"Army plays a decisive role in politics" - rubbish, it played no role in MDC's failure to implement reform W Mukori

 

“It is beyond any iota of doubt in Zimbabwe that the institution of the military plays a decisive factor in the politics of the country,” reported The Independent.

“Numerous "clever" politicians have attempted to suggest and insinuate about something they call "security sector reform" or "reform of the military" yet history is laden with case innuendoes of where the military in Zimbabwe has decided the trajectory of politics, to a point of reforming the behaviour of political actors.

“It is foolhardy for one to resist to note this overt truth, a truth that is so "loud to see" and "big to hear", if ever English words can be played around in such a fashion, just to prove how this institution plays a central role in the politics of the country.”

 

These sweeping statements founded on conjecture and ignorance and not on fact and reality.

 

There is nothing to suggest Zimbabwe’s security services; the Police, Army, CIO and Prison Services; were doomed to be the corrupt and partisan institution they are today. If it was not for the corrupting influence of Zanu PF they would be carrying out their duties and Zimbabwe would be a healthy and functioning democratic country.

 

Robert Mugabe did not have a single drop of democratic blood in his veins; he was a control freak tyrant who wanted absolute power and was pretty ruthless in insuring he got what he wanted. He surrounded himself with dimwits like the late Simon Muzenda, Joice Mujuru and Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mugabe’s regime was a Sultan’s harem full of subservient eunuchs and wives.

 

“Mose murivakadzi vaMugabe!” (You are all Mugabe’s harem wives!) Ms Margaret Dongo reprimanded her fellow Zanu PF Ministers, MPs, etc. in sheer exasperation at their failure to stand-up to Mugabe even when the situation demanded it, such as the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi massacre. Of course, she was right and, more significantly, her fellow Zanu PF leaders themselves and the nation at large knew she had hit the nail on the head!

 

It comes as no surprise that the same tyrannical and control freak, Robert Mugabe, would have stopped at nothing to groom and mould the country’s security services to serve his one-party state agenda at the expense of the nation’s democratic agenda. If Mugabe had brow beaten his fellow political leaders into submission; what more the Police Officers and the soldiers, obliged to take his commands as their Commander-In-Chief, no questions asked!

 

“The Zvinavashe Doctrine, pronounced in early 2000 (which begins with words, "We want to make it abundantly clear that the military will not salute anyone without liberation credentials") shows a decisive inclination in values and prove the unbridled fact that the military in Zimbabwe at least thus far, is, and remains, the single most important institution insofar as the statecraft of the country is concerned,” argued The Independent.

 

The Independent is referring to the then Zimbabwe Defence Forces chief Vitalis Zvinavashe’s threat the Army will not salute Morgan Tsvangirai if won the elections. The threat was repeated that year and on several other occasions since by many senior officers in the Army, Police, etc.

 

History will show that by 2000 the top brass in the country’s security services were already brainwashed into believing the de facto one-party state, formally adopted by the signing of the 1987 Unity Accord between PF Zapu and Zanu PF, saved the country’s best interests. The multi-party democracy, symbolised by the emergence and election of the opposition parties, was not in the nation’s interest.

 

If the Zanu PF government and Commander-In-Chief, Robert Mugabe, had not encouraged the treasonous Zvinavashe doctrine; the regime’s failure to condemn it spoke volumes on the matter.

 

Robert Mugabe founded the Joint Operation Command (JOC) comprising the top brass in the four security branches plus a few select individuals from Zanu PF headed by Mugabe himself with Emmerson Mnangagwa as his assistant. The primary purpose of JOC was to help Mugabe impose the de facto one-party dictatorship.

 

When Mugabe and Zanu PF were routed in the March 2008 vote; Mnangagwa and JOC stopped ZEC declaring the results. The Junta spend the next six weeks recounting 5 million votes, whittling down Tsvangirai’s 73% votes, according to Mugabe’s Freudian slip, to 47% - enough to force the run-off. The Junta came to its own in implementing the military style Operation “Mavhotera ani?” (Whom did you vote for?)

 

The Junta punished the voters for rejecting Zanu PF and Mugabe in the March vote; hundreds of thousands were harassed, beaten and/or raped and millions were internally displaced using the war veterans and Zanu PF militia. The heavy-duty stuff of abducting a murdering people was carried out by personal from the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services. Over 500 innocent people were murdered in cold blood in that operation.

 

Until 2008, the security services’ involvement in the rigging of elections and other political activities had been confined to the Zvinavashe doctrine and other clandestine work. All caution was thrown to the wind during Operation Mavhotera ani marking the 2008 as a watershed election. The top brass in the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services must have known their active involvement in Operation Mavhotera ani, was a point of no return. They had lost all pretences of being independent, apolitical and committed to multi-party democratic values.

 

It was in the post 2008 election era that the security services branches’ involvement in diamond mining and other looting activities increased significantly. Mugabe was no doubt rewarding his JOC junta partners for helping him and Zanu PF stay in power and increasing their stake in the dictatorship.

 

When the Junta carried out the political coup in 2008 to wrestle power from MDC, Operation Mavhotera ani was a political coup, none of them ever imagined that SADC and AU would refuse to recognise Zanu PF as the legitimate government, punishment for the blatant cheating and wanton violence. Mugabe was forced to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms designed to dismantle the dictatorship.

 

Fortunately for Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, who were tasked to implement the reforms turned out to be corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless. They failed to implement even one reform in five years of the GNU. Not even one!

 

Zanu PF emerged from the GNU with all its dictatorial powers untouched include the party’s undemocratic control over the Army, Police, etc. and the carte blanche powers to rig elections. The party realised that it would avoid the punishment for rigging the elections as long as the opposition participated in the elections. The party has since given away a few gravy-train seats to entice the opposition to participate.

 

By participating in the flawed elections opposition are giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.

 

"It is beyond any iota of doubt in Zimbabwe that the institution of the military plays a decisive factor in the politics of the country."

This is not one iota of evidence to show the military, or any of the other three security services branches, have played any role in MDC’s failure to implement reforms during the GNU and/or MDC’s stubborn insistence in participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy. Not one iota!

 

The November 2017 military coup should not be taken as proof of the military influence in Zimbabwe politics because the coup would have never happened if the G40 faction had not made it clear it would ouster the liberation war generation. The overwhelming majority in JOC were liberation war generation and it is no wonder the coup was code-named “Operation Restore Legacy!”

 

The November 2017 coup was reportedly to “remove criminals around the President” responsible for the economic meltdown, announced the coup spokesperson; proof the coup plotters are aware the army are not the only players in Zimbabwe politics. Indeed, there is increasing talk of yet another coup and/or street protests to force change because the November 2017 coup has failed to deliver hoped for economic recovery.

 

Zimbabwe’s de facto one party dictatorship has benefited the few ruling elite at the expense of the overwhelming majority forced to live in abject poverty. The system is economically, socially, morally and politically unsustainable. The country needs meaningful political change.

 

One way sure way to delivery orderly political change is implementing the democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA. The Army did not resist the implementation of the reforms back then and there is nothing to suggest it will do so now!

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Robert Frost

  The Road Not Taken

BY ROBERT FROST

 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

When you look at Zimbabwe and the disastrous path we have traveled these last 41 years, one cannot help but conclude that we are indeed insane because we have seen all the sign telling us this will lead us to ruin and still we have insisted in traveling down this path! The history of others dated back to the Greeks pointed the way to good governance and we chose to ignore history. Our own experience has shown we were on the wrong track and we have ignored that too. 

Often, nations get the government they deserve, that is certainly true of Zimbabwe. We are masters of our own destiny but that does not mean we know where we are going. We have chosen not to learn and so have blundered from pillar to post and, until we learn, we will continue down this ruinous path!

The world will help us get out of the mess but first we must show the world that we are now serious about getting out of the mess by showing them that we have learned from history and our own mistakes! Repeating the same mistakes proves we have learned nothing!

""Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana" is game-change" - yeah right, sun will rise in West N Garikai

 

You can read through all the available Zimbabwe 2018 elections reports, none has ever attributed Zanu PF’s landslide victory to slogan. NewsDay, is claiming MDC A’s new slogan for the 2023 elections is a game-changer guaranteed to deliver electoral victory for Chamisa!

 

“I have always argued that in all its failures, Zanu-PF is excellent when it comes to creating jingles, slogans and songs for elections. It knows how to connect with people using jingles, songs and dance,” wrote NewsDay.

 

“The slogan #GodIsInIt as a campaign slogan in 2018 was no match of the largely infectious and well-thought-out #EDPfee.”

 

If this was written as a piece of satirical humour; it turned out a satanical piece. It is hard to find humour in Zimbabwe’s repeated failure to hold free, fair and credible elections given the tragic human sufferings and deaths the failure has brought. Especially when the piece was heaping praise on MDC A’s slogan for the 2023 elections!

 

“Those who may not be aware of this slogan, must be living under a rock somewhere out of Earth. Well, the phrase is “Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana” (NHM) (let the boy enter), a slogan recently introduced by the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa,” argued NewsDay.

“It has brought renewed hope, optimism to Zimbabweans across the political divide. As Steve Biko would say: "People must not give in to hardships of life, people must develop hope".

 

“I have had discussions with people across the political divide about slogans. The MDC Alliance supporters may not be ready to admit that their campaign slogan for 2018 was a disaster; more so that it was in English. That did not make the slogan any better. Politics is a game of understanding your audience. MDC Alliance failed to understand its audience.”

 

Very few people familiar with Zimbabwe party politics will doubt that the ordinary Zimbabweans are a naïve and gullible lot easily moved by empty rhetoric and meaningless slogans. Party meeting much more so rallies are about empty rhetoric and meaningless slogans; nothing of substance is ever discussed. Nothing!

 

This is why most MDC members, both senior leaders and much worse the wildebeest herd, cannot name even democratic change they want, for example; and yet they consider themselves champions of democratic changes.

 

It is no surprise that MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when the nation had its best opportunity ever to implement reforms. How can they implement something they do not know!

 

The MDC herd, for their part, have remained as faithful to the party leaders as a dog; they are suffering the consequences of the failure to implement the reform in that we are still stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF. The herd do not blame MDC leaders for the betrayal because they don’t know, even to this day, what the reforms are much less the dire consequences of failing to implement them.

 

Still, it is utter nonsense and insulting to even suggest the people of Zimbabwe ignored the economic reality of the total economic meltdown and voted for Zanu PF because they were mesmerised by “the infectious and well-thought-out #EDPfee” slogan. The people are naïve and gullible and ignorant but they are not stupid – at least, not that stupid not to have realised by now that Zanu PF leaders are corrupt, incompetent and the murderous tyrants who have landed the nation in this economic and political mess.

 

The people of Zimbabwe would have voted Zanu PF out of office decades ago; they have not done so because the party rigged elections, denying the people a meaningful free, fair and credible vote. The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding the party would bring about the democratic changes that will stop Zanu PF rigging elections. These people will have understood what these changes are, was it for the country’s asinine political system stuck in empty rhetoric and meaningless slogans.

 

If Zimbabwe was implemented the democratic reforms and thus transform the asinine political system into a robust free and dynamic political system, the country will have an informed and diligent electorate. The people will know Chamisa and company failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. They would never ever vote for such a bunch of sell-outs. Never!

 

With not even a token reform implemented since the 2018 rigged elections; it is obvious history will repeat itself, Zanu PF will blatantly rig the 2023 elections. To get legitimacy, Zanu PF needs the MDC A and the rest in the opposition camp to participate in the 2023 elections.

 

Nelson Chamisa and company know Zanu PF is rigging the elections and claimed to have all manner of “winning in rigged elections strategies”. In the 2018 elections Chamisa said “MDC A has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!” Of course, he was lying. The Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut was not going to be stopped by a few twigs barring its way.

 

Fast forward to the morning after Voting Day; ZEC results will show the usual Zanu PF landslide victory. Chamisa and company will be complaining that Zanu PF rigged the elections; the very thing they are claiming to have strategies in place to stop.

 

As for the “Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana (NHM)!” slogan the results will prove it was just another meaningless slogan. NewsDay will conveniently forgot they ever promoted it as the game-changer!

 

Of course, it is insane for anyone to participate in these 2023 elections on the basis the meaningless slogan will stop the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut. Participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy for the umpteenth time and thus frustrating initiatives to implement reforms and end the curse of rigged elections.

Security chiefs sweating over G40 revival - fear another coup but with a bloody end P Guramatunhu

 

“The country’s security chiefs are sweating over the possibility of tycoon James Makamba becoming Mashonaland Central provincial chairman for Zanu PF after he reportedly submitted his CV for the position last week, it has emerged,” reported New Zimbabwe.

 

“In confidential briefings to New Zimbabwe Monday, sources said the Mashonaland Central provincial joint operations command (JOC) has consistently expressed its concerns over his candidature in its meetings, especially over his previous alleged romantic affair with former first lady Grace Mugabe which led him into fleeing the country.”

 

Security concerns are that he is a daring man capable of doing anything after he allegedly “went after the wife of Africa’s most feared man at the time”.

 

“There is a strong belief among the security chiefs that he is daring, reckless and excitable. This is from a security point of view,” a security source said.

 

JOC chiefs “are sweating” and for good reason!

 

Anyone who has followed Zanu PF politics will know that JOC is the real power behind the throne. The 2014 factional war between Robert Mugabe and Mai Mujuru was mess but it was not dangerous, at least, not as dangerous as the G40 and Lacoste factional war that followed.

 

For those who don’t know, JOC is the Junta, composed of the top brass in the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services plus a few select Zanu PF individuals headed by Robert Mugabe (until the fateful 15 November 2017 when he was booted out in the coup) and assisted by Emmerson Mnangagwa. JOC is the real power behind the throne in Zimbabwe.

 

JOC has always played a key role in the establishment and retention of the de facto one-party Zanu PF dictatorship starting with the Gukurahundi massacre that forced PF Zapu to sign the 1987 Unity Accord, laying the fountain of the one-party state. And over the years the Police and CIO have played the key role of disrupting, harassing and even killing Zanu PF’s political opponents and critics.

 

But, without doubt, JOC came to its own in the 2008 elections when the junta was called up to wrestle political power from Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. It was none other than Emmerson Mnangagwa who step up and mobilised the Junta. ZEC was instructed not to declare the election result and JOC spend the next six weeks cooking up new election results.

 

Morgan Tsvangirai’s 73% votes, according to Mugabe’s Freudian slip, was whittled down to 47%, enough to force the runoff. During the runoff JOC conducted a military style Operation “Mavhotera ani!” (Whom did you vote for!) A rhetorical question since JOC had just spent the last six weeks cooking up the result.

 

Operation Mavhotera ani carried out by war veterans, Zanu PF militia with the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services personal, under orders from JOC, carrying out the heavy-duty stuff like abducting and murders. The wanton violence was punishment for rejecting Zanu PF in the earlier vote.

 

“Zanu PF has declared war on the people!” complained Tsvangirai as he announced his withdrawal from the runoff.

 

Of course, everyone knew in executing operation Mavhotera ani JOC the Junta had crossed the Rubicon River; from hence forth the Army, the Police, CIO and the Prison Service will having keeping Zanu PF in power as its number one priority and serving the nation will come a poor second.

 

The 2014 factional war that resulted in Mai Mujuru and company being booted out was not a worrying moment for the Junta because neither Mai Mujuru nor anyone of her supporters commanded much support Junta support. Indeed, Mai Mujuru was blamed for Zanu PF’s electoral in the March 2008 and hence the reason she played no part in the coup that followed.

 

The November 2017 military coup was different in that it divided JOC itself. The Army and Prison Service supported the Lacoste faction whilst the Police and CIO supported G40 factions led by Grace Mugabe on behalf of her husband. Senior members in G40 faction, Police and CIO were either booted out of office or were haunted out of the country.

 

It should be stated here for the record that the 2008 to 2013 GNU offered Zimbabwe the best opportunity even to implement the democratic reforms and dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship once and once for all. The reform, fully implemented, would have severed the bonds that have turned the Army, Police, etc. into Zanu PF departments in all but name.

 

Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were entrusted the task of implementing the reforms failed to implement even one reform. Not even one!

 

“3/4 of the MDC leaders are double agents owned and controlled by Zanu PF. MDC is as much a department of Zanu PF in all but name just as the Army and Police!” boasted a Zanu PF crony.

Well, that would certainly explain why not even one MDC leader had the common sense to propose even one reform in five years of the GNU. And why MDC leaders are all, to the man and woman, insisting on participating in flawed and illegal elections even when ZEC has failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll.

It is hard to believe all the MDC leaders are that stupid to believe in these Chamisa “winning in rigged elections strategies”, especially after 41 years of rigged elections. Some MDC leaders are stupid, many. As for the reminder, they must be sell-outs!

It has been four years since the November 2017 military coup and the promised economic recovery has not materialised. When Mnangagwa proclaimed “Zimbabwe is open for business!” He was cocksure this was going to open the floodgate the much-needed investment and economic recovery. Well, there been no new investment and the economic meltdown has continued.

The failure by Mnangagwa to revive the economy means there is pressure in the country for change.

G40, Police and CIO members who were side-lined following the 2017 military coup have watched the economic meltdown and rubbed their hands with glen. They were blamed for the economic meltdown before the coup and now they cannot hide their pleasure in pointing out that the real criminals were those remained after the coup.

The failure to revive the economy has opened the door for G40 revival in Zanu PF. The G40 supporters cowed down in the aftermath of the November 2017 military coup have been emboldened by the worsening economic situation and growing public unrest.   

Even if JOC block James Makamba being elected chairperson of Mashonaland Central there will be more G40 leaders who will be elected into high office; the G40 faction revival is real and it is being fuelled by the economic meltdown.

JOC members know the revival of G40 is on the cards and rivalry in G40 and Lacoste will permeate into JOC. The mistrust between the two faction means JOC will have to step in once again to decide which faction prevails. The November 2017 military coup did not result in any bloodshed in the Army, Police, etc. the next coup may have a totally different outcome.

WHO cannot confirm "new peculiar covid-19 variant because of Zimbabwe's very low testing" - chickens coming home to roost W Mukori

 “As rare flue cases increase in the country, a senior local World Health Organisation (WHO) official says there is a possibility of a new peculiar Covid-19 variant circulating in Zimbabwe.

This was said by WHO head of country Alex Gasarira during a virtual cross-border media cafe on Covid-19 and HIV new variants,” reported New Zimbabwe

 

“We can’t reach a firm conclusion as to what proportion of Omicron, Delta, and other variants of interest, because the number of samples that have been processed to date is very small,” Gasasira said.

 

Gasarira added that although the Health Ministry and various partners were doing their best the rate of sample sequencing remained very low.

 

Zimbabwe is one of the countries that has failed to test, trace, track and isolate covid-19 cases as per WHO recommendation and as common-sense dictates ever since the outbreak of corona virus pandemic two years ago. It is interesting to note the country’s local WHO representative is only now acknowledging “the number of samples that have been processed to date is very small”.

 

In December last year, for example, at the peak of the second covid-19 wave in the region, SA was carrying out 44 074 tests per day. Zimbabwe, with ¼ of SA’s population, should have been doing 11 000 tests per day and yet was barely doing 1 500 tests per day or 10%.

 

Since a country’s official covid-19 cases and deaths are based on tested and confirmed cases; Zimbabwe’s official figure could well be 10% of the real figures.

 

As of 17 December 2021 SA had 3 276 529 cases (328 317 in the last 28 days) 90 297 deaths (707 in the last 28 days). The corresponding figures for Zimbabwe are 186 304 cases (48 464) and 4 771 deaths (60), according to the Johns Hopkins University. Zimbabwe’s economy is in total meltdown and its health care services has all but collapsed are yet the country would seem to have defied logic!

 

The Zimbabwe government has bragged about the country’s low covid-19 cases and deaths; the figures are taken as read and thus proof the measure adopted by the regime to contain the pandemic have worked. The real figures, which will never be known, would tell a totally different story!

 

The most obvious consequence of failing to test, trace, etc. diligently is that many infected individuals who would otherwise be diagnosed and isolated are allowed to mix and thus spread the virus far and wide. And so, many more people are infected and died. Of course, the more people the virus infect the more it will mutate and thus increasing the chance of new variants emerging.

 

Alex Gasarira is right and the rare flu cases turn out to be a new corona virus variant then this Zanu PF regime must shoulder the blame for it because the country’s repeated failure to carry out testing, tracing, etc. as per WHO guideline have certainly contributed to this. WHO has known all along that Zimbabwe was not testing and tracking the corona virus as diligently as it should; why the devil have the organisation said nothing about it until now! 

Biti condemns "draconian omicron test and quarantine measures" - nonsense, condemn failure to enforce them W Mukori

 

"We hope this vacuous regime will not renew the measures which imposed mandatory PCR tests and 10-day quarantine for everyone arriving in Zimbabwe," Biti said.

Biti said Statutory Instrument 267 which followed Mnangagwa's televised address was a "draconian, ill-thought piece of legislation typifying everything wrong with the regime."

The omicron corona virus variant is real and although it is not as deadly as the other variants it is certainly more contagious. Zimbabwe’s economy is in ruins, its health service is all but collapsed and only 30% of the herd immunity have received the second vaccine jab. We will not cope if the omicron variant was to spread like a grass fire! We should at least do our best to try to stop it spreading like a grass fire.

The two options open to us are to accelerate the vaccination programme and ramp up the testing, tracing, tracking and isolation. Zimbabwe’s official covid-19 cases and deaths have remained very low compared to our neighbours but only because we have not been testing for the virus as per WHO recommendation and common-sense dictates. 

The cheating was to give the false impression Zimbabwe had handled the pandemic well but this was foolish in that the failure to test, trace, track and isolate only allowed the virus to spread far and wide than it would have and thus result in even more cases and deaths.

The government should be criticised for failing to follow up on its promise to ramp up its testing, tracing, tracking and isolation and not encouraged to abandon it!

It is very possible that the government did not lift a finger to impose SI 267 for fear it will be accused of ruining Christmas!

What would real ruin Christmas is hundreds of thousands of very serious sick people in our hospitals, clinics and homes and the endless traffic into the cemeteries to bury the dead. Many of those with all the coronavirus symptoms will be listed down as having malaria or some such other disease because it is Zanu PF government policy to falsify the official covid-19 figures. The regime is desperate to hide evidence of its blundering incompetence in handling the corona virus pandemic and bragging for having the lowest covid-19 figures in the region is a bonus!

Zimbabwe like many other countries in Africa has clearly been spared the worst of corona virus pandemic this far, the omicron variant could change all that. This is not the time for us to relax our guard, the little of it, for the sake of a few brownie points as the one who saved Christmas. 

Mourners of MDC activist murdered by Zanu PF thugs "banished from getting state aid" - it never rains but pours N Garikai

 

Zimbabwe’s culture of political violence is real and it is affecting real people!

 

“Zanu PF councillor for Ward 24 Gutu, Mathias Takamira Rashai has threatened to withdraw food and other Government aid from mourners who attended the funeral of an MDC activist killed during political violence last month,” reported Masvingo Mirror, 14 December 2021.

 

“Rashai called a meeting at Mawungwa Township a week after the burial of Nyasha Zhambe where he told villagers that he had a list of people who participated at the funeral.

 

“He allegedly said that all those who were seen singing at the funeral or chanting MDC slogans are banished from getting Government aid of any form.”

 

On 14 October 2021 Zanu PF operatives set up a roadblock near Mpandawana Growth Point in Gutu, Masvingo Province for the purpose of identifying the people who had attending any rally held by MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa who was visiting the area on that day. Nyasha Zhambe was identified as one of the MDC rally attendees and was assaulted. He died of his injuries, a few weeks later.

 

Nyasha named his assailants. “An aide of a prominent Gutu MP and Cabinet Minister was the commander at the roadblock, according to video footages,” reported the Mirror. And yet to date, no one has been arrested. No one!

 

This bespeaks of something Zimbabweans already know only too well – that Zanu PF operatives intimidate, harass, beat, rape and even murder innocent Zimbabweans for sole purpose of keeping Zanu PF in power with total impunity. And state institutions like the Police, judiciary, etc. are Zanu PF departments in all but name; doing their uttermost to keep Zanu PF in power too.  

 

When it comes to violence, Zanu PF has laid its marker; the party will be as ruthless as ever in carrying out its acts of intimidation, harassment, beatings, etc. The party’s vote rigging activities in other areas such as denying the 3 million plus Zimbabweans in the diaspora; that is done!

 

Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections well in advance, just as the party has done in the past. By participating in these flawed and illegal elections, the opposition are giving credibility to the flawed process and legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF regime. What is so, so infuriating is the opposition know the “obvious” thing to do would be to boycott elections until democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. They stubborn insisting in participating in the flawed elections out of greed, as David Coltart as 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 (2013) 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.”

 

Following the 2018 rigged elections Mnangagwa created the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) to reward all those who participated in the presidential race giving him legitimacy. There were 23 presidential candidates alone in 2018 and, no doubt, there will as many contestants in the 2023 elections regardless of all the evidence the elections are done!

 

Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A friends are contesting the 2023 knowing fully well Zanu PF is rigging out of greed. They will not withdraw and let the POLAD lot win the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away as bait.

 

As noted above, the 2023 elections are done but Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are a ruthless and greedy lot, they are very easily spooked. Once spooked, they will resort to the use of wanton violence to be absolutely certain the party wins a landslide victory.

 

The intimidation, beatings and cold-blooded murder of Nyasha Zhambe that greeted Chamisa on his campaign trail could be the warning shot. It took over 500 political murders, hundreds of thousands beaten and/or raped, etc. to force Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the 2008 presidential runoff. One only hopes that the violence will never soar to the same dizzying heights.

 

In 2018 Zanu PF secured 2/3 parliamentary majority plus the presidency and it is certain to repeat this in 2023. And by participating the opposition is giving Zanu PF legitimacy for the sake of the bait, few gravy train seats, share of the annual Political Party Finance Act pay out and the POLAD perks!

 

The nation has been stuck with the corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging Zanu PF dictatorship for 41 years and counting, forfeiting the chance to implement the reforms and have free elections and good governance; all because the MDC leaders sold out the national cause of free and fair elections for thirty pieces of silver!

 

In the long run, nations get the government they deserve. We in Zimbabwe certainly deserve this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of equally corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless opposition parties.

 

We, the people, are naïve and gullible lot; we have clamoured for democratic change, for example, and yet have no clue what changes we wanted much less how they were to be implemented. Hence, we continue to support MDC leaders giving them political legitimacy regardless they sold out by failing to implement reforms and are selling out by giving Zanu PF legitimacy for thirty pieces of silver!

 

Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the ruling party, Zanu PF, is a party of corrupt, ruthless and vote rigging thugs who have taken full advantage of the corrupt and incompetent opposition to cloak itself with a modicum of political legitimacy.

 

However, the Zanu PF dictatorship would have never taken root much less survive all these years if the people of Zimbabwe had been informed and diligent lot capable of thinking for themselves. The day the people of Zimbabwe show the first signs they are thinking for themselves will be the start of the climb out of the mess. Until then we will continue to blunder from pillar to post!

 

Nyasha Zhambe was a real person and he was murdered in cold blood for selfish political gain. All he wanted, like so many others before him, was to exercise his right to have a meaningful say in the governance of the country. Unless there is a paradigm shift in our society, we start thinking for ourselves, the culture of violence will continue and there will be many more lives lost.

 

Of course, very live lost in these mindless political murders is a great tragedy but the real tragedy is that by failing to think for ourselves and be master of our own destiny we have become slaves to fate!