“EU turns to Zanu-PF as prospects of opposition govt fades” - disappointing but only have ourselves to blame for this P Guramatunhu

“EU turns to Zanu-PF as prospects of opposition govt fades” screamed the headlines in Bulawayo24. Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean out there must be disappointed the EU has given up the fight end the Zanu PF dictatorship article. The re-engagement is taking place on the ever of the 2023 elections which Zanu PF was rigging and will therefore take the EU’s willingness to do business regardless of the regime’s failure to hold free and fair elections as a green light to rig 2023 elections!

"Particularly noteworthy is the remarkable diplomatic warmth now between us and the European Union (EU), achieved in so short a time (since the 2017 military coup),” the article quoted Mnangagwa’s letter in The Sunday Mail.

"Only last week, the EU bloc launched its ‘Team Europe', a new rubric under which the 27 countries comprising the bloc will coordinate and consolidate relations with us, this time through Government, and in line with, and in support of our priorities under Government's National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

"This is the first time that the EU has disbursed directly to Zimbabwe through structures of our Government.

"All along, relations were being conducted asymmetrically and unconventionally through non-governmental organisations.”

This very disappointing but comes as no surprise to any thinking Zimbabwean out there. Lest the EU has forgotten the sanctions were imposed on the Zanu PF regime for failing to hold free and fair elections. The regime has failed to hold free elections as the 2018 elections showed. The 246 man-strong EU Election Observer Mission condemned Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections.

“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,” reads the EU Mission final report.

“Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. 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.”

The MEU mission made 23 recommendations the Zanu PF regime was asked to implement to bring Zimbabwe’s elections to accepted international standards. Not even one of the recommendations has been implemented. Not one!

The last thing for anyone to do is to ease pressure on this Zanu PF regime to hold free and fair elections. And yet that is exactly what the EU is doing; first by lifting the economic sanctions imposed on the regime and now by normalising relationship with the regime. No wonder President Mnangagwa is over the moon about it!

The timing for the EU to be welcoming the Zanu PF regime could not have been worse than doing on the eve of fresh elections which we already know Zanu PF is rigging already. There is overwhelming evidence that Zanu PF is rigging the upcoming 2023 elections; failure to implement even one EU reform recommendation, no verified voters’ roll, soaring cases of Zanu PF political violence, etc.

The EU decision to re-engage with the Zanu PF regime can only one thing, the EU has given up the fight to force Zanu PF to dismantle the corrupt and tyrannical one-party dictatorship because they realise the dismantling will have to be done by Zimbabwe’s opposition and not outsiders. The West imposed the sanctions 20 years ago and the local opposition has failed to implement even one reform in that period.

Like it or not the MDC/CCC has proven beyond all doubt that they are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent. The late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDEC friends had the golden opportunity to implement democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and they wasted it. And ever since the GNU debacle MDC/CCC have participated in flawed elections, ignoring the SADC, EU and others’ advice to implement reforms first, to give Zanu PF legitimacy.

By re-engaging with the vote rigging Zanu PF regime the EU is simply acknowledging a political reality – that there is no competent opposition in Zimbabwe push through democratic changes in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime and the EU might as well accept that reality and normalize its relationship with Zanu PF. 

ZESA has no "usable Kariba Dam water" to generate, pushing power cuts to unfathomed depths - it's time to think W Mukori

 The people of Zimbabwe had their first ZESA loadshedding in 1995. It started with just a few hours once or twice a month power would be switched off. It has got progressively worse and worse and today it is normal to hear customers who have only had power for a few hours in six months or more!

Well brace yourselves Zimbabweans, if you thought you had reached rock bottom and the situation not possibly get any worse, it is going to get a lot worse. You were used to the candlelight suppers and at least there was regular power supply in the hospitals, shops, offices, and other essential services. Not anymore!

 was not  In a statement weekend, ZRA Chief Executive, Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the high-level Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meetings held on November 10 and 25, 2022 held between Zimbabwean and Zambian parties to the Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) for Kariba, had noted a depletion in allocated quota, hence the need to stop operations.

"Please be advised that as of 25th November 2022, Kariba South Bank Power Station had utilised 23,89 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of water, accounting for 1.39 BCM(or 6.16%) above the 2022 water allocation of 22,50BCM,” announced Munyaradzi Munodawafa, CEO of Zambezi River Authority.

"Given that the Kariba Reservoir usable storage currently stands at a paltry 2,98 BCM or 4,60% full, and that ZESCO Limited (of Zambia) still has a positive balance of 2,44BCM (10.82%) as of 25th November 2022, ZPC/KHPC (ZESA) no longer has any usable water to continue undertaking power generation operations at Kariba South Bank Power Station."

The situation will be reviewed in January 2023 and until then Kariba South Power Station generators will be off stream.

The lose of generation at Kariba South is a lot more that a lose of same generation output at Hwange because of the characteristics of units. The water intake, the prime mover of the turbine at Kariba, can be turned on and off in response to the system demands thus making the system stable. Coal which is the fuel in the thermal power station cannot be shoved in and out to increase the power output with the same finesse as the hydro generator.

So one needs at least one unit at Kariba South connected at all times for system stability. And so having all units off line presents serious system stability challenges at the thermal generators themselves are sensitive to demand fluctuation and it one trips the rest often follow. Equipment will malfunction or worse if subjected to big voltage and frequency variations.

What is infuriating about this tragic situation of loadshedding, and power cuts is that it could have been avoided with good management and visionary leadership. Blame for the chaotic situation in the power supply can laid this Zanu PF regime’s door and ZESA managers.  

In 1980, when the country attained her independence, the outgoing Ian Smith government handed over to Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF government the feasibility reports to build Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Station and to add Unit 7 and 8 at Hwange Thermal Power Station. Smith would have started on both projects if it was not for the war of independence.

There is no excuse why today 42 years later the country has not only failed to build Batoka Gorge and/or add the two Units at Hwange but has not added any generation capacity of note. None!

It is not as if the country had no money! The regime has splashed US$ 2 billion on Mugabe’s Blue Roof Mansion. In 2015 Mugabe admitted the country was “swindled” out of US$15 billion in diamond revenue. In 2019 Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Dr John Mangudya revealed that the country was losing US$1.2 billion to gold smugglers every year.

If some of this looted fortune had been invested in building the US$3 billion Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Station, think of the economic benefits to the country. To those who do know, Batoka Gorge is between Victoria Fall and Kariba Dam. The water used to generate power at Batoka Gorge would flow into Kariba Dam and use to generate power.

We would have two Kariba Dam renewable power stations! We have a sprawling Blue Roof mansion, instead. What a criminal waste of resources and we are paying dearly for it.

If operating Hwange Power Station should prove problematic, as pointed out above, then ZESA managers must be fired for landing the nation in this mess. To have used up the country’s water allocation to supply base load when they knew the system needed at least one Kariba Unit running at all times for stability was unforgivable.

As ZESA managers deserve to be fired, a lot worse must be meted out to the Zanu PF regime whose gross mismanagement, rampant corruptions and lawlessness have all but destroyed the nation’s economy and us our freedoms, human rights and dignity. The nation has been stuck with this Zanu PF dictatorship for 42 years because the party rigs elections, denying the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country.

As long as Zanu PF retains its carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig elections, there is nothing the nation can do to end the mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness. Absolutely nothing.

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to take away the dictatorial powers during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, they took their eyes off the ball and failed to implement even one reform. And to add insult to injury, MDC now morphed into CCC have participated in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy for the sake of a few gravy train seats.

We, the people, cannot stop Zanu PF rigging the 2023 elections. Nor can we stop CCC participating in the flawed elections. What we can do is make sure everyone, notably SADC, knows the whole election process is flawed and illegal and that CCC are participating out of greed. CCC has lost political credibility and Zanu PF must be denied political legitimacy.

Deny Zanu PF legitimacy and the country will be forced to have yet another GNU arrangement as happened following the rigged 2008 elections. This time round, we must see to it that the democratic reforms are implemented.

So, whilst you sit in the dark because of these ZESA and Zanu PF instigated power cuts you must think of how to make sure Zanu PF does not get legitimacy after rigging 2023 elections so we can finally implement the reforms. To address the power cuts, the economic meltdown, collapsed education and health services, etc. we must first end Zanu PF’s dictatorial power to rig elections by implementing reforms.

Ncube 2023 budget take 150 years to deliver upper middle income, forget Vision 2030. The maths do not lie! W Mukori

 The Zimbabwe economy has been in decline for the last 42 years, it shrunk staggering 50% in the period 2000 to 2008 alone fuelled by the hyperinflation, that soared to dizzying heights of 500 billion percent, and the collapse of the agricultural sector following the seizure of white own farms to give to Zanu loyalties main. The economy has never recovered.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the lawlessness, exasperated by the failure to hold free and fair elections which has kept Zanu PF in power all these last 42 years. And for that, Zimbabwe has rightfully earned the pariah state tag.

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance has just stagnant economy. Nothing! presented the nation’s Z$4.2 trillion (about US$6.5 billion) 2023 budget most of which is goggled up in wages with very little left to maintain the present infrastructure much less new capital projects. There is nothing in the budget to kick to kick start the

Still, that did not stop Minister Ncube boasting the budget will, “Accelerate Economic Transformation” a term coined by Rodrik as a critical ingredient in generating economic growth that promotes social development and was sustainable, the budget plays a balancing act on pressing national needs and available resources; he explained to the honourable MPs. Never seen so many blank faces!

President Mnangagwa and his Minister Mthuli Ncube insist Zimbabwe is on target to become an upper middle-income nation by 2030, the so-called Vision 2030. Where this is coming from is a complete mystery, the maths simply do not up!  

Zimbabwe’s present GPD per capita income of US$ 1 737 p a

Minister Mthuli Ncube and President Zimbabwe is on target to be upper middle-income nation by 2030, Vision 2030, with an income of US$ 106 – 373 000 p a

Minister Ncube says Zimbabwe economy will grow by 3%

Mathematical calculation:

106 000 = 1 737(1.03) ⁿ

Where n = 150 years which the time it will take to grow an income of US$ 1 737 to US$ 106 000. Vision 2030 says this will be achieved in 8 years not 150 years

As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, the economy will never recover. Never! No national economy can survive much less thrive given such a heavy burden and criminal waste of human and material resources. It is near impossible to do business in such caustic and chaotic environment.  

It is laughable that Minister of Finance makes a big song and dance producing a meaningless budget! He is no more than a doctor content with treating the patient of minor ailments like flu whilst ignoring cancer, the real killer!

49% of our people are now living in abject poverty, basic services such as health care and education have all but collapsed, 60% of our women folk are resorting to prostitution just to survive and 60% of them are HIV positive, etc. Like it or not Zimbabwe is dying!

We all know the cancer killing Zimbabwe is the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. We also know the cure for this political cancer is to implement the democratic reforms and hold free and fair elections.

The nation had its best chance ever to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were given the task to implement the reforms took their eyes off the ball and failed to get even one reform implemented in five years.

What Zimbabwe needs is another chance to implement the democratic reforms and all it will take is to deny the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections, the regime has failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll for Pete’s. How anyone can judge an election in which there was no verified voters’ roll free, fair and credible; beggars belief.

How anyone would be so foolish as to participate in an election process so flawed and illegal there is not even a verified voters’ roll beggars belief. MDC/CCC and their opposition friends have been participating these flawed elections for the same reasons they failed to implement even one reform during the GNU – greed and breath-taking incompetence.

SADC leaders have endorsed Zanu PF rigged elections as “substantially free and fair” and thus granting the regime legitimacy, out of spite to punish MDC for failing to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. It is absurd to punish a whole nation for the iniquities of the few and after a decade of punishment, enough is enough.

If SADC leaders rightly condemn the 2023 rigged elections and deny Zanu PF legitimacy; Zimbabwe will need another GNU. This time we will implement all the democratic reforms, after all it is not rocket science. This time Zimbabwe will take the cure to end the Zanu PF dictatorship.

After four decades of blundering from pillar to post, Zimbabwe is dying to do something right. Well, here is the one thing we can do implement the democratic reforms. All we are asking for is for SADC to stop the madness of granting vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. That surely is not too much to ask! 

"Rascal Moyo is broke and is licking the rogues who tried to kill him." They are luring him back for a wallop. Nomusa Garikai

 

Ever since the day Professor Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao penned off their letter accusing Mnangagwa and company for the 15 November 2017 military coup; many Zimbabweans have had a good laugh at the two rogues’ expense. Of course, the letter was accusation masquerading as an apology, just as the November 2017 was a coup masquerading as a “military assisted transition”! No one was fooled five years ago, and no one was fooled now; this is what making it so hilarious! Zimvigil joined in the funny!  

“In the pantomime now being played out in Zimbabwe, the re-emergence of the notorious rascal Jonathan Moyo comes as a Christmas gift for the Mnangagwa regime. Tired of exile and no doubt running out of money, he is begging to return to Zanu PF moneybags,” wrote Zimvigil in their weekly article.

“Like a grovelling dog, he has been chased away by all factions in Zimbabwe, but needs must so he is licking the fists of the rogues who tried to kill him. Given the shortage of brain cells among the Zanu PF leadership, he will no doubt be allowed to slink back to a Zanu PF kennel.

“The Herald says Moyo and another exile, Patrick Zhuwao, have written an open letter to the party apologising for their ill-fated bid to block Mnangagwa’s election in 2018, explaining that ‘in their tormented state’, they had hopped into bed with the opposition CCC.”

Zanu PF has reportedly accepted the thinly disguised apology.

"This is the most welcome development. I salute the courage and candor coming from the two as penned in their joint letter. This is an endorsement of the sincere and visionary policies and programs espoused by President ED Mnangagwa, our ZANU PF Party leader,” said Chris Mutsvangwa, Zanu PF spokesperson.

"His message and conduct is coming across as he strives to unify the nation and reaches out to the wider world. We say the more the merrier in the all-embracing tent of ZANU PF, the mass party of the Zimbabwe Revolution. All Zimbabweans are equal in their varied capacities and talents. Better we join all our minds and hands in the noble task of building a new Zimbabwe."

Endorsement of Mnangagwa’s “sincere and visionary policies and programs”. Even the two rogues must have laughed their heads off at that one!

As the Zimvigil rightly pointed out the two are broke, the looted wealth salted out of the country is running out. The two know that other Zanu PF thugs, from both Lacoste and G40 faction, are living in total comfort because they still have their position on the top table or have been put to pasture with a golden handshake. The two are hoping they too can be given a golden handshake, at least.  

Of course, the two rogues are aware, as we all are, of Zimbabwe’s deepening economic crisis.  Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was a lead balloon that never took off. Zimbabwe was pariah state during Mugabe’s days; known for the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption, lawlessness and rigged elections. The November 2017 military coup replace the dictator Mugabe with another dictator Mnangagwa; the country remain a pariah state closed to business.

Moyo and Zhuwao inspired by the “sincere and visionary policies and programs!” Yeah right! They are broke; they are not stupid!

Indeed, the worsening economic situation has made Mnangagwa as paranoid as hell; he knows that his failure to revive the Zimbabwe economy has emboldened the G40 leaders, they are itching to get back into power. Mnangagwa is a buffoon and no match for the “devil incarnate” Jonathan Moyo as Mugabe call him. However, the buffoon is ruthless; he will extend a welcome to the two rogues to lure them into a trap! The two will not know what hit them!

Zanu PF thugs did not invent the art of double talk to lure some one in and then wallop!

Following the November 2017 military coup it was Chris Mutsvangwa who assured Morgan Tsvangirai the coup leaders share power with MDC if they supported the coup. They did! Tsvangirai left his South Africa hospital bed in a huff, confident the good times of the 2008 to 2013 GNU were back again.

As soon as Mugabe resigned and the new regime had the international recognition and political legitimacy, Zanu PF dismissed MDC leaders with utter contempt. Tsvangirai died a “disappointed” man, Chamisa latter admitted.

Zanu PF did not invent the art of double talk, “kurova imbwa wakavhinga mupini” as we call it in Shona. They have perfected it! When two seasoned Zanu PF thugs clash, two sevens clash; it is bound to be hilarious as each take the bitter medicine they have dished to us all these years.

There will be no fatted calf slaughtered to welcome Professor Jonathan Moyo and Zhuwao back into Zanu PF. Mnangagwa is not that kind of loving father nor is Moyo that kind of repented son!

“Matsotsi haagerani!” (Crooks will never cut each other’s hair!) as one would say in Shona. There was the coup that was not a coup, followed by an accusation masquerading as an apology and now insincere welcome to lure the dog closer. What next, in this pantomime of errors!!!  

60% Zimbabwean women are now sex workers "to make ends meet". "No one will be left behind!" My foot! P Guramatunhu

 Zimbabwe’s economy has been in decline since the country’s independence in 1980, we have done nothing to stop the rot and the chickens have come home to roost! Everyday there is one or more stories of the tragic human suffering, a consequence of the economic meltdown.

“Zimbabwe has recorded an increase in commercial sex workers, with Harare adjudged to be the biggest red-light district, a new survey by the National Aids Council (Nac), Health and Child Care ministry and the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network has revealed,” reported Bulawayo 24.

“A recent survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) revealed that 59,6% of women in the country were unemployed and many of them were apparently turning to commercial sex work to make ends meet, according to the recent report.

“In the report titled Zimbabwe's situational analysis of drug use and injection in five provinces to form HIV and TB programming for people who use drugs, Nac and partners noted that: "In Harare the most often mentioned source of income is sex work (36,07%); the higher rate in this province is linked to the mobilisation strategy, which include recruitment of respondents in an area where sex work takes place."”

All the gains the nation had made in uplifting the lives of woman through such initiatives as Girl Child Education, etc. are all being undone.

“No one will be left behind and no place will lag behind!” President Mnangagwa has often said. Well, these women HAVE been left behind! They have no future!

Indeed, the whole nation is being left behind because no nation can survive much less prosper when 59,6% of its mothers, sisters, aunties, etc.; the homemakers without which no home can stand!   

Zimbabwe is in serious economic, social and political trouble because of the economic meltdown. The country has been in economic decline since independence in 1980 and the rot has only got worse and, as long as the country remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs, there will be no meaningful economic recovery.

Forget the idiotic Zanu PF claim of the country is on course to become an upper middle-income nation by 2030, the so-called Vision 2030. It is just nonsense.

If we are serious about ending Zimbabwe’s economic and political nightmare then we must implement the democratic reforms and hold free and fair elections.

Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends’ promise to end the Zanu PF rule by winning rigged elections, they claim to have winning in rigged elections (wire) strategies; is just another mirage by moonlight! Their flagship wire strategy of mass voter registration followed by mass voting is already dead in the water. As of 30 May 2022, four years since the launch of their strategy, the party has only registered ¼ million or 4% of their 6 million target.

It is too late to get any reforms implemented before the 2023 elections and there is little one can do to stop Zanu PF holding and rigging the 2023 elections. Chamisa and company know Zanu PF is rigging these elections and that participating with only give Zanu PF legitimacy.

Zanu PF needs the opposition to participate in these elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process got to avoid a repeat of the 2008 when SADC refused to grant the party legitimacy because of Zanu PF’s blatant cheating and wanton. And so to entice the opposition to participate in the 2023 elections, regardless of the rigging and violence, Zanu PF is giving away a few gravy train seats. Chamisa and company have found the bribe irresistible!

After the 2018 elections, President Mnangagwa created Political Actors (POLAD), a supernumerary body, for the sole purpose of thanking and rewarding the losing presidential candidates for participating in the 2018 elections who publicly proclaimed the election was free and fair. The 2023 elections will, no doubt, attract just as many presidential and parliamentary candidates.  the 22

So, it is too late to implement any reforms, we cannot stop Zanu PF holding and rigging 2023 elections nor can we stop Chamisa and the rest of the opposition camp participating in the flawed elections. What is plan B?

Plan B is to make sure that everyone, especially SADC leaders, are aware the whole election process is flawed and illegal. How the elections be free, fair and credible when the regime has failed to produce something as basic for elections as a verified voters’ roll. Everyone must know that CCC and the rest of the opposition are participating in these elections out of greed, pure and simple. Zanu PF is rigging these elections. CCC has lost political credibility. And so the election process must be dismissed as a sham and Zanu PF denied legitimacy.

Zimbabwe must be forced to form yet another GNU as happened in 2008. This time competent men and women must be appointed into the GNU to make sure the democratic reforms are implemented.

The increase in sex workers, the collapse of basic services such as education and health care, etc. these are all symptoms of the economic and political rot in Zimbabwe. Implementing the reforms and holding free and fair elections is the cure. Zimbabwe’s economic and political chaos has disrupted normal human life and caused untold human suffering and deaths; the cup is full to overflowing.

President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are holding the nation to ransom be resisting demands for reforms and free elections. They do not have the divine right to rule Zimbabwe. The mandate to govern must be given by the people of Zimbabwe in a free, fair and credible elections. We must implement the reforms and hold free election. We must take the medicine, now!

"It's foolish participating in rigged elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy" admitted Biti in 2015 - of course, has known this all along P Guramatunhu

 “Look, you can't keep on participating in flawed electoral processes that serve to give big benefits to dictators such as Robert Mugabe. Mugabe has perfected the art of winning elections. So it will be very foolish for the opposition to continue legitimizing these sham elections which don't deliver. This country will go through a serious economic crisis in 2020 caused by Zanu PF. And yet, this is the only country where a government doesn't perform, it is encouraged by a super majority in parliament,” said Tendai Biti in a 2015 interview with Isaac Mugabi.

“So you can't continue subjecting Zimbabweans to processes where their hopes just get crushed.”

There are four key points in Biti’s admission:

1)     The elections are not just flawed and illegal they are so flawed the opposition cannot win

2)     Zanu PF is guaranteed of a super majority which the regime then uses to do as it pleases

3)     By participating in the flawed elections, the opposition is giving Zanu PF legitimacy.

4)     Tendai Biti is well aware of the consequences of the participating in these flawed elections is crushing the hopes for meaningful political and economic change in the country. The consequences of giving Zanu PF legitimacy is perpetuating the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.

The reader will be interested to know that Tendai Biti’s condemnation of the opposition’s position of participating in the flawed 2013 elections was not a lightning bolt out of the clear blue sky. MDC-T 2014 party congress had come out with a resolution they party would not participate in any future elections and by elections until democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections were implemented.

“No reforms! No elections!” was the new MDC-T party slogan.

By the end of 2015 MDC-T had ditched the resolution to stop participating in elections until democratic reforms were implemented. The party was openly admitting it would participate in the upcoming 2018 elections.

Tendai Biti, who had broken away to form his own party, reconciled to his former MDC-T friends to form the MDC Alliance which went on to participate in the 2018 elections – forgetting Biti’s June 2015 denouncing participation as foolish and MDC-T party resolution.

There was no follow-up interview with Biti, asking him why he and his MDC friends have continued participating in flawed elections post 2015, knowing fully well doing so only gave vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy, perpetuated the dictatorship and thus the suffering of the people! Of course, Biti and his opposition colleagues were asked the question but have been very careful to avoid answering it or else offered so feeble excuse for participating.

The only MDC leader who has given an explanation why MDC has consistently participate in flawed elections was David Coltart.

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” confessed 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.”

MDC leaders realised the sheer stupidity of participating in the flawed elections but reason was trumped by greed. They each had their eyes set on winning the few gravy train seats they knew Zanu PF was giving away to entice the opposition to participate.

Indeed, SADC leaders had advised the two MDC factions not to participate in the 2013 elections without first implementing the reforms. The good advice fell on deaf ear because of greed.

As noted above, four of the main MDC factions came together to form the MDC Alliance (MDC A) before the 2018 elections, the united party did not stop them participating in that year’s elections.

CCC is basically MDC A rebranded, it still constitutes the main opposition winning 43% of the vote according to ZEC 2018 result and the remaining 40 plus opposition parties winning 4% of the vote. So, for CCC boycotting the 2023 elections would make a lot of sense, to follow Coltart’s argument: more so now given the 42 years of rigged elections. And yet Chamisa and co are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections for the same reasons as before - greed and breath-taking incompetence!

The Tendai Biti interview is available on www.dw.com/en/zimbabwes-opposition-defends-by-election-boycott/a-18507971, together with David Coltart’s Book; they provide the documentary proof Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders have KNOWN all along that Zanu PF is rigging these flawed elections and that their participation was giving the regime legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. They have continued participated regardless out of greed, Zanu PF has given away a few gravy train seats, their reward for selling out on reforms and free elections!

Chamisa endorse Zimbabwe readmissioninto Commonwealth regardless 2023 rigging - his "Easy Street" down payment P Guramatunhu

 

The important thing is Chamisa has endorsed Zimbabwe's readmission into the Commonwealth before the 2023 elections, in his usual long winded and confused way.

Chamisa and his CCC team met the Commonwealth team in Zimbabwe to find out the wishing of as many key players in Zimbabwe's view to the Zanu PF led government's application to be readmitted into the Commonwealth. Chamisa started his presentation to the Commonwealth delegation with a litany of how Zimbabwe's economic situation was considerable worse now than it was in 2003.

"On the economic front we underscored that 49% of Zimbabweans now live in deadening, extreme, abject poverty and highlighted that the general situation and hardship has escalated, the situation is now worse and there has been an escalation and suffering of the people particularly on account of bad governance, economic mismanagement, corruption and a disputed leadership,” Chamisa rightly pointed out.

The worsening economic situation is the root cause of the country’s worsening political situation. The people have lost confidence in Zanu PF’s ability to end their economic suffering. They want change, regime change. And Zanu PF has responded to the people’s demand for change by resorted to more and more repressive measures to hang on to power.

"On the political climate and the breakdown of the rule of law, we emphasised that Zimbabwe suffered from a crisis of governance. We emphasised what is obtaining in the country in terms of breakdown and state of the rule of law," Chamisa said.

"It is a crisis borne out of disputed elections, legitimacy and we have noted that Zimbabwe is buffeted by a set of circumstances that have germinated acrimony, division, disputed national process and outcome, disputed leaderships, toxicity and lack of legitimacy. This has been essentially the problem in Zimbabwe."

"We have also made issues of the voters roll that must be made available to participants. We want the voters roll that is going to be used in 2023 elections to be audited by an independent firm so that we do not have a shambolic voters roll."

In short, Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections already and there is rising number of cases of wanton violence by Zanu PF operatives aided and abetted by the state institutions like the Police’s failure to deal with Zanu PF inspired lawlessness. After saying all that, it was therefore nonsensical for Chamisa to then announce that CCC did not have any objections to Zimbabwe being readmitted into the Commonwealth.

Indeed, Chamisa said the MDC had objected to the Zimbabwe being booted out of the club back in 2002 regardless of Zanu PF’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections and all the other serious human rights violation! Readmitting Zimbabwe now was correcting a past wrong. Well, not even the arrogant and effervescent Zanu PF had ever dared to dismiss the vote rigging and the human rights violations as inconsequential!

For anyone to understand this glaring case of Chamisa and CCC ideocratic duplicity one has to know the political path the have travelled.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which has morphed into Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) was launched in 1999 to answer the nation’s demand for democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. The people have risked life (over 500 MDC supporters were murdered by Zanu PF during the 2008 runoff alone) and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding they would deliver the changes the nation was dying for.

After 22 years, 5 of which in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, MDC has failed to deliver even one token reform. The GNU was, without doubt, the golden opportunity for Zimbabwe to implement reforms. Chamisa and his MDC friends failed to implement even one reform. Not even one!

Indeed, the same cavalier indifference to Zanu PF having the carte blanche dictatorial power to rig elections and use wanton violence shown above was evident throughout the GNU. MDC does not care that Zanu PF should rig the election hence the reason why they failed to implement even one token reform when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the GNU.

Nelson Chamisa and company does not care Zanu PF is set to rig the 2023 elections and admitting Zimbabwe back into the Commonwealth will make it near impossible to the club to condemn the rigged elections. And so readmitting Zanu PF into the Commonwealth is tantamount to granting Zanu PF legitimacy regardless how flawed and illegal the election process gets!

Again, to outsiders, it is insane that Chamisa and his CCC friends, as the country’s main opposition party and therefore the one first to suffer if the elections are rigged.

Since the 2008 GNU debacle, Chamisa and co have participated in the flawed and illegal, so flawed the opposition failed to win power even after garnering 73% of the votes in the March 2008 election. They also knew that by participating they were giving Zanu PF legitimacy. Still, they have participated regardless because they also knew that Zanu PF was giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate. Chamisa and company have found the bait irresistible.

Chamisa and his CCC friends were hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the process and, if need be, use wanton violence to secure electoral victory. They know Zanu PF will be giving away the usual few gravy train seats, the reward for participating. Getting Zimbabwe readmitted into the Commonwealth will not stop Zanu PF rigging the elections but will put the regime under increased pressure to be even more generous with its bait to the opposition to enhance the multiparty democracy façade!

It took Zimbabweans 20 years to accept that Zanu PF was corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs and to come to a consensus the nation needed democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship.

How long, I wonder, will it take Zimbabweans to realise Nelson Chamisa and company has abandon the task of implementing democratic reforms to ensure free and fair election for the “Easy Street” option of cooperating with Zanu PF for a share of the spoils of power! With 49% already living in abject poverty because of the failure to implement reforms and end the dictatorship and the country sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss with each passing day the country remains a pariah state. What will it take to open Zimbabweans’ eyes and mind to the reality CCC are sell outs!

Zanu PF is desperate to have Zimbabwe readmitted into Commonwealth before the 2023 elections or it is in trouble N Garikai

 

Zanu PF stall: Readmit Zimbabwe into Commonwealth before 2023 elections and lift the sanctions soon thereafter.

The number one priority to Zanu PF is to retain its iron grip on political power at all costs. Four decades of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and lawlessness have left the country in economic ruins and a failed pariah state.

Millions of ordinary Zimbabweans are living in abject poverty, basic services such as health care and education have collapsed; the people are so desperate for change they would vote for a donkey if the alternative was to vote for Zanu PF. And so, to retain its grip on power Zanu PF has no choice but to rig the 2023 elections!

Robert Mugabe weather the storm of the 2008 to 2013 GNU without getting even one token democratic reform implemented thanks to the breath-taking incompetence of Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC banded mongooses! Mnangagwa is hoping he too can pull-off a major diplomatic coup by getting Zimbabwe to be readmitted into the Commonwealth without the regime giving up any of its carte blanche dictatorial powers over which it was booted out in the first place.

Zanu PF has its own explanation why Zimbabwe’s application for re-admission into the club is being held up – sanctions. But of course – the regime has blamed everything else that has gone wrong on sanctions, so why not it being booted out of the Commonwealth!

"Our problem with re-admission should be coming from those countries which imposed sanctions against us and who are members of the club.

"They have to decide whether they want to lift the sanctions, if they agreed to have us re-admitted it would follow that they will lift sanctions. We think that is where the problem may be."

The so-called Second Republic promised to hold free and fair elections in 2018 but refused to implement even one token reform and went on to blatantly rig those election. The Commonwealth had a team of election observers who would have recommended readmission if the regime had kept its promise.

Zanu PF has not implemented even one token reform since 2018 and is it is rigging the 2023 elections right now. The regime has failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for example.  

If Zimbabwe was readmitted into the Commonwealth ahead of the 2023 elections; the Commonwealth will, at worst, express its disappointment with some elections irregularities but still endorse the rigged elections granting Zanu PF legitimacy. The last thing the Commonwealth will want to do is readmit Zimbabwe and a few months down the line kick the country out again, particularly over issues the organisation was aware of all along!

Of course, if Zanu PF is readmitted into the Commonwealth the regime will redouble its efforts to have the sanctions lifted. The regime will take the lifting of the sanction as proof of the party’s principled stand and claim that the country’s economic development will now finally take-off. Meanwhile the party will continue to use its dictatorial powers to silence its opponents, critics and the voiceless masses.  

If Zanu PF is readmitted into the Commonwealth our fight for liberty, human rights and dignity will be that much harder if not impossible. It is therefore incumbent on us, all thinking Zimbabweans, to fight for our liberty and the fight starts right here and now – fight to stop Zanu PF being readmitted into the Commonwealth!  

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety,” a Benjamin Franklin truism!

These who have callously failed to defend their liberty have not only lost their liberty but the economic rights too! If you have ever wondered why Zimbabwe is in this seemingly bottomless pit: now you know!

"Readmit Zimbabwe into Commonwealth" says Chin'ono - those give up liberty for safety deserve neither W Mukori

 

The EU send a 246 strong Election Observer Mission to the Zimbabwe 2018 elections. The team condemned the elections as a farce.

“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,” stated EU Observer Mission in their final report.

“Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. 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.”

Stephen Chan OBE, an author and Professor of World Politics at SOAS, University of London, who too was in Zimbabwe during the elections, said the Commonwealth Election Observer team was on the verge of giving the 2018 elections a thumbs up and recommend that Zimbabwe be readmitted into the Commonwealth was it not for the 1^st August 2018 shooting of protestors.

In other words, the Commonwealth team was so eager to get Zimbabwe readmitted they would have ignored the country’s failure to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, etc. and lower the international election standards, just to get Zimbabwe readmitted!

One of the main reasons why Zimbabwe going to be booted out of the Commonwealth in 2003, Mugabe pre-empted the move by withdrawing the country’s membership, was the failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The application to be readmitted was turned down because Zimbabwe failed to hold free and fair elections in 2018. The regime has not implemented even one token reform since 2018 and it is already clear Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections.

Therefore, there is no reason why the Commonwealth should be reassess Zimbabwe’s preparedness to re-join the club when there has been no progress and ahead of the 2023 elections. Why is the Commonwealth jumping the gun?

Guess what? A new Commonwealth team, headed by Professor Luis Franceschi, Commonwealth Assistant Secretary General, is back in Zimbabwe to reassess Zimbabwe’s suitability for re-joining the grouping. They are jumping the gun because they know Zanu PF is rigging 2023 elections and would rather readmit Zimbabwe now before the deed is done.

If Professor Franceschi and his team did not have to fear being asked why their assessment is jumping the 2023 elections gun or any such searching and relevant questions, at least, not from Hopewell Chin’ono, one of the Zimbabweans who testified before the team. Chin’ono wanted Zimbabwe readmitted yesterday!

“I started by telling them that my life was turned around through a 2 year Commonwealth Visa that allowed me and many others to work in Britain,” he testified.

“I added that this is 1 of many Commonwealth benefits to ordinary Zimbabweans that were denied to them when ZANUPF petulantly and arbitrarily pulled the country out of the Commonwealth simply because it didn’t want to adhere to its constitutional prescriptions of Rule of Law.

“I however added that there is nothing to be gained from shutting the door against Zimbabwe as a country of over 15 million in order to punish an incorrigible political party, ZANUPF, and its regime in power.

“I added that dialogue remains the only viable option on the table.”

The 15 million Zimbabweans have suffered directly and indirectly from the 42 years and counting of Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical rule and over 40 000 were murdered by the regime in cold blood. The principal reason Zimbabwe was booted out of the Commonwealth was to pressure the regime to adhere to the democratic values and rule of law as the only way to end the dictatorship and the tragic human suffering and deaths.

The regime has done absolutely nothing to dismantle the corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship. Indeed, the economic situation is a lot worse now than in 2003 and the regime has responded by increasing the political repression.

If Zanu PF is readmitted back into the Commonwealth with all its dictatorial powers this will send a clear message the regime has won and can keep its powers. After 42 years of this dictatorship the people are desperate to end the dictatorship not to surrender to its whims.

The benefits to all Zimbabweans of ending the Zanu PF dictatorship outweighs the inconveniences the few have suffered by not having Commonwealth 2-year working visas, etc. Indeed, only a fool will even compare the two much less suggest keeping the dictatorship for even one day!

“I suggested that there must be reform benchmarks to which Zimbabwe’s admission must be tied to, like the release of all political prisoners, and dropping of ALL trumped-up charges against the political opposition and Government critics.

“This will measure ZANUPF’s sincerity,” continued Chin’ono.

It is when one hears such trash, from one who claims to be “Award winning International Journalist| Film Maker | 2 Time African Journalist of The Year | Africa Leadership Fellow I Nieman Fellow| Harvard educated”; that one truly appreciates why Zimbabwe is in a serious mess.

Of course, it is idiotic that Zanu PF should be earning brownie points from releasing innocent people the regime are arrested illegally in the first place. You do not thank the thief for his generosity in giving back what he stole from you in the first place, especially one who gives with one hand, make a big song and dance about it, and steals even more with the other! It is bad enough that a peasant in the rural back waters should be so easily conned, but not a Harvard educated and award winning journalist too!!!!!

The truth is Zimbabwe is in a serious economic and political mess and the country is not getting out of the mess as long as the country remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and tyrannical thugs who rig elections to stay in power. Zimbabwe needs all the tools at its disposal to pressure Zanu PF to accept the need to implement democratic reforms and hold free, fair and credible elections.

The sanctions imposed by Western is one such tool and being kicked out of the Commonwealth is another. Lifting the sanctions and readmitting Zimbabwe will only embolden Zanu PF and all the hardships and sacrifices in the fight for democracy, justice, rule of law and human dignity would all have been in vain. And what will we have gained – a few Zimbabweans getting a Commonwealth 2-year working visa! How sickening!

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety,” said Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s stateman and the nation’s founding fathers!

We, in Zimbabwe, are in this economic and political mess because we only care about me, here and now; we are even welcoming the political system that has denied us freedom, human rights and even the right to life! We are trading sold gold in exchange for fool’s gold, pyrite, iron sulfide and it is none other than one of our own socialites who is selling it to the nation!

“Over & above other issues discussed that will remain off the record, I said that I was not opposed to the re-admission of Zimbabwe into the Commonwealth,” concluded Chin’ono.

“Doing so as a recipient of Commonwealth arrangements would be no different to kicking the ladder to stop others climbing.”

Whatever else people can say about Hopewell Chin’ono, no one should ever say he is naïve. He knows that readmitting Zanu PF into the Commonwealth when the regime has not implemented even one democratic reform will help keep the regime in power! He knows that he is pedalling the people’s liberty for fool’s gold!

Chamisa and co are hell bent on participating in flawed 2023 elections out of greed - pure and simple N Garikai

 

Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends are hell bent on participating in these 2023 elections just as they have done in 2013 and 2018. They are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away as bait, they have very rarely admitted it offering all manner of feeble excuses to hide their greed.

David Coltart, Treasurer General of CCC and a senior MDC member ever since the party’s formation in 1999 and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, is one of the few who have admitted that the two MDC factions participated in the 2013 elections out of greed, pure and simple! Here is what he said:

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” wrote Senator Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

There are ten key points we can pick and/or infer from this quotation:

1)     That electoral process was not just flawed and illegal, but “so illegal, that the only logical, obvious, step was to withdraw”

2)     That withdrawing from the election (which is what SADC itself had argued MDC leaders to do at the SADC Summit in Maputo in June 2013) would have “compelled SADC to hold Zanu PF to account”. In other words SADC would have denied Zanu PF legitimacy.

3)     Neither MDC – T nor MDC N would do the logical and obvious thing because of greed “neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats”. Zanu PF needed the opposition to participate to get legitimacy and was giving away the few gravy train seats to entice them to participate.

4)     The argument that Zanu PF would have got legitimacy regardless if one had participated is frivolous, to say the least, particularly since neither MDC – T nor MDC -N leaders had submitted even one reform proposal during the five years on which the justification to postpone the elections was based.

5)     Indeed, even after failing to submit even one reform during the GNU either MDC faction should have seen boycott the election as their chance to redeem themselves by doing the obvious and logical thing!

6)     SADC would have denied Zanu PF legitimacy even if only one MDC faction had boycotted the 2013 elections because the is historic precedence in this – Smith failed to get legitimacy from the 1978 Zimbabwe-Rhodesia internal settlement because only Muzorewa and Sithole had participated. Zanu and Zapu did the obvious thing and boycotted.

7)     Denouncing these flawed and illegal elections and CCC’s selling out has put SADC under increased pressure to deny Zanu PF legitimacy.

8)     If the flawed 2023 election fail to produce a legitimate government then Zimbabwe will be compelled once again to find a transition arrangement similar to the 2008 GNU. This time competent men and women will be appointed to implement all the democratic reforms.

9)     Just because the Zanu PF and MDC GNU failed to implement even one reform does not mean we don’t need the reforms. Ordinary men and women can and will implement the reforms – it is not rocket science!

10)  It is insane to keep participating in an election process so flawed and illegal not even getting 73% of the vote was good enough to secure regime change! And the nation is being dragged into this madness by the very men and women povo risked life and limb to end the Zanu PF dictatorship – Chamisa and company!

Lecturers get new cars plus 50% rise on their slave wages - for such is the benevolence of a tyrant W Mukori

 

Donations for Solusi from the head of State ED:

2 new buses, 4 new tractors with accessories, one new truck, cars for all academic deans, one for the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor. We praise the Lord for His goodness! 🙏🙏

 

Additional donations.

-13 green houses.  - 250 hectares to be put under irrigation

- cafeteria meals heavily subsidized to 50c from 2 USD per meal

- 50% salary increment for lecturers.

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages”

― Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature & Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol 1

Zimbabwe has lost a staggering 500 plus lecturers from the nation’s twenty or so Colleges and Universities in the last 12 months alone. Education, health care and many, many other professions have all but collapsed due to the chronic shortage of qualified staff. The nation’s skilled workers have been leaving the country in droves for the last two decades – they are running away from slave wages and poor working conditions.

Selous University lecturers will not be amused with the 50% salary increase when the know inflation is 250% plus and certain to rise!

We live in a pariah state and, per se, are all forced to rely on the benevolence of a corrupt and ruthless tyrant and, to add insult to economic hardships, we have no democratic say in the matter. No wonder millions, who can, have voted with their feet. If SADC leaders make the mistake of giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy next year, even more Zimbabweans will be forced to leave the country in economic and political despair!  

If Commonwealth welcomes vote rigging Zanu PF then democratic Zimbabwe will walk out, enough is enough W Mukori

 

A Commonwealth team headed by Assistant Secretary-General, Prof. Luis Franceschi, is in Zimbabwe today, Saturday 12^th until Thursday, 17^th November 2022.

The delegation's visit is a part of the informal process of assessing Zimbabwe's request for re-admission into the Commonwealth. Like most other former British colonies, Zimbabwe was a member but was booted out for failing to adhere to the organisation’s values and principles.

Zimbabwe is a failed state led by ruthless and cantankerous thugs. Ever since the country’s independence in 1980, Zanu PF thugs who have ridden roughshod over the ordinary people; denying them their basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country and even the right to life!

In 2003, after repeated warning to the regime to stop rigging elections and other serious human rights violation, it clear the organisation was going to boot Zimbabwe out. Mugabe jumped before he was pushed!

Soon after the 2017 military coup that ousted the late dictator Robert Mugabe after 37 years as head of Zanu PF and head of state; Emmerson Mnangagwa, his successor, has pushed hard to have Zimbabwe readmitted into the Commonwealth. He was told one of the key demands would be for Zimbabwe would be for the 2018 elections must be free, fair and credible.

Zanu PF refused to implement even one token reform and went on to blatantly rig the elections. The regime failed to produce even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, failed to stamp out corruption, etc., etc. and thus confirmed that the 2017 military coup had changed nothing. Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by thugs and all that had changed.

The Commonwealth had no choice but to turn down Zimbabwe’s 2018 application for re-joining.

Since the 2018 elections Zanu PF has not implemented even one token democratic reforms to suggest the regime’s willing to embrace change and rule of law. Not a sausage!

Indeed, Zimbabwe is heading for new nationwide elections next year, as early as March and July at the latest. And all the signs show that Zanu PF is set to rig these elections and is even using wanton violence to be absolutely certain of electoral victory.

It is therefore disconcerting that a high-power Commonwealth membership assessment team is in Zimbabwe, suggesting the organisation is considering the country’s application serious consideration. Like it or not will claim the visit is proof that the country is no longer a pariah state and the regime’s re-engagement drive is working.

It would be unforgivable if the Commonwealth was to readmit Zimbabwe BEFORE the 2023 elections. It will be a propaganda coup, for Zanu PF.

It would be unforgivable if the Commonwealth was to endorse a Zanu PF rigged 2023 election, giving the regime legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. If an autocratic ruled Zimbabwe is welcome back into the Commonwealth then Zimbabwe will be walking out of Commonwealth at the earliest opportunity, the Commonwealth will not be the right organisation for a self-respecting and democratic Zimbabwe!

Yes, Mnangagwa is at UN COP27 in Egypt to mourn about sanctions, photo opportunity and nothing else! N Garikai

 Yes, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is in Egypt for UN COP27 Climate Summit. He will, no doubt, be accompanied by the usual high-powered delegation of hangers-on. He will complain of how sanctions are stopping Zimbabwe from addressing the Climate change challenges and call for the sanctions to be lifted. He will also call on the developed nations to honour their Climate Fund commitments; hoping against hope that Zimbabwe will get something regardless of the country’s reputation as one of the most corrupt and wasteful nations.

But most important of all, COP27 is a photo opportunity, Mnangagwa would hurt to miss!

To UN official COP27 stands for “27^th Conference of the Parties”, to many people it is just a talking shop and to many third world leaders it is another opportunity to pile on the pressure on the developed nations for handouts.

 UK PM Rishi Sunak says UK remains committed to £11.6 billion climate fund to help developing countries to cope with the ill effects of climate change and to transition from present position of emitting green-house gases to net zero emission.  

Third world countries like Zimbabwe’s failure to stamp out corruption has given some of the developed countries the excuse drag their feet on their commitments to the climate fund. They know whatever countries like Zimbabwe get, they will waste most of it. Zimbabwe received the least covid-19 aid for the same reason – corruption.

Former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo was sacked when details came out that he was behind the looting of US$60 million, in donated covid 19 funds. The case has been kicked into touch, which is the norm given Zanu PF catch and release policy!

The Earth’s temperature has increased exponentially to march the rise of green-house gases released into the atmosphere. warming continues to rise. The average global temperature has risen by 1.15 degrees Centigrade in the last 300 years, marking start of the industrial revolution and the increased consumption of fossil fuel to power the machines.

The increase in the Earth’s average temperature, only 1.15 degrees Centigrade, has cause very significant climate changes. The temperature rise has resulted in glaciers melting resulting in significant sea level rise and flood many coastal land and cities. The temperature variation has disrupted the weather pattern increasing the frequency and extend of extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, floods, drought, etc.

“We are in the fight of our lives and we are losing … And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible,” UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres warned in his COP 27 opening remarks.

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”    

Like it or not we, in the developing countries have contributed the least to global warming and yet we are the ones paying most dearly for it. Whenever those in the developed nations catch flu, we in the developing world are coughing blood or worse! It is therefore in our interest to play a more positive role in fighting global warming by making sure every dollar we receive from the Climate Fund is used wisely and accounted for!

For Zimbabwe to play a meaningful role in fighting Climate Change, we must first implement the democratic reforms and end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. Because as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs, in power because they rig elections, nothing of substance will change!

If ED and Chamisa made up, sanctions will be lifted and all will live happily ever after - how naive and flippant W Mukori

“Imagine President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa embarking on an international campaign against sanctions. That move alone would be a sign of political maturity and patriotism and would contribute to national common purpose and unity. But to do so the two would need to agree on what sanctions mean to Zimbabwe. This kind of consensus will not happen any time soon because they have both weaponised the sanctions for political gain,” wrote Trevor Ncube in recent Bulawayo 24 article.  

“Many in the opposition, including Chamisa himself, argue insincerely that all sanctions are targeted and have no effect on the man on the street. Their view is that sanctions are a fitting punishment for those in the ruling party who have played a big role in Zimbabwe's worsening misfortunes.

They purposefully ignore what scholars have long unveiled, namely that sanctions are a form of warfare - Fourth Generation warfare. (See Nicholas Mulder: "The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War). According to Mulder, sanctions are intended to cut "off a country from all access to the international economy and wait for it to exhaust itself or succumb to political revolution or social collapse."

He further postulates: "Economic sanctions have long been considered a nonviolent deterrent, but ironically they have become a tool of modern warfare."

It is clear that Mr Ncube not only agrees with Signor Mulder that sanctions are a weapon of war but more significantly that the sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe are a weapon of war!  

“Chamisa is overly aware of this lethal effect of sanctions on Zimbabwe but because he sees them as a weapon to fight his way to State power, fat chance that he can team up with Mnangagwa to fight for their removal,” he writes.

It is important to remind the reader at this stage who Trevor Ncube is. He signed off as “Alpha Media Holdings chairman”, the biggest independent print and electronic publications in Zimbabwe and owner of Mail and Guardian is SA.

The media is often considered the fourth pillar in a healthy and functioning democracy (other three being Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) tasked to inform and educate the people. Democracy, as government of the people, for the people and by the people will not work unless the people are informed. In a country like Zimbabwe the importance of the independent media is even more important than ever given it has the added task of countering Zanu PF propaganda from the dominant public media.

By describing the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe as “weapon of war” was giving traction to the Zanu PF propaganda lie that sanctions are the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown.

Zimbabwe’s economy was already in serious trouble long before the sanctions were imposed in 2001. The country adopted the IMF and WB sponsored 1990 to 1995 Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) precisely because the economy was in trouble. When that programme failed to revive the economy, the country signed another one, the 1995 to 1999 ESAP. That too failed to revive the economy.

It was at the end of the second ESAP that the IMF and WB stopped giving Zimbabwe any financial assistance because the country was failing to service its debts. Many other financial institutions followed IMF and WB’s lead sending the country’s credit rating to junk status.

“Sanctions bar banks from doing business with the targeted country,” argued Trevor Ncube.

Indeed, when the West imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe, Mugabe was very dismissive claiming he would do business with the East. His “Look East!” mantra did not last long because the Chinese too stopped giving Zimbabwe financial assistance for the same reason, “Nǐ bù huánzhài!” (You don’t pay your debt!) the Chinese obliged to told Mugabe to his face!

“High-level corruption is a tax on the already overburdened taxpayer. Apart from taking from the poor and giving to the political elite and politically connected, high-level corruption has created a subculture of corruption everywhere. Corruption is a national cancer that is crippling provision of basic services to the poor and marginalised and must be decisively dealt with,” Ncube argued.

After going to town about economic hardships brought on by sanctions it is a damp squib to then give the real root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and political paralysis a passing coverage.

One more key point Mr Trevor Ncube failed to point out is that sanctions is one of the tools used to pressure the ruling party to concede the need for meaningful democratic changes including the holding of free, fair and credible elections. Whilst the economic and political UN sanctions imposed on white-ruled Rhodesia caused far more economic hardships than the current West sanctions, all the black nationalists called for their imposition. They argued the economic hardship were worth the sacrifice to help end white colonial oppression. We are now being asked to believe that sanctions will not help end black oppression!

“Imagine President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa embarking on an international campaign against sanctions. That move alone would be a sign of political maturity and patriotism and would contribute to national common purpose and unity!”

The sheer naivety of that statement beggars belief! I would expect that from one of the brainwashed Zimbabweans, not a leading intellectual and trailblazer!

The West will never allow murderous demagogues like Mnangagwa and/or incompetent sell outs like Chamisa dictator their foreign policy. Zanu PF and MDC cooperated, at least in the sharing of the spoils of power, during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and were of one accord in the call to lift the sanctions. The West ignore the call because there was no evidence of Zanu PF dismantling the dictatorship. None!

Interestingly, the economy registered a 12% growth in 2009 to 2010, although sanctions had remained throughout the GNU, largely because the GNU scrapped the Z$ forcing the hyperinflation to fall from the dizzying height of 500 billion percent. Proof the economic meltdown was not caused by the sanctions. A few sound economic policies were enough to restore some sanity in the economic and generate some economic growth.

The economic recovery registered in the first year of the GNU fizzled out when it became clear MDC, much less Zanu PF, leaders were going to implement any democratic reforms to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship.

Although the EU 2018 Zimbabwe election observer mission issued a damning report on the elections. The EU Foreign Ministers decided to lift all the sanctions imposed of Harare, that has not translated into any meaningful economic recovery because Zimbabwe is still a pariah state plagued by mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness.

Zimbabwe is heading for new elections next year, 2023, and there is already overwhelming evidence to show Zanu PF is rigging the elections. There not even one reform recommendation has been implemented, there is no verified voters’ rolls, cases of Zanu PF orchestrated political violence are on the rise, etc., etc.

The suggestion that the sanctions will be lifted and Zimbabwe will enjoy peace and economic prosperity if only Mnangagwa and Chamisa kissed and made up; regardless of the reality of the country remaining a pariah state with rampant corruption, etc.; is laughable. Especially when the foolish suggestion is coming from someone who should know better!

Still, the foolish suggestion explains why Zimbabwe is in this seemingly intractable economic mess and political paralysis. If Zimbabwean intellectuals are so flippant about the country’s economic and political crisis, why should the rest of the world care when we  clearly don’t care!

"Delighted with energy put to rejoin Commonwealth!" Nonsense! Name one reform Zanu PF has implemented; just one! N Garikai

 

"On the question of re-admission of Zimbabwe into the Commonwealth, Zimbabwe has made an application to come home (get back into the Commonwealth fold) and re-joining or joining is a three-stage process,'' said Mrs Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General. She was the guest of honour at the official opening ceremony of Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, SA.

"The stage where we are now with regards to Zimbabwe is that the Commonwealth Secretariat will visit the country in November this year and this team will assess the situation on the ground and then report back so that all members of the Commonwealth can come up with a position on Zimbabwe's application to re-join.''

Mrs Scotland said she was "delighted that Zimbabwe is putting a great deal of energy and commitment  to be re-admitted back into the Commonwealth".

Delighted! Yes, the Zanu PF government has “put a great deal of energy” in lobbying everyone who can help swing the decision in its favour but has done nothing to address the human rights violation and failure to hold free and fair elections – the root causes it was booted out of the club in the first place!

Zimbabwe first applied to be readmitted into the Commonwealth in 2018. The application was turned down because the country failed to hold free, fair and credible elections. The country has not implemented even one token reforms to ensure the next elections due next year in 2023 are free and fair.

Zimbabwe has failed to produce something as basic to free and fair elections as a verified voters’ roll. The party has just publicly admitted the 2023 voters’ roll in in a mess. The elections are due end of July 2023 at the latest, but many believe they will happen as early as March. Either way, there is no time to clean up and produce a verified voters roll.

There is no doubt that Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections just as it has rigged all the other elections in the past.

Of course, it is worrying that anyone should be praising Zanu PF for its commitment to re-join the Commonwealth when it is done nothing to meet the set target to join. It is real disconcerting when the misplace praise is coming just a few months before the elections Zanu PF is rigging way in advance already.

Zanu PF has mastered the art of lobbying, harassing and even threaten other nations to get what it wants. The party has lobbied other African nations to rally behind its anti-sanction campaign. Every one knows that mismanagement and corruption are the root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. The regime’s nagged endlessly about sanction SADC has even put aside 25 October as the Anti-Sanctions Day and to demand the lifting of the sanction imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.

No doubt Zanu PF will be lobbying all the Commonwealth members, especially the African members, to support Zimbabwe’s readmission regardless of the country’s failure to restore human rights and the rule of law.

Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean will be disappointed if the Commonwealth was to appease a corrupt and tyrannical regime at the expense of the millions of ordinary Zimbabwean fighting for their rights and human dignity. This would be particularly shameful to the Commonwealth if SADC, which has endorsed Zanu PF rigged elections in the past, was to stand-up to Zanu PF condemned the 2023 elections as a farce!

Voters' roll is in a mess, admit Zanu PF - will SADC still stamp 2023 "Substantially free" regardless W Mukori

 One thing can be said about Zimbabwe’s political leaders; they are breathtakingly incompetent, and, in their blundering, have knack for shooting themselves in the foot!

When the late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends failed to implement even one meaningful democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU; that was mass political suicide, the preserve of cult groups. MDC lost direction and political credibility there and then and have never recovered.

Mnangagwa has just shot himself in the foot as before the start of the 2023 harmonised elections! He has just admitted that the voters roll is in a mess and needs serious scrutiny and audit for it to be credible.

"We received a report of manipulated voters rolls from different people. As such, the department conducted a mini-audit of the voters roll for Harare West. The department unearthed several anomalies, including multiple registrants on a single house and non-existent addresses,” stated the Zanu PF Central Committee report tabled at the just ended Zanu PF 7^th National People’s Congress.

"However, the time of objecting had elapsed, so we resolved to conduct a national voters roll audit, particularly in towns and cities ahead of 2023 elections."

It is no secret that ZEC, the body tasked to produce the voters roll and conduct the elections, is a department of Zanu PF in all but name. Yes, there are glaring irregularities and downright illegalities in the voters’ roll but, dig deeper, and one will find these were brought in at the behest of Zanu PF officials and with the connivance of ZEC officials who turned a blind eye.

In his Book, “The Struggle Continues 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe”, David Coltart gave a detailed account how ZEC, in 2013, made it very difficult for people in opposition strong hold to register whereas in Zanu PF strong hold the bar was not just lowered, it was removed! Zanu PF bused in its supporters from as far afield as Rusape, 100s km, to vote in Mount Pleasant as video evidence showed!

It is a historic fact that ZEC has never ever produced a verified voters’ roll in post-independence Zimbabwe and for very a very good reason too, at least as far as Zanu PF is concerned; the voters’ roll is one of the key tools in Zanu PF’s vote rigging juggernaut and producing a verified voters’ roll will give away the concrete evidence of how the party rigged the elections.

So, it really beggars belief that Zanu PF has let the cat out of the bag that the voters’ roll is in a mess. I will bet my bottom dollar the party has already set up a high-powered committee tasked to get the cat back in the bag.

However, such is the damage done by the admission nothing short of releasing the whole voters’ roll for verification yesterday, now is already too late; will change the reality that Zanu PF is using the messy voters’ roll to rig the 2023 elections.

Even SADC election observers, who endorse the 2018 rigged elections as “substantially free and fair” will have no choice but to condemn the 2023 elections as a farce. How can the elections be “substantially free and fair” when, by the regime’s own admission, the voters’ roll is in a mess?  

"Zanu-PF's admission vindicates our long held narrative that we have a problem with Zec, and one of the issues that must be resolved before the 2023 elections is the voters roll. We have proffered what Zec must do in order to conduct a credible election, and it is not imaginary, but is within the confines of the law," commented Gift Siziba, CCC deputy spokesperson.

One can always count on CCC leaders to jump in and talk with a foot in their mouth! So, CCC readily admits that the party has known that Zanu PF was rigging elections and yet has participated in these flawed elections even when ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll!

Lest people forget, MDC (now rebranded as CCC) failed to implement even one democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU which, implemented, would have severed the umbilical cords giving Zanu PF undemocratic control over ZEC and all the other state institutions.

Yes, Mnangagwa shot himself in the foot by admitting the voters’ roll is in shambles; but we can be certain that ZEC will never ever release the roll for verification, that would be tantamount to Mnangagwa shooting himself in the head, particularly when he knows the opposition will participate and give him legitimacy. He is dumb but not that dumb.

Chamisa and company know that Zanu PF is using the messy voters’ roll as one of the ways to rig these elections. They also know that Zanu PF is giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate in the flawed elections; they have found the bribe irresistible and Mnangagwa knows that too.

The real losers here are the ordinary Zimbabweans, the country is in this economic and political mess precisely because the country has failed to hold free and fair elections. The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding the party would implement the democratic changes and stop Zanu PF rigging the elections.

It has not even occurred to many Zimbabweans that MDC has failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. And they are participating in these flawed elections because the believe the nonsense CCC can win rigged elections.

So, the nation started by risking all to have reforms and free elections is now risking all to win rigged elections? MDC not only betrayed the people by selling out on reforms but, worse still, has conned them to they can win rigged elections even ones so flawed there is verified voters’ roll!

As a rule, nations get the government they deserve. We, in Zimbabwe, certainly deserve this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with the coterie of equally corrupt and useless opposition parties. If the people do not appreciate the need for something as basic as a verified voters’ roll for free elections, then we are not ready for democratic government nor deserve one!