Heard of Government Organised NGO (GONGO), in POLAD we have Zanu PF organised opposition (Zoo) N Garikai

After 40 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship Zimbabwe is in a serious mess with the economy in ruins, millions of our people now living in abject poverty and, worst of all, the plunging the country into political paralysis. 

Zanu PF has imposed a tyrannical one party dictatorship that has stifled all meaningful public debate and has ruthless crashed its political critics and opponents. The party has usurped the people’s fundamental freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life. 

Ever since the signing of the Unity Accord between PF Zapu and Zanu PF, that saw the two parties merge to form Zanu PF, Mugabe has used the accord to justify the imposing of a de factor one-party dictatorship. 

The 2008 elections were a watershed in Zimbabwe politics is that the ruling party Zanu PF was forced to accept its ruthless tyrannical rule was unacceptable in this day and age. Following a particularly outrageous election process in which Zanu PF blatantly cheated the vote count to force a run-off and then used wanton violence to punish the electorate for having rejected the party in the early vote and to force them to vote for the party’s candidate, Robert Mugabe. 

Everyone, including both SADC and the AU renowned for giving a thumbs up to dodgy Zimbabwe elections in the past, rejected Zanu PF’s claim as the legitimate winner of the 2008 elections. SADC forced Mugabe to sign a Global Political Agreement agreeing to the need for Zimbabwe to implement a raft of democratic reforms designed to ensure the blatant cheating and wanton violence of 2008 will never be repeated ever again. 

Sadly, not even one of the reforms were ever implemented; not one!

Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders, whose primary task in the GNU was to implement the reforms, with ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc.With their snout in the feeding trough MDC leaders forgot about the reforms. 

Indeed, during the 2008 to 2013 GNU Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies quickly learned that they could have their cake and eat it too. They could keep their one-party dictatorship complete with all its carte blanche powers to rid elections as long as the party allowed the opposition to win a few gravy train seats. The strategy has worked so well everyone is Zimbabwe’s opposition camp participated in last year’s elections; there were 23 contestants in the presidential race alone!

Mnangagwa, who succeeded Mugabe as the leader of Zanu PF following the military coup of November 2017, on the wake of his rigged election victory of the 2018 elections launched Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD). POLAD is a forum grouping all the political parties (MDC A are under pressure to join) who obligingly participated in last year’s elections, knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections. 

Mnangagwa is sparing no expense in promoting POLAD as all the nation has ever wanted in a healthy and functioning political system.

“Parties under the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) plan to engage SADC, African Union, European Union and United Nations member states to explain their mandate as they press ahead with finding lasting solutions to the country's economic challenges,” The Herald, the Zanu PF mouth piece, announced.

“An information desk is also being set up to raise awareness about the activities of POLAD. In the coming year, POLAD wants to assist Government to ensure constitutional and electoral reforms are in place. This comes after President Mnangagwa lauded POLAD members for their commitment towards nation-building and unity since its inception in May.”

Zanu PF can fool SADC and AU leaders and a few others like the Chinese and the Russians, who are only too pleased to take advantage of the economic and political chaos in Zimbabwe, with this POLAD nonsense. No one else will be fooled, especially the EU. 

The EU dismissed Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections as a farce. “The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Mission final report.

“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

In other words, the EU does not recognise Zanu PF as the dually elected and legitimate government with the people’s democratic mandate to rule Zimbabwe because the whole election process failed to meet acceptable minimum standards. 

Considering all the actors in POLAD have endorsed the 2018 elections as having been free, fair and credible; Mnangagwa made is a condition for joining the group; it is clear whatever reforms the forum will push through they will not stop Zanu PF rigging the next elections! 

Zanu PF has never ever recognised other people’s right to be heard much less to criticise the party. And so the country public print media and only electronic media have been a department of the party in all but name. The country’s small private print media, there is no private radio or TV stations, has been considered the enemy of the state and haunted from pillar to post. 

Zanu PF has passed so many laws to control Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), many organisation have left the country and those still operating are all wearing Zanu PF straitjacket they are now called Government Organised Non Governmental Organisations (GONGO)! 

In POLAD Zanu PF has managed to coerce the opposition into a Zanu PF organised opposition (Zoo)! At a time when the nation is desperate for meaningful political change and and end to the Zanu PF dictatorship, in walks Emmerson Mnangagwa, the new Zanu PF dictator, with his Zoo circus animals! POLAD is the epitome of Zimbabwe’s political paralysis! 

"We are setting up a cutting-edge information sub-committee that is going to disseminate information relating to POLAD activities to all corners of Zimbabwe,” boasted Obert Gutu, one of the Zoo star performers.

"Within the next 90 days, virtually every Zimbabwean will be hearing, thinking and even dreaming about POLAD. We have got the requisite technical skills and intellectual fire-power to repackage and rebrand POLAD."

The country’s public health care has all but completely collapse for lack of funds to pay doctors and nurses, to buy medicine and repair equipment, etc. But the country has money to buy Zoo cutting edge equipment, to get the circus to every corner of Zimbabwe and beyond! 

Political dialogue will grant Zanu PF backdoor legitimacy however pariah state stigma will remain P Guramatunhu

There are many, many reasons why Zimbabwe is in this mess and stuck, cannot get out. One of those reasons has to be the country’s fixation with ill-advised solutions, especially when they promise quick returns with little or no effort on the nation’s part. 

“2020 is a defining year on whether Zanu PF will sink itself and Zimbabwe with the crisis or whether it shall rise to the task and do what everyone expects it to do, reach out to the MDC Alliance and its leader Nelson Chamisa to map the way forward. All realities are pointing to serious negotiations and dialogue desperately needed to rescue Zimbabwe from the current precipice, regardless of  pontification and bravado that Zanu PF protagonists otherwise display in public,” said one political analyst Alexander Rusero.

“I hope when (former South African President Thabo) Mbeki completes his power analysis, he will find the wisdom to include in his dialogue framework civil society and representatives of the commissioned commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army, who wield immense power behind the scenes,” said Phillan Zamchiya, another political analyst.

All these people who have been calling for dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa have all argued that this will be the panacea to the nation’s teething economic and political problems but have all failed to say how that would happen. 

By failing to stamp out corruption and, worst of all by failing to keep his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections Mnangagwa has confirmed that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state, same as Mugabe days. Getting Mnangagwa and Chamisa will not change the political reality of Zimbabwe being a pariah state, for example! 

Chamisa has often said he has the key to economic recovery, but he has never said how he was going to achieve this fit. Before the July 2018 elections Chamisa claimed that “MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections, as we all know. Take it from me, Chamisa has no clue what to do to revive the economy.

The solution to Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation and political paralysis lays in, first of all, acknowledging the reality that the July 2018 elections were flawed and illegal. 

“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Mission final report.

“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

The regime denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote compare this to the 2.4 million Mnangagwa says he garnered to win the presidency. 

ZEC failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, a common sense and legal requirement. This was something as essential to elections as bee wax is to a bee hive!

Second, acknowledging that an election process that lacks transparency, cannot be traced or verified and is so flawed and illegal it has failed to meet international standards on elections cannot still produce a legal and legitimate result. 

At the very heart of Zimbabwe’s pariah state status is the profound statement: a state who government has no democratic mandate to govern and is per se illegitimate. 

President Mnangagwa has managed to get all the country’s opposition parties, except for MDC and one or two others, to public endorse him and his Zanu PF party as the winners of the 2018 election and therefore the legitimate government. As we can see that has had no effect. Zimbabwe is a pariah state and shun as one. 

All those calling for political dialogue between Mnangagwa and MDC are holding that a public endorsement of Mnangagwa and Zanu PF as the winner of the July 2018 elections will help remove the pariah state stigma. Again, this is just wishful thinking. 

To remove the pariah state stigma, country’s illegitimate governing party, Zanu PF, must be publicly denounced as such and asked to step down. A caretaker administration will then be appointed and tasked to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. 

Those clamouring for political dialogue in which Zanu PF is to play a role acknowledge the regime is illegitimate and are searching for a way of granting it legitimacy through the back door. This is just a waste of time because political legitimacy can only be conferred by the people in a free, fair and credible elections. There is no provision for backdoor deals with corrupt and incompetent opposition leaders desperate for a seat on the gravy train. 

Worst of all, any solution in which Zanu PF is allowed to return power is a waste of time because the party will use the power to block the implementation of the reforms. If Zanu PF is in office come 2023 elections, then we can be 100% the party will rig those elections too! 

If Zimbabwe’s corrupt and incompetent opposition had not given the July 2018 elections some modicum of credibility by participating in the flawed elections and then by endorsing the result as legitimate; there is no doubt that Zanu PF’s claim as the legitimate government would have fizzled to nothing by now. People like Zamchiya with their foolish suggestions are encouraging Mnangagwa to hang on and thus delaying the resolution of this mess. 

Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has reached crisis point. 90% of our people are poor with 34% of them living in extreme poverty, according to a recent WB report. Zimbabwe cannot afford to waste time and treasure on gimmick solution like political dialogue to appease Zanu PF. Zanu PF is illegitimate and must step down!

Mnangagwa lines up his Animal Farm ducks "to count blessings" of rigged elections and dictatorship P Guramatunhu

It is no secret that both PF Zapu and Zanu PF have each wanted to impose one-party state in Zimbabwe. The compromise position was for the two parties to come together but all past attempts to unite the two had failed as the leaders would not agree on how the spoils would be shared. 

The signing of the 22 December 1987 Unity Accord between PF Zapu and Zanu PF; or be it under duress for Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu colleague, they have maintained it was the only way to end the Gukurahundi massacre; offered the chance two parties the chance to merge and then impose a de facto one-party dictatorship. 

As the two parties who spearheaded the war to end white colonial rule they felt they had the right and as the ruling party, the political power and clout, to impose the dictatorship. However to sugar-coat the bite pill, Zanu PF has always insisted the de facto one-party state promoted unity, peace and economic development and prosperity. All lies!

The de facto one-party state has stifled all meaningful debate and democratic competition turning Zimbabwe into a nation where only one voice and opinion was heard, tolerate and counted - that of Zanu PF. Zanu PF has enjoyed carte blanche powers to rig elections and rule as it pleased. 

With no one to hold the Zanu PF leaders and government to democratic account it is no surprise mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness became rampant with the economic and political consequences we can see today. 

“Local church and traditional leaders say Zimbabweans need to unite in addressing day to day challenges and support the vision of President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the attainment of a middle-income economy by 2030,” reported Bulawayo 24.

Zimbabwe was a middle-income nation in 1980 when the country gained her independence and the last 40 years has been a relentless march to the bottom. 90% of our people are classified as poor and 34% of them are living in extreme poverty, according to a WB recent report. And yet for all but 3 years out of 40 Zimbabwe has been a de facto one party state. So it was not for lack of unity the country is poor! 

Indeed, the country is poor because for 40 years we have all been forced into the Zanu PF straitjacket where we all sing the party’s praises and dare not say the truth.

"We want to express particular appreciation for your (Mnangagwa) sensitivity on calling upon the nation to pray. Our indigenous churches are rising up in unity. We have felt as we prayed and listened that as churches we must acknowledge before God that Zimbabwe is a blessed nation. Even when there have been challenges we want to thank God for leaders who have been sensitive to the people," said Rev Andrew Wutawunashe of the Family of God Church.

"As traditional leaders, we have been trying to work with the churches for the good of the nation. Traditional leaders are from God. This is very good for this country. We were waiting for this moment as a country. National thanksgiving and dedication is something that has been missing in our society. Let us inculcate values of gratitude in our society," joined in Chief Fortune Charumbira.

The truth is Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the nation has been stuck with this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. We can bury our heads in the sand and pretend the de facto one-party state is useful for the nation. But after 40 years of this and with the nation now on the brink of total economic meltdown and political instability it will be insane to continued pretending. 

By failing to stamp out corruption and, most important of all, honour his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections; President Mnangagwa has confirmed that Zimbabwe is still the same pariah state he inherited from Mugabe. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic development. No one likes to do business in a pariah state; there is just too much economic chaos and lawlessness. 

The National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service was held under the theme: "Counting our Blessings – Let us through home grown unity affirm work and pray to achieve our national vision”.

40 years of Zanu PF dictatorship under the disguise of unity was NOT a blessing but a curse! 

For the umpteenth time; what Zimbabwe needs right now is for Zanu PF to step down, the regime is illegitimate since July 2018 elections were flawed and illegal and therefore could not produce a legitimate result. Zanu PF stepping down will create the political space for the nation to appoint an interim administration tasked to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. 

The dictatorship has given Zanu PF the carte blanche powers to rig the elections and to cure ourselves of the curse of rigged elections and bad governance; we need to implement the reforms. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is so bad hundreds of people are now dying everyday of easily treatable ailments; we need solutions and no more gimmicks. Zanu PF must step down now! 

“It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune,” wrote George Orwell in his epic book Animal Farm. 

“You would often hear one hen remark to another, "Under the guidance of our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days"; or two cows, enjoying a drink at the pool, would

exclaim, "Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon, how excellent this water tastes!"

But by the end of the book even the dumbest of the dumb animals open their eyes and mind to the reality that the pigs had become just as oppressive as the human beings with whom they now freely interacted and looked like. 

After 40 years with the country’s economy in a serious mess and the nation gripped with the political paralysis it is shocking that Mnangagwa is still able to line up his ducks so they can sing the praises of the dictatorship and rigged elections! 

The essence of good governance is self criticism; those incapable of self criticism are incapable of self governing W Mukori

“Blacks are incapable of self government!” said John. 

Bang! Came the explosive response from Chengetai.

John was a white student from St. Georges College. Chengetai and myself were black students from St Ignatius College. The two Colleges were ran by Jesuits priests and it was common for students from St Ignatius to visit the former to take advantage of its better facilities. 

The year was 1976, at the height of the liberations war. Racial tension was high. Ian Smith’s white racist regime, had inflamed the blacks by passing a law compelling blacks students and other trainees to undergo military training and fight on the whites’ side in the ensuing civil war. 

John’s racist remark was nothing new, if we, blacks, had heard it once we had heard it a thousand times!

Chengetai’s explosive response had taken us all by complete surprise; he hit the desk so hard, the message was loud and clear John had traded on his toes and only a fool will dare to that ever again. 

Those of us who knew Chengetai well even more surprised. In all the years, I do not recall him ever raising his voice in anger at anyone. Talk of being calm, here was a vast expense of water the size of Kariba Dam and not a ripple! Out of this sheet of glass still came the twenty metres high Tsunami wave! 

“I was not angry with John because he is a racist,” explained Chengetai, some months later. “His racist remark, devoid of truth, would have been water off a duck’s back. 

“John’s remark was loaded. He forced me to face my deepest fears. I was very angry with myself and not with John.” 

Zimbabwe used to produce enough food to feed her own people and have plenty left to be the breadbasket of the region. Ever since Mugabe seized the white owned farms to give to his cronies, mostly, the country has relied on food aid. 

We are starving in a country that is, for all practical purposes, the Biblical Garden of Eden. A damning testimonial of the black majority rule! 

It is no exaggeration to say the last four decades Zimbabwe has blundered from pillar to post as the country sunk deeper and deeper into this man-made hell-on-earth. It is not so much that Zimbabwe has made mistakes, it is bad enough to make mistakes, but worst of all the country has made the same foolish mistakes over and over again. 

Zimbabwe has been stuck with the same corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF thugs for the last four decades. The party has systematically denied the people their basic freedoms and rights including the right to a free vote and even the right to life. The nation has had countless opportunities to end the Zanu PF curse of rigging elections and bad governance but has wasted them all. 

Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. The regime denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote, this was more than the 2.4 million Mnangagwa says he garnered to win. The regime failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, Pete’s sake! And yet many Zimbabweans, led by the country’s corrupt and incompetent opposition, have endorsed the election result and Zanu PF as legitimate. 

If the people, in this day and age and with all the benefit of four decades of hindsight, have no clue what constitutes free, fair and credible election then they surely deserved rigged elections and bad government. And in this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous Zanu PF dictatorship, Zimbabwe has one of the worst government in modern history. 

The reality of the total economic meltdown that has left millions of Zimbabweans into abject poverty, the blatant vote rigging of the elections by Zanu PF, etc. have proven white racist like John were right that blacks are incapable of self-rule. But what clinches the case for me, is the water off a duck’s back reaction of most Zimbabweans to these economic and political realities. 

Chengetai did foresee the bad governance and still he is disappointed to see the nation sink this deep into hopelessness and despair. He would be furious that Zimbabweans have buried their heads in the sand and would not face up to the realities of their own shortcomings. That, even now with the country desperate to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance, the people would still participating in an election without something as basic as a voters’ roll! It is not rocket science!

"We do POLAD because we love Zimbabwe" says Gutu - the why are you selling-out of free elections P Guramatunhu

Some of us still remember Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa, the 1979 (one year wonder) Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia following the Internal Settlement with Ian Smith. Ian Smith continued to exercise all real power and Muzorewa and his fellow blacks had no real power and many, rightly, dismissed them as puppets. 

Muzorewa and his followers ignored the glaring shortcomings in Internal Settlement and praised it to the high heaven. History is repeating itself and the modern day Internal Settlement is called POLAD.

“We don’t do POLAD because we want to have tea & scones! No! We ain’t bragging but the fact of the matter is that we can buy our own tea & scones & in fact, we can afford to book ourselves in any hotel that we want! We do POLAD simply because we love Zimbabwe!” Obert Gutu, Vice President of the MDC faction led by Thokozani Khupe. 

Anyone can claim to love Zimbabwe and to act in the best interests of the people, a close examination of one’s actions will reveal the truth.

Ever since the late 1990s the people of Zimbabwe have come the conclusion that the country’s de facto Zanu PF one-party dictatorship was the greatest impediment to economic development, peace and justice. The people came to the consensus the nation need to implement democratic changes designed to restore the people’s freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. 

Mr Gutu cannot deny that the need for democratic change was the number one national agenda his the party he belonged to these last 20 years has promised democratic change, at least in its party name. 

Mr Gutu was a deputy Minister in the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai through out the 2008 to 2013 GNU, when the nation had its golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and thus deliver the democratic changes the nation has been dying for. Sadly, not even one reform was implemented in five years. Not one!

“MDC leaders were busy enjoying themselves they forgot why they were in the GNU!” snapped one SADC diplomatic in disgust at MDC’s failure to implement even one reform during the GNU.

Obert Gutu and his fellow MDC leaders, from all the various MDC factions, and the rest of opposition camp participated in the 2013 and 2018 elections not only knowing that Zanu PF was rigging the elections but, worse still, that doing so gave credibility to the flawed process. They did so out of greed as David Coltart, now MDC Alliance Treasurer General, admitted 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 elections,” admitted 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.”

Whilst the EU, the Americans, the Commonwealth and Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Commission have all condemn Zimbabwe’s last year’s elections as a farce; the full import of the condemnation was lost. “If the elections were indeed as flawed and illegal as you say,” Zanu PF argued, “then why did the opposition participate in such large numbers?”

An argument, no doubt, Ian Smith used to prop up the Internal Settlement. 

Mnangagwa has made it clear that those who join POLAD must endorse last year’s elections as having been free, fair and credible. In other words POLAD will not be implementing any reforms and so  the next elections are bond to be a repeat of last year’s rigged elections.

No Mr Gutu, you and your fellow opposition politicians do not love Zimbabwe and never did. If you loved Zimbabwe, you would have implemented the democratic reforms when you had the chance to do so. If you love Zimbabwe, you would not be in POLAD knowing fully well the grouping will never ever implement any reforms nor deliver free, fair and credible elections. 

“Some people are always complaining that life in Zimbabwe is extremely difficult,” concluded Obert Gutu.

“Surprisingly, the very people who complain the loudest are not willing to proffer solutions to the myriad socio-economic challenges facing Zim. Be pro-active! Don’t just complain…” 

Zimbabwe must have one of the largest number of corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging, sell-outs and/or tyrants, per capita, in the world! Each successive generation has tried to build democracy in Zimbabwe has failed because any budding democratic institution has been overwhelmed by corrupt, incompetent, etc. individuals. 

Obert Gutu knows that Mnangagwa is the one enjoying absolute dictatorial powers and financial clout, he is not interested in a democratic Zimbabwe, and is being pro-active in bankroll POLAD and sell-outs like him, Obert Gutu. 

The people of Zimbabwe must wake up to the reality that MDC leaders have not only been hunting with the Zanu PF hounds but have been sleeping with the enemy. The international community too must wake up to this political reality and must add these opposition sell-out to the sanctions list. 

"POLAD is not a credible process" but so too is NTA - meanwhile being dragged beyond point of not return N Garikai

"We are not interested in joining POLAD. We are very clear that POLAD is not a credible process. Chamisa is not in any political wilderness. He is the most relevant politician right now and is taking a principled stance in the interest of the people of Zimbabwe. The MDC itself is very happy not to be associated with POLAD,” explained MDC spokesperson Daniel Molokele.

Yes POLAD is a waste of time and space but MDC’s alternative is a waste of time and space too.

MDC is insists on a political dialogue leading to the formation of a National Transition Authority (NTA), a power sharing arrangement with Zanu PF in which MDC leaders like Chamisa will get cabinet positions.

MDC is also insisting that NTA will implement “comprehensive democratic reforms designed to end the problem of disputed elections”. Clearly MDC leaders have not thought this one through; it is mission impossible! 

MDC has accepted that last year’s parliamentary elections were free, fair and credible and so Zanu PF will retain its 2/3 majority in parliament. Any one who thinks they can ever get that lot to pass any comprehensive democratic reforms and reform themselves out of office is insane! 

Mnangagwa launched POLAD in May, now eight months ago, the body has yet to come up with even one thing it has accomplish. Just one! Nick Mangwana, one of Zanu PF’s ardent and creative spin doctors, made a complete arse of himself when he was asked to name POLAD’s achievements. 

 “The coming together of Political Actors under one banner (POLAD) and the official launch symbolised the unity of purpose,” answered Nick.

“The formulation of a Code of Conduct and subsequent adoption and signing of the same.

“Visit to Cyclone Idai POLAD delegates led to conscientisation of the nation about the problem and the need for urgent intervention by different stakeholders. Etc., etc.” 

In short, POLAD has accomplished nothing. Zero! 

Actually with his 2/3 parliamentary majority Mnangagwa does not need to court the opposition, especially those without even one MP in parliament! He should be getting on with the important task of finding solutions to the nation’s myriad problems and implementing them and not wait time on trivial pursuits like POLAD. 

The truth is Mnangagwa has ran out of ideas on how to solve the country’s mounting problems and is hoping POLAD members may come up with some ideas. He has got nothing from the POLAD members because they too have no clue what to do. There is no surprise there, of course. 

Remember the POLAD member are the opposition candidates who participated in last year’s elections when it was as clear as day that Zanu PF was rigging the elections. They did not even have the common sense to demand that ZEC must produce a verified voters’ roll, which is a legal requirement too! 

The last four decades have been a relentless march deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth we now find ourselves in. Whilst many have been aware the nation was going in the wrong directions they have failed to do anything about it because Zanu PF rigged the elections and abused state machinery to whip everyone into line. 

Today the nation stands on the edge of the precipitous abyss. Mnangagwa rigged the elections but failed to rig economic recovery and now is goading the nation forward, demanding we put our blind trust in him and POLAD. And, sadly, instead of offering the nation a way out of this hell; the opposition is bubbling some nonsense about a NTA. 

Zimbabwe did not land in this hell-on-earth by accident; it is culmination of four decades of corrupt and tyrannical rule. And we, the people, have done nothing to stop it. 

In the end, nations get the government they deserve and we, in Zimbabwe, certainly deserve this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of equally corrupt and incompetent opposition parties, many of whom have already in POLAD whilst others are holding out for an improved bribe! 

Our relentless march into this hell-on-earth will continue, we are not yet ready to stop Mnangagwa and his POLAD acolytes. Many Zimbabweans have no clue what constitute free, fair and credible election, something as basic as that in this day and age, proof the nation is not yet ready to end the de facto one-party dictatorship.

Zimbabwe's problems are man-made problems, problems rising from bad governance, and well within our powers as mortals to solve. We have taken a collective decision to bury our heads in the sand and for four decades have done nothing and have paid dearly for our folly. And, if we do not snap out of our sloth-like slumber, Mnangagwa will dragged us even deeper into this hell, beyond the point of no return!

"If I brought suffering, condemn me" said Mnangagwa, a village thugs being too clever by half N Garikai

"We cannot allow isolated voices, which have no platforms, speaking more than us (Polad) who are a collective. Collective voices should be heard more than isolated voices in the jungle," said Mnangagwa.

"I am happy that we all accept that peace is critical … harmony is equally important. If we all preach peace, unity and harmony in the country, then we expose those who have brought suffering (in the country). If it is my party which has brought suffering or violence, it must be condemned and also any other party, whether in Polad or in the wilderness."

"I see that with the spirit of Polad, we can sustain this conversation, this dialogue. But we need to be more vocal, to be heard, to pronounce ourselves on all issues, to show that we are alive, vibrant. We need to show that we are working on all issues that affect this country.” 

Mnangagwa is just a village thug who is too clever by half! He thinks he can continue to claim the moral high ground of the peacemaker by hold high the olive branch and yet the dagga in his other hand is dripping with the blood of more of his wanton violence victims. 

“If it is my party which has brought suffering or violence, it must be condemned!” 

Anyone who is anyone condemned last year’s elections as a farce. 

“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Observer Mission final report. 

“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

Zanu PF blatantly denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora a vote, for Pete’s sake! How are Zimbabweans supposed to judge you when you deny them a democratic voice!

As much as you, President Mnangagwa would like to claim that last year’s elections were free, fair and credible the truth is they were not. 

As much as you want to claim the ZEC results were “the voice of the people, the voice of God!” the truth with with no verified voters’ roll no one could ever verified whether those people were real or fake! 

Today Zimbabwe is facing a real and immediate existential threat, the economic meltdown is cause serious human suffering and unnecessary lose of lives. The country’s health care, for example, has all but completely collapsed and hundreds of people are dying of easily treatable ailments. The situation cannot be allowed to continue. The country needs a way out.

The only way out is for Zanu PF to accept that the party rigged last year’s elections, step down and allow the nation to reset its failed political system. Step down now, with each day this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime remains in power hundreds of innocent lives are lost and the nation is being dragged closer and close to the edge of the precipitous abyss. 

After 39 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and tyrannical lawlessness; Zanu PF must go now. Enough is enough, Zimbabwe has had enough of these Zanu PF thugs!

POLAD, asking Mbeki to mediate, shoot to kill, etc. all to legitimise an illegitimate regime - Zanu PF is holding Zimbabwe to ransom W Mukori

Dear Chronicle Editor

If you want the reader to take you seriously then you must respect him/her by treating historic facts with respect. 

“Former South Africa President Mr Thabo Mbeki's record of pulling off political settlements against the odds is well known. As Sadc-appointed mediator to dialogue in our country, he delivered the Global Political Agreement (GPA) on 15 September 2008 between Zanu-PF, MDC and MDC-T, ushering in the inclusive government," you said in your editorial.

“The talks were necessary to move the country forward as elections that had been done five months earlier had yielded a hung parliament.”

Everyone including SADC and AU, who have turned a blind eye to Zanu PF rigging elections in the past, rejected Zanu PF’s claim that it won the 2008 elections because the whole election process was marred by blatant cheating in the March 2008 vote followed by the wanton violence during the run-off. As a way out of the political impasse, SADC proposed the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU). 

To therefore, claim the GNU was formed because the 2008 elections had “yielded a hung parliament” is a blatant lie! The GNU was formed because the elections had failed to produce a legitimate result.

Mugabe and Zanu PF were forced to sign the GPA agreeing to the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms designed to stop the cheating and wanton violence. Sadly, not even one meaningful democratic reform was implemented in five years hence the reason we had yet another blatantly rigged elections last year.

You failed to mention the failure to implement any reforms and hence the continued curse of rigged elections; a serious error of omission. 

“He (Nelson Chamisa) does not deserve the preferential treatment he is demanding because he constitutes a minority against others in POLAD.   MDC Alliance might be the biggest opposition party in the country but in the broader scheme of things, the party is just a minnow. They only hold 88 seats in the legislature and contribute a far smaller proportion at local government level.  On the other hand, Zanu-PF holds 179 seats in Parliament and a larger majority at local government level. President Mnangagwa won the presidential poll by more than 300 000 votes,” continued the Editorial.

The error of omission is explained. 

What is the point of Mnangagwa saying he won “by more than 300 000 votes” and yet no one can verify that result because the regime failed to produce something as basic to free, fair and credible elections as a verified voters’ roll. 

Mnangagwa’s 300 000 become meaningless when viewed in the context of the 3 million Zimbabwean in the diaspora he denied the vote! 

Zimbabwe is in this economic mess with the economy in total meltdown because the country is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs who have rigged elections to stay in power. By blatantly rigging last year’s elections Mnangagwa confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state contrary to his post November 2017 coup claims of a “new democratic dispensation”. 

Zimbabwe is stuck in this hell-on-earth of our own making. The way out is for the country to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA. And since Zanu PF and MDC will not implement the reforms, nothing stop them getting this done during the GNU and beyond except the lack of political will and vision, the nation should appoint other people who will. 

Zanu PF must step down, the regime has no political mandate to rule since last year’s elections were flawed and illegal and could not possibly produce a legitimate result. The rigging of the elections, the formation of POLAD, the invitation of former SA President Thabo Mbeki and, worst of all, the use of brute force to silence all dissent; these are all political machinations by Mnangagwa to legitimise his illegitimate government and extend his stay in power. Zanu PF is holding the nation to ransom; no nation on earth can ever permit that! 

No doubt you, Chronicle Editor and your staff, know you have been helping Zanu PF in these treasonous pursuits of rigging elections, etc. act with your lies, omissions and brainwashing of the people. And to think it is the people who pay you the thirty pieces of silver!