"Peace for our time" is a phrase, spoken on 30 September
1938 by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in his speech defending the
Munich Agreement and the Anglo-German Declaration. The speech has gone down in
the annals of history as a costly act of naivety and folly for in less than a
year the Germany dictator Adolf Hitler invaded Poland and declared war on
France, United Kingdom and many, many other nations beside. “Peace for our
time!” was violently and utterly shattered into a million pieces!
The Second World War was the very antithesis of peace; for the next seven
years the world was to witness what man can do to his fellow man, millions of
human lives were lost and there was wanton destruction of property. It has
taken generations to rebuild the cities and nation who bore the brunt of the
WWII but the scar the war left on humanity will never be forgotten. Never!
Whilst no one blames PM Chamberlain for what Hitler unleashed on us all,
still no student of history worth his salt can deny that by being so naïve and
gullible the British PM did make it easy for Heil Hitler to do as he pleased.
What makes it worse is that PM Chamberlain was warned of the dangers of
appeasing a snake like Hitler and he chose to ignore the warning.
History has the habit of repeating itself or be it at a smaller national
or personal level, but the consequences are just as disastrous for those
involved. In the last 16 years the people
of Zimbabwe has suffered untold human misery and many have lost their lives
because, PM Chamberlain, former Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai has been
naïve and gullible and would not listen to the warnings of the dangers of
appeasing Mugabe.
“Finally the election took place, Zanu-PF was soundly defeated and then
the process fell apart, SADC leaders failed to follow through and after 9
months of messy political activity, a Government of National Unity (GNU) was
formed and took control of the State in early 2009,” wrote Eddie Cross, senior
and trusted “kitchen cabinet members” of PM Tsvangirai.
Whilst it is true that SADC leaders blundered in proposing the formation
of GNU after the July 2008 presidential run-off marred by violence it is
nonetheless equally true that the MDC could still have stopped Mugabe doing as
he pleased if the party had not been so naïve and stubborn.
When it was clear Zanu PF had lost the March 2008 elections but was
deliberately refusing to announce the result; MDC leaders met Zanu PF’s
Nicholas Goche and offered some Zanu PF members cabinet positions in the new MDC
led government. Of course this was a blatant act of appeasement on MDC’s and
proof the party lacked the confidence to govern alone. Mugabe took full
advantage of this and to “cook” the election results to justify a presidential
run-off and to demand more power in the GNU partnership.
In the GNU Mugabe reduced PM Tsvangirai to nothing more than his Office
boy. Many people advised Tsvangirai not to accept the arrangement notably the USA
Ambassador, James Mcghee, who described it have “more holes than Swiss cheese”.
Tsvangirai et al ignored the advice and went into the GNU.
Still even with all its political limitation there is no doubt that GNU
could have accomplished its principle task of implementing the democratic
reforms to ensure Zimbabwe’s future elections were free, fair and credible. To
fair to SADC leaders, they did their best to remind MDC to implement the reforms.
Sadly, MDC leaders ignored the warning and failed to get even one reform
implemented in five years!
“Then, just as in 2005 when Zanu-PF engineered a two thirds majority in
the House of Assembly, they did it again (in 2013) and MDC was kicked back into
opposition,” wrote MP Eddie Cross, commenting on the rigged 2013 elections.
What MP Cross, former PM Tsvangirai and most of the MDC leaders has
refused to admit and is refusing to do so to this day is that simple fact that
by failing to implement even one reform to appease Mugabe during the GNU they
had per se “engineered” their own defeat. Their continued denial of their
failure since the July 2013 is not doing the nation any favours because it
means nothing is being done to implement the reforms and so Zanu PF will once
again be free to blatantly rig the next elections just as happened in 2013!
Morgan Tsvangirai assured the people of Zimbabwe the 2013 elections would
be “free, fair and credible” just as PM Chamberlain assured the British “Peace
for our time”. When Hitler shatter the Chamberlain’s illusionary peace the
British people ditched the dreamer to fight a bitter war before there was
peace. We are did not have free and fair elections in 2013 and are now paying
dearly for having listened to Tsvangirai. It is sheer folly for this nation to
once again believe MDC leaders’ promise of free and fair elections when we know
they have still not implemented even one democratic reform!
“Unlike 2008, the Zanu-PF Party is completely fractured into at least 4
factions. It cannot be put back together in any sort of semblance of what it
has been and no reconciliation is possible. The opposition is no less fractured
and comprises over 30 Parties. Who is who in the Zoo can only be determined by
an election,” acknowledged MP Cross.
“Major figures in the Parties do not want an election because they well
know that they could not win an election that is run on the basis of the SADC
rules for democratic elections.”
Wrong the 2013 elections were not run on the basis of the SADC rules;
SADC reminded MDC to implement the democratic reforms but you lot would not
listen.
The solution to Zimbabwe’s economic and political paralysis is simple
Zimbabwe; implement all the democratic reforms MDC failed to implement during
the GNU designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections but most important of all
designed to end the stifling of meaningful debate and democratic competition.
For it is the free debate and democratic competition that will separate the
wheat from the chuff.
We are not interested in sorting out “who is who in Zimbabwe’s political
zoo” but in in getting rid of the tyrants and the thugs and all those who have
made a career of appeasing tyrants that is why we want not just any elections
but specifically free, fair and credible elections.
“The dominating motif of a coalition is normally to achieve a political goal through numerical superiority but it's no walk in the park, it's like walking on egg-shells,” you said.
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on that motive behind forming a coalition can be maximize the chances of a partner winning where standing separately will divide the vote. The facts on the ground in Zimbabwe shows that Zanu PF has won past elections because the party was able to rig the whole election process. There is not one opposition politician out there who will deny that Zanu PF rigs elections.
The solution here is that we should implement the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote; that is obvious. They also know Zanu PF will never win a free and fair election. So why are these opposition politicians wasting time forming coalitions, holding demos, etc.? To understand why you must first understand that these opposition politicians are corrupt, incompetent and very lazy; they know getting the reforms implemented is hard work, especially now after MDC leaders f%&* up big time by failing to get even one reform implemented during the GNU. They are wasting time on the easy stuff like the lazy farmer who plants seed in the sandy but poor soil because the weeding there is easy!
“The dominating motif of a coalition is normally to achieve a political goal through numerical superiority but it's no walk in the park, it's like walking on egg-shells,” you said.
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on that motive behind forming a coalition can be maximize the chances of a partner winning where standing separately will divide the vote. The facts on the ground in Zimbabwe shows that Zanu PF has won past elections because the party was able to rig the whole election process. There is not one opposition politician out there who will deny that Zanu PF rigs elections.
The solution here is that we should implement the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote; that is obvious. They also know Zanu PF will never win a free and fair election. So why are these opposition politicians wasting time forming coalitions, holding demos, etc.? To understand why you must first understand that these opposition politicians are corrupt, incompetent and very lazy; they know getting the reforms implemented is hard work, especially now after MDC leaders f%&* up big time by failing to get even one reform implemented during the GNU. They are wasting time on the easy stuff like the lazy farmer who plants seed in the sandy but poor soil because the weeding there is easy!
How is it possible that MDC leaders are so corrupt and incompetent they cannot seen the woods from the trees even with the benefit of hindsight?
ReplyDeleteMP Cross, Morgan Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube and all the other MDC leaders accept Zanu PF rigged elections or "engineered the victory" as MP Cross prefers to call it. And yet they refuse to accept that they failed to implement even one reform to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. Since the rigged elections they have done nothing to make sure the next elections are not rigged.
These MDC leaders are just taking advantage of their supporters who have no clue what is going on and therefore will never hold them to account on anything.
MDC leaders got away with doing nothing about reforms during the GNU and then complain about Zanu PF rigging the 2013 elections I will be damned if they complain that Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections after those elections are rigged then I will scream!
I say you should scream now because screaming after the elections have been rigged would too little too late. We are in this political and economic mess right now because MDC leaders sold-out during the GNU; who would have thought we would be dragged back to the nightmare of 2008 and yet that is exactly where we are now.
DeleteIf Zanu PF is allowed to rig the next elections then the country will be starting from where it was in 2008 and start sinking without coming up for air as happened in 2009.
The economic meltdown is wreaking untold havoc to the nation's social cohesion; when people are forced to go for days on end without even one single decent meal is it any wonder that even your own mother is no longer a well come visitor in your house. It is dog-eat-dog out there and I curse all those who dragged us into this mess and those who betrayed the nation to keep us in the mess when they had the chance to get us out!
Zimbabwe will be very lucky is the nation does not descend, long before the next elections, into social chaos with people rioting or worse in protest against the inhuman conditions they are being force to live under. If the people soldier on until the next elections, then they will be expecting something concrete to be done to get them out of this hell-on-earth. Another rigged election will confirm that they suffering will continue and get even worse. I hate to think how the people will react to that and all I can say is we should never test providence!
Allowing Zanu PF to rig the next elections and see how much worse the economic meltdown will get is testing providence!
The worsening economic meltdown is putting Zanu PF under great pressure and if we scream loud and clear and demand meaningful democratic change; there is no doubt in my mind that we will get the forms implemented before the next elections. What we must not do is allow the corrupt and incompetent MDC to set the agenda because without doubt they will sell-out once again!
Whilst few thinking Zimbabweans would dispute the fact that Zanu PF's only interested in power and retaining power at all cost and that re-engaging the regime and expect economic recovery with no meaningful political reforms first is a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteIt is important however to underline that PDP leaders are corrupt, incompetent and are therefore not to be trusted as they sold-out of implementing the reforms during the GNU. People like Vince Musewe are only interested in getting on the gravy train and they sell-out the cause just as readily as MDC sold-out during the GNU. Yes another Zimbabwe is possible including another dictatorship led by recycled corrupt and incompetent leaders - that is NOT the Zimbabwe we want.
We want a to implement all the democratic reforms and lay the solid foundation of a free and democratic Zimbabwe with free, fair and credible elections and not another fudged GNU based on some cloud-cuckoo-land utopia!
The nation is in serious trouble because we allowed a corrupt and murderous tyrant todestroy our national economy and deny us our basic freedoms and rights. When we had the chance to end the dictatorship, one chance after another was wasted by humpty dumpty Morgan Tsvangirai because he is corrupt and incompetent.
ReplyDeleteAfter 36 years of gross mismanagement and corruption that has send unemployment soaring into the sky at 90% forcing millions of our people into abject poverty and despair one would think this nation is desperate to get out of this hell on earth. But by following yet another corrupt and incompetent leader like Mai Mujuru, one can only conclude that we are not yet ready for change, we want to stew in this hell for a few more years!
By electing humpty dumpty Mai Mujuru, the nation is setting itself for yet another fall as humpty dumpty is set to fall!
Nations get the government the deserve, we cannot deny that we deserve this Zanu PF dictatorship complete with the whole galaxy of corrurpt and incompetent opposition parties who follow it.