Zimbabwe is a failed state and political stagnation is one of the causes - MDC/CCC have played their part in that! W Mukori

 Zimbabweans in the country and abroad are gearing to protest Mnangagwa’s takeover of the SADC chairperson. To what end and purpose? They will not say because there is no rational reason for the protests! 

“Zimbabweans living abroad have expressed concerns over the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) lack of action against President Emmerson Mnangagwa for leading what they consider an "illegitimate" government following disputed election results last year.

As Mnangagwa prepares to assume the chairmanship of SADC at the 44th SADC Summit on August 17, 2024, there is growing anger among Zimbabweans regarding the unresolved issues from the 2023 elections.

Diaspora Zimbabweans, like Tendai Mapfumo in the UK, are organizing protests globally to highlight the dire economic conditions in Zimbabwe and the perceived mismanagement by Mnangagwa's administration. They argue that hyperinflation, poverty, unemployment, and human rights abuses have worsened under Mnangagwa's leadership. Critics, including Pamela Magwizi and Petty Ziramba, question Mnangagwa's fitness to lead a credible regional organization, citing failures in economic policies and a disregard for democratic principles.

Human rights abuses, including violent crackdowns on peaceful protests and opposition leaders, are highlighted by Tatenda Alexias Chifamba, Blessing, and gender activist Priscilla Makechemu. They argue that Zanu-PF's hold on power is maintained through coercion rather than genuine democratic processes. The diaspora calls on SADC to reconsider its decision to appoint Mnangagwa as chair and to pressure for democratic reforms in Zimbabwe.

The 44th SADC Summit will address issues such as politics, defense, security, and the impact of environmental challenges like El Nino-induced droughts and floods. The summit serves as the policy-making institution for the regional bloc, attended by Heads of State and Government from SADC member states.”

The worst cause in this world must be ignorance especially self inflicted ignorance. Yes self inflicted ignorance is a curse worse than death itself because the ignorant have often shot themselves in the foot causing great suffering and even shot themselves in the head!

Yes Mnangagwa rigged the 2023 elections; SADC, the AU and all the other election observers condemned the election process as flawed and illegal; and, per se, this Zanu PF regime is illegitimate. But SADC did not deny Zanu PF political legitimacy as happened in 2008 because Zimbabweans had participated in the elections in their millions. 

They were warned repeatedly that participating in the flawed elections would give the process the modicum of credibility and give the result legitimacy. They ignored the warning buoyed by Chamisa’s promise that he had plugged all the vote rigging loop holes. People were told this was blatant lie given ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. But once again the 2 million who voted for Chamisa and the 3 to 4 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora who cheered and applauded the participating in the elections ignored the warnings. 

It is Zimbabweans, in their ignorance and stupidity, who handed vote rigging Zanu PF political legitimacy in a silver platter. They do not want to accept their folly and so they are blaming SADC!

SADC leaders take it in turn to be the chairperson of the regional body, there are no elections. It is the turn of whoever is Zimbabwe’s State President to be SADC chairperson and Mnangagwa is that man! Why these Zimbabweans are protesting is only a measure of their ignorance and stupidity particularly when they are they ones who gave Mnangagwa the presidency! 

They completely lost in their cloud cuckoo land of the ignorant and stupid they hear reasons but never comprehend any of it. Their brains have ossified into fat they are incapable of any rational thinking. Giving the ignoramus the vote is the one of the biggest mistakes we ever did since both Zanu PF and MDC/CCC have exploited this rich ladder to keep themselves in power. 

Both Zanu PF and MDC/CCC have done everything in the power to keep millions of Zimbabweans poor, ignorant and fearful and they are fighting tooth and nail to  stop all efforts to educate the people! Zanu nPF has stifled debate  and democratic discourse by undermining freedom of expression and free media. MDC had the opportunity to end this during the GNU and only Tsvangirai wanted was that the public media should stop calling him a puppet - which they did for a few months!

Not even one of these Zimbabweans in the planned protests would admit that Chamisa lied about plugging the vote rigging loop holes much less that they were foolish to have believed him. A clear sign it will be a day’s work to get this lot to participate in flawed 2028 elections on the back of yet another idiotic lie, another winning RIGGED election strategy, to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the nation’s suffering. Stop the world, I want to jump off! 

Chamisa is demanding SADC to revisit 2023 rigged elections. He is just wasting time - something we can ill afford. Wilbert Mukori

 Chamisa & Co. are up to their favourite pass-time - whining endlessly over trivial matters and wasting everyone’s time!

“The upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Harare is seen by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) as a crucial opportunity to address the disputed outcome of Zimbabwe's August 2023 presidential elections. The CCC claims that the election, which resulted in a narrow victory for President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zanu-PF, was marred by fraud, with former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa alleging the process was rigged,” reported New Zimbabwe.

“CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi expressed hope that SADC's intervention could resolve the political stalemate and restore legitimacy to the Zimbabwean government, which the CCC views as illegitimate. Mkwananzi urged SADC to prioritize the election dispute on its agenda and facilitate dialogue between Chamisa and Mnangagwa to reach a political settlement.”

This is nonsense but coming from Chamisa and company it is no surprise to hear it; the nation has learned to expect nonsense from this lot.

Of course, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the 2023 elections but did so with the connivance of none other than Chamisa and company! First, MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement ever one token reform in 24 years including the 5 years in the GNU. 

Second, ever since the GNU debacle they have participated in flawed elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging and that participating would give the regime legitimacy. They have soldiered on regardless because they also knew that the regime was giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate no matter how flawed the process got. 

For once, Chamisa led from claiming “I have plugged all vote rigging loop holes. #Godisinit!” to con the braindead followers to participate in the flawed elections in their millions. They swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker and 2 million voted for him and 3 to 4 million, mainly in the diaspora, cheered and applauded the decision to participate.  

Ever since the 2008 GNU, Zanu PF has given up the old fashioned one-party state and have a few opposition members in parliament to maintain the new multi-party state facade! Mugabe learned during the GNU that the MDC/CCC leaders are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. 

CCC leaders defied SADC, AU and all the other election observers who condemned the 2023 election process as flawed and illegal and took up their gravy train seats. Leaders like Tendai Biti and David Coltart defended the defiance under the pretext wherever CCC had won, these were “liberated zone”! Yeah right!

It is not as if MDC/CCC leaders did not know that participating in these flawed elections gave Zanu PF legitimacy. They known this for decades!

“The (2013) 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,” confessed David Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.

So Chamisa and company participated, hell-bent on participating, in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and that participating would give Zanu PF legitimacy (and it did) out of greed. They took up the gravy train seats bait on offer (some have since lost the seats due to the factional fighting in the party). Now they not only accept Zanu PF rigged the elections (the very thing Chamisa said he had stopped) but blame SADC for mess and are demanding that the regional body sort it out!

SADC, rightly or wrongly, accepted the damning SADC Election Observer Mission (SEOM) report on Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections and decided not take any further action on the matter. They are not going to be bullied by a cry baby who think he can have his cake and eat it too to revisit the SEOM report! They have ignored the cry baby in the past and that is not going to change.

The real tragedy here is that the opposition is wasting time, they should be fighting to get the flaws and illegalities highlighted in the SEOM report and all the other observer team reports implemented so that 2028 is not a repeat of the past. We all know what is going to happen next; Chamisa will come up with yet another idiotic lie, a winning RIGGED election strategy, to justify participating in the flawed 2028 elections. After the elections, he will complain the 2028 were rigged - that goes without saying. 

After 44 years of Zanu PF rigging elections, the last 24 years with the connivance of MDC/CCC, Zimbabwe is desperate to end this madness. Zimbabwe is a failed state and ending this status is totally dependent on ending the curse of rigged elections. 

We are not going to get any meaningful democratic reforms implement before 2028 elections; neither Zanu PF nor CCC have political will or inclination to implement the reforms. Our best hope is to make sure the flawed elections do not get political legitimacy by making sure millions of Zimbabweans do not participate in the flawed elections. 

If Zimbabweans had not participated in 2023 elections in their millions SADC would have denied Zanu PF political legitimacy. We should make it easier for SADC to deny Zanu PF legitimacy in 2028 by doing the right and obvious thing, stop participating in elections “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw”, as Coltart aptly put it!

"Zimbabwe economy is heading for the graveyard of 2008!" said Mugano. Vision 2030 is a mirage by moonlight.

 Economist Gift Mugano has warned that the Zimbabwean economy is rapidly approaching a crisis similar to the one experienced in 2008 when the country’s GDP growth plummeted to -17.7% and the Zimbabwean dollar became virtually worthless.

Reacting to the Mid-Term Budget Review Statement presented to parliament on Thursday by Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube, Mugano stated that the Treasury boss should consider introducing a supplementary budget to address the financial shortfall caused by the depreciation of the local currency.. Wrote Mugano on X:

The mid-term budget review exposed economic rot

Forget about nice phrases from my esteemed brother [Mthuli Ncube] – consolidating stability…There is nothing to consolidate. The economy is in a dire situation. The economy going towards the graveyard. We are fast approaching 2008.

These are the facts:

 1. Contribution of IMTT to total revenue fell drastically from about 16% in 2019 to 3.4% in 2024 – signifying deepening informality and collapse of the formal economy;

 2. Percentage of people employed in the informal sector increased from 75.6% in 2019 to 87.7% in December 2023 – signifying deepening informality and the collapse of the formal economy. @MthuliNcube in the NDS1 was targeting to reduce informal employment to 70% (i.e., increasing formal employment to 30%) by 2025. Right now formal employment is sitting at 11.3%;

 3. Youth unemployment is standing at 3.5 million – 3.5 million young people are unemployed. The majority of the youths are drug addicts.

 4. National debt has ballooned to US$20.8 billion (ZiG287.2 billion/13.78) up from US$18.73 in 2023, i.e., a staggering US$2 billion increase;

 5. Close to 50% of the population is living in extreme poverty.

 6. Both the education and health sectors are in intensive care units.

 7. Close to 25% of the children under 5 are suffering from stunting growth – future generation & human capital is threatened;

 8. Businesses executives tell me that they are failing to access forex from banks with some securing 5-10% of their forex requirement notwithstanding the assurances given by the @ReserveBankZIM

 9. Exchange rates are running away – we hear banks are using rates averaging ZiG22.30/US$1 while parallel market rates are hovering around ZiG24/US$1.

10. Aggregate demand is plummeting – mari haisi kubatika or kutenderera – which is now a common statement in the market.

Until GOZ and all stakeholders in the ecosystem of policymaking confess the truth about the state of the economy, we will sleepwalk into 2008.

In view of the fact that the Honourable Minister of Finance didn’t table a supplementary budget, the following question is pertinent:

Official exchange shot from ZWL6000/US$1 (i.e. at the time you presented the 2024 budget in Nov 2023) to ZWL33,882 (now equivalent to ZiG13.52) as of 5 April 2024. Resultantly, the national budget which was equivalent to +US$9 billion when it was presented (under assumption of stable exchange rates) was eroded to US$1.68 billion. Isn’t this enough reason to do a supplementary budget?”

Vision 2030 is a mirage by moonlight! How can we talk of economic recovery much less economic prosperity when it is the informal sector and not the formal sector that is growing.

“No one and no place will be left behind!” Yeah right! The teachers and nurses were thrown over board a long time ago!

Mayor Coltart warns of Bulawayo water crisis. He knows his greed is giving Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuating the crisis. W Mukori

 Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has highlighted the city's severe water crisis and urgently called for US$14 million to upgrade the Mtshabezi and Insiza pipelines,” reported Bulawayo 24.

“During a visit to Umzingwane Dam and Ncema pump stations, Coltart described the situation as catastrophic.

“Umzingwane Dam is nearly dry at 2% capacity and has been decommissioned, while Inyankuni Dam is at 22% and faces a similar fate without significant rainfall.”

This comes as no surprise to anyone who have been following Zimbabwe’s economic and political history. Zimbabwe is a failed state, a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous Zanu PF thugs who have rigged elections to stay in power. 44 years of being stuck with the dictatorship have left the country is economic ruin and political turmoil.

As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic recovery and no end to the tragic human suffering as the country drifts deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth we find ourselves stuck in.

What is infuriating here is that the nation has had many opportunity to end the Zanu PF dictatorship with the best of these coming during the 2008 to 2013 GNU; all of the opportunities have been wasted. Mayor Coltart was a senior MDC leader in the GNU that failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years.

Robert Mugabe bribed Coltart and his fellow MDC friends with the trappings of high office; the E-Class Mercedes Benz ministerial limos, the very generous salaries and allowances, US$4m mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. In return, the MDC leaders kicked the democratic reforms into the devil-thorn cactus thicket! 

Ever since the GNU debacle, Coltart and company have participated in flawed elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and that participating would only give the process “credibility”, as Coltart readily admitted and thus give Zanu PF legitimacy.  

“The (2013) 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,” confessed David Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.

The people of Bulawayo should know that root cause of their water problems, as with the multitude of other economic, political and social problems, is their Mayor’s greed. Mayor Coltart and his fellow MDC/CCC friends have been participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the dictatorship out of greed. Pure and simple! And as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no end to our suffering.

All signs are, Mayor Coltart and his friends will be participating in the coming 2028 elections with not even a token democratic reform implemented out of greed - but, of course! Zanu PF will once again get away with the rigged elections as long as Zimbabweans participating in the flawed elections in their  millions, as before. 

Chamisa will conned his followers with another “I have plugged all vote rigging loop holes. #Godisinit!” idiotic lie. The  herd will believe him, they have always believed such lies no questions asked. How is it possible that anyone can be so ignorant and naive to believe such nonsense; beggars belief. And yet millions of Zimbabweans have believed such blatant lies again and again for 24 years and counting. 

It is said nations get the government they deserve. We, in Zimbabwe, certainly deserve this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its equally corrupt and incompetent MDC/CCC side-kick. We have done certainly done nothing to deserve a healthy and functioning democratic government. 

“Coltart warned that without immediate action, Bulawayo faces a disaster, noting that the outdated water purification systems and pumps at Ncema are operating at only 35% capacity and require urgent upgrades,” the report concluded.

Alas! The most immediate impediment to economic recovery and political change in Zimbabwe is the opposition’s greed. Coltart and company have been participating in elections “so flawed, so illegal that the only logical step was to withdraw” to give Zanu PF legitimacy out of greed.

Zimbabwe is a failed state because of "you and me"! You and me, yes but not rural povo. W Mukori

 “Zimbabwe is where she is because of you and me

24 July 2024 

I was wondering why the law stings, also the one who defends the criminals for defeating the end of justice or obstructing the course of justice.

The law is right because those who defend, support, and  protect wrongdoers and failures are the *number one foes  and  internal  saboteurs of Zimbabwe development.

Blaming politicians is just as good as missing the target.

No politician can survive politically without supporters and defenders.

But the truth is defenders of politicians are treated as cleaning rugs or hunting dogs 🐕  which defend the owner or even hunt and catch a fatty animal, putting all this effort for bones as their reward.

Zimbabwe is where it is because you and me can not draw a line between white and black. 

Let's correct our leaders when they make mistakes. That way, we will build Zimbabwe.

Akson Potera.”

Very interesting but this is too general to be of much use.

The Greeks said democracy - government of the people by the people and by the people - only works if the said people are educated, knowledgeable and diligent in holding the leaders to account. I would say in Zimbabwe there has not been even the effort to educate the voters, especially in the rural areas who are kept poor, ignorant and in constant fear of the over bearing Zanu PF ruling elite and their proxies! 

Mnangagwa himself is on record boasting of how the rural voters would be frog marched to vote. “Sabuku beri vanhu pakati kumashure Zanu PF chayamani kumashure. Chisinga zikanwi rufu, avhota anorikanwa kuti abvepi!” 

Zanu PF has increased the number of Polling Stations from 10 per constituency with a constituency voters’ roll (meaning one could vote in any of the 10 PS) in 2008 to 54 PSs and with PS voters’ roll. Of course, it is naive to deny this was done for the express purpose of ending the myth that one vote is one’s secret, exactly what Mnangagwa was crowing about. The rural voters has no choice but vote for Zanu PF!

The urban voters are  different kettle of fish! The urban and the millions in the diaspora voters participated in 2023 elections knowing fully well the process is flawed, “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw,” as David Coltart aptly put it. They also knew that participating would give Zanu PF legitimacy. Still they soldiered on because Chamisa told them “I have plugged all the vote rigging loop holes. #Godisinit!” 

Of course, Chamisa was lying and not for the first time either. 

One cannot say the urban voters and the millions in the diaspora are not educated and knowledgeable; what excuse it there for them not to be in this day and age. And yet the facts on the ground speak for themselves - nearly 2 million voted for Chamisa and 3 to 4 million in the diaspora cheered and applauded the participation.  How is it possible that so many were so easily conned by a corrupt, incompetent and lying upstart like Chamisa? 

Mnangagwa, just like Mugabe, has never had an problems recruiting some of the country’s most learned men and women to spruce up the party’s image, to do the party’s dirty work and/or clean up afterwards. He has very deep pocket and the raw call of these who have received his bribes is impressive. Here is a list of the recipients of Mnangagwa’s generosity for helping him rig the 2023 elections:

• MPs and senators received US$40k, deputy ministers and ministers US$ 230k and 500k “housing loan” (euphemism for bribe) paid in Nov 2022 to buy their silence on reckless spending blow.

• All the country village heads and Chiefs received motor cycles and twin cab trucks - they were Zanu PF political commissars in all but name

• church leaders receive farms and/or cars for mobilising their church members to vote for Zanu PF

• magistrate and judges receive varying amounts with all judges getting US$ 400k “housing loans” for turning blind eye to electoral flaws and illegality. 

• ZEC officials received US$ 230k “housing loan” plus undisclosed amounts from dodgy contract suppliers like Wicknell Chivhayo; payment to do whatever is necessary to guarantee electoral victory for Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

• millions of dollars were spend transporting and feeding the hired crowds to party rallies.

• last but not least, there is no denying MDC/CCC are Zanu PF team B in all but name. Mugabe bribes Morgan Tsvangirai with the trapping of high office during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and have been doing Zanu PF’s bidding ever since. Of course, Chamisa knew he was lying about plugging all the vote rigging loop holes, he just wanted his supporters to participate in the flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy.

Yes Zimbabwe is a failed state because of “you and me” but we must separate the guilt from the innocent victims! Our political analysis must be surgically accurate if we are ever going to get out of the mess we are in. We have the historic data to pin-point the root causes of the dysfunctional dictatorship and our seemingly inability to end it. We must use it! “Kwete kungokuvhirira zvose mavhu namarara!” as one would say in Shona.