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!
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe is destined to succeed and attain the objectives of Vision 2030 of an upper middle income society, despite the continued presence of sanctions imposed by the West.
ReplyDeleteHe praised the European Union (EU) for toning down its sanctions regime against Zimbabwe, whose Second Republic has prioritised engagement and re-engagement to restore cordial relations with the rest of the world. President Mnangagwa said this on Friday in his address during the SADC sanctioned day for solidarity against sanctions on Zimbabwe.
"Today we do not mourn, but we renew our resolve to succeed as a nation, despite the odds against us," he said.
"Together, in love, peace, unity and harmony, Vision 2030 shall become a reality.
"My Government will continue to take measures to mitigate against the impact of these illegal sanctions."
President Mnangagwa said so far, Government has maximised revenue collection and ensured efficient utilisation of scarce resources to boost critical areas, for example through programmes such as Command Agriculture, the introduction of a mono-currency regime to boost the country's competitiveness and the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.
Further, Government is deepening the fight against corruption, plugging revenue leakages, dealing with currency manipulation and artificially high prices caused by greedy cartels and businesses, creation and support of vibrant provincial economies and rural industry systems and resuscitation of the public transport sector, he said.
This is simply unbelievable! If the sanctions are forcing the regime to finally deal with such problems corruption then the sanctions must be increase a thousand fold!
The sanctions must stay until the day Zimbabwe holds free, fair and credible elections. Well done to America for adding Minister Owen Ncube on the sanctions list in response to the anti-sanctions demos!
THE European Union (EU) and United States (US) have scoffed at the anti-sanctions march held by government on Friday, saying the restrictive measures would remain in place until President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration has fulfilled its reform pledge.
ReplyDeleteThe sanctions should be increased! Adding Minister Owen Ncube to the sanctions list was a smart move!
Charamba said the US Ambassador had crossed the line of diplomacy.
ReplyDelete"Have been reading Ambassador Nichols' interview with Trevor Ncube. He has crossed line of diplomacy and does far better than Nelson Chamisa in playing opposition politics in Zimbabwe, and against President ED. Time may have come to recalibrate status in sync with his preferences," said Charamba.
"Those like us who are able to interpret moves in diplomacy take note of the near-hysterical response by the Americans; and at that very high level. Very consistent with little Zimbabwe "posing a continuing, extraordinary threat to American policy" !!!! Well done Zim, SADC, Africa!”
Corruption is the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, not sanctions. This is a truth that Zanu PF cannot accept and so the party is using its usual dirty tactics to silence everyone else. This is a party that loves a fight and has earned a reputation of taking on the West - all it ever does is shadow box the West to the great amusement of its naive and gullible constituency.
By adding Minister Owen Ncube to the sanctions list, Ambassador Brian Nicholas has delivered yet another punch! Zanu PF is running out of ideas and the worsening economic situation has the regime on the ropes! The anti-sanctions demos were just a gimmick, they have done nothing to ease the economic situations.
Many war veterans have never agreed with Zanu PF's autocratic rule but have never dared to say so for fear of being victimised. Zanu PF has become a party of ruthless thugs and even the former freedom fighters have never dare to speak freely!
ReplyDeleteThese guys have broken rank because they are felling the ill effects of the country's worsening economic situation. It is a great tragedy that they have finally found their voice now after the country have gone to the dogs. Still, let us hope that they have really changed and that it is not too late to save the country!
Another member of the new faction, Karen Kazingizi bemoaned how their reputation as the country’s liberators was now tainted by cases of gross human rights violations committed to please politicians.
ReplyDelete“Those who are implicated in 2008 cases where they would cut hands and arms of people should be brought before courts because that is not what we trained for and they know it.
“We did not remove a corrupt and racist regime to place a similar one,” said Kazingizi.
“Some continue to fear party disciplinary actions if they are heard to be expressing sentiments such as the ones I am expressing where they will waste your time deciding whether you are a sell-out or not.”
Well it is no secret that many war veterans are now living in abject poverty just like the overwhelming majority of ordinary Zimbabweans. And it is the grinding poverty that has made many of these war veterans find their voice and courage to criticise the Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical rule!
Zimbabwe is just one more nation out of many in Africa in which yesteryear’s liberators because today’s oppressors.
One can only hope that the penny has really dropped and these war veterans no longer see themselves as special and that it is not too late for the nation to end this Zanu PF dictatorship.
According to the Zimbabwe Cross Border Association, a group that represents the rights and concerns of cross-border traders, since last September — in the wake of July’s general elections — over 460,000 Zimbabweans left the country to neighbouring South Africa and Botswana in search of greener pastures.
ReplyDeleteIn Beitbridge, a Zimbabwean town bordering South Africa, an immigration officer on the South African side said: “The number of Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa has doubled since your country had elections last year.”
The failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is at the very heart of Zimbabwe’s economic mess and political paralysis. It is a great pity that MDC leaders were found wanting when in 2008 to 2013 when SADC leaders had for once dare to stick their heads above the parapet and refused to accept Mugabe and Zanu PF as the winners of yet another rigged elections.
SADC leaders forced Mugabe to accept the need to implement democratic reforms designed to end the vote rigging. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders were not up to the task, they failed to get even one reform implemented in five years.
Ever since the failure of the GNU, SADC leaders have reverted to their default position of endorsing rigged elections.
SADC leaders were warned that the consequences of another rigged Zimbabwe elections will be a new wave of Zimbabweans economic and political refugees. They ignored the warning and endorse last year’s rigged elections; now we can see the consequences.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF is considering enacting a law that will make it criminal for any Zimbabwean to call for sanctions against the country or be found in any suspicious engagement with foreign enemies of the country.
ReplyDeleteThis was revealed by party Chief Whip, Pupurayi Togarepi on the sidelines of a government organised anti-sanctions march in Harare on Friday.
“You will see from now going forward that those who go out looking for sanctions, talking to foreign forces against the people of Zimbabwe, asking for sanctions to be imposed on our people, as parliamentarians we will ensure we take a stance against them.
“It is not going to be business as usual,” he told NewZimbabwe.com.
The sanctions were imposed because Zanu PF failed to hold free, fair and credible elections. This proposed law is not aimed at those supporting sanctions but those who dare criticise the regime for rigging elections and other human rights violations.
Zanu PF rigged last year’s election, the regime is doing everything to silence all descend voices. The only way to stop this regime is to step up the pressure on the regime to step down.
The real story is the failure by Zimbabweans to see the truth, that Zanu PF has no clue what to do to revive the country's economy. What is the point going on strike demanding pay rise when everyone can see the regime has no clue what it is doing and the economic is in total meltdown.
ReplyDeleteWhat Zimbabwe's professionals should be doing is leading the nation in demanding good governance. Zanu PF rigged last year's elections and we should all be joining hands in demanding that the regime steps down and not waste time is demanding a miracle!
With prices surging, economists examining the official monthly data put inflation in September at 380%.
ReplyDeleteHopes that the economy would quickly rebound under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over after the late Robert Mugabe was deposed in a coup in 2017, have dimmed fast as ordinary people grapple with economic hardships.
All the economic indicators show that the Zimbabwe economy is sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss and yet those in power insist recovery is round the corner. Indeed, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube even had the audacity to say "the period of austerity is over!" And yet he offered the Doctors a wage increase of 60% when inflation is 380%. A 320% wage cut and the Doctors are supposed to believe austerity is over!
Zimbabwe's economic decline started in 1980 and has lasted for the last 39 years and counting. Even when the people realised that Zanu PF was corrupt and incompetent and thus the root cause of the economic decline; they have failed to remove the party from power because Zanu PF rigged the elections. It is now crystal clear, to address our economic problems we must first end the curse of rigged elections!
“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.
ReplyDelete“Blame Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends for inviting the west to impose the sanctions and for refusing to join POLAD!”
This is very true, these corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF thugs have no clue what they are doing but they will never admit they have failed. Never! And as long as they retain the carte blanche powers to rig elections they will remain in power and pretend they have the democratic mandate to govern.
Having a corrupt and incompetent opposition is now proving to be a curse second only to having a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical ruling party! The people risked life and limb to elect MDC in the hope they will bring about the democratic reforms the nation was dying for.
Mugabe saw to it that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the ministerial limos, the generous salaries and allowances, a US$ 4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. MDC leaders had their snouts in the feeding trough and completely forgot about implementing reforms! Mugabe set the honey trap and MDC leaders dived in from a great height, head first and have never recovered.
The people of Zimbabwe have to wake-up to the reality that MDC leaders will never implement any meaningful democratic reform, they are now working in cahoots with Zanu PF.
Minister Mthuli Ncube posted a message on his social media account where he announced that civil servants will be able to get a bonus “thanks to austerity”. He, however, did not elaborate on when the bonus will be paid.
ReplyDeleteWhat Minister Ncube does not say is how much the civil servants have lost during the austerity period. Worse still, the sacrifice the whole nation has made has been a total waste because it accomplished nothing! The austerity was sold to the nation as “austerity for posterity” but it is increasingly clear that austerity accomplished nothing because the ruling elite, the untouchable, have continued to waste billions of dollars.
Former Minister Forum Gumbo in court for abuse of office in awarding a rental contract to a relative costing US$ 1 million.
ReplyDeleteThe only way Zimbabwe can finally put an end to the corruption and mismanagement at the heart of this Zanu PF regime is for the regime to step down and allow the nation to implement the reforms and stop the curse of rigged elections.
Now diplomatic sources have told ZimLive that Moyo – a well-regarded figure in diplomatic circles – gave signals before and after the statement was issued that it had been foisted on him by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office.
ReplyDeleteThe diplomatic spat is just Zanu PF punching below the belt! What Ambassador Nicholas said about corrupt and mismanagement is true and factual and since Zanu PF could not deny this the party has decided to accuse the Ambassador of failing to up hold diplomatic etiquette.
Mnangagwa has failed to revive the Zimbabwe economy, his "Zimbabwe is open for business!" is dead in the water. He rigged the elections, confident that he will rig economic recovery too. Now he is coming up with all manner of excuses why he must remain in office regardless of the worsening economic situation.
ReplyDelete“The Bible commands us to pray and to give thanks in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 17-18 Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,” he said.
After 40 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule by Zanu PF, Zimbabweans find themselves in hell-on-earth and Mnangagwa wants us to give thanks for our poverty and despair, to suffer and die silently like sheep to the slaughter!
It was not the will of God that Mnangagwa must rig the elections and butcher those who dare protest against yet another meaningless election? Since when has God ever associated Himself with corrupt and murderous tyrants!
The Lord God granted mankind, Zimbabweans included, the intellect to discern right from wrong and to act accordingly. We know what constitute free, fair and credible elections and yet have allowed Zanu PF to blatantly rig elections time and time again these last 40 years.
The country is facing serious economic meltdown the consequences of 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption, a consequence of our foolish decision to allow the vote rigging Zanu PF to remain in power all these years.
We have a choice to demand that Zanu PF steps down so we can implement the reforms and end the nightmare of the dictatorship. Or to do nothing, let Zanu PF remain in office to rig future elections and inflict more suffering and misery on us all. To suggest the latter is "God's will" is nothing short of blasphemy! And only village idiots would buy such nonsense!
Given that Zanu PF has been in power for the last 40 years and in throughout that period the country has sunk deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth; it is a sick joke that those response for this should be claiming of delivering economic prosperity.
ReplyDeleteIt is one thing for Zanu PF to be talking of its vision 2030, this is a mirage dated back to the 1980s when Mugabe never tired of talking of mass prosperity, "Gutsa ruzhinji!" What is at issue here is that the people of Zimbabwe have been denied the democratic right, in free, fair and credible elections, to say whether or not they believe in this vision 2030, whether they still want to chase these mirages of economic prosperity whilst they sink deeper and deeper into mass poverty and despair.
Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections, denying the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country. The issue before the nation is not whether or not we believe in vision 2030 but whether or not we should continue to follow leaders who imposed themselves on us.
Forget the merits or otherwise of vision 2030; we must settle here and now the issue of restoring the rights of every Zimbabwean in having a meaningful say in the governance of the country. After 40 years of denying our people their freedoms and rights we must end this nonsense here and now!
It must be noted with regret that the church leaders at this prayer meeting have already endorsed Zanu PF as legitimate regardless of the party blatantly rigging the July 2018 elections. These church leaders have sold-out!
The calibre of our journalists leaves a lot to be desired. Chamisa has waffled and failed to answer any question, not that there was any sting in most of the questions.
ReplyDeleteWhy did MDC participate in the elections knowing there would be rigged was an excellent question. Chamisa himself boasted that "MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!" It is therefore nonsense that he should be the one complaining that the elections were stolen!
He dragged the nation into an flawed and illegal election process with the disastrous consequences of the nation being stuck with the same corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.
Worse still Chamisa said nothing to make anyone believe MDC will get any reforms implemented before the 2023 elections. Zanu PF enjoys 2/3 majority in parliament and it is foolish to believe MDC MPs can ever force through any reforms past that lot!