"Zanu PF leaders are clueless" - established that 20 years ago, ask why they're still in power? P Guramatunhu

“It is time that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and finance Mthuli Ncube wake up to reality. Both Leaders do not have a strategic and plausible solution to the economic problems prevailing in Zimbabwe. The reality is that Zimbabwe's economic problems are even worsening. The more they make promises the more Zimbabwean economy sinks.” wrote Simbarashe J Jingo, MDC UK/ROHR Member

What you are saying is true and, the truth be told, we have known this for the last 20 years, at least. By the late 1990s many Zimbabweans not only accepted that Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs were corrupt and incompetent but also accepted the political reality that the nation would need to implement democratic changes to stop Zanu PF rigging elections and staying in power against the people’s democratic will.

For the last 20 years Zimbabweans have risked life and limb to elect the late Morgan Tsvangirai and now Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends into power on the understanding the party will deliver the democratic changes the nation was dying for. Sadly, MDC has failed to deliver even one democratic change even when the party had the golden opportunity to do so during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Not even one reform!

It is futile for anyone to still be harping on and on about Zanu PF leaders being corrupt and incompetent; a reality the nation has known for the last 20 years, at least. What people should be asking is: why has the nation failed to get even one reform implemented. Why is Zanu PF still able to rig elections willy-nilly?

The short answer: we have a breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent opposition, especially the main opposition party, MDC!

During the 2008 to 2013 GNU, Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends with ministerial limos, the generous salaries and allowances, a US$ 4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. Once the MDC leaders had their snouts in the feeding trough, they completely forgot about implementing reforms! Mugabe set the honey trap and MDC leaders dived in head first and from a great height. They knocked themselves senseless and have never recovered. 

Having a corrupt and incompetent opposition is now Zimbabwe’s worst curse, second only to the curse having a corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and tyrannical ruling party, Zanu PF! 

It took many Zimbabwe 20 years or so to accept the political reality that Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies were corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. Even with a mountain of evidence of the economic decline and, worst of all, the over 20 000 massacred during the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi madness; some people still refused to accept Zanu PF leaders were corrupt and murderous thugs. 

The nation had embraced Mugabe and company as the nation’s liberation heroes per excellence and it was a very bitter pill to swallow to accept these heroes as murderous tyrants. But even after 20 years of denying the truth, the people did finally accept the bitter reality - Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies were corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. 

Zimbabwe is still stuck with the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF thugs because MDC leaders have failed to implement even one meaningful democratic reform these last 20 years. Worse still, by participating in these flawed and illegal elections MDC is giving the illegitimate Zanu PF regime the modicum of political credibility - MDC leaders knows this too.

“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 (2013) elections,” admitted Senator David Coltart, MDC cabinet minister in the GNU.

“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.”

“Zimbabwe is a country without a strategic leader. A leader who cannot impose authority on failing government departments. A leader who cannot curb corruption. The time of blaming everything on sanctions is over,” concluded Jingo.

Actually the time for harping on about Zanu PF being corrupt and incompetent is over, we established that 20 years ago. The real question now is why has MDC failed to implement the necessary reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging elections, 20 years after the nation risked all to elect them into power?

"Reformed even under Cyclone Idai" - blaming rigged elections on Idai, how obnoxious N Garikai

Some people have called for people like Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, to be added on the targeted sanctions list and I agree with them.  

“We are reforming. We have been the fastest reforming economy in the world in my view in 30 years,” said Minister Ncube, according to a New Zimbabwe report.

“I don’t remember any economy that has reformed at the speed which we have reformed under severe pressure from Cyclone Idai and the drought which has not only affected agriculture but also power production.” 

The Minister was talking to journalist on the sideline of the 25 October 2019 Zanu PF organised anti-sanctions demos. The Minister, like everyone else in Zanu PF know the sanctions were imposed because last July’s elections were not free, fair and credible. 

Following the November 2017 military coup and as proof of the political change, the “new dispensation, the Second Republic”; President Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. However, when push came to shove, he failed to keep his promise; he refused to implement even one token democratic reform and blatantly rigged the 2018 elections. 

The EU Election Observer Mission judged the elections as being below “accepted international standards” because the process was not transparent verifiable and traceable. 

Last week a video by Edmond Kudzayi, Excelgate, gave graphic details of how ZEC had complied its election results from 10 985 V11 forms (Polling Station summary listing each contestant and the votes received. The law clearly states that the V11 forms were to be send to the Ward Command Centres (WCC) and not to the ZEC Command Centre. All WCC did receive the V11 forms and the counting followed as expected. Why did ZEC the 10 985 V11? Why did ZEC completely ignored the data from the legally stated counting procedure in favour of data obtained from unknown V11 sources?

The EU Mission reported of witnessing one ZEC official completing V11 form two days after the counting was completed and there was no one else to verify the entry! 

Of course, Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections. Why Minister Ncube keeps insisting on talking about the economy and even blame Cyclone Idai, that occurred in March 2019 for July 2018 rigged elections beggars belief.

“If we move to the legislative agenda, we have allowed the democratic processes to take place,” Professor Ncube continued.

“And here we are, we have a new designed law coming as a replacement for POSA. Look at AIPPA, the same level of progress I am sure by year end, we will progress to repeal AIPPA with the right legislative measures and the list goes on.

“Look at the citizenship bill, the marriage bill and we are making a lot of progress on the legislative agenda. The President has introduced POLAD which brings all political parties to work together. So, there is space to dialogue.”

The new act to replace POSA still has many of the obnoxious sections up rooted from the old act! 

The principle function of the opposition in a healthy and functioning democracy is to hold the party in office to account. So this POLAD idea to corral all the opposition parties to work together is the very antithesis of the democracy the country is fight for. 

Of course, Mnangagwa did not rig last year’s elections so that he can then force Nelson Chamisa to join him to form a coalition government. Mnangagwa was cocksure his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was going to open the flood gates to new investors. Minister of Finance, Professor Ncube, was equally cocksure the IMF, WB and the other finance houses bankrolling Zimbabwe’s economic recovery. 

We now know that “Zimbabwe is open for business!” is now long dead in the water. None of the financial institutions were ever fooled into believing Professor Ncube’s double dutch that Zimbabwe could be trusted to implement economic reforms when it had failed to implement political reforms.

Mnangagwa, Professor Ncube and the rest of the Zanu PF regime have failed to bring about any meaningful economic recovery; they will never admit they failed, it is not in the DNA of tyrannical regime to ever admit failure. And so the regime is grappling to find others to blame for the country’s economic meltdown. 

Blame Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends for inviting the west to impose the sanctions and for refusing to join POLAD!

Blame the west for refusing to lift the sanctions; everyone in Zanu PF, including Professor Ncube, is keeping up the pretence the elections were free, fair and credible! 

The Americans has just added Minister Minister of State in the President's Office for National Security Owen Mudha Ncube to the dreaded sanctions list. This is a very appropriate response to the anti-sanctions demos! Well done! 

Please add Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, to the sanctions list. 

Professor knows that Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections and yet accepted the ministerial appointment regardless for selfish reasons. He is propping up this illegitimate regime and frustrating all those fighting for democratic change. 

Of course, he knows the difference between free, fair and credible elections; democratic changes; economic reforms; etc. and is pretending to be confused just to be obnoxious! 

"Illegal sanctions are albatross to Zimbabwe" said Mnangagwa - no, you are the albatross P Guramatunhu

Poor, poor Mnangagwa! His speech, to an all but empty national stadium to mark the climax of the anti-sanctions, was full of the same old lies. 

The sanctions are not UN sanctions nor are the nations who imposed the sanctions forcing other nations to join in. These are sanctions imposed by individual nations and it is therefore nonsensical to call the “illegal”. Surely individual nations have a right to decide which individual or nation they will do business with. 

He went to town to explain why sanctions were the root cause of the country’s economic meltdown. Again all lies!

“The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) was passed in 2001, which saw our country being denied access to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank (WB) development finance and credit facilities. ZIDERA works in conjunction with the US Executive Orders which are renewed yearly and prohibit Zimbabwean entities and individuals from doing any business with the United States of America,” said Mnangagwa.

He is conveniently ignoring the fact that IMF and WB had stopped giving Zimbabwe any financial and credit facilities in 2000 because the country had failed to service its debts, long before ZIDERA was enacted. Indeed, other than clear its debt with IMF, Zimbabwe has still to clear its debts with WB, Africa Development Bank and many other financial institutions. 

There was nothing to stop Zimbabwe seeking financial assistance from other nations like China, Japan, etc. and, indeed, Mugabe did so with his “Look East” policy. China did give Zimbabwe a lot of financial assistance but this too soon stopped! Why? 

“Nǐ bùyòng huánzhài!” (You don’t pay your debt!)

The Chinese told Mugabe to his face on one occasion, according to Patrick Chinamasa then Minister of Finance. 

“Under the Second Republic, we the people of Zimbabwe, on our own volition and for our own benefit, have taken conscious and deliberate decision to reform our political and economic systems,” said Mnangagwa.

“We are opening up both or political and economic space. Under my leadership, constitutionalism, democracy, rule of law, transparency, accountability and the inalienable human rights of all citizens, shall continue to be the hallmark of our great country.”

So this was a tacit admission that under the Mugabe “First Republic” Zanu PF had closed political and economic space. It should be noted that Mnangagwa and the same gang in power today were Mugabe’s henchmen per excellence! 

In 2008 the Join Operation Command; a junta comprising the top brass in Police, Army, CIO and Prison Services and a select few Zanu PF leaders led by Mnangagwa himself; forced ZEC to cook up the March 2008 election results to deny MDC electoral victory. And in the run-off the junta orchestrated a campaign of wanton violence to force the Zimbabweans to vote for Mugabe. 

It was the same junta minus a few top brass in the Police and CIO who were Mugabe supporters that stage the November 2017 coup. They went on to blatantly rig last year’s elections. Anyone with any brain said this was going to happen; these thugs were not going to risk life and limb to wrestle power from Mugabe only to risk losing it again in free, fair and credible elections. 

There is no democratic space under this Second Republic just as there was no such space during the Mugabe era. Other than the replacement of Mugabe with Mnangagwa nothing else has change; Zanu PF is still the same party of corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. 

Zimbabwe is still a pariah state and the economic meltdown of Mugabe days is still there because, as before, it is near impossible to do business in a pariah state. 

When Mnangagwa rigged last year’s election he was cocksure he would deliver economic recovery too. His “Zimbabwe is open for business!” has had no takers. His newly appointed Minister of Finance. Professor Mthuli Ncube, promised to get IMF, WB and other institutions to bankroll Zimbabwe’s economic recover; that too has not happened for reasons stated above. 

The country’s worsening economic situation is putting this Zanu PF regime under great pressure to end the country’s pariah state and bad governance culture. The sanctions adding the pressure on the regime to embrace meaningful democratic change and hence the reason most Zimbabweans want the sanction to stay. 

Indeed, the sanctions should be extended to include sell-outs like Finance Minister Ncube and Minister Coventry who have joined the regime knowing fully well it is illegitimate. 

“Today, we arise and collectively say: Enough is Enough! The illegal sanctions are an albatross to the development, well-being and prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe. SANCTIONS MUST GO — REMOVE THEM NOW.” Thundered Mnangagwa to an empty stadium. Zimbabweans voted with their feet - they do not agree that sanctions should go.

The albatross round the nation’s neck in none other than this corrupt, incompetent and murderous Zanu PF dictatorship that has remain in power for 39 years but only because it rigs elections!

Mnangagwa squealing as Excelgate video expose of rigged election goes viral - guilt of high treason W Mukori

There is no denying the fact that Zimbabwe is facing a serious economic meltdown the much hoped for economic recovery of the post Mugabe era has not materialised. 

When Emmerson Mnangagwa took over power following the November 2017 coup that booted Mugabe out of office, he, Mnangagwa, promised to end corruption; hold free, fair and credible elections; etc. The promises, if kept, would have ended the country’s pariah state status, the root cause of the country’s economic meltdown. Sadly, none of the promises were ever honoured. 

Corruption is such areas as the diamond sector is still rampant, Mnangagwa has yet to arrest even one of those responsible. Worse still, Mnangagwa failed to implement even one meaningful democratic reform necessary for free, fair and credible elections. He was reminded of the need to implement reforms but ignored the warnings. 

By blatantly rigging last year’s elections, Mnangagwa confirmed beyond all reasonable doubt that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. 

It is no surprise that the much heralded economic recovery post November 2017 coup has not materialised - how can it when the country is still a pariah state! 

Zimbabwe Heads Of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) have proposed dissolving the current illegitimate Zanu PF government in favour of a new Government of National Unity (GNU) just to get round this nagging pariah state curse. 

President Mnangagwa has shot down the GNU proposal on the grounds that last year’s elections were free, fair and credible. 

“Let me emphatically state, at the outset, that my office is a creature of the Constitution and laws of Zimbabwe, both of which I am sworn to uphold, defend, obey and respect to their letter and spirit,” stated Mnangagwa.

“Our July 2018, harmonised elections were adjudged to be largely transparent, free, fair and credible (and an) expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe.” 

Well the EU, the Americans, the Commonwealth and many other individuals, nations and organisation who observed the 2018 elections condemned the elections as a farce hence the reason the pariah state stigma has remained to this day, over a year since the July 2018 election. A video documentary, Excelgate, by Journalist Edmund Kudzayi shedding new light of how Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections. The video has gone viral and reinvigorated the debate on the rigged elections. 

In its affidavit submission in response to Chamisa’s court challenge of the presidential election, ZEC stated that the commission command centre verified 10 985 original V11 forms (Polling Station list of all contestants in presidential, parliamentary and local election races and votes received), for example. ZEC inputted data from these V11 forms into excel sheets the results of which were then used to decide the winner of the parliamentary and presidential races.

EU Election Observer Mission witnessed a ZEC official, own his own filling a V11 form two days after this task should have been done and dusted and thus confirming the existence of extra V11 forms. 

Kudzai explained in detail that V11 forms are generated at Polling Station level only. Original of the V11 form is put in the ballot box together with cast ballots, unused ballots and all the other residue of the electoral material. The ballot box is then sealed and election officials and contestant’s election agents affix their signatures. 

The first copy of the V11 form is placed in a envelop which is sealed and election officials and contestant’s election agents affix their signatures.

The second copy of the V11 form is displayed at each Polling Station for everyone to see. About 10% of the Polling Stations failed to display the V11 forms and EU and other observers have confirmed this. ZEC has failed to explain why.

The sealed envelop with the first copy of the V11 is then taken, under Police escort, to a designated command centre for each local election ward. The same election officials and contestant’s election agents from each Polling Station who had affixed their signatures to the sealed envelop will be asked to confirm the seal was not tampered with. The seal is then broken and the V11 handed over to the ward election officials and contestant election agents. 

The ward election officials will total the votes received by each contestant in the presidential, parliamentary and council elections races. A new summary sheet, V23A, will produced. 

The original V23A form will be placed in a new Box together with all the first copy V11 forms and all other election material residue. The box will be sealed and the ward election officials and agents will affix their signatures. 

The first copy of the V23A form will be placed in an envelop, sealed and signatures affixed.

The ward returning officer will declare the winner of the council ward election. 

The second copy of the V23 A form in be posted for all to see. 

The sealed envelop with the first copy of the V23A will then taken, under Police escort, to the constituency command centre. A similar procedure to that at ward command centre will be repeated at constituency centre. The constituency officials total votes of each of parliamentary and presidential to produce a V23 B form. 

The original of the V23 B form plus the first copy of the V23A and other election residues will be placed in a constituency box which will be sealed and witnessed as before. 

The first copy of the V23 B form will the sealed and witnessed as before. 

The second copy of the V23 B will posted for all to see. 

The sealed envelop with the first copy V23B form is then taken to ZEC command centre, under Police escort. The envelops are then opened and the V23B form handed to the ZEC officials and corresponding ZEC command centre contestant agents. ZEC officials will total the votes cast for each of the presidential from each of the country’s 210 parliamentary constituencies. 

So against each presidential candidate one expected 210 entries not 10 895! 

ZEC command centre was not supposed to receive any V11 forms. Not even one! 

In 25% of the 11 100 or so declared Polling Stations, or 2 775, failed to display the V11 forms as required. If we assume these copies found their way to ZEC command centre, still where did the other 8 210 come from?

We know from the EU report that a ZEC official was seen completing a V11 form two days after this supported to be completed. 

There is nothing in the ZEC’s affidavit or Chamisa or anyone else to suggest the above procedure was abandoned and so one call only conclude that the 10 985 V11 forms received by ZEC command centre were generated without the knowledge and scrutiny of contestants, their agents, election observers, contrary to accepted practice and, most important of all, in violation of the country’s law! 

"The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission claims it verified 10,985 original V11 forms at its National Command Centre. This impossible claim is the 2018 election rigging smoking gun,” concluded Edmond Kudzayi. 

There is no doubt that Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections and this is a nation issue we must now deal with as a matter of urgency.

Rigging elections is not just any crime, this is a crime against the nation with the potential to destabilise the country causing untold suffering and even death to thousands if not millions of people. Those who try and/or rig elections are committing high treason! 

Mnangagwa rigged last year’s elections, there is a mountain of evidence to prove it, Excelgate provide just another train load of evidence of fresh evidence. 

We do not expect this Zanu PF regime to impeach Mnangagwa, after all, many, if not all the 2/3 majority MPs and senators are themselves beneficiaries of the rigged elections. Beside the V11 scandal, the regime denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote and frog marched rural voters to vote for Zanu PF, for example. Still, all pressure will be brought to bear on this illegitimate regime to step down. 

Kudzayi is known to many Zimbabweans as Baba Jukwa, whose juicy social media gossip on Zanu PF leaders were a sensation. This Excelgate video is based on the book by former Zanu PF minister and propagandist, Professor Jonathan Moyo. He is now in exile running away from Mnangagwa who tried to have him killed during the November 2017 coup.  

There is no doubt Excelgate expose will make Mnangagwa squill and Professor Moyo must be rubbing his hands with glee!

The greatest pressure on this Mnangagwa regime is coming from the country’s worsening economic meltdown. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, the economic meltdown will only get worse.

In the end Mnangagwa et al will step down. Mark my word!

(Excelgate video is available on Bulawayo 24 or Google search)

"Era of painful austerity is over" said Ncube - indifference of one unaccountable for pain or lie N Garikai

“The era of painful austerity measures is over and the country should brace for positive growth and productivity in 2020, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said yesterday,” reported The Chronicle.

“The country's economy is expected to register a growth of plus 4,6 percent in 2020, from a negative three to six percent this year.”

This is just wishful thinking, of course! 

Both Mnangagwa and Professor Ncube have known all along that Zimbabwe would never pull itself out of the economic mess it was stuck in by its own shoe strings. And hence the reason they have invested so much time, sweat and treasure in attracting investors and financial support from the IMF and WB. Sadly, they have nothing to show for all their efforts.

“Zimbabwe is open for business!” has had no takers. The flood of investors President Mnangagwa was cocksure would answer his clarion call have not materialised. 

President Mnangagwa has failed to end corruption and, most notably, failed to keep the promise to hold free, fair and credible elections and thus confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. No one wants to do business with thugs. 

Professor Ncube’s austerity program was doomed to fail; it targeted the poor whilst doing nothing to stop the unsustainable criminal waste of resources from the gross mismanagement and rampant corruption. 

The Zimbabwe economy has been in decline for most of the last 39 years. As a rule of thumb, the Zanu PF has never acknowledged responsibility for any of the economic decline. Each time the regime has acknowledged the economic decline it was only to give a myriad of excuses; the drought, sanctions (its hot favourite), etc. 

The regime has, without failure, offered solutions galore to all the economic problems including the dreaded sanctions. Not that the people had any meaningful democratic say in who ruled the country, since the party has always rigged elections to stay in power. So when the desired economic recovery never materialise, the party got away with it. History has the habit of repeating itself. 

Professor Mthuli Ncube promised that inflation with be less than 10% by the end of this year. At present it is 300 to 500% and rising! 

The Minister said the projected growth next year would be driven by several factors.

"First of all, we expect better rains in the 2019/20 season because that will mean agricultural output will pick up again. It also means the power outages that you see will ameliorate because we can have more hydro-power when water in Kariba is up.

"But also, we expect the budget to be more supportive of growth. We have said the 2020 budget is about growth and productivity in the main and job creation, supporting competitiveness and of course making sure that we have shared growth.”

Ever since the chaotic seizure of the farms to give them to Zanu PF loyalists, mostly; the agricultural sector has collapsed and never recovered. The country would have done very well indeed if we produce enough to meet most of our food needs. It is rich to expect agricultural production to recover to its pre-farm seizure level to finance the economic recovery. 

What budgetary support can the minister offer when the country’s economy has shrunk 3 to 6%, by the Minister’s own admission! 

First we were promised economic mass prosperity and get mass poverty instead. And ever since we were asked to endure short term painful austerity for the sake of long term prosperity only for the austerity to last now 39 years and counting with nothing to show for it. 

In Zimbabwe, where those in power enjoy absolute power to impose painful austerity measure insisting the measures will bring about economic prosperity. When the prosperity fail to materialise the whole sad story is brushed aside with no explanation or apology only to be replaced by fresh austerity proposals. 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, …” Charles Dickens, A Tale Of Two Cities. 

In Zimbabwe, where those in power are accountable to no one, we the people ever get is the worst of times, the age of foolishness, epoch of incredulity, season of darkness, etc., etc.! Until we curse ourselves of the curse of rigged elections the country will never know a day of wisdom and hope.

“The era of painful austerity measures is over!” said Professor Ncube. Speaking  with the arrogant indifference of one who has never suffered any of pain, knows that he is lying and, most important of all, knows he will never ever be held to account for anything! 

ZHOCD GNU proposal in not new - fault is with messenger, lacks political gravitas N Garikai

TITLE: Essentially, the ZHOCD GNU proposal is not new - it is messenger who lacks political gravitas 

BY: Nomusa Garikai

SOURCE: zsdemocrats.blogspot.com

Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) released a paper, “Call for National Sabbath For Trust and Confidence Building”, calling for the formation of a seven year Zanu PF and MDC Government of National Unity (GNU) during which the usual politicking and national elections would be suspended.

Take out some of the glaringly foolish ideas like GNU lasting seven years. The primary task of the new GNU, as was that of the 2008 GNU, will be to implement the democratic reforms to stop the curse of the rigged elections. Given the political will, the reforms can be implemented in the remains four years of the present electoral cycle. The 2008 GNU was chalked to implement the reforms in 18 months. 

The second glaring foolish to be thrown away was appointing both Zanu PF and MDC in the new GNU. The leaders of the two parties were the principle players in the 2008 to 2013 GNU that failed to get even one democratic reform implemented in five years. It is rich to expect the same players to do any better this second time round especially given Zanu PF’s position that last year’s elections were free, fair and credible. 

SADC, who were the guarantor of the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA) that gave birth to the GNU, were quick off the mark in condemning the 2008 elections as a farce. The regional body refuse to recognise the Mugabe led Zanu PF regime as the legitimate government; forcing the dictator to agree to the implementation of the raft of reforms agreed in the GPA. ZHOCD have neither the political credibility nor leverage that SADC had.

ZHOCD said that they had "prayerfully" come to the conclusion that in light of the "current political paralysis, deepening mistrust and the dehumanising economic decline, the nation will need to take a bold decision to address the root causes of our national challenges that have a very long history and will not be fully resolved by one entity.

"Such a polarised environment weakens respect for national institutions such as the courts, the police and the security sectors. Once such institutions are viewed as partisan and lacking in independence, it becomes impossible to elicit cooperation among the policy and political actors to drive a national reform process in the best interests of the nation." 

What the clergy leaders were saying inter own long winded way was that last year’s elections were not free, fair and credible and hence the “current political paralysis” and a repeat of the 2008 paralysis. It is no surprise that President Mnangagwa was very quick off the mark in restating his electoral legitimacy! 

"Let me emphatically state, at the outset, that my office is a creature of the Constitution and laws of Zimbabwe, both which I am sworn to uphold, defend, obey and respect to their letter and spirit," he declared.

“Our July 2018, harmonised elections were adjudged to be largely transparent, free, fair and credible (and an) expression of the (democratic) will of the people of Zimbabwe.” 

The EU, the Americans, the Commonwealth and all the other election observers with any democratic credentials worth talking about condemned the elections as a farce. Indeed, the Americans have pointedly refused to lift the sanctions imposed on a select number of Zanu PF leaders and entities because the elections were not free, fair and credible. Zimbabwe’s application to be readmitted into the Commonwealth has been kicked into the tall grass and forgotten for the same reason.

By blatantly rigging the elections Zanu PF confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical thugs. No one wants to do business with a pariah state and hence the reason the country’s economic meltdown of the Mugabe years has continued. 

Zimbabwe needs this illegitimate Zanu PF regime replaced by an interim administration whose primary task will be to implement the democratic reforms and hold fresh elections. The illegitimate Zanu PF regime must step down to create the political space for the interim administration. ZHOCD lack the political insight and gravitas to force Zanu PF to accept they are illegitimate and to step down. 

Mnangagwa bought a multi-million dollar Villa in Dubai - food for thought, "Mbuva" for anti- sanctions brigade P Guramatunhu

On Friday, 25 October 2019, Zanu PF will be staging many demonstrations inside the Zimbabwe and outside calling for the lifting of the sanctions imposed by the USA, EU and few other western nations. The Americans went out of their way to explain what Zimbabwe needed to do to have the sanctions lifted - put simply, hold free, fair and credible elections. 

Whether or not the elections were free, fair and credible is at the very heart of not just the sanctions debate but, more pointedly, of good governance and hitherto we are going as a nation. 

 “Let me emphatically state, at the outset, that my office is a creature of the Constitution and laws of Zimbabwe, both which I am sworn to uphold, defend, obey and respect to their letter and spirit,” responded President Mnangagwa to the proposal by the Zimbabwe Heads Of Christian Denomination for a new GNU. 

“Our July 2018, harmonised elections were adjudged to be largely transparent, free, fair and credible (and an) expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe.”

This is an outrage! If we are going to have a civilised and progressive debate on elections then we must agree to differ on somethings but NOT on facts. 

It is a historic fact that 3 million or so Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote in last July’s elections. During his UN GA trip, two months latter, President Mnangagwa himself assured everyone his government would put a system into place so these Zimbabweans are able to vote next time. This was proof the Zimbabweans could have voted if the regime had so wished! 

President Mnangagwa was declare the winner of the presidential race with 2.6 million votes or 50.8% and avoiding the run-off by less than 21 000 votes. So even 1%, 30 000, of the 3 million diaspora votes would have resulted in a totally different electoral outcome!

The regime failed to produce something as basic as a verifies voters’ roll. So no one could verify who the 2.6 million who voted for Mnangagwa are, that there was no multiple voting, etc. 

“The final results as announced by the (Zimbabwe) Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Zimbabwe Election Mission final report. 

“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.”

President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections were not; I repeat and emphasis WERE NOT; free, fair and credible and the facts on the ground judged them so. 

The Friday demos are calling for the sanctions to be lifted because Zimbabwe’s elections were free, fair and credible; that is a lie!

Zanu PF is also calling for the sanctions to be lifted because they are the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and the economic hardships. This too is a lie!

Rampant corruption and gross mismanagement are the root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic problems.

In 2016 the then President Mugabe admitted that the country was “swindled” out of US$ 15 billion in diamond revenue alone. He never arrested even one swindler. The then Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa, told parliament in 2017 that the country was receiving 1/6 of the expected diamond revenue; confirming the wholesale looting was still taking place.

After the November 2017 military coup, Mnangagwa promised “zero tolerance on corruption”. Nearly two years latter, he too is yet to arrest one diamond swindler. 

Every year, Zimbabwe has lost billions of dollars through gross mismanagement. A recent Audit General report showed that US$ 3 billion of command agriculture fund could not be accounted for, for example. It was none other than President Mnangagwa himself who was responsible for US$ 3 billion fund!

There are reports that President Mnangagwa has just bought for himself a top market multi-million dollar villa in Dubai. No doubt this is where some of the command agriculture funds were spent. Food for thought, “mbuva”, as one would say in Shona; for all those taking part in Friday’s demos! 

Whatever Zimbabwe is losing because of the sanctions; it is  a fraction compared to the billions of dollars the country is losing through mismanagement and corruption. It is laughable that anyone should make a big song and dance about the sanctions and yet say nothing about corruption. It gives the saying penny wise pound foolish a new meaning!

"Zanu PF believe they own choicest fruit by right" - with economy in ICU, still they demand pound of flesh W Mukori

“The ‘new’ regime can be viewed from different angles, but the nub of it is this: there’s a recognition that the economic fiasco of the last 20 years was suboptimal, but Emmerson Mnangagwa and his fellow travellers will burn the house down if they feel it necessary. Make no mistake, their will to power is every bit as intense as Mugabe’s—as is their belief that they own the country’s choicest fruits by right of conquest,” wrote Stuart Doran in The Strategist ASPI.

“There’s no comprehending Zimbabwe without an appreciation of that mentality.”

It fair to say the ordinary Zimbabweans not only comprehended but accepted as a matter of cause the Zanu PF mentality that the country’s choicest fruits belonged to the ruling elite. Let us just say that reality was rammed down the the nation’s throat. 

The country’s 1980 elections were supposed to be mark the end of white colonial oppression and to restoration of the black majority’s freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country. Zanu PF operatives made it clear that if the party failed to win the elections the civil war would continue. So instead of the elections being about freely electing leaders, it was the hard choice of ending the war or not. 

Of course, the people chose to end the civil war. 

Once in power, Zanu PF moved swiftly and ruthlessly to create the de facto one-party dictatorship we have to this day. Each time the party felt an threat on its strangle hold on absolute power, it has dialled up the harassment, intimidation, beatings, rapes and has even murdered its critics and opponents in cold blood.

In the 2008 Zanu PF lost the elections and withheld the result for six weeks, to cook up the result. In the presidential run-off, the country witnessed the worse electoral violence the country had ever see. 

“What was won the bullet cannot be undone by the ballot!” boasted Mugabe. That was all Zanu PF thugs, rogue war veterans and the corrupted security service personal wanted to hear; they were like blood thirsty wolves let loose penned sheep. 

If there was ever any doubt that Zanu PF would rather burn down the house than allow anyone else to rule that was dispelled in 1983 when the party launched its Gukurahundi massacre. Over 20 000 innocent Zimbabweans were murdered for sole purpose of stamp on the nation’s conscience, in human blood, that Zanu PF has the absolute right to rule Zimbabwe and will not brook to hear anything said on the matter. 

There is no doubt that Zanu PF ruling elite have enjoyed absolute power for the last 39 years and counting and they have enjoyed the choicest fruit too. Zanu PF leaders live in palatial Blue Roof mansion, they have vast business empires, they have posh cars, the likes of VP Chiwenga have 45 gold watches alone, etc. 

Meanwhile the overwhelm majority of Zimbabweans are now living in heart breaking poverty. Unemployment has soared to dizzying heights of 90%. 3/4 of the population live on US$30 per month or less; way below the US$ 650 per month poverty datum line. 

Zimbabwe’s health service has all but collapse. It is common for the country’s main hospitals to run out even such basic things as pain killers and bandages. The country’s doctors are on strike, they demanding better pay than the current US$ 40 per month. It is all very well for the ruling elite; they have stopped using the local health service decades ago, they use five star services outside Zimbabwe at great expense - to the impoverished Zimbabwean taxpayer.

After 39 years of Zanu PF ruling elite robbing the nation blind what should be obvious to anyone with eyes to see and common sense is that the situation in Zimbabwe CANNOT go on. Sadly the Zanu PF ruling elite are not only as blind as a mole but have no common sense too. 

Concerned about Zimbabwe’s worsening economic meltdown and the political paralysis caused by the decades of the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship, Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) have argued suspension of the country’s meaningless electoral process and the formation of government of national unity (GNU).

“Let me emphatically state, at the outset, that my office is a creature of the Constitution and laws of Zimbabwe, both which I am sworn to uphold, defend, obey and respect to their letter and spirit,” was President Mnangagwa’s response.

“Our July 2018, harmonised elections were adjudged to be largely transparent, free, fair and credible (and an) expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe.”

Only someone who is blind and devoid of common sense would still insists elections in which 3 million Zimbabweans were denied the vote (he claims to have won with 2.6 million), rural voters where frog matched to vote for Zanu PF, the was no free media, etc. were free, fair and credible. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a voters’ roll; for Pete’s sake. 

Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging thugs who believe they have the divine right to rule the country “by right of conquest”, as Stuart Doran put it. The cold reality is that as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, the country’s economic meltdown will only get worse; because it is near impossible to do business in a pariah state. 

Whilst the ZHOCD’s proposed GNU is in itself a tacit acknowledgement that last year’s elections were flawed and illegal and failed to produce a legitimate government. However, on the more substantive issue of offering the nation a way out of the economic and politic mess, the GNU will do no such thing.

A GNU in which Zanu PF is allowed to retain its dictatorial powers is a waste of time. ZHOCD dared to suggest the need for the GNU to implemented reforms but, with Zanu PF insisting last year’s elections were free and fair, that is a lost cause. 

Zanu PF will never reform itself out of office. Even the overwhelming majority of the Zimbabweans reduced into paupers and the country on the brink of social and political instability, Mnangagwa et al will continue to demand the pound of flesh and more!

“Tarry a little. There is something else.

This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood.

The words expressly are “a pound of flesh.”

Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh,

But in the cutting it if thou dost shed

One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods

Are by the laws of Venice confiscate

Unto the state of Venice.”

Portia: The Merchant of Act 4 Scene 1

William Shakespeare

Zimbabwe’s political Shylocks are the prosecutors, judge, the jury, the executioners, the legislators, every thing; their word and their word alone is law. Mnangagwa et al bond gives them the choicest fruit, the pound of flesh and any consequential bleeding and even death is of no concern of them! 

Mnangagwa and his fellow Zanu PF cronies do not have the divine right to rule Zimbabwe by conquest or whatever. They never had any such right. It was totally irresponsible of us to have allowed these Zanu PF thugs to impose the de facto one-party dictatorship. 

It is unforgivable that we have allowed the dictatorship to last four decades and with such crippling economic and political consequences. 

It is insane to allow this Zanu PF dictatorship to remain in power even for one day more!

Mnangagwa and company rigged last year’s elections, they have no mandate to govern and must step down. The country needs the political space to implement the democratic reforms and restore the individual freedoms and human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections.