"Congratulations to MDC
on your 20th anniversary this week. Though we have our differences, this is
what democracy is all about. I look forward to many more years of debate and
dialogue. Makorokoto! Amhlope! Wishing all the people of Zimbabwe a blessed
Sunday," twittered Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe is NOT a democracy.
Last year the country had elections and those elections were not free, fair and
credible elections.
“The electoral commission
lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner,”
stated the EU Election Observer Mission final report.
“The final results as
announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked
adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the
restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security
forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the
corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many
aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international
standards.”
Zanu PF denied the 3 million
Zimbabweans in the diaspora the right to vote. When Mnangagwa was in USA for
the UN General Assembly, he was quick to assure the world the Zimbabweans in
the diaspora will vote NEXT time! He did not say why they were denied the vote
in July 2018. He was declared the winner with 2.6 million votes, which is less
than the 3 million and underlining the significance to the outcome.
The regime failed to produce
a verified voters’ roll and so no one knows who the 2.6 million who supposedly
voted for Mnangagwa were, how many multiple votes were cast, etc.
The whole election process
was so flawed and illegal it beggars belief why the MDC and the rest of the 130
or so opposition parties participated when it was clear the elections will be
rigged. David Coltart, MDC senator, explained why.
“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 (2013),” Senator Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of
tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“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.”
Four of the MDC factions did
form a coalition before the 2018 elections and they still participated in that
year’s elections for the same reason – greed.
Indeed, MDC had failed to
implement even one democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU for the same
reason, they participated in flawed and illegal elections giving the illegitimate
Zanu PF regime some modicum of credibility - greedy.
Ever since MDC failed to get
even one reform implemented during the 2008 to 2013 GNU the party has given up
on delivering any meaningful democratic changes and accepted the current set up
with Zanu PF enjoying its dictatorial and undemocratic powers to deny the
ordinary people their freedoms and rights including the right to free elections
and even the right to life itself. MDC will pay lip service to demanding free
elections, Zanu PF needs the token opposition to sell the lie the country is a
democracy holding free and fair elections.
So, as far as both Zanu PF
and MDC are concerned, last year’s elections were free, fair and credible and
Zimbabwe is a democratic nation. What the two parties have done is effective
throw the gauntlet to us, the people, if we want free, fair and credible
elections and a truly democratic Zimbabwe we will have to fight the Zanu PF and
MDC partnership! MDC will never ever bring about not even one meaningful
democratic change in Zimbabwe for they too believe Zimbabwe is a democracy!
@ Chinono
ReplyDeleteAt least Robert Mugabe underpinned his repression with warped ideological arguments, but they found takers on the continent and certain corners of leftist politics around the world! It kept Mugabe going.
Now if you enter the world stage selling yourself as a reformer, and you fail to simply revoke and replace two laws like AIPPA and POSA for 22 months, what other credentials can you ride on to assert your leadership relevance?
As one African Ambassador said to me, “…putting Nelson Chamisa to sit with POLAD mercenaries was the sign of vindictiveness that the President didn’t need to do.”
Well, well Chinono, you have come a long way in these last two years. You used to praise Mnangagwa and now you see him for the empty drum making a lot of noise he is.
The African Ambassador is not a very smart Alec if he/she has failed to see that Chamisa is as much a mercenary as the other POLAD members. They all participated in last year’s election even when it was clear ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll! How stupid was that!!!!
“Zimbabwe has been isolated for the past 20 years… and we cannot survive that way,” Moyo told AFP at his offices in Harare on Friday.
ReplyDelete“This government took over an economy which was sliding for the past 20 years, and there had not been any investment activity within the state enterprises and even in the private sector.”
“There is now what I will call a thawing of relations between ourselves and the UK, and similarly with Europe,” he said. “I think we have progressed very well in terms of engagement.”
He said the EU had “dramatically” reduced sanctions.
“That to me is a clear sign of acceptability.”
In all his 37 years in power Mugabe never ever admitted to failure, even as he complained bitterly about sanctions he always gave the impression he has a solution and it is working. Well Mnangagwa has learned that lesson of double talk very well indeed.
He promised to hold free, fair and credible elections and was reminded on countless occasions what was expected of him on that score. He blatantly rigged the elections, worse still he even has the audacity to claim the elections were free and fair, and yet still expects the West to lift the sanctions. As two years of getting nowhere the regime still keeps up the lie of making progress!
Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. No one wants to do business with thugs. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic recovery.
The cure to pariah state is for this illegitimate regime to step down!