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!
@ Muzembe
ReplyDelete“I still don’t think you understand Zanu Pf well my brother. GNU was just a compromise and MDC had to go back to SADC for Tsvangirai to get a Government vehicle its easy to criticise but Zanu knows how sweet power is that’s why ED has gad to created imaginary opposition thru Mwonzora, Madhuku and Muteki so as to create a false democratic state.”
Democracy only works when the citizens are well informed and diligently hold those in power to account.
Zimbabwe the electorate are not only ignorant, they have no common sense. None!
The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding they will deliver the democratic changes the nation has been dying for. After 22 years name just one democratic change MDC have delivered?
Instead of demanding answers from MDC why they have failed to deliver even one reform you are busy giving feeble excuses why they have done nothing.
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidzi kudya anyerere!” boasted Zanu PF cronies during the GNU when asked why MDC were not implementing even one reform.
It is a historic fact that MDC leaders sold out on reforms and it only goes to show just how shallow, thick and slow you are that even now with the benefit of hindsight you are still failing to understand simple facts!
@ Nyamugure
ReplyDeleteTrue and it agrees with the general sentiment of the zoom participants - that included Kasukuwere
Zanu has to be pressured to do any reforms - and it takes masses to wake up to that reality and unite with one purpose - it’s not going be opposition effort alone
There will be no change of Zanu mindset in current old leadership which is based on historical liberation war credentials rather than ideology
Negotiated change is rather.
Kasukuwere is just a ruthless thug who was promoted way above his level of competence. Of course, Kasukuwere would want you to believe that nothing can ever be done without Zanu PF. The truth is the exact opposite, Zimbabwe will never recover as long as Zanu Pf remains in power and hold the nation ransom.
The people did their bit by risking life and limb to get MDC leaders into power. The process of implementing the reforms entailed an MP, Senator on Minister submitting a reform proposal in parliament. Not even one reform proposal was submitted in parliament for the five years of the GNU. Not one! That was the reason why SADC dropped the issue of postponing the elections when they learned that!