“Former vice president and opposition leader
Joice Mujuru has called for fresh elections amid public anger and protests over
the country's deteriorating economic situation,” report VOA
“Mrs. Mujuru told a news conference held at her Harare residence Tuesday that President Mugabe should dissolve government to pave way for fresh elections to contain the country's economic crisis.”
“Mrs. Mujuru told a news conference held at her Harare residence Tuesday that President Mugabe should dissolve government to pave way for fresh elections to contain the country's economic crisis.”
This is the kind of knee-jerk
reaction one would expect from someone like Mai Mujuru – she is certainly not
one of the bright stars on the Zimbabwean political stage. The last thing we
would want to do right now is to be stampeded into fresh elections that produce
cosmetic changes and nothing more. What we need is substantial political
changes to end the dictatorship and lay the solid foundation of a healthy and
functional democracy to last this generation and posterity.
Calling for fresh elections without making sure everything is
done to ensure every sector and section of Zimbabwe society is freed from
influences of the Zanu PF dictatorship will, at best, produce a new government
with reduced Zanu PF influence. But, given time, the party will rebuild and bounce
straight back as we have seen happen in 2013.
We need to implement ALL the democratic reforms properly and
make sure the next elections are free, fair and credible.
It is doubtful if Mai Mujuru understands what people mean by free,
fair and credible elections, much less know what it will take to dismantle the
Zanu PF dictatorship to create a democracy. She has been in government for
donkey years and should have seen the rot in Zanu PF; if she did, then it has
never sunk in. It would be irresponsible and reckless of us to let someone like
her have a say in what the nation should do at this critical hour in our
history.
In 1980, we had our first golden opportunity to build a free,
just and prosperous Zimbabwe most of our people dreamt of during the bitter war
of independence. Sadly it was not to be because Mugabe and his cronies,
including Joice Mujuru, betrayed the nation. They systematically undermine the
country's democratic institutions and denied the people their freedoms and
rights to create this corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship for the sole purpose
of gratifying their insatiable appetites for absolute power and the world pleasure
influence and money brings.
We had our best golden chance to end Mugabe corrupt and
tyrannical rule during the GNU when Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were
tasked to implement the democratic reforms designed to dismantle the Zanu PF
dictatorship. Not even one reform was implemented in five years and Mugabe rigged
the July 2013 elections to remain in State House causing the political chaos
and economic misery we are seeing today.
Calling for fresh elections without making sure everything is
done to ensure every sector and section of Zimbabwe society is freed from
influences of the Zanu PF dictatorship will, at best, produce a new government
with reduced Zanu PF influence. But, given time, the party will rebuild and bounce
straight back as we have seen happen in 2013.
We need to implement ALL the democratic reforms properly and
make sure the next elections are free, fair and credible.
It is doubtful if Mai Mujuru understands what people mean by free,
fair and credible elections, much less know what it will take to dismantle the
Zanu PF dictatorship to create a democracy. She has been in government for
donkey years and should have seen the rot in Zanu PF; if she did, then it has
never sunk in. It would be irresponsible and reckless of us to let someone like
her have a say in what the nation should do at this critical hour in our
history.
In 1980, we had our first golden opportunity to build a free,
just and prosperous Zimbabwe most of our people dreamt of during the bitter war
of independence. Sadly it was not to be because Mugabe and his cronies,
including Joice Mujuru, betrayed the nation. They systematically undermine the
country's democratic institutions and denied the people their freedoms and
rights to create this corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship for the sole purpose
of gratifying their insatiable appetites for absolute power and the world pleasure
influence and money brings.
We had our best golden chance to end Mugabe corrupt and
tyrannical rule during the GNU when Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were
tasked to implement the democratic reforms designed to dismantle the Zanu PF
dictatorship. Not even one reform was implemented in five years and Mugabe rigged
the July 2013 elections to remain in State House causing the political chaos
and economic misery we are seeing today.
Mugabe thought he could rig
economic recovery just as easily as he had rig the 2013 elections. He failed to
do so because the economy is made of stern stuff than the likes of Mai Mujuru
or Tsvangirai the dictator was able to cheat and bamboozle with ease.
Zimbabwe is facing a serious economic meltdown pushing
unemployment to 90% plus, 76% of the people are now living in abject poverty, regime
is failing to pay civil servant wages to say nothing of essentials like
medicines, etc. Meanwhile the ruling elite’s insatiable has soared into the
stratosphere with Mugabe himself admitting that $15 billion in diamonds was
looted in the last six years alone. Six months latter not even one person has
been arrested, proof of the regime’s laissez faire attitude to corruption and
all the other problems fuelling the country’s worsening economic meltdown.
Zimbabwe is facing a serious economic meltdown pushing
unemployment to 90% plus, 76% of the people are now living in abject poverty, regime
is failing to pay civil servant wages to say nothing of essentials like
medicines, etc. Meanwhile the ruling elite’s insatiable has soared into the
stratosphere with Mugabe himself admitting that $15 billion in diamonds was
looted in the last six years alone. Six months latter not even one person has
been arrested, proof of the regime’s laissez faire attitude to corruption and
all the other problems fuelling the country’s worsening economic meltdown.
Mugabe was warned economic
hardships caused by the worsening economic meltdown were socially and
politically unsustainable and, since he had failed to address the root causes,
he must resign. He had the choice to step and allow peace change or risk
violent change to force him out of office if he tried to hang on. The rioting
and protests sweep the nation are a consequence of his refusal to step down.
Now that the fire of violent rebellion has been lit there is no putting it out
until the whole regime is burn to ashes if it tries to hang on to power.
What this nation needs is not
just to see the back of Mugabe and his cronies but that we lay a solid foundation
for free, just and prosperous Zimbabwe we dreamt of before independence. 36
years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule resulting in the deaths of over 30
000 innocent Zimbabwe, the political chaos and the economic hardship was not
the Zimbabwe we dreamt of in 1980. This should have never happened; still, we
are where we are.
The very least we must do now
is to learn from the mistakes of the last 36 years that got us into this mess and
take a solemn oath to never make the same mistakes ever again. Surely allowing Mugabe and his cronies so much political room for them to establish this corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship was one big mistake. Our starting point today must be to make sure the dictatorship is totally dismantled and not be
just content with removing the dictator and a few of his immediate cronies.
just content with removing the dictator and a few of his immediate cronies.
We must implement all the
democratic reforms to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship and replace it with
well-grounded and robust democratic institutions and then hold the nation’s
first free, fair and credible elections. We wasted the golden opportunities to
build a free, just and prosperous Zimbabwe in 1980 and then in 2013; we must
not waste this opportunity this time.
If there is ever going to be
something crying out for this generation to do and do right it is creating a
political system that will deliver freedom, peace, justice and economic
prosperity for not just us but for posterity. It should be the fervent hope of
us all that we will not be found wanting in carrying out this task; not this
time!
The MDC-T officially jumped into the Monday fray (Police vs Four Street Kombi operators who pro-testing the proliferation of roadblock and thus the soaring costs in bribes they have to pay at these roadblocks) with the party's spokesman Obert Gutu and secretary general Douglas Mwonzora con-vening a rash press conference in Harare urging their supporters to join in the war between kombis and police.
ReplyDeleteGutu said: "As MDC we have absolutely no shame to say here and now, that we fully support all the peaceful demonstrations that disgruntled Zimbabweans have since embarked upon.
"As the situation deteriorates in Zimbabwe, we stand in support of any exercise of their rights in line with the dictates of the Constitution, which gives us the right to demonstrate.
Well this is to be expected, ever since MDC leaders lost their gravy train seats they have jumped at everything they possible could just so they can remain relevant. The truth is by failing to implement the democratic reforms which would have stopped Zanu PF from rigging the elections and thus kept helped them win their parliamentary seats they have shown that they are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent and thus totally irrelevant!
Zimbabwe has the chance to finally dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship which has penetrated every segment of our society from Mugabe at the top to the rogue war veteran, village heads and green bombers at the base. The last thing we want is these useless, corrupt and incompetent politicians hijacking this revolt and take the nation for a ride just as they did the last 36 years for Zanu PF and last 16 years for MDC.
It is bad enough that the nation has ever followed corrupt and incompetent leaders like Tsvangirai, Biti, Mujuru, Ncube, etc. or worse still murderous tyrant like President Mugabe but one can say they did initially because they did not any better. But now when these individual have shown their true colours in all the dazzling rainbow colours what is the excuse for still following the same failed leaders.
DeleteSADC leaders and all those in the know did their best to warn MDC leaders not to take part in the 2013 elections without implement the democratic reforms first and warnings went in one ear and straight out the other. Instead of the information being process it was not it went straight out because there is nothing between the ear, none of the usual grey stuff one expected. It seems MDC are not the only ones with this physiological fault.
Zimbabweans have been warned of the need to have competent and incorruptible leaders but the warnings have all gone in one ear and straight out the other.
We can continue to have all the corrupt and incompetent leaders we wish, recycling them over and over gain, but must accept the basic fact that we will never ever get out of the hell-hole Mugabe has landed us into. Never!
@ Dube
ReplyDeleteOne of the tragic consequence of 36 year of Zanu PF tyranny, propaganda and brainwashing is that most of our people have lost confidence in themselves as thinking members of the human race capable of doing anything of substance. You have been brainwashed into believing that only Mugabe has the power and intellect to do anything, if he does not we are all sunk!
Mugabe created and sustain the dictatorship and he needs it to stay in power it is therefore absurd to even think he would implement the democratic reforms and thus distroy the dictatorship. During the GNU it was not for Mugabe to submit the proposed reforms to parliament for approve, it was MDC who should have done this. And yet one is shocked at the number of idiots out there who still think it was Mugabe who should have done this.
Now that the economic meltdown has forced Mugabe to accept political change it is not for him to decide what happens next; his part is to walk off the political stage or else be kicked off the stage. So to still talk of Mugabe doing this or that now only shows you are still stuck in the mentality that Zimbabwe cannot do anything without him. The tyrant is finished man, he is history!
We, the people of Zimbabwe, with the help of SADC, UN and other friendly nations must now appoint a body that will implement the democratic reforms and thus lay the solid foundation of a democratic and accountable system of government and finally bury the failed corrupt and tyrannical totalitarian system that has landed us in this mess.
But even you will have to accept that we have thugs running the country; we all know that they rigged the last elections, for a start; and they have denies the people the democratic space to have a meaningful say for years. So why are you surprise that the people have now resorted to violence; what else could they have done to be heard!
ReplyDeleteIt is President Mugabe and his thugs who have forced the people to use violence to drive them out of office because they denied them all peaceful means of achieving regime change! It is therefore Mugabe and his thugs who must pay for all the material or human loses that will result from the rioting and protest sweeping the country. Every cent of their looted wealth must be taken away from this corrupt and murderous tyrants and used in the reconstruction of the nation they have worked bring to ruin.
There are picture of deserted street in Harare. The government has deployed army staff to man hospitals.
ReplyDeleteJust how long does the regime think it can hold on? The writing is on the wall - GO AND LET US BE DONE WITH YOU! YOU CAUSED ENOUGH SUFFERING AND DEATHS AFTER 36 YEARS OF CORRUPT AND TYRANNICAL RULE! GO OR YOU WILL BE THROWN OUT!
“The upsurge in public protests is a clear vote of No Confidence in Robert Mugabe and his entire leadership that has presided over the demise of this great nation called Zimbabwe,” said MDC-T statement.
ReplyDelete“The peaceful protests are clear signals for Robert Mugabe to make hay while the sun shines be-cause the people are becoming too vicious for him to ignore.
“It is our constitutional right as citizens of Zimbabwe to approve or disapprove an insincere and in-competent leadership with or without a war history. The MDC stands firmly and confidently in soli-darity with the government workers on strike and the entire Zimbabwean family that has gone on a paralyzing national protest over bad leadership by the Zanu PF regime.”
This just typical MDC playing their “vana mucheka dzafa” (Coward who jumps in the dangerous task is done so they can play the brave hero). The nation will never forget that all these public protests would not be happening if these cowardly, corrupt and incompetent MDC village idiots had imple-mented the democratic reforms and stopped Zanu PF rigging the 2013 elections!
No the rioting is a result of people fed up with a regime that is not listening to them under the pretext that anyone who does not sing Mugabe's praise is a "regime change agent!" The regime does not listen but now that Zimbabwe is burning can it stand the heat!
ReplyDeleteThe longer the regime stays in office the more the heat will be turned up; now that the fire is lit there are millions of Zimbabweans out there who know want to be heard and will turn up the heat until they are heard!
Regime change is upon us and it is the ordinary people of Zimbabwe who are demanding it after all these years of being cheated and denied a meaningful vote because Zanu PF rigged elections. The game is up!
President Mugabe has rigged elections for years and thus denied the people a peaceful and democratic path to bringing about peaceful regime change. By closing the peaceful path he necessarily left the nation with only one way out - a violent rebellion. The fires of rebellion have been lit and there is not putting it out now until this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime is driven out of office.
ReplyDeleteThere are millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who anger and frustration has been bottled up for years and is now busting out; they are the ones who will fan the flames of rebellion and make sure the regime that would not listen to them is burnt down to ashes if it continue to refuse to leave office. The rebellion has millions of very angry people and if the regime thinks it can stop the rebellion then it should try stopping a Tsunami!
It is not for President Mugabe or his useless politburo to say what happens next; it is for the rioting mob to say that and they have done so - they want Mugabe and his thugs to go, period! Until they go, the rioting will only get worse!
If the nation was to hold elections without doing something to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote is inviting the party to rig the election again. When it comes to rigging elections, Zanu PF does not need any encouragement.
ReplyDeleteBy calling for fresh election without calling for reforms, it shows that Joice Mujuru simply does not have a clue what this country needs to go forward. She has the chance to stop the vote rigging, fails t take the chance but would, no doubt, complain of vote rigging after the event. She holds a few poorly attended rallies and someone calls her maNdlovu and her heads swells to the size of a giant pumpkin and thinks she has the elections in the bag already.
Morgan Tsvangirai had the chance to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU but being ap-pointed PM was enough to make his swell to twice the of the biggest Zeppelin Airship ever built! He known of Zanu PF "elections shenanigans" but would not implement any reforms to stop the vote rigging because he was confident no amount of rigging would not overwhelm his mass appeal.
The next time was the village idiot, there is no doubt that Tsvangirai is indeed one of the biggest village idiots in Zimbabwe, was complaining that Zanu PF "steal the elections"! If maNdlovu was to have her way on elections then she too will be complaining of Zanu PF "stealing the elections" before sunset on voting day!
We desperately need to get out of the hell-hole Zanu PF has landed us and I know that these recycled cor-rupt and incompetent leaders like Mujuru and Tsvangirai will never get us out of the hole. All they want is to get back on the gravy train the very thing we want to implement the democratic reforms and blow up!
President Mugabe must fire himself on corruption; he could he president over the looting of $15 billion without being aware of such serious theft. Ever since he admitted of having failed to pick up the looting in March he has failed to get even one person arrested. Not even one!
ReplyDeleteCorruption is a serious problem in Zimbabwe but if we are ever going to stop it, then we need someone who is going to act swiftly and decisively to end the problem and not wait for mass protests before he/she will finally act.
The years of appeasing President Mugabe, of blaming everyone else around him for all the nation's ills are over; if #ShutdownZimbabwe are serious about ending the suffering of our people a.s.a.p. and stop the situation boiling over in violence and mayhem then we must call a spade and spade or even blood shovel! The people are very angry and it is unwise to test providence by institution a drip, drip approach to meaningful democratic reforms!
It was never a matter of government having no money to pay civil servants but rather one of the regime refusing to share even a tiny fraction of the billions of dollars of looted diamonds riches with the public.
ReplyDeleteIt was President Mugabe himself who admitted in March 2016 that $15 billion was looted in the period 2010 to 2015. From what Ministers Kasukuwere and Jonathan Moyo have since said, Mai Mujuru is re-sponsible for having looted "a chunk" of the $15 billion. Mai Mujuru is not the only who has been looting and so a lot more than $15 billion is being looted. Since no one has ever been arrested since March 2016 and Minister of Finance is still getting nothing from Marange and Chiadzwa, it certain the looting is still happening to this day.
Amongst the other people known to be actively involved in the looting in Marange are the top brass in Army, Police, CIO and the President himself. The President must have spent $4 billion, at least, during the last elections. He paid NIKUV $10 million to corrupt the voters roll, millions to buy each Zanu PF candidate a new car plus $10 000 spending money, etc., etc. Of course he got the money from all the looting in Marange and Chiadzwa.
So it took mass action just to get the regime to grudgingly share a few million dollars out of the billions of Marange diamonds it continues to pocket! No doubt President Mugabe expects the whole nation to go down on our bended knees and think him for his generousity!
Anyone who believes that ZimPF are anything else other than Zanu PF by another name live in cloud -cuckoo-land. Mai Mujuru and company were kicked out of Zanu PF kicking and screaming, they have willingly played their part in building the corrupt and murderous Zanu PF and they collected their share of the spoils in terms of absolute power and the influence and wealth in money, looted farms and diamonds.
ReplyDeleteZim PF people have had to learn anew about freedom, democracy, human rights not because they believe these things but because that is the only way for them to get back into power. Mai Mujuru is as corrupt as the other Zanu PF leaders her condemnation of corruption now is as hollow as a hyena imitating a goat!
ZimPF will never deliver the free, just and democratic Zimbabwe the people have been fighting for all these years; all they will BUILD is another corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship identical to the Zanu PF because they will be using the Zanu PF model!