“Zanu PF has won the Masvingo West ward 21 by-election,”
reported Zimeye.
“Sources in the ward spoke of intimidation of voters and
rampant rigging by Zanu PF.”
What is really infuriating is these reports of “intimidation
of voters and rampant rigging by Zanu PF” are true. Chamisa and company know that
Zanu PF is blatantly rigging these elections and yet they are the ones
insisting on participating regardless.
It is insane to participate in an election in which even
something as basic as a verified voters’ roll is missing. Why is Chamisa and
company dragging the nation into such an utterly pointless election process? The
answer is found in answering a similar question regarding the MDC leaders’ performance
during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.
Why did MDC leaders fail to implement even one meaning
democratic reform during the GNU?
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have
learned to enjoy the trappings of high office, they will not rock the boat!) Zanu
PF cronies had boasted, answering the question.
The GNU was “the get-out-of-jail card” in terms of ending
the Zanu PF dictatorship. Having wasted the golden opportunity to implement the
democratic reforms during the GNU, MDC/CCC leaders have given up on reforms and
free, fair and credible elections.
Starting with the 2013, the first post GNU elections, Chamisa
and company have insisted in participating in the elections knowing fully well
that Zanu PF was rigging and, even more significantly, knowing that by participating
they will give Zanu PF legitimacy. They have participated regardless out of
greed, as David Coltart confessed on all three points.
“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 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.”
Four of the main MDC factions plus three other opposition parties
formed a new coalition, MDC Alliance, just before the 2018 elections. The dominance
of the new coalition was self-evident as the election results showed. The issue
of boycotting the 2018 elections was dismissed with claim the party had “winning
in rigged election strategies”.
Chamisa and his CCC are the dominant opposition party going
into the 2023 elections. Not even one token democratic reform was implemented
since the 2018 rigged elections. If boycotting the elections to push for
reforms before elections were the “obvious” thing to do back in 2013 it is insane
to do otherwise now!
And yet; surprise, surprise; Nelson Chamisa and his CCC
friends are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections, knowing doing
so will give Zanu PF legitimacy out of greed. They are after the few gravy train
seats Zanu PF is offering to the opposition winners and POLAD consolation bonus
prices to the opposition losers.
It is a crying shame that 42 years of our independence, 2
500 years after the Greeks gave mankind democracy as the answer to a more just,
fair and progressive system of government; we are not only failing to define what
constitute free, fair and credible election process, we are messing around with
the oxymoronic nonsense of “winning in rigged election strategies”!
Zanu PF is blatantly rigging the 2023 and according to the
CCC warped political ethos of “winning in rigged election strategies”, Zanu PF
has the right to rig the elections!
The Zimbabwe election process is now so flawed it is insane
to participate in such process especially when doing so gives legitimacy to the
vote rigging Zanu PF. We demand the implementation of the democratic reforms
and the restoration of the people’s right to a meaningful say in the governance
of the country. And the unequivocal rejection of the nonsense that Zanu PF has
the right to rig elections!
Zanu PF does not have the right to impose itself on the nation.
The mandate to rule Zimbabwe is derive from winning the majority vote in free, fair
and credible election process. The democratic freedoms and rights of the people
must be fully restored as a matter of urgency.
However, Chamisa, who was speaking at late academic and former advisor to the Prime Minister, Alex Magaisa, said their strategy will prove itself at next year's elections.
ReplyDelete"I hear some say we do not have structures, but no we are reading the game," said Chamisa.
"We know we are dealing with a delinquent player but when you are dealing with a delinquent player you do not take advice from their coach.
Zimbabwe is in this political mess precisely because the country has had the misfortune of having corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless political leaders on both sides of the political divide. Both Zanu PF and the posy of opposition opportunists have been thugs with no democratic values.
If the country is ever going to get out of this political and economic mess, we need a new class of leaders who are committed to democracy and rule of law and not just pay lip-service to good governance.
Chamisa claims CCC is a people’s democratic party and yet has done nothing to give the people a say in the party. To resist having constitution, structure and the other democratic bodies under the pretext of being fearful of infiltration is a feeble excuse particularly when CCC is already making very important decision like participating in flawed elections without any democratic debate!
Magaisa, a government critic and former advisor to the late ex-Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was also a key advisor to Chamisa.
ReplyDeleteCiting the late Kent University law lecturer and others like Professor Arthur Mutambara who also attended the memorial event, Magaisa said Zanu-PF deserved some credit for education policies, as well as other liberation dividends such as ‘one man one vote'.
What is Chamisa wittering about!!! Zimbabwe’s education has gone to the dogs after decades of neglect and under investment. Schools in Chiredzi posted 3% or less pass rates at all levels from grade seven to “A” level. The ruling elite have been sending their children out of the country for their education – a practice that has accelerated the decline of the quality of local education.
“We must praise Zanu PF for Zimbabwe’s good education!” Yeah, tell that to the millions of Zimbabweans who have had 13 years plus of this substandard education, so poor they don’t even know what a verb is!
Thank Zanu for "one man, one vote!" So, Chamisa does not know that Zimbabwe has never held free and fair elections since independence – which explains why MDC failed to implement even one democratic reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU.
With corrupt and tyrannical ruling party and a corrupt and utterly useless opposition we are caught between a rock and the swelling deep blue sea! Cry the beloved country!
Four million children are failing to pay fees and are now clamouring for government’s Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) programme, the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) has said.
ReplyDeleteIn its latest report released last week, Zimcodd also said 30 000 students failed to register for their final examinations last year after failing to afford Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) fees.
This is interesting as it is coming out hot on the heels of Nelson Chamisa praising Zanu PF for delivering quality education at the memorial service of the late Dr Magaisa. It is shocking just how completely out of touch with reality our politicians are!
Magaisa, a government critic and former advisor to the late ex-Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was also a key advisor to Chamisa.
There are those who continue to support Nelson Chamisa hoping against reason that he will finally deliver the democratic changes the nation has been dying for these last four decades. Yes, these people’s hopes of democratic change are “against reason”, I chose my words very carefully.
ReplyDeleteThese people holding for change when all evidence point to the simple reality that there will be no meaningful, at least brought about by Nelson Chamisa. Chamisa and his MDC friends had many opportunities to deliver democratic changes these last 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. They have failed to deliver even one change because they are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent.
It is a historic fact that MDC leaders were distracted by the good life of high office, Mugabe saw to it that they were denying nothing for that express purpose, and for five years of the GNU they all but forgot about the reforms.
It is also a historic record that many MDC leaders, for all their posturing on the subject, have no clue what the democratic changes are much less how they would be implemented. It is therefore no exaggeration to say Nelson Chamisa will never implement the democratic reforms to deliver free, fair and credible elections. How can he deliver something he does not know!
The two simple reasons why many Zimbabweans continue to trust CCC to deliver change is because they too don’t know what these changes are and so have been conned into believing that Chamisa knows. The second reason is they are so desperate for change, they even believe the oxymoron of “winning in rigged elections”!
Unless Zimbabweans sober up and open their eyes and minds to reality and reason this nation is going to continue to sink deeper and deeper into the abyss. CCC will never deliver change, for that the nation must search for quality leaders – that is not rocket science!
“In Bikita South, ward 8, Zengeya area Sabhuku Stephan Makufa aka Chiponda is confiscating CCC regalia.
ReplyDeleteHe is also threatening CCC supporters.
He says Zanu PF has given him the right to assault CCC supporters.
The kraal head is also abusing women,” CCC Bikita South said in a statement.
This is the political reality that ordinary Zimbabweans have to deal with. Bikita is one of the areas that witnessed some of the worst wanton violence during the 2008 Operation “Mavhotera papi” (Whom did you vote for). Retired Major Eglebert Rugeje was deployed in Bikita to spearhead the operation and he and his thugs were ruthless in meteing out the punishment to the people for having dared to reject Zanu PF in the March 2008 vote. The people of Bikita will remember the punishment and they know the regime will once again be ruthless.
Morgan Tsvangirai and now Chamisa have repeatedly failed to come up with a solution to end the wanton violence. The CCC supporters are on their own, the party has abandoned them to the Zanu PF thugs. Only the foolhardy will try to defy the Zanu PF onslaught!
Again, Zanu PF is rigging these elections it really defies logic why MDC/CCC leaders still continue to insist on participating in these flawed and illegal elections knowing the torment the ordinary people are being subjected to! This is totally unacceptable!
GOVERNMENT yesterday brought back the United States dollar as legal tender to stem rising inflation and restore confidence in the economy, but critics say the move will lead to more demands for salaries and wages to be pegged in the greenback.
ReplyDeleteFinance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube also dangled housing loans to the country's restive civil servants but more than doubled interest rates to 200% to render the incentive moot.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been struggling to revitalise an economy that suffered decades of decline while the financial chaos that characterised the latter years of the late former President Robert Mugabe's long reign, is again in evidence.
Inflation, at 191,7% is at its highest in years while the local currency has weakened to nearly $700 against the greenback. Price increases have become a daily occurrence, leaving desperate workers unable to cope as wages and salaries fail to keep pace.
This is crisis management, “kiya kiya” as one would call it in Shona, at its chaotic worst! The regime has made more U-turns on the dollarisation it is clear there is chaos and confusion at the very top of government!
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is that the country is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and lawless thugs who have rigged elections to stay in power. As long as the country remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic recovery because it is near impossible to do business in a pariah.
President Mnangagwa is hoping to buck the confirmed wisdom; he is hoping to have a prosperous pariah state! All he has done is blunder from pillar to post with his kiya kiya whilst dragging the nation deeper and deeper into the abyss
Tendai Biti and co did not implement any reforms during the GNU because you lot were cocksure the economic recovery during the GNU made you so popular no vote rigging could overturn you victory. You were shock with Zanu 2013 victory. You were shocked Mugbe would have Chinamasa as Minister of Finance and not you. You have warned (prayed for) of "unfathomable economic collpse". Inflation under Mthuli Ncube has soared to 800% last year but no where near 500b % of 2008. No doubt you will be back on your knees praying for economic collapse to accelerate.
ReplyDeleteThe moral of the story: Zimbabwe must revert to implementing the reforms and free and fair elections to effect democratic accountability and good governance instead of having to await for the country’s economy to sink into “unfathomable depths of depravity” to trigger regime change!