Simba Chikanza’s Zimeye expose “The Dark Side Of Hopewell
Chin’ono: Serious Frauds Destroying Zimbabwe Forever” have shattered the
naivety of assuming political advisers like Chin’ono are innocent and that opposition
leaders like Chamisa still committed to the common cause of implementing
reforms and free elections!!!!
“It is so easy to pontificate whilst you are doing nothing
on the ground.
1. Most businesses are owned or controlled by people with
ZANUPF links, Meikles, Pick and Pay etc.
2. Provide me with the evidence that Mnangagwa owns
@HotplateGrillh1 so we know.”
Chikanza quoted a Hopewell Chin’ono 15 March, 2022 tweet.
Chin’ono was replying FoxLion2028 who was questioning the political wisdom of
CCC receiving a very generous donation from a known Zanu PF insider.
“Dude I have no time for silly arguments.
@CCCZimbabwe needs the US$150 000 for by election,” continued
Chin’ono.
It turned out that the owner of Hot Plate Grill, a Mr Benson
Muneri, was very close confidant of the First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa. A few
months before the above incident Mr Muneri had called Simba Chikanza warning
him against asking her ‘hard questions’. Interestingly, the following day,
Hopewell Chino’no called too over the same matter, accusing him of “blackmailing”
the First Lady.
Hopewell Chin'ono became a darling of the nation when he
exposed the alleged US$60m Covid-19 procurement fraud within the health
ministry. The Minister of Health, Obadiah Moyo, was sacked.
It is common for Zanu PF leaders to use corruption or some
such charges to punish one of their own. It is widely believed that the 1980s Willowvale
Motor Scandal, commonly known as “Willowgate”, for example was used to weed out
some Zanu PF leaders whilst others were left untouched. Minister Moyo has arrested
but released without even spending single night in prison.
Chin’ono has since taken up many other human rights clauses
like the collapse of the nation’s health care services and blames the
government for the collapse.
Hopewell Chin’ono, together with the late Alex Magaisa and
Professor Jonathan Moyo (before he fell out with Chamisa) have been the
self-appointed principal advisers to country’s opposition leaders and Nelson
Chamisa in particular. Chin’ono must have raised millions of dollars for CCC
since the party’s launch in January this year.
Chin’ono was arrested a few months after his corruption
story came out and spent several weeks in prison before the case was dismissed
by the courts. He has since been arrested and jailed on what many believe are
frivolous charges and punishment for being a critic of the Zanu PF regime.
It is a real surprise therefore that Hopewell Chin’ono should
turn out to be a close confidant of Zimbabwe’s First Lady and would have another
First Lady confidant and “Mnangagwa clan” member, as Foxlion2028 called Muneri,
bankroll CCC’s political activities!
“Is Chin’ono truly working in favour of the opposition to
help it win, or it’s all a counterintelligence operation?” asked Simba
Chikanza.
This is a very logical question, indeed, long overdue; given
the countless surprise decisions the country’s opposition has made. The insistence
by the opposition on participating in these flawed elections knowing fully well
that Zanu PF was blatantly rigging the process, the opposition would never ever
win, and that by participating the opposition would only give Zanu PF
legitimacy.
The alternative to participating in the flawed and illegal
elections was to demand the implementation of reforms before elections. Decades
of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption by this Zanu PF dictatorship has
left the country is economic ruins “Mugabe would lose the elections to a
donkey, if the elections were free and fair” Professor Moyo commented in 2008.
Indeed, during the 2008 to 2013 MDC had the golden
opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF
dictatorship. They failed to implement even one token reform and we know why!
Robert Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office, the ministerial
limos, the very generous salaries and allowance, a US$4 million mansion for
Tsvangirai, etc. And with their snouts in the feeding trough, they forgot about
the reforms.
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC people have
learnt to enjoy the trappings of gravy train, they will never rock the boat!)
boasted Zanu PF cronies when asked why MDC leaders were not implementing the
reforms.
It should be noted that the late Alex Magaisa was Morgan
Tsvangirai’s chief adviser during the later part of the GNU. There is nothing
Magaisa has ever said to suggest he was disappointed MDC wasted the golden
opportunity to implement the reforms; on the contrary, he boasted of his
achievements then. Both Chin’ono and Professor Moyo had nothing but praise for
the late Dr Magaisa’s contribution during the GNU.
It is inconceivable that these two gentlemen would have
failed to enormity of MDC’s failure to implement even one democratic reform in
our fight to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. For Pete’s sake, the primary task of
the GNU was to implement the democratic reforms. But of course, if you are a
Zanu PF crony of double agent, the number one task was to make sure not even
one token reform was implemented.
The number one task for the Zanu PF cronies and double agent
since the GNU is to make sure the opposition participate in these flawed and
illegal elections by giving them foolish advice and, of course, bribing them.
The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elected
MDC leaders into power on the understanding the party will implement the
democratic changes necessary to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. After 22 years, 5
of which in the GNU, MDC/CCC has failed to implement even one token reform.
Indeed, since the GNU debacle MDC/CCC leaders have resigned to participating in
flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy in return for a share of the spoils
of power.
It is a common mistake to view opposition as the equal
victims, together with the ordinary people, of the country’s rigged elections.
Nelson Chamisa made a big song and dance of how Mnangagwa rigged the 2018
elections but that will not stop Chamisa and his CCC friends participating in
the 2023 elections with no reforms to stop another rigged elections because they
are after the 1/3 or so gravy train seats on offer.
Of course, Chamisa and company would love to have a lot more
of the spoils, still they are doing infinitely better than the ordinary people
who life is hell-on-earth under this corrupt and oppressive Zanu PF
dictatorship.
“Is Chin’ono and Chamisa truly working for the long
suffering ordinary Zimbabweans or are they Zanu PF double agents masquerading
as opposition adviser and politician respectively?” to paraphrase Simba
Chikanza.
CONTROVERSIAL Catholic Diocese of Chinhoyi cleric, Bishop Raymond Mpandasekwa, has once again taken aim at President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his administration's alleged misrule characterised by violence, injustice and bloodshed.
ReplyDeleteThe man-of-the-cloth has in previous years courted the ire of State security agents over his hard stance against corrupt, evil and self-serving leadership.
In an audio recording of his recent Sunday sermon posted on Facebook, Mpandasekwa, among other ills, laments wanton killing of Mnangagwa's opponents and attempts to militarise the medical profession following years of discontent by doctors and nurses demanding improved working conditions.
There is no denying that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends sold out big time by failing to implement even one meaningful reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. SADC leaders, notably SA’s Lindiwe Zulu had worked hard to get the reforms implemented and therefore were very disappointed by the MDC betrayal.
SADC leaders have responded to MDC’s betrayal by ignoring them. When Tsvangirai complained of Zanu PF “stealing the 2013 elections” SADC declared the process “substantially free and fair” and granted Zanu PF legitimacy. The question that must be asked is how long is SADC going to punish the people of Zimbabwe for the sin s of MDC sell outs?
Bishop Mpandasekwa is talking of the suffering ordinary Zimbabweans are enduring under the Zanu PF dictatorship – it is a fact that by granting the regime legitimacy SADC is perpetuating the dictatorship.
As election observers, SADC is expected to judge the process on the basis of the evidence. How can an election in which there is no verified voters’ roll, where 3 million in the diaspora or 37% of the potential voters are denied the vote, millions of the rural voters are frog marched to vote for a particular party, etc. be “substantially free and fair”! As much as SADC would like to give MDC the middle finger salute, the reality is it is ordinary Zimbabweans who are suffering the most from granting Zanu PF legitimacy. This has to stop!
Professor Jonathan Moyo said:
ReplyDeleteAs electoral reform experiences around Africa show, serious opposition political players seek meaningful electoral reforms the day after the last election when they have five years to spare; and not the day before the next election, when they have squandered five years!
Seeking electoral reforms when, after participating in the last election, you hibernate; say and do nothing about election reforms only to wake up on the eve of the next election with cacophonic calls for electoral reforms; smacks of political cynicism and gross incompetence.
Calls for electoral reforms should not be a desperate substitute for an election manifesto based on sound values, ideology, constitution and policy alternatives pursued by a political structure with a demonstrable capacity to govern and improve people’s lives and livelihoods.
Every few weeks Nelson Chamisa comes up with an announcement to reassure his followers that CCC is going to win the elections.
Ever since MDC failed to implement even one democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, Chamisa has pushed the narrative the party has “winning in rigged elections (WIRE)” strategies. The flag ship WIRE strategy was mass voter registration followed by mass voting. As of 30 May 2022, four years out of the five to register, ZEC has revealed that only 250 000 new voters had registered; this is 4% of the CCC’s 6 million target! In other words, mass voter registration is dead in the water!
Many other similar hare-brain WIRE strategies have been announced and have all one after another proven to be unworkable!
Everyone knows that the CCC is hell bent on participating in these flawed elections with or without even one reform is implemented. So, if you do not expect the reforms to be implemented when you announce the reform proposals is academic and irrelevant!
In a quest to crank the heat on President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government to implement electoral reforms, the new opposition party Thursday launched an electoral reform blueprint dubbed Pre-Election Pact on Electoral Reforms (PREPARE).
ReplyDeleteThe document, among others, demands universal suffrage allowing the right to vote, credibility of the voters roll, real time and credible results and transmission system. It also calls for integrity of election processes, political freedoms, media access, security of the vote and the voter.
Speaking at the launch event, Chamisa said it was high time the nation shifted from contested plebiscites to dialogue and engagement premised on the seven points, which anchor their demands.
"Since 1980 credible and undisputed elections have been a pipe dream in Zimbabwe. People have not been able to choose their own leaders," said Chamisa.
"This is what we need to correct, this is what we need to remedy. Indeed, the history of disputed elections is a common story within the region and the continent. Zimbabwe is known for testimony of elections that are disputed, that is part of what we need to resolve."
This is just the usually political grandstanding and silver back gorilla postering by CCC. Everyone especially Zanu PF knows the anthropoid apes will participate in the 2023 elections with not even a token reform in place.
During the 2008 to 2013 GNU, it was within MDC/CCC’s own power to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free and fair elections. They did not have to ask Zanu PF to do it as they are doing now. They failed to get even one meaningful reform implemented in five years. Not one!
Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office; the ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. With the snout in the feeding trough, MDC leaders forgot about the reforms.
Zanu PF needs the opposition to participate in these flawed and illegal elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy. And Zanu PF is bribing the opposition to participate with a few gravy train seats and POLAD treats. The silver back gorillas like to remonstrate, demanding reforms, and make empty threats before settling down to feast on the leaves and sour apples!
Chamisa and company are hell bent on participating I these elections with not even a token reform in place. They are paid to participate just as they were paid to do nothing about reforms during the GNU.
The real big surprise here is that many ordinary Zimbabweans have yet to cotton on to the reality that CCC has long given up the fight for reforms and free elections and are the ones keeping Zanu PF in power in return a share of the spoils of power.
ReplyDeleteWilbert Mukori
What is the use of an manifesto when elections are rigged and thus who forms the next government is decided by the electorte but those with the carte blanche powers to rig?
Former Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede’s circulating picture in which he look frail has set social media ablaze with Zimbabweans warning each other against going out of way to serve the ruling Zanu PF as it has the potential to forget you once you no longer serve its interests.
ReplyDeleteAt the height of his power, Mudede used to run the country’s elections before the setting up of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
Shumba yahonda! Tobaiwa Mudede played his part in the creation and retention of the de facto Zanu PF dictatorship by making sure the regime rigged elections. Mudede has managed to retain some of the loot amassed during his hay-day other Zanu PF apologists have not been so luck, they are as poor as the rest of us.
I questioned Mudede on the large number of postal votes that helped the late Simon Muzenda defeat Patrick Kombayi in the 1990 elections. He went to town explaining the postal vote system but never explained Gweru urban’s 5 000 plus postal votes! Does he now regret his part in creating this Zanu PF monster, I wonder!!!!!
Justice Chigumba and her ZEC team have taken over from Mudede and they are doing their bit to rig elections and keep Zanu PF in power. Some one should send Mai Chigumba a photo of Shumba yahonda; Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation has not spared even those who thought themselves untouchable!
A few political watchers would be perplexed. A good number have been caught unawares, and will read the piece with disbelief, regarding this latest turn of events as remarkably inconsistent with the persona of ebullient bellicosity Chamisa has always worn.
ReplyDeleteIn that mental mould, they are forgiven for expecting either of the following in coming days: a press release from Mahere distancing Chamisa from the Daily News article; or further pronouncements reinforcing this volte face!
But watchers are precisely that: outsiders peeping in and piecing together shards and bits. Science tells us images seen through a pinhole camera are always inverted; those seen through lenses of binoculars appear, nearer, larger, than they really are.
But privileged insiders take a languid, unhurried gaze, even adding a telling smirk at the game playing yonder. About that let me not say more, lest I breach oaths I am sworn to.
The people of Zimbabwe risked life and limb to elect MDC/CCC for express purpose of bringing about democratic changes necessary to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. After 22 years, 5 of which in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, MDC/CCC have delivered not even one democratic change. Why?
The truth is MDC leaders had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms but failed to because Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office and the rest is history. And since the GNU debacle, MDC leaders have all but given up on reforms and free elections; they are participating in these flawed elections giving Zanu PF legitimacy in return for a share of the spoils of power.
Nelson Chamisa and his CCC colleagues are corrupt and incompetent, breathtakingly so!
The ordinary Zimbabweans have been super-slow in realising that MDC/CCC have sold out they will never bring up the democratic changes the nation has been dying for all these years!
The truth is; after 22 years of bluffing, talking about democratic change and delivering nothing, it is now becoming difficult to keep up the bluff. Chamisa and company are now promising to do everything to deliver democratic change from getting Zanu PF to implement reforms, on one extreme, to getting SADC, AU and UN to take ownership of the flawed election process. Of course, neither of these idiotic options will ever happen.
THE ruling Zanu-PF political party has issued a directive compelling top party leaders to make contributions of varying amounts ahead of the 7th National Congress, which has been thrown into jeopardy following a legitimacy challenge against President Emmerson Mnangagwa kicking off today.
ReplyDeleteThe event, largely convened to endorse Mnangagwa as the party's sole candidate in next year's presidential polls, comes against the backdrop of a failing economy, which has not spared the financially distressed Zanu-PF.
The congress is scheduled to take place from October 26 to 29, 2022.
A leaked memorandum from Zanu-PF Mashonaland West Province dated August 3, 2022 confirms the outfit's plans to internally generate funds.
"According to a memo dated 22 August 2022 from the National Secretary for Finance PB P Chinamasa, all party leadership should make individual contributions towards the 7th National People's Congress. The Politburo members must pay directly into the Headquarters Account.
"The payments shall be in US$ or the equivalent at prevailing Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe auction rate at the time of payment. Point of sale machines will be available at all party district offices," says the directive in part.
Accordingly, a Politburo member is expected to pay ZW$100 000 or its official exchange rate equivalency in US$, deputy Politburo members will be obliged to pay ZW$50 000, Central Committee member ZW$20 000, National Consultative Assembly member ZW$10 000.
When Mnangagwa took over from the late Robert Mugabe following the 2017 coup and launched his “Zimbabwe is open for business!”; he was cocksure Zimbabwe’s economy was going to take off like a rocket. The economy did not take off and no one was spared including the Zanu PF ruling elite and they know it. They are all paying the price of Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” lead balloon!
@ Arthur Mntungwa
ReplyDelete“ZANU never learns. Ever since it's formation in 1963, it's leadership changes have never been democratic. Violence is always involved. Why can't they learn from the ANC?”
Zanu PF is a party of ruthless thugs to expect them to be democrats is to expect too much! A hyena will never be a goat!
As cracks continue to widen in the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), one of the party's key advisors, who is also University of Zimbabwe lecturer, Dr Pedzisayi Ruhanya has warned that CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa, was fast precipitating into a dictator.
ReplyDeleteAdding that Chamisa's "machiavellain politics" were contradictory to democratic principles.
Ruhanya further bemoaned that the main opposition under Chamisa had lost the collective values of the MDC of the late Morgan Tsvangirai.
In a hard hitting thread Ruhanya tweeted: "Decisions in politics make sense when they are collective and reflect the will of people politicians represent. When you find yourself thinking you know everything, you can dribble and hurt everyone and that only your ideas matter then you are precipitating into dictatorship.
"Machiavellian politics don't work in the modern age because they are contradictory to democratic principles. You can't be Machiavelli and a democrat at the same time, it's contradictory, it's oxymoronic, it's an aberration!
"Differences are not bad for democracy, they nourish democratic practices. In politics don't expect to be surrounded by friends. Even in church differences occur but what makes the church an enduring institution is the capacity of the leaders to manage differences institutionally."
He added: "I represent myself and myself only. I don't speak on behalf of anyone but Pedzisai. Don't associate myself with things I don't know. I love my independence. I can't survive an hour in any political party because I am allergic to stupid things. I can never say Fanta is Coke because a particular leadership says so!"
Adding his voice, London based political and economic analyst, Birghton Musonza tweeted: "Going into an national election without Congress and structures it means anything you pledge to deliver is not a shared vision; it's desktop fiction that has not been debated or let alone tested for validation and verification. You are imposing your views and so you're a dictator."
It has been long in coming but better late than never! The penny has finally dropped – a few more Zimbabweans are admitting that Chamisa is all foam and no substance. The people are desperate for change and in their desperation, many have started to see what they want to see instead of seeing what is there.
CCC supporters have been calling Chamisa, “Change Champion in Chief!” MDC has failed to bring about even one change in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. And so, the claim that Chamisa was the champion of change is downright stupid.
By insisting on participating in these flawed elections CCC is not just selling out on reforms and forfeiting the chance to deliver change but worse still – it is giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. More and more Zimbabweans are finally waking up to this political reality!
HARARE: Sixty-two percent of employed people in Zimbabwe were earning approximately Z$20 000 in April 2022, the latest figures released on Monday by Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) show.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Zimstat’s second quarter labour force survey, 62% of employed people in the southern African country earned Z$20 000, which equates to US$51 using the parallel market exchange rate of $390 per greenback and US$125.51 using the end of April 2022 official exchange rate of Z$159.34 per US dollar.
This is the economic reality on the ground which is at odds with Zanu PF’s propaganda Vision 2030 in which Zimbabwe with be an upper middle-income nation.
“Upper-middle-income economies those with a GNI per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method, of more than $4,125. but less than $12,736.” Google search said.
So, the 62% earning US$612 are going to close the gap to earn US$ 4 125 in eight years!
The situation in Zimbabwe is in fact more grime since the 62% is based on the 10% or so lucky enough to be in formal employment. Unemployment is 90%; the overwhelming majority of our people are rural peasants eking a living from the land or they are vendors, their urban cousin!
In the first decade of our independence Robert Mugabe talked of mass prosperity, “Gutsa ruzhinji!” and never tired. By the middle of the 1990s people realised Zanu PF had delivered mass poverty instead. Vision 2030 is just a mirage by star light, not even the dumbest of village idiots believe in such nonsense!