Opposition have failed "to pile pressure for reforms", says Deredza - expected, they are rotten to the core W Mukori

Thank you very much Viniel Deredza for you thought-provoking article, “Sanctions needed to achieve Zimbabwe reforms” in Bulawayo 24. Zimbabwe is in a very serious situation with the economy in total meltdown, unemployment at 90% and ¾ of the population living on US$1.00 or less a day, and its political system in total shambles, Zanu PF has imploded and there is total confusion in the opposition camp.

The economic mess cannot go on for another day, the tragic human misery it is causing simply unacceptable. We can only have meaningful economic reform if there are meaningful political reforms to allow free, fair and credible election. Implement the reforms and you clean up the corrupt political system that has allowed corrupt and incompetent leaders on both sides of the political divided to emerge and dominate the political stage. If we want quality leaders, at least with some common sense, then we must first drain the swamp!

Deredza, you clearly understood the need for reform as the key to ending Zimbabwe’s economic and political mess. You are right, most Zimbabweans, especially the opposition, have completely fails to grasp the critical important of making sure the reforms are implemented BEFORE the elections.

You are right that President Mnangagwa has only paid lip service to implementing the democratic reforms but that is to be expected. Anyone who ever believed that Zanu PF could ever be transformed from the party of corrupt, vote-rigging and murderous thugs into law abiding democrats by the simple act of removing the dictator and a few bad apples around him, was naïve; especially when the removal was more about succession than ideological transformation. The regime’s failure to implement even one democratic reform has cleared all the cobwebs in all with any common sense.

Deredza took to task the opposition for their failure to push for reforms to be implemented.

“While Washington wants Harare to take that giant democratic step to ensure free and fair polls, Zimbabwe's opposition political parties are not demonstrating the strategic intent to achieve the same by engaging critical blocks on the African continent and beyond,” argued Deredza.

“Ahead of the 2013 polls, the African Union (AU) had recommended reforms that Harare should have long introduced but none of them have been implemented.”

For completeness, it should be noted that Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders did advised Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends not to take part in the 2013 elections without first implementing the reforms. “If you go into next month’s elections, you will lose; the elections are done!” they warned.   

“Without the opposition piling pressure on the AU and the SADC to take stock of recommendations made by the continental body in 2013, Western countries will find it difficult not to endorse a lopsided election that these African institutions would have endorsed, especially if Mnangagwa's government is able to at least conduct an election not marred by incidents of violence,” concluded Viniel.

Could not agree with you more! The failure by MDC leaders to implement even one reform during the GNU and then rubbed in by ignoring SADC leaders’ warding to postpone the elections until reforms are implemented must have played on SADC leaders’ minds forcing them to accept the rigged elections. If Zimbabweans themselves are not concerned that the elections are flawed and illegal; why should outsiders care!

What is annoying here is that the opposition leaders KNOW the consequences of taking part in these flawed elections, at least some of them, like former MDC Senator David Coltart.

"The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections," admitted Senator Coltart in his book.

"The 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."

In other words, ordinary Zimbabweans must take up the task of piling the pressure on SADC, AU and the international community to declare these flawed and illegal elections null and void and not expect the opposition to it, they are corrupt and incompetent to the core.