USA Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian A Nichols
expressed his country’s disappointment with the lack of progress by President
Mnangagwa’s government failure to hold those responsible for shooting dead 7
civilians and injuring many other in the 1st August 2017 violent
crush of street protests.
“President Mnangagwa deserves much credit
for inviting former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe to lead a
Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the events of that fateful day.
Ultimately, the COI produced a thorough report with many sound recommendations
that the President announced and unconditionally accepted on December 18, 2018.
On January 28, 2019, he formed a special Cabinet task force led by the Justice
and Foreign Affairs ministers, specifically tasked to implement these
recommendations,” wrote the Ambassador.
“Unfortunately, now over seven months
after the Motlanthe report's release, the government has very little to show in
terms of progress. I read as of mid-June that the Ministry of Justice was
processing 35 victims' claims for compensation. While laudable, this should not
take so long. I continue to hear about how the police are being
"re-equipped" to better deal with demonstrations, as if this was the
central lesson learned from the commission's report. I have yet to learn of a
single soldier or security forces member held to account for the deaths of
civilians as the report clearly mandated.
“Sadly, the ink was barely dry on the
report before the security forces again acted with impunity, killing more
civilians in January 2019. Likewise, the government has held no one to account
for these deaths either. Equally troubling, Defence deputy minister Victor
Matemadanda threatened to use soldiers "trained to kill" against
protesters only a few days ago.”
Mr Ambassador, President Mnangagwa and
his Zanu PF regime have perfected the art of saying what people want to hear whilst
the regime continues to do as it pleases. After the November 2017 military coup
he and his putsch knew the world was not amused about the coup and so he was quick
off the mark to promise free, fair and credible elections. He did not implement
even one token reform and went on to blatantly rig the elections.
You are 100% correct, Mr Ambassador, that
the regime has dragged its feet as regards implemented the Motlanthe Commission’s
recommendations to bring those responsible for the shooting to account.
The regime has also not implemented any
of the recommendation of the various election observer teams. After 39 years of
rigged elections this is the country’s number one challenge. The only sure way
to get the reforms implemented is for the nation to appoint an interim
administration tasked to implement the reforms. Zanu PF rigged last year’s
election, the party has no mandate to govern, it is illegitimate and should
step down to create the space for the interim administration.
If Zanu PF is allowed to stay in office,
either on its own or in the new GNU MDC is calling for, we can be 100% certain
that no meaningful reforms will be implemented and that Zanu PF will rig the
2023 elections. Besides, Zanu PF insists that last year’s elections were free,
fair and credible; proof the regime has no intention of implementing any
reforms.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah
state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs there
will never be any meaningful economic recovery and political stability. No
investor wants to do business with a thug and the worsening economic meltdown
is socially and politically unsustainable.
The prospect of present economic chaos
and suffering continuing for even one more month, much less Zanu PF rigging the
2023 elections to extend its corrupt and tyrannical rule, is simply
unthinkable!
Man is a creature of habit; once we have a well established routine we do not want to change it. But above all else, man is a creature of reason. It is an undeniable fact that Zimbabwe's de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship has served the filthy rich ruling elite very well but at the expense of the overwhelming majority who now live in abject poverty and many are dying of hunger, lack of basic healthcare and medicine, etc. Reason demands that there must be radical change.
ReplyDeleteMnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies have proven beyond all reasonable that they are corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. They are not fit to govern this great nation and they must step down without further undo.
The mandate to govern is derived from the people by winning the majority votes in free, fair and credible elections. This is an essential tenet of good and accountable government, a tenet we have not rigorously enforced in the past at our own peril. But a tenet we must now rigorous enforce and break a foolish and bad precedence.
It is not surprising that Zanu PF should be trying to impose the dictatorship by brute force not only as habit but even as a divine right. No regime change is not just a mantra for Mnangagwa and his cronies it is a dogma, It is the heart and soul of why they risked life and limb to wrestle power from Mugabe, why they rigged last year's elections just as they rigged elections in the past and will rig 2023 elections too.
It is tragic that the nation is being forced to face gun wielding thugs to restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to vote this Zanu PF dictatorship out of office. But given the grime reality of the heart breaking economic suffering and the hundreds now dying every week of poverty and damn anguish - it is better to die seeking change than have this sub-human existence.
It is not the survival of the Zanu PF dictator and his cronies that is at issue but the survival of the nation, Zimbabwe. For the survival of Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa and his cronies must step down, that is not negotiable!
If the street vendors living on US$30 or less are forced to pay 2% electronic transaction tax surely Makepekepe can afford to pay duty on the donated bus!
ReplyDelete“Sports and Recreation Commission will then write a covering letter to the Secretary for Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation who will also request for the same from the Treasury. If Treasury grants the exemption, then Zimra will proceed to process the same,” wrote Minister Dr Kirsty Coventry.
Zanu PF has been very clever in coopting many otherwise respectable Zimbabweans to spruce up its otherwise rotten image as a corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous regime. Even when it was clear what Zanu PF was doing it is shocking how many Zimbabweans have sold-out their heart and soul to the devil for thirty pieces of silver, a fancy title and the generous ministerial limo, etc.
Minister Coventry, Minister Mthuli Ncube and many others are nothing more than political prostitutes and after a year in office they now think, say and do what one expect of Zanu PF thugs. If anyone was to ask them, they will no doubt insist last year's elections were free, fair and credible. that soldiers featured in the 1 st August shooting were pointing their guns at 45 degrees in the air, etc., etc.
It is little wonder Zimbabwe is in a hell of a mess; we have more than our fair share of sell-outs and political prostitutes!
People who compare Mnangagwa to Mugabe are just fools given to idiotic and futile arguments. Mnangagwa and Mugabe are like cobra and a black mamba you do not want to be ruled by either just as you would not want to be bitten by either snake. Mugabe inherited the seven fat cows and seven fat ears of corn from Ian Smith and that is the reason why it took time for him to destroy the economy. Mnangagwa inherited one skinny cow from Mugabe it is nonsensical to argue that he got no milk from it as if Mugabe would have dove any better!
ReplyDeleteThe real issue is that those who thought Mnangagwa was going to revive economy bring about democratic change were very naive. Mnangagwa was Mugabe's most trusted henchman and dirty the dictators dirtiest laundry and for anyone to believe taking the top dog position was going to transform Mnangagwa only goes to show just how foolish some people can be.
When Mnangagwa stage the November 2017 coup to remove Mugabe people should have seen is for what it is - an in house Zanu PF factional war to decide who controlled the dictatorship and not a dismantling of the dictatorship. The people should have insisted on their own agenda of dismantling the dictatorship.
Mnangagwa rigged last year's elections and the people must now focus on getting the illegitimate regime to step down. The call by MDC to form a new Zanu PF and MDC GNU is just another distraction no different from the November 2017 coup which the people must ignore. The GNU will not implement any reform no more that Mnangagwa's regime ended the Zanu PF dictatorship.
Labour minister Sekai Nzenza finally tabled the report before Parliament in line with an ultimatum. The audit reveals that NSSA suffered actual prejudice of US$7,5m and potential prejudice of US$175m.
ReplyDeleteNSSA awarded tenders for the construction of 10 504 housing units, under off-take housing project, but not even a single unit was constructed despite releasing an advance deposit payment of US$27 355 000.
This is a very damaging report but like so many other damaging reports, nothing will come out of it!
This is such a damaging report that in a healthy and functioning democracy not only would the line Minister resign, the whole government will be compelled to resign! There is no hope of this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous Zanu PF regime getting this country out of the economic and political mess it landed us in. We should focus all our time, energy and resources on getting Zanu PF to step down so we can appoint an interim administration to implement the reforms leading to the holding of free, fair and credible elections.
"As Zimbabweans mark this somber anniversary, we are reminded of all that can go wrong when regime preservation comes ahead of real democratic change. Zimbabwe is facing a worse political and economic crisis today than in 2017 when long-time ruler Robert Mugabe was forced from power by the country's military. Today, citizens are suffering under staggering inflation, regular fuel and water shortages, rolling blackouts, a failing currency, and an increasingly repressive political environment," said US Senator Risch.
ReplyDeleteThe senator is spot on, with Zanu PF the regime’s self-preservation has always been more important than the upholding the law, peace and justice. Zanu PF does not care that millions of our people now live in abject poverty with no clean running water, no functioning healthcare service, etc.; whilst the ruling elite live in palatial mansions in unparalleled luxury.
The biggest mistake the people of Zimbabwe have ever made was to allow Zanu PF to rig elections and, instead of punishing the thugs, reward them with absolute power. Now the regime routinely rigs elections and expects to be rewarded with absolute power as its divine right! It was a foolish and dangerous precedence to set and for the last 40 years we have paid dearly for it too. But now it is time to put an end to this madness. Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections, the party is illegitimate and must step down.
They are those who want the regime to remain in power on condition it implements the democratic reforms. This is just another excuse for appeasing the regime, a feeble excuse to continue the folly of rewarding Zanu PF for rigging elections.
What Zimbabwe needs to get out of the hell-on-earth Zanu PF landed the nation is people with resolve and focus and what better way to show this than having a clean break with the wishy-washy policies of appeasing Zanu PF at the expense of the common good!
This is day 6/7, there is one more day to go and we do not have the foggest idea what is it we are going to do on day 7! These quotations from the Bible are all very well but what do they mean?
ReplyDeleteIn all MDC's nearly 20 years on the political stage, the party has never produced a workable plan or strategy on anything. This is just another example of MDC blundering from pillar to post.
Chamisa, the whole 2018 election process was a farce, 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied a vote, ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters' roll, the rural voters were where reduced to medieval serfs beholden to Zanu PF, etc. Why you and MDC have elected to focus only on the presidential result and ignore the rest of the flawed and illegal process only goes to show you lot are not really interested ensuring there are free, fair and credible elections.
ReplyDeleteMDC won a number of the bait gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away during elections and that is why you have ignored the flaws and illegalities in the process. You have refused to accept Mnangagwa as the winner of the presidential race because you see this as an opportunity to increase the party's share of the gravy train seats.
"August 3 is the day all our problems were brewed!" said Chamisa. MDC, yes but if you are talking of the country; our problems were brewed in the five years GNU when MDC leaders failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years. The rigged 2013 and 2018 elections are the consequences of MDC leaders selling out.
“We got in the inclusive government and just sat there, spent five years in there. We came out without doing anything," you admitted yourself Mr Chamisa last month after over a decades of deny it, of course.
Right now, you and your MDC friends are offering Mnangagwa "legitimacy" if he appoints you and a few other MDC leaders ministers in the proposed new GNU. We all know that the new GNU will accomplish nothing. You lot will once again sit, eat and do nothing!
The nation's greatest problem right now is none other than you and your corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders; you are selling legitimacy to Zanu PF to help it stay in power when the nation's focus is to pressure the illegitimate regime to step down.
Millions of Zimbabweans have risked life and limb to elect MDC into power on the ticket the party will deliver democratic changes. And today, not only has MDC sold-out and failed to get even one reform implemented but worse still MDC is now fighting in Zanu PF's corner! It is infuriating!
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ReplyDelete