"But Coltart, a comparison of ‘worse' and ‘bad' does
not make the ‘bad' good,” was Professor Jonathan Moyo’s answer to David Coltart,
CCC Treasurer General’s hypothetical choice between “bad CCC government and worse
Zanu PF”.
"You don't become a democrat by self-proclamation nor
does an old intolerant party become tolerant by a nominal change of its name;
when its base typically caricatures and demonises divergent views!"
Yes, given the choice of bad and worse, of course we will all
choose bad. But that is NOT the choice before the nation back in these 2023
elections or back in 2013. By failing to implement even one meaningful democratic
reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, when the nation had the best chance ever to
end Zanu PF’s carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig elections, the nation was
stuck with no meaningful electoral choice.
One of the late dictator Robert Mugabe’s political trickery
was to trick the late Morgan Tsvangirai and his team of special advisers, professors,
lawyers, engineers and God knows what else beside to believe, for five years of
the GNU, that MDC would win the elections without the need to implement even
token democratic reforms. Even now, with the benefit of hindsight, many of the
MDC/CCC leaders still believe in the oxymoronic nonsense of “winning rigged
elections” or at least pretend to!
The likes of David Coltart have known it is futile to participate
in the flawed and illegal elections. He has participated in the elections regardless
out of greed, he confessed in his book.
“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
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.”
Of all people, David Coltart, knows that with no meaningful democratic
reforms Zanu PF has blatantly rigged elections in the past and will do the same
in coming 2023 elections. And participating in these flawed and illegal elections
will only give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.
CCC is therefore conning ordinary Zimbabweans into believing
they are choosing between “bad” CCC and “worse” Zanu PF. When all they are doing
by participating in the flawed process is give Zanu PF legitimacy and in doing
so forfeit the chance to boycott the elections to demand reforms and free and fair
elections!
Chamisa is resisting all the pressure to make CCC a democratic and people’s party because he does not want to lose power and control of the party. He thinks CCC is has baby just as Mugabe considered Zanu PF and the whole country his. “My Zimbabwe!” he said and meant what he said.
ReplyDelete@ Mehluli Sithole
ReplyDelete“Who said he doesn't have advisors and this setup is a problem to those who want to destroy the party. Come elections l guess you will see what Zimbabwe wants.”
How elected them and to whom are they accountable? Why then doesn’t he formally appoint them? What makes you think such a control freak like Mugabe would ever want to give up absolute power?
Chamisa is only taking advantage of the tragic reality that Zimbabweans are desperate for change and therefore are prone to embrace even another dictator as long as he is not Mnangagwa!
@ Bionic Vus
ReplyDelete“Mehluli Sithole, I really wish I could sleep one night and wake up as naïve as you are, sadly history & experience have taught us (at least me) that govts like Zanu pf don’t donate power, they hold on to it as if their lives depended on it, and they actually do.
There’s only 2 ways Zanu pf will ever leave power, and that’s through constitutional reforms and mass protests. Unfortunately Chamisa doesn’t believe in constitutions. And as for mass protests it’s also unfortunate that all our opposition parties are led by lawyers and diasporans, people who’re already living very comfortable lives and cannot risk 10 years to life in prison like Nkomo, Mugabe and the whole Zanu pf group in the 60s and 70s. The only problem with freedom is you can never get until you’re willing to die for it.”
The country would be in a different place if we had implemented the democratic reforms and ended the curse of rigged elections. We can still force the reforms to be implemented by refusing to participate in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy.
We, the people, need to wake up to the reality Chamisa and company are participating in these flawed elections for the same reasons they failed to implement even one reform during the GNU – greed and incompetence.
@ Chinon’o
ReplyDelete“A lot of opposition prospective candidates are not doing any work because they know that they will win in urban areas on the back of ZANUPF’s unpopularity, and Nelson Chamisa’s popularity!
It breaks my heart that Dr Alex Magaisa worked harder than those running for office.
The few people fighting hard in the opposition are targeted as is happening to Job Sikhala and Fadzayi Mahere. They are constantly in courts.
The laziness of many opposition leaders to work hard makes it easier for those working hard to be targeted by the brutal regime!”
Lest anyone should ever forget, Hopewell Chinon’o, the award winning journalist (he will not forgive anyone for forgetting to say that) was one of President Emmerson Mnangagwa cheer leaders calling for all Zimbabweans in the wake of the 2017 coup “to give him a chance!” Given Mnangagwa’s well documented past of corruption, thuggery, vote rigging and cold-blooded murders; he was Mugabe’s murderous henchman for Pete’s sake; it beggars belief that anyone would be so naïve to give Mnangagwa absolute power!
Sadly, Chinon’o has clearly learned nothing from his months backing a corrupt and murderous dictator. He is out cheering and applauding the corrupt and utterly useless MDC/CCC sell outs.
Dr Alex Magaisa was MDC t leader’s, Morgan Tsvangirai’s special adviser during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, if he was “hard working”, as Chinon’o would have us believe, then why did MDC fail to implement even one token democratic reform during the GNU?
CCC is dragging the nation into yet another meaningless elections which Zanu PF is blatantly rigging only to give Zanu PF legitimacy. All this public posturing attending court hearings, spending timeout in Chikurumbi, etc. is not going to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. Indeed, the posturing is but a cover to justify participating in these flawed elections.
Zimbabwe cannot afford this carryon of giving Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuate the dictatorship. The country needs real change and not endless gimmicks!
Statistics released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) on Wednesday indicated that the total value of exports decreased by 12,6% from US$587,3 million in April to US$513,1 million in May.
ReplyDeleteImports increased by 12,1% to US$714,5 million from US$637,2 million in April 2022. According to the statistics, Zimbabwe's major imports are mineral fuels and oil products while South Africa remained the country's major trading partner.
"In order to strengthen the country's export earning capacity, it is necessary to look closely at export drivers," ZimStat said.
"Data for May 2022 shows that Zimbabwe's main exports were semi manufactured gold (32,3%), nickel ores and concentrates (23,2%), nickel mattes including platinum group of minerals (PGMs) (16,1%), ferro-chromium (8,3%) tobacco (4,2%), platinum unwrought or in powder form (3%), semi coke of coal (2,2%), chromium ores and concentrates (1,4%) and industrial diamonds (1,1%)."
Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and lawless thugs who have rigged elections to stay in power. No one would want to do business in such a country. And so as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic recovery!
HARARE: New gold coins, an interest rate at 200% – among the highest in the world – and jotting down the legal currency status for US dollars into law are all part of the latest money merry-go-round finance measures put in place by Zimbabwe to try to attract investors.
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe’s battered economy has continued to struggle, heightening an uncertain operating environment for companies. The government insists, though, that opportunists are driving down the Zimbabwe dollar currency through speculative currency trading, hence the raft of new finance measures announced Monday.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said its Fidelity Printers unit will mint gold coins for use as a store of value on the local market after raising interest rates from 80% to 200%. Zimbabwe’s year on year inflation rate currently stands at 192% for the month of June.
This is just crisis management at it’s worst, the regime is squeezing the balloon one area knowing fully well it will balloon out in another area. “Kiya kiya!” As one would say in Shona.
Let me say it again “Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and lawless thugs who have rigged elections to stay in power. No one would want to do business in such a country. And so as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic recovery. None!”
The author was back home in Zimbabwe in July 2020 and released on bail along with fellow protester Julie Barnes for staging an anti-government protest in Harare’s suburb of Borrowdale. She was standing near the road, holding a poster that read “We want better — reform our institutions.”
ReplyDeleteDangarembga was charged with inciting public violence, but after two years and appearing before the court more than 25 times the trial has still not started and the author has filed to have the case dismissed.
https://www.newzimbabwe.com/author-dangarembga-to-challenge-arrest-warrant-due-to-headline-kenya-event/
I am pleased to note that Tsitsi and Julie have joined the other Zimbabweans who are fighting for reforms and have stopped supporting the sell-out MDC/CCC who only pay lip service to reforms and yet keep participating in flawed elections for the sake of a few urban seats Zanu PF gives away as bait. Tsitsi did not mince her words when she described Nelson Chamisa’s empty promises to deliver democratic change as “mumbo jumbo!”
Zimbabweans are waking up to the political reality that Zimbabwe would be a healthy and functioning democracy right now if MDC leaders had not sold out and implemented the democratic reforms during the GNU. They are also waking to the sheer futility of participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuate the dictatorship.
“As I have always said, democracy is a competition of ideas, let ideas compete and, as I have always said, it is not easy in nascent democracies, but a competition of ideas is what gives birth to sustainable development,” Lumumba said responding to questions on the blocking of the opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) rally in Gokwe on Saturday and the violence in Kwekwe that led to the death of a young activist.
ReplyDelete“Let us introduce hygiene in African politics. It is toxic. Politics is the biggest industry now and everyone wants to be a politician because it immunises you from scrutiny. We must rethink our politics,” he said.
Professor Lumumba is spot on in saying “Politics is the biggest industry now and everyone wants to be a politician because it immunises you from scrutiny.”
Chamisa launched CCC on the promise it will be a democratic a people centred political party. He has since stubbornly refused produce the party’s constitution, structure, hold congress, etc. all for the sole purpose of avoiding democratic scrutiny and accountability.
Only his naive and gullible supporters still believe the hen’s teeth story about resisting meaningful democratic changes to protect the party from infiltration. The lack of democratic scrutiny and accountability not only opens the door to infiltration since only a select few make all the key decisions but mismanagement, corruption and a host of other evils will creep in since it will be tempting to sweep all failures under the carpet.
GOVERNMENT has defended the appointment of Zanu-PF Vice President Kembo Mohadi's daughter, Abigail, as a Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) commissioner, saying she has a right to serve the nation just like anyone else.
ReplyDeleteWe have always known that ZEC, some many other state institutions, was not independent. The commissioners are either very close relatives of Zanu PF leaders or diehard Zanu PF loyalists such as former CIO or army officers!
The EU, Commonwealth and many others have called for wide ranging reforms to ensure the independence of ZEC and other bodies. MDC had the golden opportunity to not just call for reforms but to implement the reforms during the GNU. They not only failed to implement even one reform but, worse still, they are the ones who have insisted in participating in these flawed elections for the sake of the few urban seats offered as bait and giving Zanu PF legitimacy!
Zanu PF is not going to implement any meaningful reforms so the country can finally hold its first ever free, fair and credible elections as long as the party knows CCC will participate giving the regime legitimacy. Never! Our problem is not just Zanu PF rigging the elections but CCC participating to give the regime legitimacy!
@ Obey WekwaDzafunwa
ReplyDelete“And the opposition keeps on dreaming of a free and fair election???”
Chamisa and his CCC friends are corrupt and incompetent but are smart enough to know that Zanu PF is rigging these elections and that by participating they are giving Zanu PF legitimacy. They also know that Zanu PF is giving away a few urban seats to entice the opposition to participate in the flawed elections. Chamisa and co have found the bait irresistible.
Mnangagwa has added the POLAD to reward the other losing presidential candidate, just to be double sure the opposition participate in these flawed elections in droves!
Chamisa and co know Zanu PF is blatantly rigging these elections but they have to pretend the elections are free and fair because if they admitted they will have nowhere to hide they are participating out of greed.
“If the choice before the voters was between Robert Mugabe and a donkey, they will vote for the donkey!” remarked Professor Jonathan Moyo in 2008.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Moyo was stating the obvious; he was underlining just how desperate for change the people were after decades of rigged elections, corrupt and tyrannical rule by the Zanu PF dictatorship.
It so happened that the March 2008 vote was the nearest the nation ever got to holding a free, fair and credible elections and the opposition led by the late Morgan Tsvangirai garnered 73% of the vote, according to Mugabe’s Freudian slip. Mnangagwa boasted of how he, when other Zanu PF leaders had accepted electoral defeat, had reactivated the Zanu PF vote rigging machine. He stopped ZEC declaring the result and the machinery got to work.
It took Mnangagwa and company to six weeks to recount 5 million votes, to cook the figure whittling down Tsvangirai’s 73% to 47%, enough to force a runoff. During the runoff Zanu PF used wanton violence to punish the electorate for daring to reject the party in the March vote.
One of the most notorious acts of political mischief Mugabe has ever done was to outwit Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends into failing to implement even one reform during the GNU on the mistaken belief MDC can win rigged elections.
Zanu PF has conned the MDC/CCC into believing “even a donkey can win against Zanu PF!” And so, the nation has been dragged into one blatantly rigged election after another. Zanu PF might as well be using dice with 6 on all six sides and MDC/CCC betting on Zanu PF failing to throw another six!
MDC/CCC will participate in these flawed elections no matter how flawed and illegal the process gets. “God is in it!” has become Chamisa’s maxim. Of course, God is NOT in it because this is insane!
@ Cornelius Kona Tambo Ndlovu
ReplyDelete“The opposition guys have a belief that by going to the elections without the Reforms a Zambian Scenario will take place in Zim. which I believe is a pipe dream.”
The political reforms that allowed the late Fredrick Chiluba to win power in Zambia are comparable to the reforms that preceded Zimbabwe’s March 2008 elections. Mnangagwa was able to step in before the results could be announced and the party reinstated the old vote rigging system with added features to make double sure Zanu PF will blatantly rig elections.
Mugabe did not only trick, bribe, MDC to do nothing about implementing reforms during the five years of the GNU; he tricked them into believing they can win blatantly rigged elections. This is like conning someone into betting against Zanu PF failing to throw a 6 when the dice has 6 on all 6 sides!
Chamisa is participating in these 2023 elections insisting “God is in it!” The real tragedy here is there are many Zimbabweans naïve enough to be conned even after 42 years of rigged elections!