"Engage political reforms and abandon sanctions rhetoric" UN rebuke Mnangagwa - no time for diplomatic niceties W Mukori

 Zanu PF invited the UN Special rapporteur to investigate the negative impact of sanctions on the ordinary people. The regime hoped the rapporteur would confirm its claim that sanctions were the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown. She did not find any evidence to support this narrative and thus dismissed the sanctions narrative as a "rhetorical and advocacy tool" to draw attention away from the real causes.

“Time is ripe for the sanctioning states and key national stakeholders to engage in a meaningful structured dialogue on political reform, human rights and the rule of law and abandon rhetoric on sanctions as an advocacy tool,” said Alena Douhan, the UN rapporteur.

Zimbabwe is in serious economic trouble with unemployment sitting at 90%, basic services such as education and health care all but collapsed, 49% of our people now live in abject poverty, etc. The country is now standing at the very edge of the precipitous abyss. We need to step back now before it is too late. 

We need to address the real causes of the country's economic meltdown; the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the country's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. It is the latter, the failure to hold free elections, which is at the very heart of our economic and political mess - the nation has been stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF regime for 41 years and counting because the party rigged elections! 

Zimbabwe's next elections in 2023 must be free, fair and credible and for this to happen all the democratic reforms to dismantle the the Zanu PF dictatorship must be implemented. Not even one token reform has been implemented and, with less than two years to go to the 2023 elections, no reforms will be implemented. 

Indeed, ZEC has failed to make the voters' roll available for public scrutiny during the on-going voter registration and so there will be no verified voters' roll for the 2023 elections. 

Zanu PF has denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote, sometime President Mnangagwa had promised in 2018. The party argues there would be no diaspora vote as long as the sanctions imposed by the West remain. Why the ordinary Zimbabweans are being punished for something over which they have no say beggars belief. 

It is clear already that Zanu PF is rigging these elections. How can there be free, fair and credible elections without a verified voters' roll? How can the elections be legal when one contestant is allowed to cherry pick the voters, denying 3 million in the diaspora the vote out of 8 million voters or 37%.

Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections in advance and therefore the process can and must be condemned in advance. 

Zimbabwe will need a GNU, post 2023 elections, whose primary task will be to finally implement the democratic reforms and hold the nation's first ever free, fair and credible elections. 

Mnangagwa et al will be fighting hard to force sanctions and other trivial issues back on the national agenda. 

The cold reality is Zimbabwe is in serious economic and political trouble; 41 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule have left the country in economic ruins, unemployment has soared to 90%, basic services such as education and health care have all but collapsed, 49% of the population now live in abject poverty. 

Zimbabwe is standing on the edge of the precipitous abyss. The country desperately needs to stop and step back. We need to address the root causes of the country’s economic and political problems and not waste time on rhetorical sanctions.

In UN language, UN special rapporteur has rebuked President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his cronies and apologists to stop wasting time on rhetorical sanctions could have been even more explicit in her condemnation of the regime’s failure to address mismanagement, corruption and, most important of all, to hold free, fair and credible elections. The human suffering in Zimbabwe and the country’s economic and political stability are at stake; this is not the time for diplomatic niceties!

"Zanu PF has no policy of beating up people" - Both Zanu PF and MDC denials are now no.1 impediment to free elections P Guramatunhu

 "If they are being harassed, beaten or threatened, they should report such cases to the police. The police is there to investigate if they receive those reports. But if they bring the reports to us as a party, we will of course report to the police to investigate," said Mike Bimha, acting Zanu PF national spokesperson.

"They have not come to me, or my security department to report such cases. As a party, we have no policy of beating up people. It is not our policy; why should we beat up people? We are an organised organisation." 

This is nonsense! How many times have the opposition reported Zanu PF instigated violence and nothing came out of it. Indeed, there are many cases when the victims of the violence have ended up being arrested, accused of causing the violence. 

In the 2008 elections the Police, Army, CIO and Prison Service assisted the war veterans and Zanu PF militia in carrying out the the wanton violence of “Operation Mavhotera papi!” (Operation Whom did you vote for!). Security services personal carried out the heavy duty stuff of abducting and murdering the opposition. Over 500 innocent Zimbabweans were murdered in cold blood in the three months of the run-off. 

Zanu PF has proven beyond all reasonable doubt, especial in 2008, that it is a party that believes in cheating and the use of wanton violence to retain its iron grip on power. Even SADC and AU leaders, who are notorious for turning a blind eye to Zanu PF’s culture of violence and rigged elections, could not pretend the 2008 elections were free and fair. 

It was only by refusing to accept Mugabe and his Zanu PF regime as the legitimate government because of the blatant cheating and wanton violence that SADC forced Mugabe to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement. He agreed to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections and to stop a repeat of the 2008 wanton violence. 

As we know, the cheating and violence have continued to this day because not even one token reform was implemented. Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were tasked to implement the reforms and the rest is history.

SADC, EU and everyone with any democratic credentials have all said Zimbabwe must implement the democratic reforms before elections. They all know Zimbabwe will never ever have free, fair and credible elections without first implementing the reforms and ending Zanu PF’s carte blanche dictatorial powers. 

The 2013 and 2018 elections went ahead with no reforms in place because Zanu PF does not want any reforms implemented taking away its power to rig elections and thus lose its iron grip on power. MDC leaders have participated in these flawed and illegal elections for the same reasons they did not lift a finger to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU - they are breathtakingly incompetent and corrupt. 

Zanu PF has offered a few gravy train seats to the opposition to entice them to participate in the elections regardless how flawed and illegal the election process happened to be. Zimbabwe’s opportunistic opposition politicians have found Zanu PF’s bribes irresistible. 

Chamisa and his entourage have encountered a lot of violence already and there chances are the violence will continue and even get worse. Short of the violence escalating to the wanton violence of 2008, Chamisa and company will participate in these 2023 elections regardless. 

Of course, by participating in these flawed elections the opposition are giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. And, what is more, the opposition know the obvious and logical thing to force the implementation of the reforms would be to boycott the elections.

In his Book, , 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.

“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,” confessed David Coltart, MDC A Treasurer General in his 2016 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.”

The number one impediment to the holding of free, fair and credible elections; free of the blatant cheating and wanton violence; is Zanu PF. 

The number one impediment to implementing the democratic reforms; the prerequisite for free, fair and credible elections; is MDC leaders. 

It is both ironic and infuriating that Zimbabweans risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders to implement the reforms the nation was dying for; Chamisa and company not only sold out on reforms but are the ones perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship. 

"Unilateral sanctions hurt the people" said China - hypocrites, why did you refuse to bankroll "mega deals" P Guramatunhu

 "Unilateral sanctions violate international law, sovereign equality, human rights & hurt the people. 13 yrs ago, China said NO for Zimbabwe. Today, we continue to call for complete & immediate lifting of all unilateral coercive measures. #RealDemocracy #ZimSanctionsMustGo," the Chinese embassy tweeted.

The most notable thing here is that China has never ever commented on Zimbabwe’s rampant corruption and gross mismanagement as the causes of the country’s economic and political meltdown. It is no secret that China is one of the major players in the wholesale looting in Marange and Chiadzwa and other areas. 

China has promised to bankroll many “mega deal projects” in Zimbabwe but very few the project have ever come to fruition because China would only fund new projects on condition Zimbabwe paid its outstanding debts. This double shuffle infuriated the late Zanu PF dictator, Robert Mugabe, and he booted the Chinese out of Marange and Chiadzwa in 2016 - a big mistake. 

It is common knowledge that China played a pivotal role in the success of the 2017 military coup that booted Mugabe out of office. Both Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are puppets and the puppeteer pulling the strings is none other than the Chinese.

Of course, the Chinese are happy to see sanctions blamed for Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, anything to draw attention away from the real cause and those behind it - the wholesale looting and Zimbabwe’s new de facto colonial masters, the Chinese.

"Remove sanctions!" shout SADC leaders in unison on Anti-Sanctions Day - leaders turned hauling monkeys P Guramatunhu

 Man is a creature of reason and it is therefore most disconcerting when he starts to behave like one of the other animals, especially when the individual is in a position of power and authority. 

SADC leaders have it in their heads that the sanctions imposed on a select few Zanu PF leaders and companies are the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. There is a mountain of evidence to show that rampant corruption, gross mismanagement and rank lawlessness which have all contributed to make Zimbabwe a pariah state are the root causes. 

41 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship has allowed corruption, mismanagement and lawlessness to grow and spread like cancer; the economy is in total ruins and the political system in paralysis - both the ruling party and opposition are corrupt and incompetent. 

Zimbabwe is stuck in this economic and political mess because the nation has been stuck with this corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime for 41 years and counting. Zanu PF has rigged election to secure its stay in power. The solution to ending the country’s economic and political crisis is for the country to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. 

Zanu PF does not want corruption, mismanagement and lawlessness; the root causes of the country’s economic, political and social problems; much less the crying need for democratic reform discussed. And so the party have manufactured various narratives and scapegoats to blame for the country’s problems. The sanctions imposed by the West have become a God send scapegoat for the regime.

SADC leaders have all bought in the Zanu PF lie that sanctions is the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic problems, lift the sanctions and Zimbabwe and the region will enjoy peace and economic prosperity. And so SADC leaders have endorsed today 25 October as the Anti-Sanctions Day and have joined Zimbabwe in the call for the lifting of the sanctions. 

"Today we arise and collectively say enough is enough. The illegal sanctions are an albatross to the development, well-being and prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe. We call on the US to immediately and conditionally remove the sanctions for the sake of our children." - President Mnangagwa.

"For SADC as a region, the call for the unconditional removal of sanctions assumes even greater importance. It is not just a solidarity call in support of Zimbabwe, but also a clarion call for justice, fairness and full enjoyment of human rights. The sanctions are no longer relevant, and are detrimental to the socio-economic development and self-determination of Zimbabweans." - President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, at the Anti-Sanctions Solidarity Day's first anniversary in October 2020.

"We must show that we are really standing with our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. A problem for any nation in SADC is a problem for all of us, the success of any nation in SADC is also our success." - Annie Kumwenda, outgoing Malawian ambassador to Zimbabwe.

There is a double irony here, firstly SADC leaders themselves clearly accept the need for democratic reforms in Zimbabwe as the solution to the country economic and political crisis because they proscribed the raft of democratic reforms following the blatant cheating and wanton violence of the 2008 Zimbabwe elections. And when it was clear that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had failed to implement even one reform at the end of the GNU in 2013; they wanted the elections postponed until the reforms were implemented. 

Second, all these SADC leaders would have unanimously approved the UN sanctions imposed on the White Colonial regime of Ian Smith because they accepted the sanctions as an effective measure to push for democratic change, regardless of the economic hardship the brought on the ordinary people. There is political oppression in Zimbabwe today, or be it the oppressor are now blacks and not the whites, and so why are the SADC leaders unanimously against the sanction this time!

“We know when we understand Almighty God is a living man

You can fool some people sometimes 

But you can’t fool all the people all the 

So now we see the light!” 

Bob Marley Get up stand up.

The growing majority of ordinary Zimbabweans have certainly seen the light; they want the sanctions to remain and the fight for free, fair and credible elections intensified. 

Of course, it is disappointing that SADC leaders have decided to close their eyes to the tragic reality happening in Zimbabwe and join Zanu PF thugs in this anti-sanctions wild goose chase. I have nothing but contempt for the SADC leaders for in joining Zanu PF in this anti-sanctions chorus they have reduced themselves to nothing but hauling monkeys! 

"Cannot accord diaspora vote due to legislative challenges" - simply put, no vote in a quintessential Banana Republic N Garikai

 Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa was a senior member of Robert Gabriel Mugabe’s government for 37 years. It is not that Mnangagwa did not know what the Zanu PF government was doing was wrong and even outright criminal like the blatant and repeated human rights violations including vote rigging and, worse, politically motivated murders. He knew that was wrong. 

Indeed, Mnangagwa was Mugabe’s henchman; the dictator trusted him with some of the dirtiest and bloodiest tasks like the Gukurahundi massacre and the de facto coup to stop Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC taking power following the March 2008 elections. 

Mnangagwa had carried out his assigned tasks regardless how dirty and bloody they were to help establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship for the simple reason that he too, not just Mugabe, benefited from the dictatorship. And, rest assured, Mnangagwa was ruthless in his fight to get his lion’s share of the spoils of absolute power!

When Mugabe tried to force Mnangagwa and those around him in the Lacoste faction out of power in favour of the G40 faction; the two crossed swords. In the small hours of 15th November 2017, it was Mugabe who was woke-up with a gun to his temple. His dream of being life-president or handing over the presidency to his ambitious wife was over. 

When Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe he tried his uttermost to sever all links with Mugabe and his 37 year reign, airbrush the Mugabe era out of Zimbabwe history and turn over a new leaf. Mnangagwa proclaimed his regime “The Second Republic, a new dispensation!” 

It was none other than President Mnangagwa himself who announced during his visit to the USA in September 2018 for the UN General Assembly Heads of State gathering, that all Zimbabweans in the diaspora will have a chance to vote in the 2023 elections. It was no doubt meant to reinforce the new dispensation mantra the only trouble with such an eye catching PR stunt is they boomerang right back. 

There is no doubt that Zanu PF has struggled to keep its promise to guarantee diaspora vote. 

“If you want a diaspora vote, first level the playing field by removing sanctions, so that Zanu-PF can go there and campaign freely without being vetted against sanctions,” announced Zanu PF Acting Political Commissar, Patrick Chinamasa in June 2021.

"We will not allow those in the diaspora the right to vote because we are under sanctions in those countries.”

This was a foolish position since it is nonsensical to deny Zimbabweans their fundamental rights over a matter beyond their control. This is like a man who beats his wife and children because he quarrelled with his neighbour! 

There are 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora, by Zanu PF’s own record. Mnangagwa won the 2018 presidency with 2.4 million votes or 50.8% of the 5 million cast votes. The 3 million diaspora vote is therefore 37% of the 8 million potential vote. 

How can the 2023 elections be free, fair and credible when Zanu PF is allowed to cherrypick the electorate and deny 37% the vote? The regime must have since realise this will not go down well even with such bodies as SADC and AU who have traditionally turned a blind eye to Zimbabwe’s 

"On the diaspora vote, I would like to acknowledge that this has been an issue of intense debate and contestation among the Zimbabweans in the diaspora and the relevant stakeholders across the Zimbabwean political spectrum,” argued Melody Chaurura, Zimbabwe's Consul General to Johannesburg. 

“It is important to clearly communicate that it is the desire of the Zimbabwean government to afford every Zimbabweans including those in the diaspora, an opportunity to participate in the country's electoral processes.

"It should be, however, understood that it has not been possible to accord diaspora vote due to legislative and logistical challenges which are yet to be overcome. We keep the hope that once these issues have been resolved by the concerned parties, the Zimbabweans in the diaspora would be able to cast their votes from their countries of residence.”

A significant improvement on Patrick Chinamasa’s blunder but This is still, nonsense. Zimbabweans in the diaspora have offered to pay US$20 or whatever to cover the cost of a diaspora vote. The amount is nothing compared to the option of having to travel back to Zimbabwe to vote. 

For a regime that has pushed through parliament two constitutional amendments seeking to change no fewer than 27 different sections of the constitution. It is rich for the same regime to then talk of “legislatives challenge” stopping it from adding a simple phrase like “Ordinary Zimbabweans in distant lands will be afforded the same opportunity to vote as that currently extended to Zimbabweans in the diplomatic service, armed services, etc.” to the electoral law. 

Mugabe’s administration resisted the pressure to grant every Zimbabwean his/her freedoms and human rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life for selfish political gain. This Mnangagwa regime is doing exactly the same for the same selfish reason. The Second Republic is the First Republic under new management but otherwise the two are identical in every respect in that both are a quintessential Banana Republic. 

Will SADC's national dialogue finally end King Mswati III absolute monarch - we watching like hawks P Guramatunhu

 SADC has finally stepped in to try end the cycle of violence and political unrest in Eswatini. SA President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the current Chairperson of  Chairperson of SADC’s Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, send envoy to Eswatini follow the outbreak of violent street protests in that country.

“The Special Envoy paid a courtesy call on His Majesty, King Mswati III. Subsequently, amongst others, the Special Envoy met with members of Cabinet led by the Honourable Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, the Prime Minister, members of the Diplomatic Corps, civil society organizations, Members of Parliament, trade unions and members of the all society in Eswatini,” announce President Ramaphosa.

“During the engagements, all stakeholders agreed that the conduct of national dialogue should be the appropriate platform to address the current challenges facing the country. In this regard, they recognised the need for a peaceful and conducive environment for the dialogue to take place.” 

It is a great pity that Eswatini has been allowed to burn before SADC leaders finally stepped in. 

The borne of contention in Eswatini is King Mswati III is an absolute monarch and he has creamed off the country’s wealth to bankroll a lavish lifestyle for himself and his many wives. The majority of ordinary people now live in abject poverty. The people’s cry for democratic change so they can have a meaningful say in the governance of the country have fallen on deaf ears; the King might as well have a bale of cotton staffed in each of his ears. 

SADC leaders have completely ignored the suffering people and have sided with the King under the pretext the serious human rights violations and tragic human suffering caused by the criminal waste of the nation’s human and material resources were internal Eswatini affairs. SADC was not going to interfere in a member country’s internal affairs. 

The people of Eswatini are disappointed at SADC and AU’s, the continent body, indifference to their suffering and cry for help! Rightly so too! And so should every thinking person in SADC and Africa; African leaders’ indifference to the human rights violation and suffering is one of the reasons why the continent is in this economic and political mess. 

African leaders a notorious for siding with the continent’s despotic leaders or, at best, kicking the can down the street at the expense of the suffering masses. These leaders do not like outsiders such as the UN to help solve the continent’s many problems; “African solutions to African problems!” they have often argued. Only to sit on the problems allowing them to fester and spread! 

One hopes that SADC leaders will see to it that the national dialogue in Eswatini address the root causes of the political unrest and the economic meltdown in that country. Eswatini must end absolute monarch and move with the times and uphold the freedoms and rights of all citizens as pronounced in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country. 

As a Zimbabwean, I will be following what happens in Eswatini like a hawk!

After 41 years and counting of rigged elections it is clear come 2023, without even one token reform in place, Zanu PF will once again rig those elections. If SADC leaders manage to force King Mswati III to relinquish his absolute power one hopes the regional leaders will have the guts to force Zanu PF thugs to relinquish their dictatorial powers too! 

SADC leaders have endorsed Zimbabwe’s the 2013 and 2018 elections as “substantially free, fair and credible” when they know that was not true. 

“Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party. Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner,” reported the EU Zimbabwe 2018 Election Observer Mission final report. 

“The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. 

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

ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, a legal and common sense requirement, for Pete’s sake. How SADC election observers managed to give their thumbs up to such a flawed and illegal election process beggars belief. It is already clear that ZEC will not have a verified voters’ roll in 2023!

The people of Zimbabwe will be looking to SADC leaders, especially those who have held free, fair and credible elections in their own country to judge the 2023 Zimbabwe elections to international standards and not the usual one foot long yard stick!

By declaring the 2023 Zimbabwe elections null and void and thus refuse to give Zanu PF regime legitimacy; SADC will be breaking the cycle of rigged elections as happened in 2008 when the region body also refused to recognised that year’s election process as a democratic, free, fair and credible. 

Zimbabwe needs a new GNU; only this time competent men and women will be appointed to make sure all the democratic reforms to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship are implemented. The 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to get even one reform implemented but that was because the Zanu PF and MDC leaders in the GNU lacked the political will and vision. Zimbabwe deserves a second bite at the cherry; this time the democratic reforms, all of them, will be implemented fully! 

"A little learning is a dangerous thing" - especially for a country ruled by "Misstra know it all" drunk on power W Mukori

 May be less so now but not too many moons ago Zimbabweans used to boast of being “one of the most literate nations in Africa!” But, of course, pride cometh before a fall; the 41 years of independence have seen Zimbabwe fall from the dizzying heights of the breadbasket of the region to the basket case of a failed state. 

Someone once said of Zimbabwe, “you can plant a broom stick and will get a fruit tree!” to underline just how productive the land is. Ever since Mugabe started seizing the land to give, mainly, to Zanu PF ruling elite the country’s agricultural sector collapsed and with it the economy. 

Zimbabweans have the dubious honour of starving in the land that is, for all practical purpose, the Biblical Garden of Eden. A damning testimonial to the nation’s failed leadership. 

The right to vote, universal suffrage, should be a bless but we, in Zimbabwe have turned it into a curse. 

Before independence it was the norm for the ordinary black person to have membership card for the two main rivalry political parties, Zanu and Zapu; because the failure to produced an up-to-date membership card was proof of belonging to the rivalry party and punishment. The culture of political intolerance has continued to this day, 41 years after independence. 

The recent reports of villagers and Zanu PF operatives using all manner of violence to disrupt Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A meetings is nothing new. And, worst of all, if these things can happen to Chamisa and the other leaders for who publicity is their greatest insurance; it is clear the ordinary people in the rural back water, with no publicity, are in deep, deep trouble. 

Zimbabwe’s culture of political violence has gone unchecked because the Police, judiciary and other state institution tasked to keep and enforce law and order, for example, have all but abandoned their posts. The Zimbabwe Republic Police is known for doing nothing to stop Zanu PF thuggery. Indeed the Police have often ended up arresting the victim of the thuggery! 

What makes Zimbabwe’s political mess such a heart breaking tragedy is that the country has had many, many golden opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship in the last 41 years and the opportunities have been wasted. 

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect the late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends into power on the understanding the party would bring about the democratic changes, the party name implied and the nation was dying for. After 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU, MDC leaders have not only failed to implement even one reform but worse still they are now keeping the vote rigging Zanu PF in power by participating in flawed elections and Zanu PF legitimacy. 

“A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.” 

Alexander Pope’s poem “An Essay on Criticism” (1709)

There is no denying that MDC leaders blatant betrayal of failing to implement the democratic reforms, even when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, has landed this nation into this dangerous situation - stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. 

The solution to ending the Zanu PF dictatorship is for the nation to implement the democratic reforms and thus break Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers over the state institutions like the Police, ZEC, etc. The solution has been staring us in the face all the time!

The fact that MDC leaders failed to get even one reforms implemented does not mean this was an impossible task much less that we should abandon it as a lost cause. Zanu PF does not have the divine right to dictatorial powers and to rig elections. We just need to appoint competent men and women with the political will and focus to implement the reforms.

 

MDC leaders’ “Winning In Rigged Elections (WIRE) strategies” must be dismissed with the contempt the suggestion rightly deserve. We want free, fair and credible elections and to put an end to the curse of rigged elections.

SADC, EU, the Americans, the Commonwealth and everybody with any common sense has advised that Zimbabwe must implemented the democratic reforms, clean up its political system, before holding elections. It is MDC leaders, desperate to secure the few gravy train seats Zanu PF offers to entice them to participate regardless how flawed and illegal the elections process, who have insisted on elections with no reforms. 

Zimbabwe is a de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship because Robert Mugabe and company considered themselves the only ones competent to rule Zimbabwe. The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power in the hope they will dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship. The dictatorship is still firmly in place but worse still it is MDC who are now helping to keep Zanu PF in power. 

Having been elected into office, MDC leaders feel they too have the divine right to Zimbabwe’s opposition party and government in waiting, just as Zanu PF before them, and MDC leaders are against reforms because that will open the political field to competition. 

Talk of double jeopardy; in our fight for free, fair and credible elections we now not only have to fight Zanu PF but the MDC too who don’t want the dictatorship dismantled but only to remove Zanu PF from office and take over. 

It is little wonder Zimbabwe is in a very dangerous place given the economic mess and political paralysis; the country’s political leaders are Steve Wonder’s “Misstra Know It All” drunk with the love of absolute power. 

The greatest challenge for the people of Zimbabwe is to wake-up to the reality MDC leaders will never ever implement any meaningful democratic reforms. Those who are the breathtakingly incompetent and greedy are, per se, sell-outs and beyond the pale! 

Police arrest MDC for voter registration - participating in flawed election is insane, worse "weak minds" W Mukori

 “Overzealous ZRP cops arrested MDC Alliance youths for conducting a peaceful voter registration campaign in Chitungwiza at the weekend,” reported Zimeye.

This story comes fast on the back of a number of stories of violent disruptions of Nelson Chamisa rallies by Zanu PF supporters. In some cases the Zimbabwe Republic Police are present and doing nothing to stop the violence. These are all too familiar stories!

One of the dirty tactics used by the Bolsheviks, Russian Communists, before and after the 1918 Russia Revolution, was to infiltrate all rivalry organisations and, once in, to be disruptive by being doggedly tenacious and assiduous over trivial matters, for example. This forced many of the members to resign in sheer frustration to the delight of the Bolsheviks.

George Orwell captured the essence of the Bolsheviks’ disruptive shenanigans in his fable Animal Farm; the sheep bleated “Four legs good! Two legs bad!” at a critical point in a debate. By the time the bleating finally stopped, the moment for the rebuttal was lost! 

Zanu PF has used this Bolshevik disruptive tactic for its selfish political gains. Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the nation has been forced to discuss trivial matters. Every time the nation has tried to end the disruption so that there can some serious debate, Zanu PF has stepped in create chaos and confusion.

The root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown are the rampant corruption, the gross mismanagement and the rank lawlessness that have earned the country the pariah state label. Zanu PF and its pool of apologists have argued that the root cause of the economic meltdown is sanctions imposed by the West. The regime has stifled all meaningful debate on the matter and used the state’s vast resources to promote its narrative. 

During the 2008 to 2013 GNU one of the important task to be performed was to produce a new democratic constitution. What a waste of time and resources that turned out to be! The outreach programmes, meant to consult the ordinary people on what they wanted in the new constitution, turned into a shouting contest as the supporters from each side offered contradictory proposals at the behest of their respective handlers. 

In the end, Mugabe “dictated” the new constitution, which is exactly what he wanted. MDC accepted it out of desperation since they had failed to implement even one token reform during the five years of the GNU. 

Indeed, MDC leaders even claimed the new constitution was an “MDC child”. So Mugabe had fostered, cuckoo style, his dictator’s creed on MDC!

It was the Greek Philosopher Socrates who said “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”

It is fair to say there are a few “average” minded Zimbabweans out there who have finally figured out that it is corruption and mismanagement, not sanctions, which are the root causes of the country’s economic meltdown. Zimbabweans have also figured it out that the one sure way to end the corruption and mismanagement is to take away Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers especially over state institutions and to rig elections.

The nation has had many opportunities since 1980 to end the de facto one-party Zanu PF dictatorship and end its Bolshevik dictatorial shenanigans. The best of these opportunities were during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when Morgan Tsvangirai were given the task of implementing the raft of democratic reforms. Sadly the MDC leaders were not up to the noble task; they turned out to be corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent. 

As long as Zanu PF retains its dictatorial powers and total control over state institutions like the Police we can expect the political violence skirmishes to continue, it is just one of the Bolshevik Zanu PF thugs’ dirty tactics to distract us from the important business of rampant corruption, rigged elections, etc., etc. 

What we need is the men and women with “strong minds” to demand the implementation of the democratic reforms and will not take their eyes off the ball until the task is done and dusted! 

Participating in flawed and illegal elections, especially after 41 years of rigged elections, to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy is insane; way beneath the category of Socrates’ “weak minds”.

Zanu PF attacks of MDC will galvanise supporters and blind them to Wizard of Oz Scarecrow trickery N Garikai

Zimbabwe is caught in a catch 22! We a stuck in a political and economic mess and those who have landed us here are the ones profiting from our suffering and misery and, worst of all, they have the power to keep us here!

Zimbabwe’s serious economic and political mess is a man-made situation, a result from decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption. We have sunk deeper and deeper into the abyss because we, the ordinary people have been powerless to remove those in positions of power and authority to stop the rot. They have instituted a political systems to ensure they remain in power no matter what. 

One way the ruling elite have exercise their tyrannical control over us is making sure the national political discourse never rise above the mundane and trivia of shouting and throwing stones at each other. Every time the political discussions soared into  the more constructive phase to discuss such matters what are the real causes of the economic and political mess, what should be done, etc. the ruling elite have stepped in to disrupt the discussion.

Each time the nation has tries to drag itself out of the live of mindless political shouting, slogans, rhetoric and verbal and physical violence; the ruling elite have let lose the political thugs, like wolves among sheep, to reimposed the chaos and violence back on the national agenda, especially during elections. 

It was no accident, for example, that the violent farm invasions of 2000 to 2013 always flared up towards and during national elections. The gratuitous violence that accompanied the farm invasion were to make sure the farm invasions pushed corruption, mismanagement, etc. off the national agenda - corruption, etc. become trivial matters compared to television imagines of farm houses ablaze and farmer owners and the workers being attacked by mobs. 

Zanu PF has used the brainwashed war veterans and the party’s youth militia, the green bombers, to carry out the dirty work of intimidating, harassing, beating and raping the party’s critics and opponents. The heavy stuff of abducting, arrest and murdering has been left to the partisan Police, Army, CIO and Prison Services personal. The judiciary and other state institutions provided the legal cover and backup. Zanu PF has corrupted the Police, etc. rendering them party organs in all but name whose number priority is to keep Zanu PF in power at all cost. 

The country has had many opportunities to implement the democratic reforms and thus dismantle the de facto Zanu PF one-party state, the best opportunity was during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. 

SADC leaders refused to grant Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF legitimacy following the party’s blatant cheating and use of wanton violence in the 2008 elections. The regional body forced Zanu PF to accept the need to implement a raft of democratic reforms to to agree to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms to restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. 

A Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed comprising Zanu PF and the two MDC factions. The task of implementing the democratic reforms was entrusted to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. 

Sadly, the MDC leaders turned out to be corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent; they failed to implement even one token reform in five years of the GNU. 

However, the MDC supporters have remained as faithful as dogs to the party leaders regardless of the later’s repeated blatant betray; first, failing to implement reforms and then participating in flawed elections to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. The supporters have failed to understand, even now with the benefit of hindsight, what the GNU was about much less comprehend the betrayals. 

Both Zanu PF and MDC have relied on their respective pool of supporters being very naive and gullible to keep the nation stuck in the mindless squabbling, empty slogan and fighting mode. The attack on Nelson Chamisa and his entourage on Monday has galvanised both Zanu PF and MDC supporters more than anything either party could have said or done. 

Both Zanu PF and MDC would have no clue what to do to dig the nation out of the economic and political mess the country is in; if they had they would have articulated the plan and, better still, implemented it. And yet to listen to the passionate support of their respective supporters, one would be forgiven to think Chamisa/ Mnangagwa are the Albert Einstein of political science! The reality is these supporters are nothing but the simple minded Apple Trees in the Wizard of Oz! 

Dorothy : [Reaches to pick an apple from the apple tree, the tree grabs the apple and slaps her hand]  Ouch!
Angry Apple Tree : What do you think you're doing?
Dorothy : We've been walking a long ways and I was hungry and... did you say something?
Angry Apple Tree : She was hungry!
Apple Tree : [Repeating after The Angry Apple Tree]  She was hungry!
Angry Apple Tree : Well, how would you like to have someone come along and pick something off of you?
Dorothy : Oh, dear! I keep forgetting I'm not in Kansas!
The Scarecrow : [disparagingly]  Come along, Dorothy. You don't want any of *those* apples! Hmph!
Angry Apple Tree : Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?
The Scarecrow : [sarcastically]  Oh no! It's just that she doesn't like little green worms!
Angry Apple Tree : Oh you!
[the trees start shaking their branches angrily] 
The Scarecrow : [in Dorothy's ear]  I'll show you how to get apples!
[taunts the trees by making a face; the first tree throws an apple that knocks him down] 
Dorothy : [concerned]  Oh!
[the trees continue throwing apples] 
The Scarecrow : Hooray! I guess that did it! Help yourself!

The rational thing to do is for MDC and the rest in the opposition camp would be to demand the implementation of the democratic reforms so the elections are free, fair and credible. Zanu PF has ignored calls for reforms because the party knows that MDC and the rest in the opposition camp will participate in the flawed elections as long as Zanu PF offers them a few gravy train seats - which Zanu PF has done since the 2013 elections. 

Both Zanu PF and MDC know what they have to do to get their own supporters to participate in the flawed and illegal elections. The result will be another landslide victory for Zanu PF and Chamisa and his fellow MDC leaders will get their consolation price of a few gravy train seats. 

The loser, as usual, are the ordinary people; they will be stuck with the corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging Zanu PF regime for five more years. There is no doubt that the Angry Apple Tree was not going to be so easily fool again next time. It is shocking that even after 41 years of rigged Zimbabweans are still conned by “Scarecrow” Chamisa into giving up their right to free, fair and credible elections because he has “Winning In Rigged Elections (WIRE) strategies! 

 

"Mnangagwa and Zanu PF are deferrable" - not whilst they have dictatorial powers to rig elections P Guramatunhu

 “Zanu-PF is there for the taking both on and off the field. Opposition parties need to up their game. Revive the spirit of the liberation war era. Get the masses to support them wholly and sacrifice their lives for this country one more time until our people become free,” wrote Zakhele Maphpsa in a recent article in Bulawayo 24. 

“Massive voter sensitisation needed. Followed by voter registration. And actually voting on the provided day/s. Guarding election results jealously with dear life if need be at each polling station. And then Bingo! Zanu-PF 0: 1 Freedom Alliance. Easy-peasy.”

Easy-peasy! How naive! If things were that easy then why is the country is such a political and economic mess? 

Indeed, Zimbabwe is in this political and economic mess precisely because we have been breathtakingly incompetent and naive in handling our national issues.

“Massive voter sensitisation needed. Followed by voter registration, etc.” These measures would help someone win an election in North America or in Western Europe were elections are free, fair and credible. These measures are of no real consequence in a country like Zimbabwe yet to hold free, fair and credible elections.

Zanu PF has systematically corrupted the Police, judiciary, Army, traditional leaders, etc., etc. turning these state institutions into party departments in all but name. Ordinarily, the Police’s number one priority should be to keep law and order, for example. In Zimbabwe, the Police’s number one priority is to “ensure there is no regime change,” as former Police Commission Augustine Chihuru, readily confessed in this doctorate thesis. 

And so, as far as the Police is concerned, the opposition are puppets of foreign government who are seeking regime change and must be stopped at all cost! 

Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections have been a watershed election in that Zanu PF was forced showed the world the full extend of the party’s vote rigging ability; the blatant cheating and the wanton violence. Everyone, including the SADC and AU, known for approving dodgy elections because of their perfunctory attention to detail, condemned the 2008 elections as a farce and refused to recognised the Zanu PF regime as the legitimate government. 

SADC forced Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to end Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers including powers to rig elections. A Government of National Unity (GNU) was tasked to implement the reforms. 

It is a great national tragedy that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were to spear head the implementation of the reforms in the GNU turned out to be corrupt and incompetent; they failed to get even one token reform implemented in five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU.

Ever since the end of  GNU, MDC leaders have insisted in participating in flawed and illegal elections under the pretext they have devised “Winning In Rigged Election (WIRE)” strategies. Mass voter mobilisation is but one of these hare-brain strategies.  

Zanu PF has already decreed that 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora will be denied the vote, for example. Remember Mnangagwa won the 2018 presidency with 2.4 million votes or 50.8% of the cast vote. So Zanu PF is cherry picking who can and cannot vote to the extend of denying 3 out every 8 potential voters the vote or 37%. 

ZEC is going through a new voter registration exercise and should have the existing voters’ roll available for verification. This is not the case. ZEC has never ever produced a verified voters’ roll in the country’s 41 years post independence. There will be no verified voters’ roll in the 2023 elections. 

Zimbabwe’s elections are not free, fair and credible elections, Zanu PF is blatantly rigging the 2023 elections as we speak and none of the WIRE strategies by the opposition are addressing any of these vote rigging shenanigans. None! 

Of course, “Mnagagwa and Zanu-PF are defeatable”. Indeed, the party has dug its own political grave a long time ago with its track record of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness earning the nation the pariah state status and destroying the nation’s economy. It is no exaggeration that the people of Zimbabwe are now so desperate for change they will vote for anyone just to get rid of Zanu PF. 

However, as long as Zanu PF retains the carte blanche powers to rig the elections, there will be no regime change in Zimbabwe. As long as the 2023 elections go ahead with no democratic reforms in place; Zanu PF will “win” the majority in parliament and the presidency - guaranteed! 

The people of Zimbabwe do not want to deal with the difficult issue of rigged elections and so they are either ignoring it and pretend elections as free, fair and credible. Or, at best, acknowledge the problem but insist on participating in the flawed elections hoping against hope that the opposition’s WIRE strategies will overwhelm the Zanu PF blatant cheating and/or wanton violence.

By participating in these flawed elections, the people are giving credibility to the undemocratic and illegal election process and, by extension, giving legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF regime. Of course, it is insane to do this especially after 41 years of rigged elections.

When the people of Zimbabwe are ready for meaningful democratic change, they will demand the implementation of the democratic reforms to guarantee free, fair and credible elections. 

It is ironic that the EU, SADC, Commonwealth, etc. have all been calling for reforms before elections and it is Zimbabwe’s opposition that has been insisting on holding the elections with no reforms in place, convinced they have WIRE strategies! The people themselves have been foolish to believe in these hare-brain strategies and, alas, the nation has paid dearly for it. How long can this madness continue? How long is a piece of string!