The story goes on the last day of Constitution Convention,
18 September 1787, a lady asked Doctor Benjamin Franklin, one of the convention
delegates and America’s founding fathers; “What have we got, a republic or a
monarchy?”
“A republic, if you can keep it.” Replied Dr Franklin, according
to James McHenry (1753-1816) journal entry.
America’s founding fathers had produced a constitution in
which political power derived from the people through the holding of regular
free, fair and credible elections. The American Constitution has become one of
the most influential documents in human history because it has successfully
delivered a government of the people, by the people and for the people and has endued
the test of time. Dr Franklin was right to be concerned if the people would be
able to keep the political power and not lose it to the elected officials.
The events of 6th January 2021 when President Donald
Trump and his supporters refused to accept he lost the elections and stormed Capitol
Hill, the sanctum sanctorum of USA political power, to stop the confirmation of
Joe Biden as the dually elected president of USA. The rioters sort to set aside
the democratic wish of the majority of the voters and usurp power. If they had
succeeded, America would have seized to be a democratic republic there and
then!
In 21st December 1979 Zimbabwe’s founding
fathers signed the Lancaster House Constitution marking the end of the war of
independence and paving the way for the country’s first multi-racial elections.
If someone had asked Robert Mugabe, “So, what is it, a democratic republic or a
socialist dictatorship?”
“A democratic republic but not for long!” Mugabe would
have replied.
It is no secret that both Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF
cronies and Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu wanted the independent Zimbabwe to be
a one-party dictatorship along the same lines as communist China or Russia. Attempts
to unite the two parties had failed, they could never agree on the sharing of
the spoils of power, and so they had no choice but to agree to a multi-party
Lancaster House Constitution.
Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies made it clear that it they
did not win the 1980 elections they would disregard the election result and restart
the bush war. Of course, the people voted to end the war. And as soon as Zanu
PF got into power the party has worked tirelessly to consolidate the party’s
iron grip on power by appointing party loyalists in key institutions, disregarding
the law, etc.
In 1983, three years after the country’s independence,
the political rivalry between PF Zapu and Zanu PF reached boiling point with
Mugabe accusing the late Joshua Nkomo of plotting a military insurgency to
topple the Zanu PF government. Mugabe launched the 1983 to 1987 Gukurhundi military
operation supposedly to stamp the dissents but also to force PF Zapu to disband
and join Zanu PF.
Mugabe had his wish when Dr Joshua Nkomo signed the 1987
Unity Accord, paving the way for the imposing of de facto one-party, Zanu PF,
state. Zanu PF has ruthlessly crashed it political critics nd opponents under
the pretext, they threatened the nation’s unity achieved by the signing of the
signing of the 1987 Unity Accord.
It is correct to say the ordinary Zimbabweans have never
had a meaningful free, fair and credible say in the governance of the country. The
Lancaster House Constitution promised them that right but Zanu PF snatched it away
before they had even tasted it.
The opposition parties, notably the MDC, had the golden
opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and dismantle the Zanu PF
dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to implement even one
reform because they are corrupt – there is no denying the bribes they received
from Mugabe made them forget about reforms - but it was much more than just
greed. Tsvangirai and company failed to implement even one reform because they
are breathtakingly incompetent.
Indeed, it is for the same two reasons why Mugabe and his
Zanu PF cronies denied the people the vote and imposed the one-party
dictatorship – greed and breathtakingly incompetent.
Benjamin Franklin and his fellow American founding
fathers are visionaries who understood the benefits of creating a democratic
republic and giving power to the people as essential for stable, just and
prosperous nation. Robert Mugabe, Donald Trump, Morgan Tsvangirai are myopic
leaders who only see the here, me and now and therefore would only create an
autocracy with themselves as the centre of power.
It is the myopic autocrats that Dr Franklin was fearful
of, that they would short-change the people. In Zimbabwe our independence was a
meaningless void, all we did was replace a white colonial oppressive for an
equally oppressive black regime.
Zanu PF has captured all institution, state or not
including the opposition parties. The party in blatantly rigging the 2023
elections as it has done since the first elections in 1980, and the opposition parties
are participating in the flawed process to give Zanu PF legitimacy for the sake
of a few gravy train seats.
America’s republic has not only survived but has thrived
for nearly 250 years and counting. We in Zimbabwe have been groaning under this
Zanu PF dictatorship for the last 42 years and counting; it is now deeply
entrenched and uprooting it will be hard.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a dysfunctional dictatorship
ruled by myopic men and women who don’t even have the common sense to see the
system is doom much less the courage to change it, this country is doomed. The people’s
right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country is more than a
right, it is pivotal in ending the curse of rigged elections and bad
governance.
We, in Zimbabwe, have not been diligent in our search for
leaders and we will not escape out of this hell-on-earth we find ourselves
stuck in until we find competent leaders. It pays in the end, to get the best
in the beginning!
ZANU PF parallel structure, Vapostori for Economic Development (ED), has vowed to defend President Emmerson Mnangagwa and declared the opposition will never rule Zimbabwe.
ReplyDeleteThis is not surprising, Zanu PF is holding this nation to ransom. President Mnangagwa has publicly called those who support the opposition sell outs who must be beaten and this has emboldened his supporters who are carrying out the harassment, beating and even murder.
After 42 years of drifting deeper and deeper into this political hell-hole, there is a crying need for the country to end this insanity. Zimbabwe needs to implement the democratic reforms, dismantle the dictatorship, restore the freedoms and rights of the citizens and end the nightmare of rigged elections and bad governance.
AS EMBATTLED President Cyril Ramaphosa fights for his political life in the build-up to the ANC national conference at the end of this year, he might also have to consider his fashion sense with the prospect of donning orange overalls looming large if the recent allegations against him prove to have merit.
ReplyDeleteAs a sitting president, Ramaphosa holds the highest executive position in the country and thus is expected to be the epitome of flawless leadership and a moral code above reproach. However, the claims made against him by former State Security Agency (SSA) director-general, Arthur Fraser, are way too serious to be swept under the carpet.
According to section 34(1) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA), any person who holds a position of authority (defined in section 34(4) of the Act), who knows or ought reasonably to have known or suspected that any other person has committed an offence (of corruption) in terms of sections 3 to 16 or 20 to 21 of the Act or theft, fraud, extortion, forgery or uttering of a forged document involving an amount of R100 000,00 or more, must report such knowledge or suspicion, or cause such knowledge or suspicion, to be reported to any police official.
Section 34(2) of the Act provides that any person who fails to report such corrupt activities is guilty of an offence.
By his own admission, Ramaphosa was aware of the crime that was committed at his Phala Phala farm, and even though he downplayed the amount of cash involved, it was clearly substantial.
The President has suggested that the amount of cash at his farm was nowhere near the alleged $4 million, however, various media outlets have reported how an Ankole bull sold for R1.65 million on auction at Phala Phala – and this was this year.
The rand currency limit for cash in hand in South Africa is R50 000. When cash is in a foreign currency, however, the limit of $10 000 is specified.
Many South Africans have failed to appreciate the critical importance of Nelson Mandela’s contribution in making sure SA was a healthy and functioning democratic nation. Keeping those in positions of power and authority on the narrow and straight path is the only sure way to guarantee good governance and so far SA has done this thanks to Mandela!
RWANDAN President Paul Kagame will be in Zimbabwe next week to launch a massive US$800 million rural electrification project which President Emmerson Mnangagwa sees as a game changer in his bid to secure re-election in next year’s crucial general elections, The NewsHawks has been informed.
ReplyDeleteOWEN GAGARE
Official government and Zanu PF sources say Kagame will be coming for the launch of the project, which Mnangagwa views as his election trump card, given that he has not fulfilled a litany of the ruling party’s promises.
Among many unfulfilled promises, Mnangagwa in 2018 promised to “ensure provision of electricity to all rural areas” if he won the elections, which he did by a wafer-thin margin in the presidential poll. Kagame personally mobilised the funding after Mnangagwa pleaded with him to do so, according to Rwanda’s daily newspaper, The New Times which is pro-government.
The programme is aimed at transforming livelihoods of the rural population in the southern African country. Mnangagwa previously said Kagame will attend the unveiling of the rural electrification programme at the end of this month.
It is envisaged that the rural electrification project will see almost all of Zimbabwe’s rural population accessing electricity in a move that is expected to boost his popularity ahead of the crucial polls. Mnangagwa has largely not delivered on his Zanu PF manifesto.
For example, he has failed on the following promises he made in the run up to the 2018 polls:
• Build 2 000 schools by 2023;
• l Rehabilitate and establish at least one vocational training centre per administrative district; l Ensure Treasury allocates at least 15% of the budget to healthcare in line with the Abuja Declaration;
• Establish at least one new hospital per administrative district by 2023;
• Deliver at least 1.5 million affordable housing units to the people in the next five years in collaboration with the private sector; and
• Not move or destroy property unless settled on land designated for schools, clinics or roads. Zanu PF insiders say the move by Kagame was timely as the rural folk, the party’s support base, is increasingly getting agitated by the lack
Zimbabwe had its first ever load shedding in the early 1990s when the country was finally forced to accept the simple economic reality that whenever demand out strip supply someone will have to be switch off! The outgoing Smith government handed over a number of power generation projects such as Batoka Gorge Hydro and Hwange Unit 7 and 8 expansion. None of these projects were implemented to this day. The regime has concentrated on the load end because that is the vote-winning end. It is clear the regime has learned nothing.
It is insane to be spending US$800 millions increasing demand when one is failing to meet the demand that is there already! In Zimbabwe, we are used to these voodoo economic policies!
UNITED States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) yesterday rubbished anti-sanctions marches that took place on Tuesday, saying the demonstrations will not jolt them into removing them until there is rule of law and democracy in the country.
ReplyDeleteThe Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Anti-Sanctions Day was held on Tuesday in solidarity with the Government of Zimbabwe to force the US and UK to remove the sanctions imposed in 2001 following chaotic and bloody invasions of white commercial farms.
Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections and hence the reason the party is intensifying its propaganda activities to draw attention away from the vote rigging.
The party has already said it will not continue to deny 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora, by the regime’s own reckoning, the vote. This is a very significant number give Mnangagwa was declared the winner of the 2018 elections with 2.4 million votes.
Zanu PF will not grant the diaspora vote as long as sanctions remained, the party insisted. Nonsense, one does not beat up the wife and children because they had a quarrel with the neighbour!
Zanu PF knows that the majority of Zimbabweans in the diaspora are economic and/or political refugees and they blame the party for their plight. And so most of the 3 million in the diaspora would not be voting for Zanu PF and, to make matters worse, the party will have very little opportunity to rig that vote!
It is laughable that these people are demanding the lifting of the sanctions but have said nothing about Zanu PF denying 30% plus Zimbabweans their fundamental right to a meaningful vote. Indeed, Zanu PF will be counting on the same brainwashed herd to endorse the 2023 elections as free and fair!
It is most reassuring that the British and American continue to support the ordinary Zimbabweans demanding free, fair and credible elections. They know sanctions is just a decoy to draw attention away from the blatant vote rigging; they have their eyes on the ball – free elections!