders just as they had ignored the
advice to implement the reforms. Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the 2013
elections, as SADC leaders had feared would happen.
Again, MDC
leaders have ignored the call to implement the reforms before holding the 2018
elections. As expected, Zanu PF again blatantly rigged the 2018 elections too.
In the 2013 and
2018 elections, Zanu PF was fairly confident of winning these elections.
However, Zimbabwe’s
worsening economic situation has left the country’s basic services such as
education and health care in total collapse and millions are now living in
abject poverty. The people are desperate for change and Zanu PF is definitely
feeling the political pressure for change. And Zanu PF’s response is to step up
the blatant cheating and wanton violence to the same levels as 2008 or worse.
MDC had the
golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013
GNU and stop Zanu rigging elections; they wasted the opportunity. And now the
blatant cheating and wanton violence is back to haunt the nation!
“It is now a
political tinderbox, the political situation in the country is worsening, the
dark cloud has once again formed and you can see the whole purpose is intended
to plunge the country into bloodshed, vulnerability, incessant instability and
of course that paves way for those who would want to raid state coffers and
those who would want corruption to thrive,” admitted Nelson Chamisa, the leader
of CCC following the wanton violence in Midlands over the weekend.
The Police had
used teargas and water-cannon to disrupt the CCC rally on Saturday. The following
day CCC supporters were attached with stones and machetes. Two people were killed,
and several were seriously injured.
“They (Zanu PF) wanted
bloodshed and I was informed prior that they wanted to do this. I am reliably
informed that the police were aware.
“We cannot have
a repeat of 2008. We cannot have a repeat of the scenes we have seen in the
region where there is instability. To our church, I urge you to pray so that we
don’t have the demon of violence does not engulf our country. We don’t want
bloodshed.”
Chamisa also called
for the African Union (AU) and SADC to “immediately act before Zimbabwe is
plunged into bloodshed”! He did not say what exactly he wanted SADC to do.
Indeed, what can
SADC leaders do; given MDC/CCC leaders are not exactly the repented prodigal
son.
What SADC
leaders can do, is repeat the sound advice they gave MDC leaders in 2013:
postpone the 2023 elections until democratic reforms are implemented to stop
the cheating and violence. This is the advice MDC leaders did not want to hear
back in 2013 and don’t want to hear now for the same reason – greed.
In his
Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe, David
Coltart, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 to
2013 GNU, readily admitted that boycotting the elections, as SADC leaders had
advised, was the “obvious” solution. He confessed that greed had trumped
reason!.
“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
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.”
For the record,
four of the main MDC factions joined three other parties to form the MDC
Alliance (MDC A) before the 2018 elections; they went on to participate in the
elections, the possibility of boycotting the elections was never even
mentioned. The rump of the MDC A has gone on to form CCC and everyone is
determined to participate in the 2023 elections and will not listen to any talk
of boycotting the elections for the same reason as before – greed.
As Coltart
rightly pointed out, by participating in the flawed elections MDC leaders were
undermining SADC leaders’ ability to pressure Zanu PF to implement the reforms
and stop the curse of rigged elections. By participating in the flawed
elections MDC leaders were giving “credibility” to the flawed process and thus
legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF.
“SADC must act immediately
before Zimbabwe is plunged into bloodshed!” What can SADC leaders do to force
CCC leaders to stop participating in the flawed elections to give Zanu PF
legitimacy?
What can SADC
leaders do to team Chamisa and company’s greed? Chamisa and company’s greed has
come back to haunt CCC and us all!
There is no deny that the nightmare of the wanton violence of 2008 is back.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the threat of violence has always remained hanging over our heads all the time. Zanu PF did not use violence in 2013 and 2018 not because anyone stopped them. They did not use violence because they did not need to, to secure a landslide victory. The worsening economic situation has made the people more restless for change and so to retain power Zanu PF is turning to its tried and tested methods including wanton violence.
It is all very well for Chamisa to plead that SADC leaders should take immediate action to stop the blood bath! SADC leaders have already said Zimbabwe must implement the democratic reforms before holding elections. Chamisa and his MDC friends have not only failed to implement even one reform but are the ones insisting on having the elections without reforms.
This is just a classical case of Chamisa and company want to have the cake and eat it too. And like the spoilt brats are looking to others to make the impossible possible! CCC are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections with no reforms in place and yet want SADC to stop the blood bath, the consequence of the failed to implement reforms!
It is now for the ordinary Zimbabweans themselves to denounce the Chamisa and company greed and demand the country implement reforms before elections! Zimbabweans should not participate in these meaningless elections and thus deny the process credibility and deny vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.
@ chokunyanya
ReplyDelete“I have watched these articles several times, always trying to put the blame on MDC if truth be told everyone takes the blame. By boycotting election, they will still have gone ahead remember the Welshman saga where they went for election when Tsvangirayi had refused.
If you look closely more than fifty parties have been registered by ZEC, why so that they have a voice to say we cannot postpone election because of one party and will still proceed and SADC knowing it will quickly endorse the elections.
So, there is nothing new you are telling the whole world it’s clear that you are a mouthpiece of the ruling elite.”
Well, let us start with something many of us would agree on; that Zimbabwe is in a serious economic and political mess. It is my considered option that the root cause of the mess is the country’s failure to remove the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime from office. The country has had many opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship, but the best chances were during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.
It so happened that MDC leaders were in the best position to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU, and they sold out. If you don’t blame MDC leaders for selling out on reforms it can only be because you don’t understand what happened or are in denial of what happened.
I am concerned with the historic facts, and it is a historic fact that MDC leaders sold out big time. Of course, I blame MDC leaders for selling out and landing the nation in this mess.
“You are a mouthpiece of the ruling elite!” Both Zanu PF and MDC/CCC clearly do not want reforms implemented or free and fair elections; each of them, in their sick way, are content with the status quo. So, who are the ruling elite you are wittering about?
For the record, I have nothing but contempt for those who refuse to see facts and reality and bury their heads in the sand, especially when the nation’s very survival is at stake. I am determined to end the insanity of participating in flawed elections to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and I am not going to be silence by some upstart who has his/her head stuck up some politician’s backside!
UNDER-FIRE MDC Alliance leader Douglas Mwonzora has through his legal adviser Tapera Sengweni, filed an urgent chamber application at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) seeking nullification of the by-elections slated for March 26.
ReplyDeleteSengweni argued that President Emmerson Mnangagwa failed to proclaim dates for the by-elections within the timeframe set by the Constitution, therefore, the proclamations he made on December 24, 2021 and January 27, 2022 should be declared null and void.
He further asserts that Zimbabwe cannot afford costs associated with holding by-elections this month, but should wait for general elections due next year.
Elections are the only meaningful opportunity for the ordinary people to have a meaningful say in the governance of the country and so the delay in calling the by-elections was regrettable by seeking to call-off the by-elections will only make things worse. As for the cost, democracy is not cheap.
What is wrong with these elections is that the process is flawed and illegal these participating in the elections today will be complaining that the elections were rigged. This is just madness!
Zanu-PF has sensationally claimed that Nelson Chamisa's Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters were plotting to stage-manage violence while wearing Zanu-PF regalia at the opposition party's campaign rally in Bulawayo today to discredit the ruling party.
ReplyDeleteThe ruling party's Bulawayo provincial youth chairperson Freedom Murechu told Southern Eye that the alleged plot was part of the opposition party's smear campaign against Zanu-PF.
Chamisa is expected to address a campaign rally at White City Stadium today to drum up support for the party's candidates ahead of the March 26 by-elections.
These elections should not be going ahead without reforms and already there is a mountain of evidence of ZEC tampering with the voters’ roll and the 2008 wanton violence is back.
There are two reasons why MDC/CCC is once again hell bent on participating in these elections no matter what:
1) MDC/CCC had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 and they failed to implement even one reform because they were busy enjoying the trapping of power.
2) MDC/CCC have given up on reform and free and fair elections; they are participating in these flawed elections, knowing doing so will give Zanu PF legitimacy. They are participating for one thing and one thing only – a share of the spoils of power Zanu PF is giving away to entice the opposition to participate.
SADC created the golden opportunity for Zimbabwe to end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. It was none other than MDC/CCC leaders themselves who have wasted opportunity by failing to get even one reform implemented in 5 years. SADC leaders have already said Zimbabwe elections should not go ahead without first implementing the reforms and, again, it is none other than MDC/CCC leaders who are insisting on the elections going ahead with not even token reforms in place.
ReplyDeleteIt is both ironic and cynical that MDC/CCC leaders should be calling on SADC to stop the return of the 2008 violence when it is Chamisa and company who have brought about this tragic situation on the nation.
The people of Zimbabwe must finally wake up to the reality that MDC/CCC have sold out of reforms and free and fair elections and it is for them to stop participating in these flawed elections until reform are implemented. After 42 years of rigged elections it is madness for anyone to believe MDC/CCC nonsense of "winning rigged elections"!
Chamisa, without mentioning names, said he was aware of disgruntlement in the rank and file of the party over some politicians joining the CCC.
ReplyDelete"We want to work with everyone who is progressive," he said.
"On various platforms people were talking about a lot of things. We are beginning afresh."
He said CCC was a new formation and no one held positions in the party.
"We are starting from zero. We don't have an MP, councillor. Yes, others are joining every day," Chamisa said.
"We are here; we are very inclusive.
CCC is no more “starting from zero” as Mnangagwa’s Second Republic was different from Mugabe’s Zanu PF regime. Chamisa knows that MDC has proven beyond doubt that it is corrupt and incompetent just as Mnangagwa knew Zanu PF under Mugabe had become toxic and each is renaming their party in a deceptive attempt to cast away the past.
Chamisa has retained the same corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders. CCC is but MDC A by another name because it is the same leaders or being it they are now wearing yellow instead of red. Chamisa should accommodate Dr Khupe just as he has accommodated Tendai Biti, and all the other MDC leaders of yesterday.
CCC will be as corrupt and incompetent as MDC of yesterday because the leadership has not changed. To expect otherwise is just as foolish as to expect a cobra to have lost its venom with its old cast-off coat!