Zimbabwe is a failed state. 42 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and crass lawlessness has earned the country the pariah state label and with it economic ruin. The country’s basic services such as education and health care have all but collapsed after decades of being starved of funds. Unemployment has soared to dizzying heights of 90% and millions of people now live in abject poverty.
The poor’s economic situation is both unjustified and unsustainable
and, it is not surprising that the impoverished masses are becoming
increasingly restless and desperate for change. And yet, as long as Zimbabwe
remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful change. None!
Zimbabwe’s corrupt and tyrannical ruling elite and their
cronies have grown filth rich. The gap between the rich ruling elite and the
impoverished masses has grown into a chasm! Ironically, the ruling elite are
now so frightened of this chasm giving up power, the prerequisite for ending
the pariah state, is now simply unthinkable.
The need masses’ need for meaningful change to end their suffering
is the unstoppable force. The ruling elite’s resolute determination to resist
change to save themselves falling down the chasm and join the impoverish masses
is the immovable object.
“We fought for our land, we fought for our sovereignty. No
Imperialist-backed puppet opposition party shall ever take away what we fought
for. Never.” Stated Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
Zanu PF has always resorted to all manner of antics, threats
and even cold blooded murder to deny the people of Zimbabwe their right to a
meaningful say in the governance of the country and impose the de facto one-party,
Zanu PF, dictatorship. The party is well aware of the country’s worsening
economic meltdown and the growing demand for meaningful change. And since Zanu
PF cannot win free, fair and credible elections the party is labelling the
opposition “imperialist-backed puppets” to justify rigging the elections.
Anything Zanu PF does to stop puppets getting into power and to preserve the
nation’s sovereignty is wholly justified.
“Chidembo kana choda kuramba mukadzi, chinoshereketa!” (When
the honey badger wants to divorce the wife, it will perform all manner of
antics!) so goes the Shona adage!
The truth is Zimbabweans have been pushed into a tight a
corner, they are not just sick and tired of these Zanu PF antics; the nation’s
survival is now at stake. Pass rate in the rural school have dropped to 3% or
less, 50% of the population now lives in abject poverty, etc. no nation can sustain
these social and economic conditions and survive much less thrive.
Zimbabwe had the golden opportunity to implement the
democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU designed to dismantle the Zanu
PF dictatorship and restore the individual freedoms and rights including the
right to free elections and even the right to life. Sadly, Morgan Richard
Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were tasked to implement the reforms sold
out and failed to implement even one reform.
Worse still, MDC/CCC leaders have stubbornly insisted on
participating in flawed elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats
Zanu PF has been giving away as bait only to give Zanu PF legitimacy.
The party used violence, failed to produce a verified voters’
roll, etc. in the recent 26 March 2022 by elections – a precursor of worse to
come. Zanu PF is set to rig the 2023 elections. It really is insane to keep participating
in flawed elections only to give Zanu PF legitimacy.
“All smart Zimbabweans should rally behind Zanu PF and our
visionary leader President Mnangagwa. Our country is achieving rapid
socio-economic transformation underpinned by sound and people-oriented
policies. We are very lucky to have a listening and peace-loving President,” said
the defence minister.
Rubbish! Zanu PF’s electoral success has been thanks to the
regime’s carte blanche powers to rig elections and to the opposition who have participated
in the flawed process giving the party cover and legitimacy.
If Zimbabweans were smart, then they should know by now that
MDC/CCC have long given up the fight for democratic changes, reforms, and free
and fair elections. They should know by now that the immovable object to
meaning pollical change in Zimbabwe is not just Zanu PF but MDC/CCC too.
It is MDC/CCC foolishness and greed in failing to implement reforms and participating in flawed elections that is giving Zanu PF dictatorial licence to rig elections and still have legitimacy. It used to be Zanu PF alone that was the immovable obstacle to change now MDC/CCC have joined them!
ReplyDeleteIt is really frustrating that one has to fight Zanu PF and MDC/CCC too for free and fair elections when the people have risked life and limb to elect the latter for the purpose of delivering democratic change!
Kallon made the remarks while speaking at a media briefing in Bulawayo on Tuesday 26 April on the backdrop of the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, celebrated annually on April 24.
ReplyDeleteHe said Zimbabwe should address human rights abuses and ensure free fair credible elections, among other things
Zanu PF has rigged elections for the last 42 years and the UN has never done anything about it except paying the occasional lip service to the matter!
There is no deny that Zanu PF is still in power today thanks to the corrupt and incompetent MDC/CCC leaders, the "antiquated folly of the opposition" as you called it.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and the rest of the CCC leaders care about is political power and they don't care about such niceties as rule of law and free and fair elections hence the reason they failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when they had the golden opportunity to do so. They are no different from the Zanu PF leaders in this regard, they too care about political power and have shown they will ride roughshod over the people to get it!
President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies know that Zimbabwe is a failed state, it is not in their nature to admit failure much less to give up power to allow others to rule even if that is the democratic wish of the people. The 2008 elections was a watershed election in that Zanu PF was forced to accept the need for political legitimacy. The party learned it could still rig the elections as long as the opposition participated to give the process legitimacy. The party has allowed the opposition to win a few gravy train seats to entice them to participate.
Mnangagwa created the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), a political platform to accommodate the losing presidential candidate and reward them with cars and other benefits to thank them for participating in the flawed elections. Zimbabwe had 23 presidential candidate in 2018, next year there will be even more candidates! Of course he is very pleased with his handwork!
The real political tragedy is the ordinary Zimbabweans themselves have yet to realise they are being taken for a ride by the opposition. They have yet to realise the very idea of winning rigged elections is an oxymoron and that by participating in these flawed elections they too are giving legitimacy to Zanu PF.
Consultations are reportedly underway among the 54-member nations with Zimbabwe seeking the support of Rwanda, hosts of the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
ReplyDeleteHowever, speaking in the House of Lords Tuesday, Commonwealth minister of state, Zac Goldsmith said the human rights situation and rule of law were pivotal to the readmission of Zimbabwe.
"In due course, we would, of course, like nothing more than to see Zimbabwe rejoin. However, Zimbabwe cannot yet credibly be said to meet the principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter."
Zimbabwe has not implemented even one token democratic reform since the 2018 elections which the Commonwealth and many other democratic observers dismissed as a farce. It is clear that Zanu PF is set to blatantly rig the 2023 elections, as evidenced by the recent 26 March by elections. There is really no reason to even review the 2018 Commonwealth decision not to readmit Zimbabwe. None!
Ncube, a Cambridge-trained economist and former AfDB vice-president, hopes to break the jinx which his predecessors failed to unlock due to the overarching political dynamics in the country.
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe fell into arrears with three multinational financial institutions — the IMF, World Bank and AfDB — at the turn of the millennium and, since then, the southern African nation has been ineligible to access concessionary funding from creditors.
The three creditors enjoy what is termed "preferred creditor status", which means they have to be paid ahead of other lenders such the Paris and non-Paris club.
In 2016, Zimbabwe paid off 15 years' worth of arrears to the IMF using its Special Drawings Rights holdings from the creditor. The country, which had been in arrears with the IMF since 2001, settled its obligations amounting to US$107,9 million to the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. However, it is still years behind on payments to the World Bank and African Development Bank, hampering its ability to tap development financing from the two. The country's arrears with the two creditors, which in 2016 stood at US$1.8 billion, has continued to balloon over the years due to non-payment.
Past IMF reports have shown that while the country has in the past made some baby steps on economic reforms, it has been found wanting in overhauling its political environment. As such, political reforms have over the years stood out as the elephant in the room for the authorities in Harare.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state governed by corrupt, incompetent and lawless thugs who rig elections to stay in power; there will be no meaningful economic recovery. Who would want to do business in a country where corruption and chaos rule the roost!
There is very little hope of next year’s elections bring about any meaningful change because, alas, the corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless opposition party is hell bent on participating in the flawed elections. Why would Zanu PF implement any reforms when the party can rig the elections and still be guaranteed of legitimacy!
Sadly, the majority of Zimbabweans have yet to realize that MDC/CCC leaders have long abandoned the fight for reforms and free elections and have settled for a share of the spoils of power for helping Zanu PF stay in power. As long as CCC continue to have the sea of supporters at their rallies the party will continue to have political credibility regardless of the party’s idiotic policies.
In the long run, nations get the government they deserve. We in Zimbabwe certainly deserve this Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of corrupt MDC/CCC sell-outs! We are not ready for a healthy and functioning democratic system of government and, until we are, must suffer the consequences of corrupt and tyrannical totalitarian rule!
Opposition aligned journalist Hopewell Chin'ono has instructed her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa to report threats to his property that are allegedly being made by ZANU PF Youth leader Taurai Kundishaya.
ReplyDeleteChin'ono who is currently in South Africa pleaded with the police to provide protection at his rural after the ZANU PF youths said they will go and collect some of his goats on Sunday.
This is state sponsored political harassment and must be condemned unreservedly!
The tragedy is we have condemned the harassment for donkey years now; it has not gone away and, indeed, has only got worse. The only hope to end the politically motivated lawlessness in Zimbabwe is for the country to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 Global Political Agreement.
MDC/CCC leaders had the opportunity to implement the reforms and they failed to get even one reform implemented. Worse still, by insisting on participating in flawed elections MDC are giving Zanu PF legitimacy and thus help perpetuate the dictatorship.
One hopes that such incidence as this will help open the eyes of people like Hopewell to see the sheer folly of CCC participating in flawed elections. He is one of those who have advised Chamisa and company to participate in flawed elections!
The ordinary rural peasants have no access to the social media, top notch lawyers, etc., etc. and are the ones subject to a lot worse political harassment including cold blooded murder from these Zanu PF thugs. They are the ones who have suffered the most from the MDC/CCC sell outs and people like Chinono’s foolish advice!
@ Silungisani Ndlovu
ReplyDelete“Wilbert Mukori do you desire to see Zimbabweans divided? You like to see Zimbabweans killing each other. If no reforms implemented in Zimbabwe, blood of rivers to emerge in that beautiful Country..”
As I have stated above, “Zimbabwe is stuck with the corrupt, chaotic and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. Chamisa and his MDC/CCC friends are so corrupt and incompetent, they will never change anything, they are just Zanu PF acolytes in all but name.”
My desire is to make sure every Zimbabwean out there and the world at large but especially SADC leaders know that Zanu PF is rigging these elections and CCC are participating to give the regime legitimacy for the sake of a few gravy train seats. No one, absolutely no one, should have any excuse for not condemning these elections and thus deny Zanu PF legitimacy.
This will create the opportunity for a new GNU similar to the 2008 to 2013 GNU except that this time competent men and women will be appointed to implement all the democratic reforms and thus finally dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship!
The 2008 to 2013 was a golden opportunity to end the dictatorship, MDC/CCC leaders wasted it and it is naïve to trust them to do so now, especially through this pseudo marriage of convenience in which Zanu PF retains its dominance
However, the President said despite the setback of the mid-season drought, the country had adequate reserves of grain.
ReplyDelete"Whatever the outcome from that assessment, our Strategic Grain Reserves are healthy, certainly enough to meet our cereal requirements until the next season.
Should we consider boosting those reserves, there is enough grain in the region to meet our import requirements
"Negative politics based on the-worse-it-gets-the-better opposition syndrome has no place in boardrooms.
Anyone keen to run for office should leave the boardroom and the market to join us in politics.
"We will not countenance politicians in business suits.
The Zimbabwean economy is too important and meant for all citizens to be manipulated by undeclared princes seeking political power," he warned.
Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of the region and today it is the basket case of a failed state. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and murderous thugs who are in power only because they rig elections the economic meltdown will continue.
This is a pariah state and therefore we should not be surprised the regime is blaming everyone else except itself for the economic meltdown. With the elections round the corner the regime is getting restless and is looking for an excuse to use violence to silence it critics and coerce the electorate.
MDC leaders should have implemented the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when the country had the golden opportunity to do so. The rational thing to do now is to stop participating in these flawed elections and give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. MDC/CCC leaders have insisted in participating out of greed, Zanu PF has been offering a few gravy train seats to entice them and they have found the bait irresistible.
The only way out of this economic and political mess is for the people themselves to wake up to the political reality that MDC/CCC leaders have stopped fighting for democratic changes, reforms and free elections. They are the ones giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship
THE British parliament has been told that opposition Douglas Mwonzora's MDC Alliance is nothing but a ruling Zanu-PF party project.
ReplyDeleteLord Jonathan Oates, told the British House of Lords that Mwonzora's project lost the recent by-elections even after receiving US$1,5 million dollars from government for campaigns.
The Liberal Democrats peer has a history with Zimbabwe, having – according to his memoir – taught at a rural school in the country before going on to work as a a political adviser in South Africa's first post-apartheid parliament.
"That party won 19 of the 28 parliamentary seats up for election and hundreds of councillors, despite its formation just two months before the polls; its lack of funds, and widespread intimidation and obstruction of its campaign by the state.
"By contrast, Zanu-PF's puppet opposition faction, which had been gifted approximately $1.5 million in campaign funds by the state, won precisely none."
Lord Jonathan Oates is right, Douglas Mwonzora is a Zanu PF project in that MDC-T is giving Zanu PF legitimacy. But if Lord Oates has been following Zimbabwe politics all along then he would know the failure by the MDC-T and MDC-N leaders to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU was the mother of all opposition betrayal of the people of Zimbabwe. The MDC leaders proved then beyond all doubt that they were corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent everything else they have done such as participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy, etc. is nothing compared to the GNU betrayal.
I am surprised that Lord Oates singled out Douglas Mwonzora as the only opposition sell out and failed to mention Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and many other who were in the GNU with Mwonzora.
Chamisa 2022 workers’ day statement
ReplyDelete“As the incoming government, we guarantee the following:
(a)A decent &living wage. A starting min wage of US$540 for the lowest civil servant;
(b)A conducive environment which foster business growth and attract both domestic and foreign investment -the key levers of job creation
(c) We will undertake massive reforms of the state-owned enterprises with a view to place them as key enablers and actors of economic transformation &employment creation.”
Those of us old enough to remember the 1980s will remember Prime Minister Robert Mugabe’s Workers’ Day speeches full of promises and decrees. It was not the companies or the market that determined the workers’ wages - Mugabe did! His two hours long speeches were full of sound and fury but signifying nothing as the decreed wage increases were storing up the economic collapse that were soon to follow.
Chamisa is not yet in power but already he too is making promises of mouth-watering wage increases! MDC leaders were voted into power to deliver democratic changes necessary to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. Chamisa and company had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to implement even one reform because they are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent. And ever since they have participated in flawed elections convinced, they will win rigged elections only to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the dictatorship.
“As the incoming government!” It has yet to dawn on the twat that he must first remove the Zanu Pf dictatorship and will never do it by winning Zanu PF rigged elections where a 73% win is not good enough as Tsvangirai learned in 2008!
Zimbabwe is stuck with the Zanu PF dictatorship not some much because of Zanu PF itself but because we entrusted the task of implementing the reforms to a corrupt and utterly useless MDC/CCC party.
Norton Member Temba Mliswa says many Members of Parliament are impoverished because they are paid slightly above US$180 for the hard work they do in formulating laws and policies in parliament.
ReplyDeleteI have a personal constituency office in Norton which I run on my own. Just the rentals I pay nearly a US$1000. I have a staff complement which I pay nearly a US$1000 again. That is before other expenses such as Wifi and other office consumables.
This does not make any sense! So Mliswa is paid US$180 per month as an MP and spends US$2 000 per month, 10 times his salary, on office expenses alone!
If MPs were doing such a good job, then why is the country is this economic and political mess?
Temba Mliswa has played his part as a senior Zanu PF thug, until he was booted out of the party, in creating and retaining the de facto Zanu PF dictatorship. He is using some of the looted wealth and thug skills to remain in power. He is just a loudmouth masquerading as a democrat. He is not a democrat and will do his uttermost to resist democratic change.