Zimbabwe’s Catholic Bishops renew their call for the country’s
political leaders to hold dialogue.
“If, as Catholic social teaching says, the value of polices
is assessed by how they impact the poor then one can safely say that our
political and economic policies have failed. There is so much dehumanizing
poverty and despair among our people. In order to overcome our socio-political
and economic challenges there is need for a meaningful inclusive dialogue in
the country. If there is a lesson from our synodal journey it is precisely that
we cannot go it alone” wrote the Bishops in their latest Pastoral Letter.
“No single political party has all the answers hence the
importance of listening to each other as we journey together.”
Zimbabweans have become masters in the art of talking about
trivial matters, repeatedly as in this case, just to avoid talking about the elephant
in the room. “Kuroimbwa waka vinga mupini!” as one would say in Shona.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political trials and
tribulation and the heart-breaking human misery they have caused is the failure
to hold free, fair and credible elections. We have a regime, Zanu PF thugs, that
believes it has the divine right to rule the country and so for the last 42 years
and counting has ridden roughshod on the people, denying them their freedoms and
rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life.
Many have dialogued with the regime reminding it of its duty
and responsibility to uphold the laws of the land and respect the freedoms and
rights of all Zimbabweans. The message has gone one ear and out the other!
If these Catholic Bishops are serious about end Zimbabwe’s
curse of rigged elections and bad governance then they must join SADC, the EU and
many others who have been demanding the implementation of democratic reforms,
the prerequisite for free and fair elections. And stop wasting time calling for
dialogue.
Dialogue on what? What is there new that has not been said
these last 42 years? Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies will happily hold these synodal
dialogues to the end of time as long as the party retains its iron grip on
power.
Millions of Zimbabweans are living in abject poverty the nation
is standing on the edge of the precipitous abyss. Zimbabwe must deal with the
problem of rigged elections and bad governance head-on
Zanu PF has rigged elections in the past and is set to rig
the 2023 elections. The regime must be told in no uncertain terms that this is
not acceptable and must stop!
If the Bishop don’t want to speak the truth to power then
they “must say nothing”, as the Prophet Daniel aptly put it!
“Speaking on Monday during the Breakfast Club, an online programme hosted by CITE, Lovemore Moyo, who was the Speaker of Parliament during the GNU era, said:
ReplyDeleteIn fact, you may recall the politics towards the final days of the former president Tsvangirai that the character of our politics changed dramatically to a level where it became apparent that it was more driven by tribalism than the need to develop an opposition that is ready to govern.
You may recall the appointments of the two vice presidents or deputy presidents, whatsoever you call it, also was an indication that tribalism was now at play.
History will say that MDC sold out big time in failing to implement even one meaningful reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Lovemore Moyo as a senior member of MDC must be ashamed of their part in this treasonous betrayal of the nation. The very fact that he is wittering on about the internal MDC fight for power shows he really has no clue what MDC’s primary task was, even now with the benefit of hindsight. None!
@ Nkosini Tshuma
ReplyDelete“Only a Ndebele President can solve this Zimbabwe mess, period.”
We should elect leaders on the basis of the individual’s ability and not race, gender, tribe, etc. Of course, it is disappointing that there are still some people out there who have yet to learn this simple reality. No wonder the country is in a real mess!
Madhuku described as "ignorant bliss" those condemning the appointment.
ReplyDelete"We have always pointed out that the current constitution of Zimbabwe is very defective, and very undemocratic in some respects and that respect might be related to who should appoint commissioners," Madhuku said in an interview with HSTV.
"Here the president didn't do anything wrong, he exercised his discretion which he is given by the Constitution and once you give a president discretion there must be limited room for complaining in respect of how that discretion has been exercised. It can be right or wrong.
"So, it doesn't matter who becomes the president as long as you have a system where commissioners are appointed by the president, even good commissioners would be condemned as long as they are seen in some political circles as being aligned to the president.
"Our urgent need in future is to change the constitution and provide a framework where we do not involve the president in the appointment of at least this one commission called the electoral commission."
So, Madhuku is participating in an election process knowing it is flawed and will never be free and fair because, like everyone in the opposition camp, he knows that Zanu PF is giving away a few gravy train seats as bait. By giving away the POLAD benefits to all the opposition presidential candidate who publicly endorse him as the winner, Mnangagwa has only made the bait irresistible.
Everyone in the opposition camp will participate in the 2023 elections regardless of the evidence Zanu PF is rigging.
Zulu, who is also chairperson of the ruling African National Congress (ANC)'s international relations subcommittee, made the call on Monday during a discussion on party policy documents.
ReplyDeleteHer remarks came as Pretoria has given Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs) holders up to December to regularise their stay under new tougher conditions, which have been largely seen as a deliberate ploy to cut the number of expatriates in that country.
Pretoria has said the ZEP permits will not be renewed beyond December.
An estimated 180 000 Zimbabweans could be affected by a decision not to renew the ZEP permits as statistics show that less than 3% of this group had applied to regularise their stay by the end of last month.
ZEPs were introduced in 2009.
South Africa has been tightening screws on Zimbabwean immigrants and other foreign nationals.
There is also a growing chorus from pressure groups in that country to have foreign immigrants deported.
There are no exact statistics on the number of documented and undocumented Zimbabwean immigrants in the neighbouring country, but estimates put the figure at just over three million.
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the country has been stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and lawless regime for 42 years and counting. The nation had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and dismantle the dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.
Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were tasked to implement the reforms sold out and failed to implement even one reform. Worse still, the banded mongooses having been participating in flawed elections giving the process credibility. And Sadc, to add insult to injury, has been endorsing the rigged elections giving Zanu PF legitimacy.
Yes, Zimbabweans have only themselves to blame for wasting the GNU golden opportunity to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Still, Sadc leaders, especially South Africa’s ANC leaders owe the people of Zimbabwe an explanation why they been giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.
Whilst ANC leaders are tightening the screws to stop Zimbabwe refugees one hopes they will end their shameless hypocrisy of endorsing Zimbabwe’s rigged elections. Zimbabwe is not going to get out of this economic and political mess as long as Zanu PF knows it can rig elections and get legitimacy from Sadc!
"Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that, as of 18th July 2022, a total of 6,346,598 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, while 4,698,444 people had received their second dose, and 916,459 their third dose," said Muswere.
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe has a population of more than 14 million people.
"This translates to national coverage of 56.4 percent compared to the 56.3 percent recorded the previous week. The government will therefore continue to intensify vaccination activities in order to bridge the gap between the 1st and 2nd dose coverage as well as reach herd immunity before year-end," said Muswere.
"Emphasis will continue to be placed on risk communication and community engagement to increase vaccination uptake," Muswere said.
Zimbabwe has to date recorded 256,137 COVID-19 cases, with 250,059 recoveries and 5,568 deaths. The recovery rate is at 98 percent as the overall number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decrease.
Zimbabwe’s official covid 19 figures are wholly unreliable because the regime has never ever followed the common sense guidelines for testing, tracking and tracing. Zimbabwe with a population ¼ that of South Africa will have ¼ as many cases and deaths.
South Africa has 4 000 894 covid 19 cases and 101 880 deaths. Zimbabwe’s figures should be 1 million cases and 25 000 deaths which is ¼ and 1/5 respectively of the official figure! Indeed by falsifying the truth the regime would only be helping the virus spread and thus making the situation even worse!
Nelson Chamisa and company have participated in the elections knowing fully well ZEC has failed to produce a verified voters’ roll and many more glaring flaws and illegalities. Zanu PF will never implement any meaningful reforms because the party knows MDC/CCC will participate no matter how flawed the process and give Zanu PF legitimacy.
ReplyDeleteTalk of any independent ZEC we will never have such a body as long as we have corrupt and incompetent opposition. We need an independent opposition not the current lot who are in Zanu PF's deep pockets
In a typical style, Chamisa responded the user, @Jawachawa who had implored on him to 'come out clean on sanctions', posting:
ReplyDelete"Sanctions must go yesterday".
The sanctions were imposed to achieve the greater good of forcing the Zanu PF thugs to accept the democratic reforms designed to end the blatant denial of the individual freedoms and rights. The regime has come up with the false narrative blaming the country’s economic and political mess on sanctions when the true cause is the decades of corruption and gross mismanagement.
To bow down to Zanu PF propaganda and blame sanction for the country’s mess is itself clear sign of just how feeble and indecisive Chamisa is. Not that we are surprised with his dithering, after all he has done a lot worse such as failing to implement even one token reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU!
Sanctions must stay as long as there are no reforms and free and fair election! It does matter how much the wind howls, the mountain will never bow down to it!