At the heart of Zimbabwe’s economic mess and political paralysis; the nation is stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical ruling party and an equally corrupt and incompetent opposition; is the people’s failure to understand what is going on and to act appropriately.
During the 2008 to 2013 GNU most Zimbabweans failed to understand that the primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the raft of democratic reforms to ensure future elections are free, fair and credible. And not a repeat of the blatant cheating and wanton violence by Zanu PF of the 2008 elections.
The task of implementing the reforms were left to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office; the ministerial limos, the generous salaries and perks, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. With their snouts in the feeding trough, the MDC forgot about the reforms for five years.
The ordinary Zimbabweans were not aware the GNU was about implementing the reforms and so failed in their sacred duty of ensuring MDC leaders did not take their eyes off the ball. Even now with the benefit of hindsight, many Zimbabweans still fail to grasp the true purpose of the 2008 GNU and therefore the seriousness of the MDC leaders’ betrayal.
Ever since the 2008 to 2013 GNU Zanu PF has learned that it can keep all its dictatorial powers including the carte blanche powers to rig elections; instead of the blatant rigging, the party is a lot more subtle and astute.
In the March 2008 vote, Zanu PF was forced to step in and ordered ZEC to stop announcing the results when it became clear the party was losing. The party ordered a recount that lasted six weeks. It was clear the party was cooking the figures; blatantly cheating. The party has since rejigged its vote rigging juggernaut to ensure the system delivers a Zanu PF majority.
Instead of 84% Mugabe got in the 2008 run-off Mnangagwa won the July 2018 elections with the wafer thin majority of 50.8%. The narrow winning margin is meant to underline this was a credible race!
Zanu PF was very careful to keep its thugs on a short lead throughout the election campaign period to stop the repeat of the wanton violence of 2008. The party reminded the voters they will be punished if the party lost the elections, this was project harvest fear.
But by far the most subtle move Zanu PF has done since the 2008 to 2013 GNU was to entice the opposition to participate in the elections even when it was clear Zanu PF was rigging the elections. What is most intriguing about it is the opposition are aware by participating they are giving the flawed 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 David Coltart in his book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“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.”
There is no denying that by participating in the flawed elections the opposition are giving the process credibility and, by extension, the vote rigging Zanu PF regime legitimacy.
Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A friends’ claim that Mnangagwa lacks legitimacy must be dismissed with the contempt it rightly deserves. It was none other than Chamisa himself who claimed MDC A would stop Zanu PF rigging the elections.
“MDC A has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” boasted Chamisa just before the 2018 elections.
Chamisa and his opposition friends participated in the July 2018 elections, knowing Zanu PF was rigging the elections but did it regardless for the sake of the few gravy train seats and a cut of the Political Party Finance Act budget allocation. Chamisa et al are gearing to participate in the 2023 elections; their greed has the better of them.
No doubt, the opposition will claim to have foolproof strategies to guarantee them winning rigged elections. And no doubt the naive and gullible electorate will once again believe the nonsense and be sucked into participating and perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship.
The 2008 to 2013 GNU offered the country the best chances ever to implement the democratic reforms after SADC and AU refused to endorse Zanu PF as the legitimate winner of the blatantly rigged 2008 national elections. Zanu PF learned the lesson to hide all evidence of cheating and violence and has the opposition in its deep pockets, they will participate in all elections regardless how flawed the process.
We need to implement the democratic reforms, the pre-requisite for free, fair and credible elections, for good governance and, most urgent of all, for ending the economic mess and political paralysis. The country’s economy is in ruins and millions are now living in abject poverty; the nation is standing on the edge of the precipitous abyss; we must implement the reforms now!
If any of the reforms are ever to see the light of day, it is up to the people of Zimbabwe themselves to finally open their eyes and see Zanu PF leaders for what they really are - corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs who will rig the next elections and continue to deny them a meaningful say in the governance of the country.
The people must also finally open their eyes and see the MDC leaders and the rest in the opposition camp for what they really are - corrupt and incompetent opportunists who will participate in flawed elections for a share of the spoils of power with Zanu PF.
Zimbabweans must demand the implementation of the democratic reforms before the 2023 elections and totally reject the nonsense of winning rigged elections. After 41 years and counting of rigged elections we must have free, fair and credible elections; we know the reforms required to achieve that and demand that the reforms must be implemented.
TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona has expressed dissatisfaction with the state of affairs at the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) and challenged the parastatal's board to come up with a feasible and pragmatic turnaround strategy to revive the company.
ReplyDeleteNRZ has 10 working locomotives out of 67 and has failed to attract business from mining companies moving heavy metals in and outside the country. The organisation requires at least US$400 million to get back on its feet in the short term.
Speaking after touring NRZ properties in Bulawayo on Friday, Minister Mhona said NRZ required fresh capital injection to totally revitalise the parastatal and while the ministry engages the Treasury to avail some of the required resources, the board should also look at other prospective suitors to revive the parastatal.
This is just a case of the one half saying one thing and the other saying the exact opposite. President Mnangagwa keeps wittering about Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and the nation set to achieve its middle income status by 2030, the so-call vision 2030. How are we achieving all this economic miracle recovery when key industries like NRZ are in an advance stage of rot and decay.
No wonder there are reports of people having to send lorries to pick up their containers in Mozambique or SA rather than wait for NRZ to bring them. With 10 working locomotives out of 67 it is no surprise it has taken six months or more for goods to be moved from SA to Zimbabwe!
Vision 2030 is just a mirage; in a few years time it will be forgotten and replaced with vision 2050! For such is the consequences of being led by corrupt and incompetent men and women with no vision!
Schools are opening today and we are still testing 635 per day! If there was a new outbreak it would be days if not weeks before the system is aware there is something amiss. There are cheaper and faster tests kits available, why has government done nothing to procure these kits.
ReplyDeleteThe way Zanu PF has handled the corona virus will go down in history as one of the worst, if the truth was to be uncovered!
Unpalatable as that might be, we have to admit that we are indeed a naïve and gullible people, who are easily led by the nose by village idiots.
ReplyDeleteNo one with any common sense would agree to participate in an election process knowing fully well the process is flawed and illegal, particularly when these set to rig the elections are corrupt, incompetent and murderous tyrants and their rule have dire consequences for the nation. And yet that is exactly what we have been doing these last 41 years and counting.
One can argue that we participated on the understanding that if we elect MDC the party will bring about the democratic changes the nation was dying for. Zimbabweans have risked life and limb to elect MDC into power.
MDC leaders have been on the political stage for 21 years, 5 of which in the GNU and yet have nothing to show for it. Nothing!
MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU. There is no excuse, other than being naïve and gullible, why the ordinary Zimbabweans failed to understand what the GNU was about. None!
Only a village idiot would postulate that they have devised strategies to win rigged elections, especially given Zanu PF’s well-oiled vote rigging juggernaut. Only a first-class village idiot would believe such nonsense and risk all backing the idiotic politician. As it turns out the idiot politician was a con man working for the vote rigging Zanu PF for a share of the spoils of power. vast pow
Yet here we are facing the real prospect of many Zimbabweans being conned by the same MDC leaders into participating in the 2023 elections on the same bullshit – MDC will win the rigged elections!
The common sense position would be to say enough is enough we must implement the reforms and sort this problem of rigged elections once and once for all. But when you are naïve and gullible, such ideas are beyond your intellectual capacity!
@ Mugocha
ReplyDelete“Patrick, you would have done us a favour had you taken most of your time outlining the actual reforms that must be implemented. This 'reform, reform' rhetoric has been of no use at all. Undefined as they are, shows lack of knowledge of the animal you are talking about, on your part and all the MDC formations, if not, even Zanu PF itself. But Zanu PF doesn't care because it not their baby.”
Patrick has done this nation a great favour by flagging the root causes of why we are in this mess and offering solutions as he saw them. I am sure he will the first person to admit that his list of causes and solutions is the definitive list with nothing more to be added or subtracted. To therefore dismiss his contribution as rhetoric because it did not outline what the reforms are is foolish, to say the least.
We need to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections, that is a very important debate worthy of serious debate.
RUSSIAN business executives and academics Sunday said there are enormous benefits in investing in Zimbabwe especially in the mining and agriculture sectors noting the country's promising economic potential.
ReplyDeleteThe Russians also said investors should consider that Zimbabwe was one of the safest states in Africa.
These sentiments came out when the Association of Economic Cooperation with African States (AECAS), the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia–Zimbabwe Business Council, Vi Holding and the Roscongress Foundation held a webinar entitled "Russian Business in Zimbabwe"
Russia, just like China, have noticed that Zimbabwe is a country ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous tyrants who will pay any price to anyone who will help them stay in power. It so happened that Russia has a lot it can offer Zanu PF and has done so. In return Zanu PF has granted Russia very lucrative deals in mining and other areas.
It is not surprising Russians are being encouraged to join in the looting of Zimbabwe whilst the looting is good! Of course, Russia will do its best to keep Zanu PF in power for as long as it can but even the Russians cannot deny change is in the air.
The 41 years of wholesale looting in Zimbabwe have left the country’s economy in ruins and millions now live in extreme poverty. The situation is unsustainable, change is coming!