It was USA Ambassador to
Zimbabwe who said, in a Wikileak, Tsvangirai was “a flawed and indecisive
character”. The Ambassador singled out Tsvangirai as the leader of the MDC but
he could have said the same of all the other opposition leaders. Last week the
American Senators had first-hand experience of just how incompetent and
indecisive Zimbabwe’s opposition can be.
The US Senate on foreign
relations committee invited Peter Godwin, a Zimbabwean author and journalist, and
a posse of MDC Alliance members to ask them a simple question: Should the US
lift the targeted sanctions against the Zanu PF regime or not? The sanctions
were imposed on targeted Zanu PF leaders in 2002 to force the regime to stop
serious human rights violence including failure to hold free and fair
elections.
Without exception, each
Zimbabwean gave a factual account to show that nothing on the ground had
changed to justify lifting the sanctions. Peter Godwin then gave the Senators
an earful of feeble excuses why the sanctions should be lifted. At least Peter
was decisive. Tendai Biti and his fellow MDC Alliance members could not be more
ambivalent, they would not give a straight yes or no answer. They insisted, they
were there “to re-engage”.
So, the Americans had gone to
great expense both in treasure and their valuable time to get these Zimbabweans
to Washington only to learn just how indecisive Zimbabwe’s opposition members
are and thus confirm something Ambassador Dell had said back in 2004.
I have said it 1 000 times and
know will say it 100 000 times again that Zimbabwe’s opposition politicians are
breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. Just to prove this point the opposition
members who were not invited to go to Washington would too have shown just how
confused and lost they are on the same subject of sanctions.
"The US can't reform our electoral system. The fight has to be taken to Parliament to ensure the Electoral Act is aligned to the Constitution. We need to enforce ZEC's obligation to make public the voters' roll. We need to monitor the voter reg \ voting process for irregularity," tweeted Fadzai Mahere, a prospective Mt Pleasant independent candidate for next year’s elections.
"The US can't reform our electoral system. The fight has to be taken to Parliament to ensure the Electoral Act is aligned to the Constitution. We need to enforce ZEC's obligation to make public the voters' roll. We need to monitor the voter reg \ voting process for irregularity," tweeted Fadzai Mahere, a prospective Mt Pleasant independent candidate for next year’s elections.
Ever since Mahere set her
eyes on the parliamentary seat, her brain (assuming she had any to start with) has
turned into mash. She has been told a million times that without implementing
the democratic reforms first, there is no hope of next elections being free,
fair and credible. She is paying lip service to calls for verified voters’
roll, for example. Even with the best will in the world, there is no way ZEC
can register 7 million voters from scratch in four months and then produce a
verified voters’ roll in the remaining four or less months.
Mahere, like the rest in the
opposition camp, will contest next year’s elections even without something as
basic as a verified voters’ roll. After all she and the rest in the opposition
are fight over the few gravy train seats they know Zanu PF will be giving away
to entice them to contest the flawed elections. When it is the scraps you want,
you do not care how they are served.
Yes, madam Mahere, the
Americans are not going to reform Zimbabwe’s electoral system but how is a Zanu
PF controlled parliament ever going to it? Zanu PF is going to rig next year’s
elections to retain its dominance and, by participating in the flaw and illegal
process, the opposition are foolishly giving the process credibility.
"Hon Misihairambwi has
moved a motion in Parliament which l have seconded to debate the merits of a
transitional government. This is where MDC should be concentrating their
efforts in order to put their points across, not globetrotting. We look forward
to the debate," tweeted Mliswa.
The hon Misihairambwi was an
MDC cabinet member is the last GNU in which the MDC had the majority in cabinet
and in parliament and yet they failed to get even one democratic reform implemented
in five years. If MDC failed to get any democratic reforms implemented during
the GNU what hope is there of getting any now in a Zanu PF dominated
arrangement!
Misihairambwi contested the
2013 elections with no reforms in place because, like everyone else in the
opposition, she was confident of winning. This time the opposition camp has
become very crowded and she knows that her hopes of winning any scraps this
time are considerably reduced, especially someone like her with precious little
to show for all her years in parliament. She is hoping another transition
arrangement would postpone elections and extend she stay on the gravy train by
another year or two!
President Mnangagwa was free
to invite Misihairambwi or anyone else
from the opposition he wished into his cabinet. What he could not do is use the
coalition as an excuse for postponing next year’s elections.
Zanu PF must hold free and
fair elections next year or set down. If the elections are not free and fair,
all signs are that they will not, then the results will be judged null and
void. The people of Zimbabwe; with the help of SADC, UN and the international
community; will then decide what transition administration will be required to
take the country forward. President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies cannot be
dictate what happens next or expect to play a leading role, if any at all,
given they wasted the same opportunity during the last GNU.
As for the MDC opposition leaders
had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU;
the nation would not be in this mess if they had not wasted it. The nation
would be spare the agony of yet another utterly pointless because, with not
reforms, Zanu PF will just rig the vote as before.
Zimbabwe has had the great
misfortune to a corrupt and tyrannical ruling party like Zanu PF but having a
corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless opposition has compounded the nation’s
problems. There is no way Zanu PF would have remained in power for all these
last 37 years dragging the nation this deep into this hell-on-earth if it was
not for the fact that we have one of the most corrupt, incompetent and utterly
useless opposition politicians in human history.
Having an utterly corrupt and incompetent opposition is proving to be the greatest stumbling block to meaningful political change in Zimbabwe. SADC leaders did indeed try to get the democratic reforms the nation has been dying for implemented during the GNU and it was Tsvangirai and his MDC banded mongooses who refused to get even one reform implemented.
ReplyDeleteSADC leaders advised the banded mongooses not to contest the 2013 elections with no reforms in place, but again the mongooses would not listen.
Now our “MDC is a party of excellency” Nelson Chamisa is telling the world the MDC Alliance is demanding “a credible voters’ roll” and “mandatory international observers”. What the whole world wants to know is whether this is just another one of the banded mongoose’s wish list they themselves are going to discard the next minute. The banded mongoose contested the 2013 elections with no credible voters’ roll, for example, and have already said they will contest next year’s elections unconditionally.
If the banded mongoose contest next year’s elections without a credible voters’ roll; what do they want the international observers to do? It is NOT for the international observers to insist on a credible voters’ roll if the parties in the elections agree to hold the elections without credible voters’ roll!
SADC leaders have already advised MDC and the rest in the opposition not to contest the elections without first implementing the democratic reforms designed to ensure and independent ZEC which can be trusted to produce a credible voters’ roll and all the other stuff to ensure free and fair elections. If the banded mongooses continue to disregard sound advice there is very little else the outside world can do.
What SADC leaders, the Americans and the rest of the international community must accept as a matter of historic fact is that Zimbabwe’s opposition politicians are a corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless lot who no longer represent the interest of the ordinary Zimbabweans. SADC and everyone know that it is nonsensical to contest an election without something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. The outside world must rule next year’s elections a sham regardless of the foolishness of the banded mongooses who contest the flawed and illegal elections.
The people of Zimbabwe themselves must wake up to the reality that the opposition sold-out during the GNU and they are now nothing more than Zanu PF puppets. Zanu PF does not want MDC to say impose the sanctions and so MDC will never say it. Zanu PF wants MDC to contest next year's elections regardless how flawed the process and so MDC will contest. We need a competent and effective opposition and not Zanu PF puppets for opposition.
@ Dzefunde
ReplyDeleteThe American gave Biti, Chamisa and the rest the floor and sadly the idiots had nothing to say. They refused to answer the simple question on whether the sanctions should be lifted or not. The wasted the opportunity just as they wasted the opportunity to get reforms implemented during the GNU! Of course, the Americans were disappointed at having wasted their money flying these idiots half way round the world and their valuable time listening to all that rubbish!
Chamisa told The Standard in an interview from the US that Zanu-PF lacked strategies and sense of engagement and was now resorting to fabrications.
ReplyDeleteZanu PF lacks strategies in many areas but when it comes to handling the corrupt and incompetent MDC, they have the lot on strings like puppets. Mugabe managed to keep Tsvangirai and his banded mongoose MDC friends from implementing even one reform for five years of the GNU.
Even now, it is in Zanu PF’s interests that MDC contest next year’s elections even if the regime fails to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll; the banded mongooses are all queuing to oblige!
"As you are aware, re-engagement takes time and we must act now as an alternative government. We need $15 billion for the immediate reconstruction of Zimbabwe," said Chamisa.
Yes, we all know of MDC’s strategic thinking; the party has now devised its Winning In Rigged Election (WIRE) strategies. Why waste time calling for reforms and free and fair elections, right!
Without implementing the reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging elections, MDC will never ever get into power; why is it so difficult for these MDC idiots to get their heads this simple fact!
I too would be very disappointed to go through all this expense in money and time only to get a wishy-washy answer to a pretty straight forward question. After making the mistake of a premature demand for sanctions to be lifted during the GNU, one would have thought the MDC leaders will not be making the same stupid mistake. But Ambassador Dell and all the many reports on MDC's performance during the GNU would have have warned the senators not to expect much from the Zimbabwean deligates! Still, they must all have a mental note, not to waste their time and money next time.
ReplyDelete@ Tsododo
ReplyDeleteIs that your excuse for failing to implement even one democratic reforms during the GNU that you stayed home and everyone else who did not "stay in the heat" must shut up! You were elected into public office and per se must be held to account for your performance whilst in that said public office.
We have heard this foolish argument from Mugabe and his thugs, "we fought in the liberation struggle". We all know what that is supposed to mean "so we have the right to rule." Now we are being forced to hear it from the opposition too! We cannot have that nonsense again.
All those who hold or aspire to hold public office must be elected by the people in a free, fair and credible elections and the people will hold them to democratic account. "The people" in this case includes those in the country and outside.
Zimbabwe's opposition has proven to be just as corrupt and incompetent as Zanu PF members and hence the reason why they have failed to end the Zanu PF dictatorship all these last 37 years although they have had many golden opportunities to do so. You, as the opposition, do not want the truth to be told and hence the reason you want Wilbert and any one who dares to tell the truth silenced!
Yes, we need quality in the opposition but we also need quality in those who hold the politicians to account. We need quality voters, if we are ever going to get rid of the corrupt and incompetent politicians in both Zanu Pf and the opposition. People like Wilbert are doing an excellent job of holding politicians to account and informing the electorate.
The days of politicians getting away with murder are behind us, it is right that people like Tsvangirai must be asked to explain why they did during the GNU to earn the $4 million mansion. The very fact that you are getting hot round the collar is proof you are feeling the heat. If you do not like it, get out of the kitchen!
@Dm
ReplyDeleteYou need to have this tunnel vision forcing you to believe MDC cannot be blamed for anything and anyone who does must be supporting Zanu PF. Yes is was Zanu PF that landed us into this political and economic hell-hole but we would be out of the hole by now if MDC had not sold-out and failed to implement the reforms during the GNU.
In this case MDC are not helping us force Zanu PF to hold free and fair elections by being vague when they were asked whether the Americans should impose sanctions. If we all supported sanction against Smith to force our demands for independence. Why should we fail to do the same to demand free and fair elections?
Why are the MDC leaders being coy about asking for sanctions? Why are you being coy too? Is it because you are afraid of Zanu PF thugs?
So why go all the way to America if you are not going to answer a simple question? As for you, Dm, you have no idea what we are talking about, all you are doing defending MDC leaders blindly!
@ Munya Shonhai
ReplyDeleteYou really do not know what you are wittering about do you?
“Yes the opposition may be corrupt but at least they are doing something for the prosperity of the country than just criticizing without engaging the government to produce the desired results,” you say.
So was the opposition “doing something” to help Zimbabwe when they sold-out during the GNU and failed to get even one democratic reform in five years?
“For your own information there is no democracy in America unless if democracy means just voting peacefully without throwing stones at each other. One of the statements in the American constitution is the "pursuit of liberty, prosperity; and happiness" this statement does not include everyone in the United States as black people experience slavery up to this day,” you argue.
Do you seriously want to tell me Zimbabwe is better off than America? Are you suggesting that Zimbabweans should not aspire for elections within having to risk life and limb just because American has yet to achieve the utopian democracy it founding fathers envisaged?
Yours is the kind of stupidity born of the deep seated inferiority complex where any report of people out of work and sleeping rough in America, Europe, etc. fill you with gladness because it proves whites too have failed to govern themselves. Unemployment in the USA hardly ever rises beyond 10% and most of the poor are on welfare benefit. Unemployment is Zimbabwe has been 80% plus for the last 10 years and nearly ¾ of our people now live on US$ 1.00 or less a day! That is there to be proud of there???
No wonder the country is in a real mess, with morons like you it was a given!
You are spot on there, the opposition are being coy because they are trying to appease Zanu PF. What you and these opposition politicians are forgetting is that ordinary Zimbabweans risked life and limb to elect them into office on the promise they will bring about democratic change. MDC leaders had the golden opportunity to make good on their promise by implementing the reforms during the GNU. They failed to get even one reform implemented because Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office, a $4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc.
ReplyDeleteBiti and company went to America for the sake of a paid holiday, they did not even answer a simple question for fear of upsetting Zanu PF, their puppet master.
The people of Zimbabwe must wake up to the reality that these MDC leaders have sold-out on democratic change and free and fair elections; they will never ever get any reforms implemented.