“Opposition leader Mr Nelson Chamisa and his surrogates
yesterday attended a dinner hosted by the Norwegian embassy in Pretoria South
Africa where they discussed how the European country can assist CCC ahead of
next year's elections,” reported The Herald.
“In an apparent invasion into the affairs of Zimbabwe, the Norwegian Chaerge'
d' Affaires, Dr Stain Christensen requested for Mr Chamisa's attendance of the
dinner held on Monday, in collaboration with the Southern African Liaison
Office (SALO), which is listed as a not-for-profit civil society organisation
that among other things seeks to influence the current thinking and debates on
foreign policy, especially regarding African crises and conflicts.”
Put aside the hypocrisy of The Herald, pontificating against anyone funding the
opposition which it condemns as interfering in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs and
yet has never criticise the Chinese, amongst many others, for bankrolling Zanu
PF’s political activities. I am concerned about Norway bankrolling Zimbabwe’s
flawed and illegal electoral process at the very time when there is a crying
need to starve the key players of funds and political credibility and
legitimacy.
The Norwegians must know that Zimbabwe has failed to hold
free, fair and credible elections since the country’s independence in 1980. The
country was given a golden opportunity during the 2008 to 2013 Government of
National Unity (GNU) to implement the democratic reforms which would have ended
the curse of rigged elections. Sadly, the MDC now rebranded and named CCC
failed to implement even one meaningful reform in five years of the GNU.
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) who had
sponsored GNU begged MDC leaders not to participate in the 2013 elections
without first implement the reforms. The pleas fell on deaf ears. By
participating in these flawed and illegal elections MDC was giving vote rigging
Zanu PF legitimacy and, most infuriating of all, the MDC leaders knew this too.
“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 (2023) elections,” confessed
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.”
Senator Coltart was an MDC Ncube minister in the GNU and
right now he is the Treasurer General in Nelson Chamisa CCC party.
MDC participated in the 2013 elections knowing fully well
Zanu PF was rigging and that participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy for the
same reasons they had failed to implement even one reform during the GNU –
incompetence and greed.
Four of the main MDC factions plus three other opposition
parties did form a coalition, the MDC Alliance (MDC A) with Nelson Chamisa as
the leader, just before the 2018 elections. MDC A participated in that year’s
elections knowing, as before that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and
participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy. They participate for the same
reasons – incompetence and greed.
The ordinary Zimbabweans had risked life and limb to elect
MDC leaders into power on the understanding the party would implement the
democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. During the GNU, Robert Mugabe
bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office and with their snouts
in the feeding they forgot about the reforms.
Ever since the GNU debacle MDC leaders have accepted they
wasted the golden opportunity to implement reforms and have settled for
participating in the flawed elections for whatever Zanu PF gives away to entice
them.
Norway must be aware that the European Union sent a 246 strong
Zimbabwe 2018 Election Observer Mission. The final report condemned the
election process for “failing to meet international standard”! The country had
failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s
sake. The final report gave a comprehensive list of reforms Zimbabwe was to
implement before the 2023 elections.
Germany MEP Elmar Brok, chief of the 2018 EU Election
Observer Mission, has just been in Zimbabwe to review progress on implemented
reforms. Not even one of the reforms has been fully implemented. Not even one!
The primary reason why Zanu PF has continued to ignore calls
to implement meaningful democratic reforms is self-evident – as long as the party
is assured of opposition participating in the flawed election to give it
legitimacy. Why, indeed, would Zanu PF risk losing power by implementing
reforms when the party does not have to!
By bankrolling CCC’s political activities there is no
pressure on Chamisa and company to stop participating in the flawed elections
for whatever share of the spoils of power the party can get from Zanu PF and
continue selling out on reforms and free elections.
It is the ordinary Zimbabwean who is the loser here. There
is no hope of getting out of the political and economic mess the country is in
since the nation is stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime
getting its legitimacy from opportunistic opposition bankrolled by the
Norwegians!
The most rational outcome for the long suffering people of
Zimbabwe is to have the flawed and illegal 2023 elections declared null and
void and deny Zanu PF the legitimacy. This will create the opportunity to
appoint a new GNU. Only this time, competent men and women will be appointed to
implement the democratic reforms and thus end Zimbabwe’s curse of rigged
elections and bad governance.
By bankrolling CCC’s continued participation in flawed
elections, so flawed there is not even a verified voters’ roll, is Norway insinuating
these are the highest electoral standard Zimbabwe will ever attain and should
not even be encouraged to aspire for anything more? Well, some of us, find that
very patronising, to say the least!
Professor Jonathan Moyo said, "Any political party that is funded or capacitated by any foreign government to contest elections or grab political power is by definition treacherous, and ipso facto an enemy of the people!"
ReplyDeleteWas Zanu and Zapu not funded by China and Russia respectively during the struggle for independence; I don't remember you ever calling the two parties enemies of the people?
You have supported CCC and Chamisa until now, the Norwegian are offering to fund the party and suddenly the party is public enemy! What a truck load of bull!
“Missed opportunities and neglected advantages is the cost of bad leadership. We must fix it! A New Great Zimbabwe is loading,” said Chamisa.
ReplyDeleteThe failure to implement even one reform during the GNU was one of the worst cases of missed opportunity in Zimbabwe's history and it is tragic that those involved in the debacle don't even realise their failure. The country is being dragged into the 2023 elections with not one reform implemented only to give Zanu PF electoral victory and political legitimacy.
Chamisa and company are refusing to accept that Zanu PF is rigging these elections, the party is spoilt for choice as to how the party will rig the process. It is only when the election results are out that Chamisa and company will finally acknowledge the elections were rigged. He will make a big farce about it and threaten to deny Zanu PF legitimacy when CCC's participation has already given Zanu PF legitimacy.
"A new great Zimbabwe is load!" After 22 years in power what changes has MDC/CCC brought? Not even one and yet we are expected to believe great things are coming when you could not even deliver even one token reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU!
The people of Zimbabwe must wake up to the political reality that MDC/CCC leaders are corrupt and incompetent and will never deliver anything of substance.
This is just a never ending cycle fighting to stop a regime hell bent on doing as it damn well pleases. The truth is we are losing this battle and as long as Zanu PF has the carte blanche powers to rig elections nothing of substance will change!
ReplyDeleteThe delimitation of constituencies, wards and other electoral boundaries for elections over the next decade, including the 2023 harmonised elections, will begin next Wednesday, running through to December 31, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba has said.
ReplyDeleteJustice Chigumba announced the dates in General Notice 1147B of 2022 cited as the Delimitation of Constituencies, wards and other electoral boundaries.
Nelson Chamisa, “Change Champion in Chief” as he calls himself, flag ship “winning in rigged elections (wire)” strategy was to have 6 million new voters to register and the, come elections day, to vote. ZEC has revealed that only 250 000 new voters country wide have registered. This is 4% of his 6 million target! Chamisa is just full of hot air, none of his strategies will stop Zanu PF rigging these elections and by participating CCC is giving Zanu PF legitimacy.
It is tragic that in this day and age Zimbabweans are still grappling with the simple task of how to hold free, fair and credible elections! Indeed, thanks to the brain-dead MDC/CCC leaders, the nation has given up on implementing democratic reforms to ensure free and fair elections in favour of the oxymoronic wire strategies! What can I say, we are a nation of morons alright!
Zanu PF in Masvingo is bussing people and getting them IDs at midnight.
ReplyDeleteMasvingo Mirror witnessed a Mutendi High School bus curiously parked outside the registry office in Masvingo at midnight.
A Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) vehicle is parked behind the bus, and the officer closely monitors the situation in-between trips to and from his office.
Masvingo District Development Co-ordinator (DDC), Ray Hove arrives in his Silver Toyota Fortuner and briefly chats to the man from the President’s Office and drives off.
Mirror chief cameraman eventually sneaks in and joins the process.
It emerges that the school bus is on a political mission. The passengers are actually Zanu PF supporters brought in from Masvingo North, a constituency run by Bishop Mutendi’s son-in-law Davis Marapira who is also a Minister in the President’s office.
The Mirror cameramen observes as the passengers, young and old are shuffled from one office to another as they start by getting pictures taken and then proceed to the birth certificates and IDs.
The passengers are getting instant birth-certificates, then IDs and they are added onto the 2023 voters’ roll. It’s a business class treatment for a process that currently takes up to a year for one to complete.
All is done in a matter of hours.
Sources in Zanu PF said the clandestine issuance of IDs and registration of voters is just a tip of the iceberg. In Gutu Senator Lovemore Matuke and his MPs including Winston Chitando and Yeukai Simbanegavi are doing it on a grand scale.
The process went on until about 12 mid-night, however it is clearly written on the gate that the registrar’s office operates from 8am- 4:30pm.
There are so many ways for Zanu PF to rig the elections, the party controls all aspects of the voting process, it is party operatives who are running the whole show, and therefore they will do whatever they want to ensure a Zanu PF electoral victory.
The nation had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms which would have ended Zanu PF’s control of ZEC, Police, etc. during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Alas not even one token reform was implemented because Robert Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends with the trappings of high office and, with their snouts in the feeding trough, they forgot about the reforms for five years!
Ever since the GNU debacle MDC/CCC leaders have abandoned implementing reforms in favour of “winning in rigged elections (wire)” strategies. The tragedy is the country’s ignorant and naïve electorate has been conned into believing the oxymoronic nonsense. God knows how long it will take for the penny to finally drop so the country can then go back to implementing reforms! Ignorance is a curse worse than death!