"We celebrate 21 year of struggle and leadership" says Chamisa - celebrate failure and selling out P Guramatunhu

 Our political leaders have the knack for celebrating failure!

“On September 11, 1999, this movement (MDC) was formed at Rufaro Stadium and the country's political terrain would never be the same again,” announced Nelson Chamisa in his e-rally speech.

“Today we remain resolute, resilient and vigilant. The real issues facing our country today of hunger, joblessness, a dead economy, a broken public health system, the water crisis and poverty make the need for a viable alternative ever more urgent.

“We continue to articulate the illegitimacy of the unelected and unelectable.

“Twenty-one years on, we remain focused on our original goal which has always been to achieve positive transformation in the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.”

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into public office on the promise the party would bring about the necessary democratic changes to stop the corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF rigging the elections to extend its stay in power. The MDC, as the party name implies, promised democratic changes the nation was dying for. 

Chamisa ready acknowledges the economic and political situation is Zimbabwe has not changed. Indeed, the situation have got progressively worse in the last 21 years. MDC leaders have failed to bring about even one meaningful economic and political change. Not even one! And it was not for lack of opportunity. 

Morgan Tsvangirai et al had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. SADC leaders had managed to force Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party to agree to the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms designed to stop the blatant cheating and wanton violence in the 2008 elections. It was left to MDC to implement the reforms; if only greed had not got the better of them.

Mugabe, who was the President in the GNU, bribed MDC leaders with all the trappings of high office; the ministerial limos, the very generous salaries and allowances, a US$ 4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. With their snouts in the feeding trough, MDC leaders forgot about the reforms. Not even the constant nagging by SADC leaders could nag MDC leaders to implement even one reform in 5 years! 

To make matters worse, MDC leaders have continued to participate in the post GNU elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and that doing so would give credibility to the flawed and illegal process. They did so out of greed and David Coltart, a senior MDC leaders admitted in his book.

In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe, David Coltart, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear the elections would not be free, fair and credible and yet the opposition still participated in the elections.

“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,” wrote 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.”

Of course, MDC leaders have not only sold-out big time in failing to implement the democratic reforms but worst of all the party has all but abandoned cause of implementing the reforms and deliver free, fair and credible elections. MDC leaders are now running with the povo hare and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds! 

Emmerson Mnangagwa keeps wittering about Vision 2030 when Zimbabwe will attain a middle income economic status. And yet for the last 40 years and counting Zimbabwe has suffered relentless world record economic decline under Zanu PF rule. When Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe following the 2017 military coup he promised free and fair elections and to stamp out corruption and has failed to deliver on both fronts and still he keeps wittering about Vision 2030!

Compare and contrast Mnangagwa’s wittering with Chamisa’s own. 

“And true to our founding values and objectives, we remain unstinting and on course in our quest to consign repression to the dustbin and to give succour and happiness to our country's citizens,” continued Chamisa. 

“Today, we celebrate 21 years of struggle and leadership.”

How can MDC is still be “on course to consign Zanu PF into the dustbin” when the party has not only failed to implement even one reform in 21 years but worse still has abandoned the cause? 

After 40 years since our independence Zimbabwe is yet to achieve the milestone of holding free, fair and credible elections. A truly damning testimonial in our failed political system and political leaders. Because we have failed to end the curse of rigged elections we have, for 40 years and counting, been stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime. 

Whilst Zanu PF remains in power we cannot address the economic challenges of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption, the health and economic challenges of brought on by corona virus, etc.  

The people of Zimbabwe should have enjoyed their freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections ever since the country attained her independence on 18 April 1980. Zanu PF and MDC leaders have turned this into a struggle lasting 40 and 21 years respectively. And we are being invited to join in “celebrating the struggle!” How foolish is that!

How ironic that Zimbabweans risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders in the hope Chamisa et al will deliver  the democratic changes; only now, 21 years latter, the people discover that MDC leaders not only sold out on reforms but are the ones blocking change!

After losing 6 months schooling to covid-19, Zimbabwe to lose even more to a familiar foe N Garikai

 School and colleges were closed at the outbreak of the corona virus in March and are supposed to reopen this week, after six months. I remember missing a week or two of schooling and can only imagine what it would be like to lose six months. I share the anger and frustration of the students and the nation at large at the news schooling will NOT restart because of an outstanding issue - teachers’ wage dispute. 

What is infuriating is that the teachers’ wage dispute was on the table before the March corona virus lockdown; government has had the last six months to resolve this matter. Government is only now offering teachers “a cushioning allowance in the week ending October 2”.

"There are fundamental errors in that statement," Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said.

"Teachers have not requested for a cushion, they have requested for the restoration of their purchasing power to 2018 salaries pegged at US$550.

"This is what the teacher has presented to government. If government is now presenting another offer subject to what teachers have not requested, this is misfiring. What teachers want is that government must address their dispute of right.”

Some teachers are being paid as little as US$30 per month! There is no questioning that this is is not a living wage. 

There is no denying that we must get the children back to school; they have lost six months of formal education already and, like everything in this life, they will never recover that lost time. Never!They cannot turn back the clock; none of us can. The last thing they wanted is to be losing even more schooling time! 

The quality of education in Zimbabwe has suffered greatly because of decades of under funding; schools are in poor state of rot and decay and the teachers are poorly paid. In the last two decades, many schools and colleges, especially the government owned institutions, have barely managed to produce 5% pass rates. 

We cannot provide adequate funding to our schools and colleges and pay the teachers a living wage as long as the country’s economy remains in a mess. 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption under this Zanu PF dictatorship have led the country’s economy in ruins. 

Our failure to revive the economy and with it our education system will only drag the nation even deeper into the economic abyss. What hope is there of reviving the economy with a poorly educated citizenry? 

Whilst it is clear that Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies have no clue what to do to revive the country’s economy. Sadly, it is also crystal clear the party is determined to continue rigging the elections and, if need be use wanton violence, to retain the de facto one-party dictatorship that has ruled the nation these last 40 years. 

Zimbabwe is stuck with a corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF dictatorship that has remained in power these 40 years because it rigged the elections. Stop the regime rigging elections, this is the soft underbelly of the beast, and you end the dictatorship. 

During the 2008 to 2013 GNU, Zimbabwe had its best chance ever to implement the democratic reforms designed to take away Zanu PF’s carte blanche powers to rig elections. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders sold out and failed to get even one reform implemented. And to add insult to injury, MDC has since been participating in flawed and illegal elections giving the vote rigging Zanu PF some modicum of legitimacy. 

To get another chance to implement the reforms; we must show that MDC and the rest in the opposition camp who continue to participate in these flawed elections no long represent the ordinary people. A tall order, given many MDC supporters are naive and gullible. They, even now with all the benefit of hindsight, still fail to understand what the 2008 GNU was about and hence fail to see how the MDC leaders sold-out. 

Deny Zanu PF the modicum of legitimacy from the participation of credible opposition in the flawed elections and the party will be forced to once again accept the need for implementing reforms. It was the international community’s, including SADC and AU, refusal to accept Zanu PF’s legitimacy following the 2008 rigged elections that forced Mugabe to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the need for democratic reforms. 

Mnangagwa and company rigged the 2018 elections, the regime is illegitimate and must step down. The modicum of legitimacy Zanu PF is enjoys is derived from the opposition participation in the flawed and illegal elections. Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends are corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs. They have lost political credibility. 

Zimbabwe is facing a serious existential crisis and desperately needs to implement the democratic reforms to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. It is intolerable that the nation should be held to ransom by a vote rigging ipso facto illegitimate regime, Zanu PF, plus its discredited political partner, MDC; who are blocking the reforms. 

"Yet to see what was stolen" Kasukuwere denying corruption - seen his bullet-proof mansion, Mugabe's Blue Roof Palace, etc. P Guramatunhu

 President Emmerson Mnangagwa is reportedly seeking to have Zanu PF G40 faction leaders like Saviour Kasukuwere, now living in self-imposed exile brought back to Zimbabwe to face justice. The G40 leaders are being accused of corruption. 

Well, in a country where corruption has been rampant for decades and most Zanu PF leaders, be they G40 or from Mnangagwa’s own Lacoste faction, are filthy rich, oasis with dense Amazon forest vegetation in the middle of the Sahara desert of grinding poverty. Mnangagwa will have no problem producing an inventory of Kasukuwere et al amassed wealth complete with details of when and how most of the loot came from. 

The challenge for Mnangagwa is to produce the details without incriminating himself and many of his own Lacoste faction member since many have amassed similar wealth using similar if not identical means. Kasukuwere knows this and hence the reasons he thrown the gauntlet, daring Mnangagwa to produce the evidence.

"We are yet to see what was stolen,” Kasukuwere told New Zimbabwe. 

What Kasukuwere is forgetting here is that the real victims of the Zanu PF’s rampant corruption are the ordinary Zimbabweans, and not Mnangagwa. It is therefore to them he must account for his amassed wealth. 

Kasukuwe must declaring all his assets, the farms, the bullet-proof mansion, the posh cars, etc., etc. And then explain where he got the money to buy it all! There is certainly a prima facie case for him answer; how was it that he amassed such wealth at a time when corruption was rampant the country’s economy suffered from total economic meltdown.

“It is a regrettable development, in my view, things could have been done differently and I still think that what happened needs to be corrected. What happened (November 2017 military coup) cannot be a feature that remains constant in the minds of our people,” continued Kasukuwere.

"People (cabinet ministers) would discuss and if you had a better idea or better viewpoint, that carried the day. But yes we could tell that there was uneasiness in some individuals who were then able to mobilise war veterans and secondly the army to overcome a political system.

"As a political player then, I don't think the differences warranted that kind of intervention.”

Rubbish! Everyone knows that Mugabe was a control freak and he treated his cabinet ministers with contempt a Headmaster would treat grade one pupils. And for their part, cabinet members cowed and grovelled before him. There were never any meaningful cabinet discussions and hence the reason the country has blundered from pillar to post, from one crisis into another. 

“Mose murivakadzi vaMugabe!” (You (MPs and cabinet ministers) are all Mugabe’s concubines!) remarked Margret Dongo. She had done her fair share of grovelling and was frustrated at the little progress up the greasy pole she had made. She had been a Zanu PF MP and to hang on to that she was forced to leave the party and contest as an independent!  

Still, Ms Dongo was right; Zimbabwe was and still is a medieval hamlet ruled by an autocratic Sultan. “Well, am I Sultan or am I Sultan!” 

The November 2017 military coup removed one tyrant but only to replace him with another tyrant. Some concubines were promoted, others were down graded whilst others, Kasukuwere et al, were booted out of the harem. Otherwise, the coup changed; Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and murderous vote rigging thugs. 

The much hope for economic revival has not occurred; it is near impossible to do business in a pariah state, investors know that.

Kasukuwere and his fellow G40 faction leaders are desperate to get back into power and are hoping to do this riding on the coattail of the opposition. Kasukuwere et al are now using some of their ill-gotten wealth to bankroll the opposition. 

Mnangagwa is having a tough enough time retaining his iron grip on power given the country’s worsening economic meltdown without having to fight off a well funded opposition and worst of all a rearguard attack from his former erstwhile Zanu PF G40 colleagues. 

Mnangagwa will do everything he can to round up Kasukuwere and the rest of the G40 leaders back home, just to silence them. Accusing Kasukuwere and company of corruption is just a cover to justify why the respective country hosting them must deport them.

To the long suffering people of Zimbabwe recovering the looted wealth from not just G40 leaders but Mnangagwa and his Lacoste cronies will go a long way to finance the economic recovery and, just as important, a long way in stamping out corruption. But before that can happen we must first implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections - the pre-requisite for ending the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. 

"We are yet to see what was stolen!” Many of us have seen Kasukuwere’s bullet proof mansion, Robert Mugabe’s sprawling Blue Roof palace, Mnangagwa’s nuclear bomb-proof underground mansion, etc.; built at the expense of schools and hospitals now in very advance stages of rot and decay!

"We cannot impose ourselves on Zimbabwe" says SA - but had no qualms imposing Zanu PF P Guramatunhu

 South African International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor says South Africa’s intervention in Zimbabwe can only happen at the request of the Government of Zimbabwe.

There is real very little point in talking endlessly about the hows, whens, whys, etc. of South Africa’s intervention in Zimbabwe until we have dealt with the question of what SA’s intervention can realistically achieve. 

If we agree that the root cause of Zimbabwe’s seemingly never ending economic and political crisis is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. Zimbabwe is a Banana Republic, a pariah state, ruled by incompetent, corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs. 40 years and counting of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness have taken a heavy toll on the economy and the nation at large. 

The solution to ending Zimbabwe’s crisis is self-evident - the country must implement the democratic reforms designed to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. Since this Zanu PF government, on its own or in a GNU, cannot be trusted to implement the democratic reforms; the 2008 to 2013 Zanu PF and MDC GNU failed to implement even one reform; Zanu PF must step down to allow the appointment of a body that will implement all the reforms. 

It should be remember at this point that Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections, just as the party has rigged other elections in the past. The regime failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s sake. 

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

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

The July 2018 elections were flawed and illegal and therefore failed to produce a legitimate result and government. This Zanu PF is illegitimate and must step down.

The question then arises; Can President Ramaphosa, SA, SADC and AU get Zanu PF to step dow? 

The realistic answer to that question has to be a no. President Ramaphosa said the July 2018 elections “Went well!” and as far as Zanu PF is concerned that was a resounding endorsement of the election as free, fair and credible and of Zanu PF’s legitimacy. SADC and AU gave a more guarded endorsement. The bottom line is SA, SADC and AU cannot withdraw their legitimacy endorsement now!

Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections. Of course, it was very foolish of President Cyril Ramaphosa to blindly endorsed the rigged elections. But such are the realities we are having to deal with here. 

The best solution SA, SADC and AU can impose on Zimbabwe is to ask Zanu PF to form a new GNU and, fingers crossed, hope the arrangement will implement some reforms, at least. After 40 years of appeasing Zanu PF and with the nation’s very survival now at stake; no one in his/her right mind would ever accept another time wasting gimmick. 

The solution to Zimbabwe’s crisis is for Zanu PF to step down so the nation can appoint a body that will implement the democratic reforms. Since SA, SADC and AU cannot ask Zanu PF to step down they must ask the UN to step in.

If President Cyril Ramaphosa, SADC and AU had joined the EU, USA, the Commonwealth and many other nations and international organisation in condemning Zimbabwe’s rigged July 2018 elections then Zanu PF’s illegitimacy would have been settled there and then. 

“We cannot impose ourselves. When we have openly sort out and openly gone out and said look we have a problem in this area. Could we talk. Only when you reach that level of openness and admission that you begin to address the challenges that confront you,” explained Minister Naledi Pandor.

Yeah right! Did Minister Naledi Pandor have an open and candid discussion with President Cyril Ramaphosa before or after the latter so foolishly endorsed the rigged July 2018 Zimbabwe elections? 

Indeed, Minister Pandor and President Ramaphosa must now take a generous doze of the advice they are giving and admit endorsing Zanu PF’s rigged elections was a very foolish and is at the very heart of the crisis in Zimbabwe. 

The UN is the one organisation best placed to help end this crisis. President Ramaphosa, as the neighbour of Zimbabwe and current chairman of AU, is best place to ask the UN to assist. The UN will not impose itself on SA, SADC and AU particularly given the “African solutions to African problems!” mentality in some quarters. 

“We cannot impose ourselves!” SA imposed Zanu PF on Zimbabwe by endorsing the rigged elections. All we are now asking SA to do is admit the folly and ask the UN to assist; that is not asking for too much!

"People must defend their vote" - never ever had a free vote, can't defend what is not there W Mukori

 The root cause of Zimbabwe’s crippling economic meltdown and political paralysis (politicians on both sides of the political divide are corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless) is the failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. In this day and age; it is 2 500 years after the Greeks gave humanity democracy as a system of government and 40 years after our own national independence; one would think Zimbabweans have finally figured out what constitute free and democratic elections. Sadly, we are still shooting in the dark! 

“Unless politicians explain to us the importance of voting in this current environment, I would suggest that Zimbabweans should boycott all elections,” twittered Prof Mlambo.

“How many disputed elections have we had so far & what has come out of it?” responded Lynne M.

“The liberation struggle reclaimed the vote for the indigenous population. That’s why the right to vote is in the Bill of Rights under s67 of the Constitution. To boycott such a fundamental right would be wrong & dangerous. The people must just fight to defend their vote. Period!” chipped in Professor Jonathan Moyo.

“One man! One vote!” was the clarion call used by the black nationalist leaders to mobilise the indigenous population in the fight to end white colonial oppression and exploitation. However, both PF Zapu and Zanu PF, the two main political parties waging the armed struggle against the white colonial government, ditched the idea of giving the populous a free vote long before the country attain her independence. They both wanted to impose a one-party state in Zimbabwe. 

It was agreed in the Lancaster House talks that Zanu PF and PF Zapu will withdraw their freedom fighters to designated assembly points during the campaigning period leading to the elections to usher the country’s independence. Zanu PF left many of its operatives in the field and their message to the electorate was that if Zanu PF did not win the elections the civil war will continue. 

So in 1980, the people of Zimbabwe voted to end the war. 

Some people dismissed the Zanu PF threat of waging a new civil war if the party had lost as political posturing. The doubting Thomas were proven wrong when Zanu PF launch the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi massacre whose principle purpose was to force PF Zapu to sign the Unity Accord clearing the way for the formation of the de facto Zanu PF one-party dictatorship that has ruled the country to this day. 

Zanu PF has corrupted the state institutions turning the Police, Army, Judiciary, ZEC, etc. into Zanu PF departments in all but name whose principle purpose was to consolidate the party’s strangle hold on power. The country has held regular elections but Zanu PF has blatantly rigged the elections and has often resorted to the use of wanton violence silence it political critics and opponents. 

It was as clear as day Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies were after absolute power and the influence and wealth it brought with it and they considered absolute power as they just reward for having waged the war against the whites. They did not consider the freedoms and rights of the common people, including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life, as important. 

To expect a ruthless, incompetent and corrupt thug like Robert Mugabe or Emmerson Mnangagwa to be a midwife to a free and democratic Zimbabwe is like expecting a hyena to play midwife to a goat! It will eat the birth sack, the kid and the mother!

Zimbabwe has had a number of opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and golden opportunities were during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. SADC leaders had arm twisted Zanu PF into agreeing to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to take away the party’s carte blanche dictatorial powers. 

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were tasked to implement the reforms. Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office and they failed to implement even one meaningful reform in 5 years.

SADC leaders tried to have Zimbabwe’s 2013 postponed until reforms are implemented. 

“In 2013 the Maputo Summit, in June 2013, before the elections, the Maputo Summit was all about having the elections postponed – the SADC summit. I went there,” Dr Ibbo Mandaza told Journalist Violet Gonda.

“I was there at the Summit and Mugabe pretended to agree to a postponement of the elections. If you recall, the postponement was based on the need to reform at least electoral laws.”

On return back to Zimbabwe, Zanu PF argued against postponing the elections on the grounds the proposed reforms should have been submitted to parliament. Patrick Chinamasa, then Zanu PF minister for Justice and Parliamentary Affairs explained that parliament has never block even one reform proposal throughout the GNU. It is worth noting the Professor Jonathan Moyo sat next to Minister Chinamasa at that press conference. 

Of course, MDC would have looked foolish boycotting the 2013 elections to protest the failure to implement the reforms when they are the ones who failed to submit even one reform proposal in 5 years of the GNU. 

Still, by participating in the flawed and illegal elections the opposition have given credibility to the election process and by extension given legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF. 

Ever since MDC leaders failed to get even one reform implemented during the 2008 GNU, they have given up getting reforms implemented and focused instead on getting Zanu PF to give up as much as possible of the spoils of power - payment for continued participation and giving Zanu PF legitimacy. 

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding they will implement the democratic reforms the nation has been dying for. They have become jackals content to feed on whatever scraps the hyena leaves behind. 

Zimbabweans have yet to cast a meaningful vote in free, fair and credible elections. It is rhetorical nonsense to say the “people must just fight to defend their vote”. One does not defend something they do not have and never had. This generation, just like the generation before independence is having to fight for “One man! One vote!” 

Securing our right to hold those in office to account is the first base and without it we cannot stop the mismanagement, corruption and and tyrannical oppression. The fact that so many Zimbabwe still have no clue what the 2008 GNU was about and hence fail to appreciate how MDC leaders have sold out speaks volumes about how naive and gullible Zimbabweans are. As long as we remain naive and gullible, there will be rigged elections and we will remain stuck with the curse of bad governance. 

Demand for the illegitimate Zanu PF regime to step down, boycotting elections, street protests and all the other actions only assume a new meaning when exercised by voters who know and understand the freedoms and rights. Knowing what constitutes free, fair and credible elections is not rocket science, the only reason these things remain a mystery is because Zimbabweans have not made the effort.

Zimbabwe has no money to buy covid-19 test kits, PPE, etc. but will squander US$100 m on pointless by-elections P Guramatunhu

 “The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) would like to inform the public that is has lifted with immediate effect the suspension of electoral activities with immediate effect the suspension of electoral activities following measures taken by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,” reads the statement from ZEC.

“Electoral timelines for all pending by-elections will be published in the press through notices in due course.”

I strongly object to the holding of these by-elections for four reasons;

1. Zimbabwe has not been conducting corona virus test at anywhere near the level it should be doing. As of end of July SA had done 3 million covid 19 tests out of a population of 60 million, i.e. test 1 in 20 South Africans. In the same period Zimbabwe had only done 145 000 tests out of a population of 16 million, i.e. test 1 in 110 Zimbabweans or 20% of what SA had done. Zimbabwe’s covid-19 confirmed cases and deaths have remained very low compared to SA but is only because we have not been testing! Likewise, the decision to ease the corona virus restrictions is based on conjecture and not science and reality. Allowing rallies and other political activities to resume will only allow the corona virus to spread. 

2. “The electoral commission (ZEC) 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,” the EU Election Observer Mission stated in its final report. “As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standard.” ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll for Pete’s sake! Nothing has change since the rigged July 2018 elections. There is still no verified voters’ roll, no even one of the 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora denied a vote have been registered as voters, the oppressive system that has turned the rural voters into medieval serfs beholden to the Zanu PF leaders and their operatives is still in place, etc. 

3. Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections securing the 2/3 parliamentary majority and the presidency; the damage was done then. The by-elections are mainly over the opposition seats and the result will have no effect, Zimbabwe will still be stuck with a vote rigging and illegitimate Zanu PF regime.

4. There could be as many as 50 parliamentary by-elections alone each costing US$2 million, at least. The by-elections have been triggered by Madam Thokozani Khupe who has been recalling MPs and councillors who have refused to switch loyalty from Chamisa to her. Zimbabwe is failing to mobilise money and resources to but covid-19 test kits, PPE for the covid-19 frontline workers, to ensure there is clean running water for hospitals and clinics, up to 8 million Zimbabweans are facing food shortage, etc. How can we justify splash US$100 million on by-election everyone knows are just a futile exercise!

According to the John Hopkins Research Centre SA has 650 749 confirmed covid-19 cases and 15 499 deaths. If Zimbabwe had been testing, tracing and tracking as aggressively as the World Health Organisation and common sense dictates the country will have 1/4 SA’s figures (give Zimbabwe population is 1/4 that of SA). 

So instead of 162 000 or so cases and 3 800 deaths Zimbabwe has 7 531 cases and 224 deaths; all because Zimbabwe has not been testing. The price of not testing and having very low covid-19 figures, probably one of the lowest per capita in the world, is many people with the virus who should have been in isolation have continue to roam free spreading the virus. 

Of course, it is insane to relax the corona virus restrictions at the very time when the virus is still spreading and, worst of all,  do so for sake of keeping up the Zimbabwe is a healthy democratic nation appearance.

Boris Conservatism: law protect in-group but does not bind, binds out-group but does not protect = Zanu PF thuggery W Mukori

 When the British people voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 Referendum, then Prime Minister, David Cameron, who had campaigned to remain, resigned and chaos ensued. Voting to leave was the easy bit, doing it has proven a bridge too far. 

Prime Minister Theresa May’s, who succeeded Cameron in the famous 10 Downing Street, premiership was dogged by this one issue, Brexit, as the process of leaving the EU was commonly called. Even my aunt in Zimbabwe’s rural backwaters heard about Brexit; no doubt she did not know what it meant.

After three years of blundering from pillar to post, even P M May’s supporters generally agree that she had no Brexit plan from the word go and was no wise after three years. She, tearfully, fall on her own sword. Hell, public office is not a charity venture particular when the destiny of the whole nation is at stake!

Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the new occupant of 10 Downing Street. Within months, he thrashed the withdrawal agreement, the basis of the divorce, with the EU.

 

But before the ink on the withdrawal agreement had dried there was the corona virus outbreak, which knocked Brexit off the nation agenda until now.

It is not the new trade arrangements between EU and the UK, the meat of the divorce arrangements, that have forced Brexit back on the headlines. It is PM Boris Johnson’s proposal for the British to unilaterally break the terms of the withdrawal agreement signed last year! 

“Last week, the (UK) government admitted attempting to break international law over the EU withdrawal agreement. The justification, which became an internet meme, was that this was a breaking of the law only in a very ‘limited and specific way’,” explained Nesrine Malik UK Guardian columnist. 

“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: there must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect,” continued Malik, quoting Frank Wilhoit. 

Conservatism!!! Hell, that is the very essence of Zanu PF thuggery! Unlike the Conservative party, Zanu PF breaks all the laws, international, national, traditional, party’s own laws, the lot. And Zanu PF thugs have no patience for such niceties as breaking the law in a very “limited and specific way”; they break everything and damn the consequences! 

"SA has no role to play, it is controlled by white men" says Chinamasa - fighting dirty, as usual W Mukori

 Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies knows the pressure on them to end the Zimbabwe crisis is mounting and will not go away until there is change. They know their iron grip on power is under serious threat and they are coming out with all guns blazing. Be warned, they fight dirty!

“Mbeki did not impose himself on us, we requested him in order to defend the gains of our liberation which were being threatened by the British who were threatening military invasion of Zimbabwe. The British and Western governments will never agree or forgive for taking the land and giving it to our people,” said Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu PF acting spokesperson.

“We are the first country to do what we are doing, which is what we pointed to the ANC delegation, we have taken our land, you need us if you have to empower your people, we need each other. They have to empower their people; in the same way we have empowered our people. It’s a revolutionary obligation for the revolutionary parties to fulfil the gains of our liberation struggle, whether it is here, in South Africa, Namibia or Mozambique.”

The land issue is unfinished business in Zimbabwe. The land was supposed to be given to the landless peasants and not the Zanu PF ruling elite and their cronies. Worse still, the ruling elite have failed to put it into productive use. 

Before the chaotic and often violent farm seizures, which started in 2000, Zimbabwe produced enough food to feed her own people with plenty left over to sell. Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of the region. By 2008 most white farmers had been forced off the land and the country’s agricultural sector had completely collapsed and with it the national economy.

For the last 15 years Zimbabwe has relied on imported food aid; the country was so poor, we could not even pay for it!

Zimbabwe is, for all intent and purpose, the Biblical Garden of Eden and we are starving in it. A damning indictment of Zimbabwe’s failure to govern herself under this Zanu PF regime. 

What is Chinamasa wittering about; Zanu PF has “empowered our people”? Unemployment has soared to 90% and 34% of our people were living in abject poverty according to 2019 WB report. The corona virus outbreak has made the situation a lot worse. 

If Zanu PF had done such a sterling job of economically empowering the nation then why are 3 million Zimbabweans doing in SA alone! 

"We are an independent sovereign country. We agreed in our meeting that we are equal sovereign States. South Africa has no mediatory role to play in Zimbabwe. We know that the South African government is controlled by white men." 

This is Zanu PF playing the race card to draw attention away the country’s worsening economic and political crisis just as the party did on the land issue.

Of course, ordinary Zimbabweans have never had any meaningful say on the land issue like all the other burning national issues and hence the economic meltdown because Zanu PF denied them a democratic vote. Zimbabwe has never ever held free, fair and credible elections. Never ever!

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The solution is self-evident - implement the democratic reforms designed to stop rigged elections.

The 2008 to 2013 GNU was supposed to implement the democratic reforms but failed to do so because Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, who were tasked to do this, sold out. 

Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are fearful that this time they will be put under increasing pressure to get the reforms finally implemented. Offence is the only defence Zanu PF knows and accusing President Ramaphosa of being “controlled by white men” is provocative, racist and dirty!

"I totally agree, we sold out during 2008 GNU" confessed one more MDC leader - sold out after and will do so again in 2023 P Guramatunhu

 "I totally agree that we missed an opportunity during GNU when we controlled the levers of power that we should maybe have exerted more pressure on Zanu-PF to have all these things reformed," said Prince Dubeko Sibanda, MDC Alliance MP for Binga North. 

Yes it was an MDC leader admitting the party sold-out during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Had to check that twice!  

Well, well! It has been a real tough slog just to get MDC leaders to admit they sold-out on reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Admitted having some of the most naive and gullible party supporters in the world has helped MDC leaders get away with selling out!

"I think there is a need to change strategy for influencing electoral reforms. As long as the push for reforms is coming from the opposition political parties, there is bound to be resistance," said one participant.

It was not for lack of strategy that MDC leaders failed to implement even one meaning reform in 5 years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They sold-out! 

“Chinja! Guqula! Change!” the MDC supporters have chanted endlessly for the last 20 years. Ask them what are changes you are asking for and it is lights out! They have no clue. 

Even to this day with all the benefits of hindsight, MDC supporters have no clue what the 2008 to 2013 GNU was about. It is therefore little wonder that when MDC leaders sold-out by failing to get even one meaningful reform implemented in 5 years it was all water off a duck’s back. How can they feel betrayed when they have no clue what the reforms are, how they were supposed to be implemented, etc., etc.

To be fair to the MDC supporters, most of the MDC leaders themselves have no clue what these reforms are much less for they are to be implemented. 

“MP Sibanda said as MDC Alliance they would continue lobbying for reforms through Parliament, local authorities, international community as well as civic society,” said the Newsday report. 

Here we go again! As long as Zanu PF continues to enjoy its carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig elections to secure the presidency and 2/3 majority no amount of lobbying will force the party to implement any reforms. Especially when the party knows that the opposition is only paying lip services to calls for reforms. 

The MDC A and the rest in opposition camp participated in the July 2018 elections knowing fully well that not even one reform they had been calling for had been implemented. They knew that with no reforms, Zanu PF would rig the elections. And most significant of all, MDC A leaders et al KNEW that by participating in the flawed and illegal elections they would be giving the process “credibility”!

“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,” wrote MDC A Senator, David 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.”

So MDC leaders sold-out of reforms for the sake of the few gravy train seats they knew Zanu PF was giving away as bait. It should be noted that by participating MDC leaders gave the flawed election process credibility and, by extension, the election results some modicum of legitimacy. 

The world has dismissed with contempt Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A friends’ singling out the July 2018 presidential race as flawed and Mnangagwa as illegitimate; whilst accepting the parliamentary and local election process as valid and legitimate. ZEC failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, for example, rending it impossible to trace and verified anything. This applied to all the three races.   

As soon as it was clear that the November 2017 military coup had succeeded and Ambassador Chris Mutsvanga, speaking on behave of Mnangagwa, had assured MDC leaders they will be included in a new GNU; MDC leaders endorsed the coup. Morgan Tsvangirai died a “disappointed man”, according Chamisa, because Mnangagwa did not honour his GNU promise.

Chamisa had participated in the July 2018 elections confident MDC A would be rewarded with a new GNU this time. He has proved to recognise Mnangagwa as the legitimate president if the vote rigging Zanu PF regime conceded a few cabinet post to MDC leaders. 

MDC leaders do not care that Zimbabwe continues to suffer the consequences of failing to hold free, fair and credible elections. They have all but given up hope of ever getting the reforms implemented. All they are fighting for is a share of the gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away as bait for participating in rigged elections. 

Mark my words, MDC A are going to participate in the 2023 elections even if not even one reform has been implemented for the same reason they participated in the July 2018 elections - greed!

“I totally agree, we sold-out on reforms during the 2008 GNU!” Of course, you did and that is not all. MDC leaders sold out in the 2013 and 2018 elections and are set to do so again in 2023!

ANC envoy "steeped in bona fide pan-Africanist spirit" find no crisis in Zimbabwe, only "a challenge" N Garikai

 I did not expect much to come out of the Zanu PF and ANC high powered meeting still I never imagined the meeting would be such a total waste of time. Zanu PF leaders are over the moon, the meeting was a great success!

“The Zimbabwe African Nationalist Union Patriotic Front is indebted to the steeped bona fide pan-Africanist spirit which facilitated the convening of the inter-party dialogue with our sister revolutionary party the African National Congress (ANC),” wrote Dr Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for Administration, who also chaired the meeting.

“This opportune turn to dialogue is a response to the generously misrepresented Zimbabwean crisis following the Zimbabwean Lives Matter social media trend which has become the cyber rallying point to project our country in terms of a deep-seated socio-economic and political crisis. This heightens the urgency to expose the concealed architecture of the dedicated attacks on ZANU-PF through a misnamed national crisis.”

Of course, Zimbabwe is facing a serious existential crisis with its economy in total meltdown and 34% of our people now living in abject poverty. The health and economic challenges brought on by the corona virus pandemic have only turned the tragic situation in the country into a catastrophe of Biblical proportion. 

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s crisis is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. To end the crisis, Zimbabwe must end the curse of rigged elections.

What the ANC envoys should have done therefore was to look the Zanu PF leaders straight in the eyes and told them Zanu PF  rigged the July 2018 elections, the regime is illegitimate and, for the sake of saving the nation from more suffering and deaths, the party must step down. 

Of course, this was yet another wasted opportunity to deal decisively with Zimbabwe’s curse of rigged elections. 

President Ramaphosa and his ANC leaders are being foolishly in cheering Zanu PF along as the party drags the Zimbabwe deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth. Zimbabwe’s descend into hell has cause heart breaking suffering and deaths to the people of Zimbabwe but some of that suffering has split over into the rest of Southern Africa region. 

There is no doubt there has been a lot of celebration in Zanu PF circles at the ease with which Zanu PF bamboozled the ANC envoys into believe there is no crisis in Zimbabwe, only “challenges”, whatever that is supposed to mean. 

Common sense would dictate a responsible neighbour would stand on the side of justice and tick off the drunkard for abusing his wife and children. The last thing the neighbour should do is pontificate about folly of sparing the rod and spoiling the child! “Bona fide pan-Africanist spirit!” Dr Mpofu calls it, smiling from ear to ear!

ANC leave after meeting Zanu PF and no one else - rightly so too, there is nothing new to say N Garikai

 The ANC envoy has flown back to SA after meeting the Zanu PF leaders. They did not meet any other party leaders although they had said otherwise.

“ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule has announced that they will return to meet the opposition MDC Alliance, ZAPU and Transform Zimbabwe among other stakeholders who requested to meet with them,” reported Zimeye.

Frankly, as regards these SA envoys meetings, some people have made a mountain out of a mole hill! What is new that Zanu PF, MDC A, etc. can tell the envoy on the Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis that is not on the public domain already? 

Even if there is something new that MDC A or any of the other stakeholders would want to tell our SA friends, they can still go ahead and say it. Let us have all the facts on the table so we have a well informed public debate on a matter of great national importance. No more of this “for your ears only” nonsense!

The South Africans knows already that Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A are gunning for a power sharing arrangement with Zanu PF where Chamisa and a few others will get cabinet posts, for example. Chamisa insists that this time, unlike during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, his party will implement “comprehensive democratic reforms to ensure future elections are free, fair and credible”. 

Whilst the South Africans have Chamisa’s attention they would do well to ask why MDC failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 GNU? It would only be a rhetorical question because we all know the answer to that - MDC leaders sold-out big time.

Robert Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office; ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowance, endless overseas trips, etc., etc.; all rained down on Chamisa and company like confetti at a wedding. In return, the MDC leaders threw all the reforms out of the window! 

“MDC leaders were busy enjoying themselves during the GNU, they forgot why they were there!” remarked one SADC diplomat in disgust at MDC leaders’ failure to implement even one reform in five years. 

One would really have to be naive to believe MDC A will not sell-out again and implement “comprehensive reforms” this time, particularly when Zanu PF will have its 2/3 MP majority plus many other tramp cards beside. 

To end Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis, one has to first acknowledge that Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections were rigged; to pretend otherwise is a waste of time. If you accept the elections were rigged, it follows that the country had no legitimate government post the July 2018 elections and therefore needs a transitional government to transition from the current illegitimacy back to legitimacy.

The primary task of the transitional government will be to implement the democratic reforms necessary to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible, producing a legitimate government and not a repeat of the flawed and illegal July 2018 elections. 

Zanu PF and MDC cannot play a role in the transition government; definitely not. They were in the 2008 GNU that failed to implement even one of the democratic reform. They are plenty of other Zimbabweans, with the help from SADC and the UN, who can be entrusted this important task of implement the reforms.

The only reason President Ramaphosa would request a meeting with Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies will be to warn them that SA be endorsing the position that Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections were not free, fair and credible, that Zanu PF is illegitimate and must step down. That is bomb shell and it would only be kind to warn Mnangagwa before dropping it! As for the rest, Chamisa, etc.; President Ramaphosa does not need to meet every man and his dog!