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!
IN AN ominous development for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his under pressure government, the United States of America (USA) has slapped State Security minister Owen Ncube with sanctions over allegations of gross human rights violations.
ReplyDeleteThis comes after Mnangagwa and Zanu PF staged widely-criticised anti-sanctions marches around the country on Friday, in which they blamed the US and the European Union (EU) for Zimbabwe's deepening economic rot.
The sanctioning of Ncube - said to be one of Mnangagwa's closest confidantes - also comes as the US and the EU are increasingly and publicly becoming more critical of Harare, despite the government's repeated claims of being committed to a truly "new" dispensation and to normalising its relations with the West.
Mnangagwa rigged last year’s elections, more and more nauseating details of how he rigged last year’s are coming out as seen by the recent Excelgate video. Free, fair and credible elections is a key pillar of good governance more so after 39 years of rigged elections.
Mnangagwa keeps insisting that last year’s elections were free, fair and credible; adding insult to injury. Well done to the USA for standing up to Zanu PF’s usual bully-boy tactics and holding the regime to democratic account.
It is a great pity that the EU have reduced the sanctions on the regime at the very time when it should be tough!
American Ambassador Brian Nichols might soon find himself being disciplined by the Zimbabwean government after his vocal stance that Zimbabwe was suffering because of corruption that being allegedly implemented by the officials in Harare.
ReplyDeletePermanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information said, "I have a warm and friendly relationship with all diplomats accredited to Zimbabwean I have had interactions with and I don't go personal on anyone. But I think some of the diplomats we host in this country have lost diplomatic etiquette and have become political activists."
Mangwana's statements attracted backlash from former G40 members Beauty Zhuwao and Walter Mzembi who told him that the ZANU PF strategy towards sanctions was wrong.
"A whole bira outside the American embassy, is that diplomatic? How do you expect them to respond?" Zhuwao said.
Mzembi told Mangwana to styudy sanctions in Cuba first: "Quiet state diplomacy and vuvuzela public diplomacy Nick Mangwana attract different responses. You contracted lobbyists for sanctions review and decided to march at the same time, there was serious backfiring. Understudy Cuba sanctions and responses first."
A member of Presidential Advisory Council Trevor Ncube said the caliber of western diplomats was worrying.
"I have recently been concerned about the caliber of western diplomats posted to Zimbabwe. Today's tweeting from some diplomatic missions reminded me the current crop is no different from cub reporters. No nuance, diplomacy or etiquette all.”
All Ambassador Brian Nicholas has said is that corruption and not sanctions are the root cause of the country’s economic meltdown. Zanu PF is slamming down the ambassador because the regime does not want the truth told.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections, this is high treason and Mnangagwa should be impeached for this.
The only sure way to end Zimbabwe’s economic and political mess is for this illegitimate regime to step down and allow the nation to get back on a health democratic path. Enough is enough!
Some ZANU PF members are clearly plotting to replace Mnangagwa, but is this the solution for the country?
ReplyDeleteWe want the people of Zimbabwe to decide who rules Zimbabwe in a free, fair and credible elections. Enough of these military coup and rigged elections!
FINANCE Minister Mthuli Ncube has told doctors who have gone for nearly two months on strike to accept cushioning allowances offered by government during the period they have been on industrial action.
ReplyDeleteNcube was speaking on the side-lines of Friday’s poorly attended anti-sanctions rally at the National Sports Stadium, Harare.
“In January and April, we gave them the cushioning and an adjustment in July.
“We are working on another adjustment as we speak, then a bonus in November next month; surely we are doing our best,” he said.
Minister Ncube knows that inflation has surged to 300% and he, of all people, knows that a 60% wage increase is tantamount to taking a pay 240% pay cut! Only an idiot would accept this!
Minister Ncube has failed to come up with policies to contain inflation, he is refusing to take ownership of this failure and, worse still, want others to suffer for his failures.
"For God and country - Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo."
ReplyDeleteWe are told these were the words triumphantly pronounced by a US special forces serviceman in a moment of ecstatic fealty after fatally pumping two bullets — one in the chest and one in the head — in America's tormentor-in-chief, Osama bin Laden, in the small village of Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011.
Zimbabwe is in this serious economic and political mess because Zanu PF has imposing itself on the nation by repeatedly rigging the elections. Mnangagwa blatantly rigged last year’s elections, the man is guilty of high treason. If there is an Osama bin Laden character in Zimbabwe today, then it must be Mnangagwa!
@ Cde Gore, MDC Masvingo Youth leader
ReplyDelete“Today’s by-election in Chiredzi South is a clear testimony that as a country we need a comprehensive reform agenda.
The continuous abuse of state security agents is a cause for concern especially in the 21 st century,” you said.
“Several CIO vehicles were moving around ward 12 as a way on intimidating the rural so that they make choices under duress like what is reflected by the results from the by-election.”
We have known all this for years and worse still MDC leaders also know that by participating in these flawed and illegal elections, they are giving credibility to an otherwise flawed and illegal process. So the question is why are MDC doing this? Answer; greedy. David Coltart admitted this in his book.
“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 Coltart.
“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.”
MDC leaders still failed to do the obvious - withdraw from the 2018 elections - even thou four of the MDC factions had agreed to form the MDC Alliance.
Chamisa and company know that Zanu PF is rigging elections, especially in the rural areas were the party has reduced the rural voters to nothing more than medieval serfs beholden to the overbearing landlords. MDC will still continue participating because the party gets a cut of the Political Party Finance Act payout - this year the party got a fat $3.4 million of which Chamisa, as party leader, got $ 680 000. Pretty good wages for one little Judas kiss!
Oh MDC will make a big song and dance about how the party is going to implement reform to stop Zanu PF rigging elections, has devised measures to win rigged elections, etc. Anything to hide the fact the party has given up hope implementing the reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
MDC is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds, has been doing this for decades now, and it is for Zimbabweans to wake up to this tragic reality!
@ Job Sikhala
ReplyDelete“The difference between Mnangagwa and the late Robert Mugabe is that Mugabe had some brains to think. He would capture and captivate many’s attention on his beliefs wrong they might be. He would defend them with sophistication and tenacity. This one is just bare and sonorous. Idealess and directionless,” you said.
“He survives on lies and deception. When he couped his way to power he thought that both Zimbabweans and the international community will be deceived by his false mantra of a dawn of a new democratic order.”
Mugabe was an incompetent, corrupt and murderous tyrant who inherited a robust economy only to leave behind an economy in ruins. Mnangagwa has completely failed to revive the economy because he is is just another incompetent, corrupt and murderous thug.
Trying to compare Mnangagwa and Mugabe is like a mouse trying to decide which snake is more deadly, a cobra of a black mamba. Only a corrupt, incompetent and dimwit like Job Sikhala would have idiosyncrasy to make such a blatantly pointless comparison.
The people of Zimbabwe must never forget that the country is in this economic and political mess because Job Sihkala and his fellow MDC friend sold-out big time to Mugabe and Mnangagwa in failing to implement the democratic reforms which would have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship a long time ago.
It is rich for MDC leaders to accuse Mugabe and Mnangagwa for being “incompetent, corrupt, clueless, etc.” when they are no better. MDC has failed to implement even one democratic reform in 20 years and they have kept participating in elections they know are flawed and illegal!
@ Chronicle
ReplyDelete“This year, they (SADC) went a huge step further when they declared 25 October as a day when all Sadc will hold events to send the same message. The region will continue doing that every year until the sanctions are lifted. We are heartened by the echoing message that was sent out to the US and Europe yesterday, a message that these two powers must listen to and respond to by removing their devastating sanctions.”
SADC gave their thumbs up to Zimbabwe’s last year flawed and illegal elections; the EU, Americans, Commonwealth and many others condemned the elections. In supporting Zanu PF’s claim that sanctions were the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown when everyone knows that is a lie, SADC leaders have only made a bad situation worse.
Declaring 25 October as anti-sanction day was foolish and will be remembered as a day of SADC shame!
Members of the African National Congress (ANC) members in Gauteng and some Zimbabweans living in South Africa staged a protest outside the US embassy in Pretoria calling on the EU and US to reconsider their position.
ReplyDeleteANC secretary in Gauteng Jacob Khawe said: "For the mere fact that these ones are not imposed by the United Nations, they are economic sanctions. Economic sanctions, in their nature, are meant to create instability in a country and that is why we are calling against them.”
Whatever economic instability have been brought by sanctions, they are nothing compared the instability brought by the gross mismanagement and rampant corruption. So why is the village idiot concerned about pennies but has said nothing about the millions of dollars!
SADC leaders, especially our friends south of the Limpopo River, have been a great disappointment; at a time when Zimbabwe needed competent neighbour because we have corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs; we have utterly useless neighbours.
CHINESE financial institutions have indefinitely suspended funding three big infrastructural projects totalling US$1,324 billion after government raided and diverted US$10 million from an escrow account for the Robert Mugabe International Airport expansion project, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.
ReplyDeleteOfficial sources say the escrow account — where funds are held in trust while two or more parties complete a transaction — was raided for foreign currency, leaving the Chinese shocked about the breach of trust and confidentiality.
The sources said the move has strained relations and further complicated co-operation arrangements between the two countries. Chinese companies and financial institutions are not happy with the country’s deteriorating political risk and policy inconsistencies.
Chinese investors and financial institutions, including China Eximbank, are also worried about currency and exchange rate volatility which have affected projects they are bankrolling in Zimbabwe.
The affected infrastructural projects are the US$1,1 billion Hwange 7 and 8 refurbishment, US$153 million Robert Mugabe International Airport expansion and the US$71 million NetOne expansion project, which are at various stages of implementation. They were being bankrolled through various loan facilities secured from the China Eximbank and other financial institutions.
The suspension of the projects could not have come at a more critical point! Zanu PF has just spend millions of dollars to get the nation and SADC leaders to back the regime’s claim that the country’s economic problems are caused by sanctions. What the Chinese have just done is what IMF, WB and other financial institutions have been doing. Does that mean that the Chinese too have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe!
indeed, Zimbabwe’s “Look East!” policy accomplished very little because the Chinese and other East block nation stopped giving Zimbabwe financial assistance soon after the West did and for the same reason.
“Nǐ bùyòng huánzhài!” (You don’t pay your debt!) as the Chinese have told Mugabe to his face!
“Situations change and some may say ‘never, over my dead body’. However, when you are in a position such as mine, you can never say never. I am no longer looking at Zimbabwe alone but beyond Zimbabwe and even myself.
ReplyDeleteI have to think outside the box. Solutions (for the country) come from different persons. We have to meet as one and come up with the solutions. If we meet to discuss, we can come up with all the solutions to our problem,” Mujuru told Daily News.
In short, Mai Mujuru is broke and will not say no to any opportunity to get back on the gravy train! As for looking for solutions to get Zimbabwe out of the political and economic mess, why did she sit there like a cabbage for 34 years whilst her party dragged the nation into this mess if she cared?
What Zimbabwe needs is to implement the democratic reforms and free the nation so there is free debate and democratic competition. Recycled deadwood like Mai Mujuru will never win a seat if there are free, fair and credible elections. Never!
"Zimbabwe is a ticking time bomb. We are sitting on a time bomb," Chamisa said.
ReplyDelete"Zimbabwe is suffering; it is in serious crisis that runs the risk of imploding soon. We have a hungry population, a nation that is in pain. No citizen is without a charge sheet against government: pensioners, vendors, women, youths, the unemployed, nurses, doctors, teachers and workers in the private sector among them, and this is a fact."
He added: "As I speak, there is hunger in the townships, villages, farms, police posts and police camps, there is hunger everywhere. Hunger knows no wall. It does not pay respect to political party affiliation or tribal belonging of clan. It is a common threat to survival.”
Zimbabwe has had many golden opportunities to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections and thus would have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship. It was none other than Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends who had the best of these opportunities but wasted them all.
Yes Zimbabwe is sitting on a time bomb but one Chamisa and company had the opportunity to have defused but did nothing about it.
Right now Chamisa is desperate to go into a power sharing arrangement with Mnangagwa and get back on the gravy train. The National Transition Authority (NTA) he crying for is but a watered down version of the last GNU that failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years; it is naive to expect the NTA to do any better.
What Zimbabwe needs is for this illegitimate Zanu PF regime to step down so we can appoint a competent interim administration to finally implement the reforms.