Calling Zanu PF to the negotiaring table is one thing knowing what you want out of the negotiations is another.
Zanu PF must step down for two reasons:
1) the party rigged last July's elections and therefore is illegitimate
2) we want to implement the democratic reforms to prepare the nation for free, fair and credible election and it is naive to expect Zanu PF to play any constructive role in that process. The party was involved in the last GNu and failed to get even one reform in place.
We do not want Nelson Chamisa and his MDC Alliance involved in the GNU either for the simple reason that they too were involved in the last GNU and sold out on reforms.
“Over the past few weeks, government has closely monitored activities of a coalition of non-governmental organisations in the country, especially in and around Harare. It has become obvious that there is a deliberate plan to undermine and challenge the prevailing constitutional order born out of the 2018 July 30 harmonised elections which were democratic, free and fair, and which were subsequently upheld by the highest court of the land,” Nick Mangwana said.
“This brazenly unconstitutional plan which sought financial support from some regime-change organisations based in America and Germany, among other countries, represents a serious threat to our consolidating democracy, to the rule of law in our country, and to the authority of Government and the State. Government is under no illusion as to the intentions and import of this plan, which is being partly orchestrated through social media.”
Mangwana added: “Should that happen, the State, through the government of the day, is mandated to step in with appropriate firmness, and on the strength of a mix of lawful instruments at its disposal, to protect and restore law and order in the Republic for the benefit of the ordinary citizen. This is more so when intelligence available to government clearly points to a foreign hand bent on aiding and abetting such chaos. Government is aware of the involvement of non-citizens in the orchestration of this futile exercise. Government will not hesitate to take action against such persons by withdrawing their visas, deporting them and declaring them persona non grata.”
The article states that ‘the receiving State may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending State that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending State shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission. A person may be declared non grata or not acceptable before arriving in the territory of the receiving State.’
This is just nonsense, the regime is doing what it has always done under pressure – blame someone else for all the country’s problems.
Everyone knows that Zanu PF blatantly rigged last July’s elections and thus confirmed that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and murderous thugs. The regime has failed to rig the economic recovery and is now finding it difficult to contain the growing anger of ordinary Zimbabweans who cannot endure the economic hardship brought on by the economic meltdown.
The suggestion that ordinary Zimbabweans would never figure out for themselves that they are suffering is insulting! People do not need Americans or anyone else to tell them that the economic meltdown is now costing them their very lives!
Zimbabwe's economic and political mess is multi-layered:
first layer - the ruling party Zanu PF led by Mnangagwa, Chiwenga, Mthuli Ncube and other key player backed by the Army, Police, judiciary and the host of other state institutions that have been corrupted into Zanu PF departments in all but name.
Zanu PF is incompetent and corrupt to the core and the party’s primary function is to make sure the party retains its iron grip on power at all coast for the benefit of the few ruling elite the great majority of the other members are as poor as church mice. Many of them have kept faith with the party for many reasons including fear they will be even worse off if the left the party and ignorance that Zanu PF dictatorship doom to fail because it is, by its very nature, wasteful of human and material resources.
Second layer - the opposition including the various MDC factions, the parties formed by ex-Zanu PF members, etc. The MDC leaders have proven beyond all doubt that they breathtakingly corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs.
Instead of championing the role of dismantling the Zanu PF dictatorship the opposition has accepted Zanu PF as the ruling party and have been contend fight each other for the few gravy train seats Zanu PF has seen fit to give away to entice the opposition to participate in elections to give the process some credibility.
Third layer - is the ordinary Zimbabweans. The professional and educated citizens have taken a collective decision to let Zanu PF do as the party pleased by going along to get along, at best, and at worst to join the regime.
The rest of the Zimbabwe masses have never understood that they have freedoms and rights and so denying them of the same has been as easy as taking away pearls from a pig! Povo have never grasped the notion that their right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country was key to good governance, freedoms, justice, economic prosperity and even their right to life itself. And so when Zanu PF denied them their freedoms and rights the people did not even notice it.
Whilst people have often looked to Zanu PF and MDC as the layers needed change if the country was ever to escape from the economic and political mess the nation has been stuck in. The truth is neither Zanu PF nor MDC will ever be the instrument of meaningful change because the former has an invested interest in maintaining the status quo, it is serving the selfish interests of the ruling elite. The latter is contend with the scraps Zanu PF throws at them.
Meaningful democratic change has to come from povo.
“Unless the nation (povo and complacent educated many) snap out of its sloth-like mental slumber there is no getting out of the mess!” you said. I agree with you 100%.
Zimbabwe has often boasted of having some of the most literate people. What good is being able to read and write when one does not have the common sense of how to survive! Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is not only causing heartbreaking human suffering, it is also claiming human lives!
“But was it not the same Nkosana who told us that Mnangagwa is a smart man who will things differently? We have not forgotten by the way,” you said.
You are right, he said that. He even served in Mugabe’s cabinet for a while, just as Mthuli Ncube and Kirsty Coventry is doing now, even though he knew Zanu Pf had rigged the elections to stay in power. The Zanu PF dictatorship would have never survived was it not for the Zimbabweans who have again and again sold-out and co-operated with the corrupt and tyrannical regime for selfish gain.
With so many sell-outs, it is little wonder this nation is stuck!
Mawarire has called it "heartbreaking" to see the new government acting like that of former leader Mugabe, who stepped down under military pressure in late 2017 and was succeeded by former protege Mnangagwa.
In what critics have called an attempt to cover up abuses, the government in the past few days has imposed an internet shutdown across the country.
"Our country is going through one of the most trying periods in its history," the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference said last week, lamenting the government's "intolerant handling of dissent" and its failure to halt economic collapse.
Anyone who had believed that the November 2017 coup had transformed Zimbabwe from a corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship to a democratic one was being naive. The Zanu PF dictatorship was more than one individual, Robert Mugabe, and so his replacement with another dictators did not change anything.
Zimbabwe's plan to seek an emergency financial package from South Africa suffered a big blow after the region's economic powerhouse cited budgetary constraints as it prepares for its next general elections in May, it has been learnt.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance spoke to the European Parliament a few days ago on his way to Washington to meet IMF and WB official for the purpose of begging financial assistance. He got nothing. Now he is having another go at anyone else from whom the regime think it can get money. If anyone ever said the stray dog had money, Minister Mthuli Ncube will round-up the stray dogs begging money from them!
Zanu PF will never accept that the party has run out of ideas on how to fix the country’s worsening economic meltdown. Never! The tragedy is that the nation is stuck with the regime since it is able to blatantly rig elections and falsify its mandate to rule.
The solution is for the people of Zimbabwe to stand up and not allow Zanu PF get away with another rigged elections. We must demand that since the regime is illegitimate it must step down.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa on Saturday attended the burial of Kelvin Tinashe Choto, a 22-year-old man shot by the military during fuel protests on January 14, before declaring: "Change is nigh!"
Chamisa said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had "crossed the line" by deploying troops to quell protests over a 150 percent increase in the price of fuel which he decreed, before leaving on a five-nation trip to Eastern Europe.
"We have lost a young and promising life. Kelvin was not a politician, he was not an activist, he was not partisan. He was an exceptionally talented footballer set to go for trials in South Africa after getting an emergency travel document only last week," Chamisa told mourners.
"Kelvin was targeted by callous soldiers who put a bullet through his head as he stood by the gate after buying a mango just outside his very own home in which he tendered for his young wife and seven-month-old baby”
If the truth is told then one must add that the economic and political chaos and suffering the nation has suffered since 2013 could have been avoided if MDC leaders had implemented the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections during the 2008 GNU. They failed to implement even one democratic reform because they sold-out.
Mugabe offered Morgan Tsvangirai, Nelson Chamisa and all the other MDC leaders the trappings of high office, ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a $4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. In return the MDC leader forgot about the reforms, they knew Mugabe did not want to lose any of his dictatorial powers.
Zanu PF is to blame for getting the nation into this mess but MDC leaders would have got the nation out of the mess if they had not sold-out!
"Zimbabwe's international re-engagement project appears somewhat off course. What is the cost benefit of this trip?" Pigou queried, before further stating in another tweet that, "Mugabe was repeatedly criticised for endless foreign travel.
"ED's (Mnangagwa) travel plans were ostensibly tied to his re-engagement strategy.
"But in light of the situation in Zimbabwe one understandably wonders what the cost benefit of all those air miles must be.”
Failing to hold free, fair and credible elections last July was the final nail in Mnangagwa’s coffin. All those who had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt as a reform were left in no doubt that he was no such reformer. By rigging the elections Mnangagwa confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and lawless thugs or be it with a new dictator.
There was no chance of any meaningful economic recovery because investors do not do business with thugs!
Mnangagwa should just step down, after all his regime has no mandate to rule, it is illegitimate. The only reason he is hang on to power is because he is holding the nation to ransom, typical of tyrants! The people must stand firm and demand that the regime steps down!
Calling Zanu PF to the negotiaring table is one thing knowing what you want out of the negotiations is another.
ReplyDeleteZanu PF must step down for two reasons:
1) the party rigged last July's elections and therefore is illegitimate
2) we want to implement the democratic reforms to prepare the nation for free, fair and credible election and it is naive to expect Zanu PF to play any constructive role in that process. The party was involved in the last GNu and failed to get even one reform in place.
We do not want Nelson Chamisa and his MDC Alliance involved in the GNU either for the simple reason that they too were involved in the last GNU and sold out on reforms.
“Over the past few weeks, government has closely monitored activities of a coalition of non-governmental organisations in the country, especially in and around Harare. It has become obvious that there is a deliberate plan to undermine and challenge the prevailing constitutional order born out of the 2018 July 30 harmonised elections which were democratic, free and fair, and which were subsequently upheld by the highest court of the land,” Nick Mangwana said.
ReplyDelete“This brazenly unconstitutional plan which sought financial support from some regime-change organisations based in America and Germany, among other countries, represents a serious threat to our consolidating democracy, to the rule of law in our country, and to the authority of Government and the State. Government is under no illusion as to the intentions and import of this plan, which is being partly orchestrated through social media.”
Mangwana added: “Should that happen, the State, through the government of the day, is mandated to step in with appropriate firmness, and on the strength of a mix of lawful instruments at its disposal, to protect and restore law and order in the Republic for the benefit of the ordinary citizen. This is more so when intelligence available to government clearly points to a foreign hand bent on aiding and abetting such chaos. Government is aware of the involvement of non-citizens in the orchestration of this futile exercise. Government will not hesitate to take action against such persons by withdrawing their visas, deporting them and declaring them persona non grata.”
The article states that ‘the receiving State may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending State that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending State shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission. A person may be declared non grata or not acceptable before arriving in the territory of the receiving State.’
This is just nonsense, the regime is doing what it has always done under pressure – blame someone else for all the country’s problems.
Everyone knows that Zanu PF blatantly rigged last July’s elections and thus confirmed that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and murderous thugs. The regime has failed to rig the economic recovery and is now finding it difficult to contain the growing anger of ordinary Zimbabweans who cannot endure the economic hardship brought on by the economic meltdown.
The suggestion that ordinary Zimbabweans would never figure out for themselves that they are suffering is insulting! People do not need Americans or anyone else to tell them that the economic meltdown is now costing them their very lives!
Zimbabwe's economic and political mess is multi-layered:
ReplyDeletefirst layer - the ruling party Zanu PF led by Mnangagwa, Chiwenga, Mthuli Ncube and other key player backed by the Army, Police, judiciary and the host of other state institutions that have been corrupted into Zanu PF departments in all but name.
Zanu PF is incompetent and corrupt to the core and the party’s primary function is to make sure the party retains its iron grip on power at all coast for the benefit of the few ruling elite the great majority of the other members are as poor as church mice. Many of them have kept faith with the party for many reasons including fear they will be even worse off if the left the party and ignorance that Zanu PF dictatorship doom to fail because it is, by its very nature, wasteful of human and material resources.
Second layer - the opposition including the various MDC factions, the parties formed by ex-Zanu PF members, etc. The MDC leaders have proven beyond all doubt that they breathtakingly corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs.
Instead of championing the role of dismantling the Zanu PF dictatorship the opposition has accepted Zanu PF as the ruling party and have been contend fight each other for the few gravy train seats Zanu PF has seen fit to give away to entice the opposition to participate in elections to give the process some credibility.
Third layer - is the ordinary Zimbabweans. The professional and educated citizens have taken a collective decision to let Zanu PF do as the party pleased by going along to get along, at best, and at worst to join the regime.
The rest of the Zimbabwe masses have never understood that they have freedoms and rights and so denying them of the same has been as easy as taking away pearls from a pig! Povo have never grasped the notion that their right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country was key to good governance, freedoms, justice, economic prosperity and even their right to life itself. And so when Zanu PF denied them their freedoms and rights the people did not even notice it.
Whilst people have often looked to Zanu PF and MDC as the layers needed change if the country was ever to escape from the economic and political mess the nation has been stuck in. The truth is neither Zanu PF nor MDC will ever be the instrument of meaningful change because the former has an invested interest in maintaining the status quo, it is serving the selfish interests of the ruling elite. The latter is contend with the scraps Zanu PF throws at them.
Meaningful democratic change has to come from povo.
“Unless the nation (povo and complacent educated many) snap out of its sloth-like mental slumber there is no getting out of the mess!” you said. I agree with you 100%.
Zimbabwe has often boasted of having some of the most literate people. What good is being able to read and write when one does not have the common sense of how to survive! Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is not only causing heartbreaking human suffering, it is also claiming human lives!
@ Ntombi Langa
ReplyDelete“But was it not the same Nkosana who told us that Mnangagwa is a smart man who will things differently? We have not forgotten by the way,” you said.
You are right, he said that. He even served in Mugabe’s cabinet for a while, just as Mthuli Ncube and Kirsty Coventry is doing now, even though he knew Zanu Pf had rigged the elections to stay in power. The Zanu PF dictatorship would have never survived was it not for the Zimbabweans who have again and again sold-out and co-operated with the corrupt and tyrannical regime for selfish gain.
With so many sell-outs, it is little wonder this nation is stuck!
Mawarire has called it "heartbreaking" to see the new government acting like that of former leader Mugabe, who stepped down under military pressure in late 2017 and was succeeded by former protege Mnangagwa.
ReplyDeleteIn what critics have called an attempt to cover up abuses, the government in the past few days has imposed an internet shutdown across the country.
"Our country is going through one of the most trying periods in its history," the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference said last week, lamenting the government's "intolerant handling of dissent" and its failure to halt economic collapse.
Anyone who had believed that the November 2017 coup had transformed Zimbabwe from a corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship to a democratic one was being naive. The Zanu PF dictatorship was more than one individual, Robert Mugabe, and so his replacement with another dictators did not change anything.
Zimbabwe's plan to seek an emergency financial package from South Africa suffered a big blow after the region's economic powerhouse cited budgetary constraints as it prepares for its next general elections in May, it has been learnt.
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe’s Minister of Finance spoke to the European Parliament a few days ago on his way to Washington to meet IMF and WB official for the purpose of begging financial assistance. He got nothing. Now he is having another go at anyone else from whom the regime think it can get money. If anyone ever said the stray dog had money, Minister Mthuli Ncube will round-up the stray dogs begging money from them!
Zanu PF will never accept that the party has run out of ideas on how to fix the country’s worsening economic meltdown. Never! The tragedy is that the nation is stuck with the regime since it is able to blatantly rig elections and falsify its mandate to rule.
The solution is for the people of Zimbabwe to stand up and not allow Zanu PF get away with another rigged elections. We must demand that since the regime is illegitimate it must step down.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa on Saturday attended the burial of Kelvin Tinashe Choto, a 22-year-old man shot by the military during fuel protests on January 14, before declaring: "Change is nigh!"
ReplyDeleteChamisa said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had "crossed the line" by deploying troops to quell protests over a 150 percent increase in the price of fuel which he decreed, before leaving on a five-nation trip to Eastern Europe.
"We have lost a young and promising life. Kelvin was not a politician, he was not an activist, he was not partisan. He was an exceptionally talented footballer set to go for trials in South Africa after getting an emergency travel document only last week," Chamisa told mourners.
"Kelvin was targeted by callous soldiers who put a bullet through his head as he stood by the gate after buying a mango just outside his very own home in which he tendered for his young wife and seven-month-old baby”
If the truth is told then one must add that the economic and political chaos and suffering the nation has suffered since 2013 could have been avoided if MDC leaders had implemented the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections during the 2008 GNU. They failed to implement even one democratic reform because they sold-out.
Mugabe offered Morgan Tsvangirai, Nelson Chamisa and all the other MDC leaders the trappings of high office, ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a $4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. In return the MDC leader forgot about the reforms, they knew Mugabe did not want to lose any of his dictatorial powers.
Zanu PF is to blame for getting the nation into this mess but MDC leaders would have got the nation out of the mess if they had not sold-out!
"Zimbabwe's international re-engagement project appears somewhat off course. What is the cost benefit of this trip?" Pigou queried, before further stating in another tweet that, "Mugabe was repeatedly criticised for endless foreign travel.
ReplyDelete"ED's (Mnangagwa) travel plans were ostensibly tied to his re-engagement strategy.
"But in light of the situation in Zimbabwe one understandably wonders what the cost benefit of all those air miles must be.”
Failing to hold free, fair and credible elections last July was the final nail in Mnangagwa’s coffin. All those who had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt as a reform were left in no doubt that he was no such reformer. By rigging the elections Mnangagwa confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and lawless thugs or be it with a new dictator.
There was no chance of any meaningful economic recovery because investors do not do business with thugs!
Mnangagwa should just step down, after all his regime has no mandate to rule, it is illegitimate. The only reason he is hang on to power is because he is holding the nation to ransom, typical of tyrants! The people must stand firm and demand that the regime steps down!