"Agenda must be written by Africans for Africans!" For Zanu PF it's rig 2023 and once again get legitimacy regardless! W Mukori

  "We are confronted by wars which are sure to remake the global order as we have known it until now. Africa must jealously guard against her interests and position in the unfolding global drama. We are no one's underdog and we should not be drawn into foreign wars as proxies of any power or combatant," said VP Constantino Chiwenga at the official opening of Connect Africa Symposium.

"Gone are the days when foreign powers come to our meetings and try to override our own agendas. No. The agenda must be written by Africans for Africans. We see repeated attempts of (forcing) Africa into answering to issues that are peripheral to its interests.

 "That must end. We also see attempts by bigger powers to fight over our resources which they want to control and to detect partnerships for us. We know our interests. We do not need to be lectured through hypocrisy.

"We must put our foot down as a continent, look to ourselves and assess partnerships for how well they serve us now and in future. That is the Africa we want and seek to build.”

We know what Zanu PF’s agenda is, it has not change ever since the country gained her independence in 1980 - to establish a de facto one-party dictatorship and retain absolute power at all costs. 

President Mnangagwa has mounted a protracted campaign portraying his regime as the victim of the British and her fellow western allies’ white colonial empiricism ambitions. The accusation that the sanctions impose on the country was the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown was gaining traction. Many African leaders had called for the lifting of the sanctions against Zimbabwe at UN General Assembly last September. SADC leaders had gone as far declaring 25 October as anti-sanctions day. 

In November last year South Africa’s ruling ANC made a party resolution “never to allow regime change in Zimbabwe”. As far as President Cyril Ramaphosa and his party were concerned the any regime change in Zimbabwe was being initiated by the sanctions and nothing else. 

The four part Zimbabwe: Gold Mafia documentary on Al Jazeera has reveal how Zimbabwe was losing US$ 1.6 billion or 80% of her US$2 billion gold per year to gold smuggling. This constitutes nearly 6% of the country’s US$28 billion GPD. Corruption is rampant in diamonds, lithium, platinum and in other areas such as procurement of fuel and medicine. 

Even the most optimistic guesstimate of the losses brought by sanctions have put the figure at a few million dollars per year nowhere near the US$1.6 billion per year in gold smuggling alone! Mnangagwa knows the Al Jazeera documentary has just shot down his sanctions balloon. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa may still try to endorse rigged 2023 elections and grant Zanu PF legitimacy, as before, but even he knows he will be helping to prop up a corrupt, tyrannical and vote rigging regime. No one will buy the sanctions hen’s teeth excuse. 

What is more, the people of South Africa will be forced to sit up and take note: if ANC is condoning vote rigging in Zimbabwe, what is there to stop the party rigging SA elections? 

President Mnangagwa is concerned about rigging the 2023 elections but being denied political legitimacy because the process is judged to be flawed and illegal. He is so concerned about that, he is seriously considering denying the EU, Commonwealth, Americans and all certain to condemn the flawed process, election observer status. 

All this anti-foreign powers interfering in Africa’s affair, we are  “no one’s underdog” rhetoric, etc. is preemptive strike to justify the decision to deny the western nation election observer status and reports condemn the election as a farce. 

Anyone who has been paying attentions to Zimbabwe these last 43 years will tell you they saw this coming! Zanu PF is a party of ruthless thugs who would rather burn down the house than give up power particularly now they are addicted to absolute power and all the influence and wealth it has brought. 

During India’s struggle for home rule, Mahatma Gandhi and his fellow Indian nationalist leaders resisted the temptation to wage an armed struggle. “What kind of leaders will an armed struggle throw up?” they asked. “Will those be men and women we would want to rule India?”

In Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies Zimbabwe’s armed struggle has provided the world with the answers to worse case scenario of what Gandhi and company feared! It is fair to say Zimbabwe end white colonial rule in 1980 only to replace the white oppressor with the black ones. 

Blacks did not have a meaningful vote before independence, now they are frogmarched to vote. Any whites who point out the meaningless change are dismissed as hypocrites.  And any blacks who demand free and fair elections are ruthless silenced under the pretext they are puppets promoting their white masters' regime change agenda.

Zanu PF turned the guns used to defeat the white colonial government on the people they were supposed to liberate to impose themselves as the new rulers. They had the means, the guns, to make the country ungovernable if they did not get what they wanted and they have held the nation to ransom ever since. Of course, we are tuck!

"Your vote counts!" said B Obama. Only selective amnesia; politics sufferers believe it's equally true in Zimbabwe. W Mukori

 

Zimbabweans suffer from selective amnesia, a peculiar variant that affects their political thinking. I will call it selective amnesia Zimbabwe Politics variant or ZiPo for short.  what I would call

Amnesia

“Amnesia is a general term describing memory loss. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion and the inability to recognise familiar faces or places. Some of the causes of temporary amnesia include concussion, severe illness and high fever, emotional stress, some drugs and electroconvulsive therapy,” Google definition.

Selective Amnesia

That is easy, it is a type of amnesia in which the sufferer loses only certain parts of their memory. 

Some wise guy posted a video of former USA President Barack Obama with the caption “If I hear anybody say their vote does not matter!” It was a recording from two years ago. Press the play button and what followed is a persuasive and impassioned plea for people to go out and vote!

“You cannot compare Zimbabwe elections to American elections; one is cough syrup the other is rat poison. In America you vote matters because the process is free, fair and credible. In Zimbabwe the elections are rigged; your participation is only important in helping the regime maintain the lie the process is free and fair,” came the first response.

“Democracy is on the ballot!” came the reply, quoting President Obama.

“For America, yes. Not Zimbabwe! You are suffering from selective amnesia!”

For the sake brevity I will just jump back to some definitions.

When it comes to elections Zimbabweans suffer from selective amnesia: Politics variant.

Selective Amnesia; Politics (Sapo) variant

It is a type of amnesia in which the sufferer loses memory of what flaws, irregularities and illegalities that rendered the past elections undemocratic, null and void. Their memory reverts to everything one would expect if the elections was free, fair and credible. This is the preferred default position because it is the cosy comfort zone, for obvious reasons.

If you accept the last election was rigged then you have to answer the difficult question of “What have you done to make sure the present elections are not going to be rigged too?” The question looms large and even more menacing when you know Zimbabwe has never ever held free, fair and credible elections ever since the country’s independence 43 years ago. When there is a mountain of evidence already that Zanu PF is rigging these elections.

You can well imagine the interchange that followed:

“Progress is on the ballot!”

“Sapo!”

“Justice is on the ballot!”

“Sapo!”

Nelson Chamisa and his fellow CCC leaders are hell bent on participating in these elections. Of course, they know Zanu PF has rigged elections in the past and is rigging these elections. If anyone is suffering from Sapo, they are and, more significantly, they know it.

“My name is not on the ballot, but progress is on the ballot!”

“Rubbish! Zimbabwe is sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss because we have lacked the common sense to admit Zanu PF is rigging elections and the political will to implement the democratic reforms and stop the rigging.”

Cure for selective amnesia

Treatment involves creating a safe, comfortable space that will allow memories to return. In some cases, doctors will recommend hypnosis and psychotherapy. Most individuals with dissociative amnesia recover their memories once their amnesia resolves.

Cure for selective amnesia: Politics variant

The truth is Nelson Chamisa and his MDC/CCC friends have never lost their memory, their political will to implement even one token reforms during the GNU, for example, evaporated into thin air when Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They have often complained of rigged elections but that was only to please their supporters. CCC will never implement the reforms and deliver free and fair elections; they wasted the golden chance to do so during the GNU, it is naïve to expect them to do so now.

Chamisa and his CCC friends are participating in these flawed elections out of greed and their supporters are doing so out of ignorance and/or fear. There is no cure for greed other than the gullible supporters finally opening their eyes and realise they are being conned. The cure for ignorance and fear is education, education and education!

"Boycotting 2023 is NOT a CCC option." Implementing reforms during GNU was NOT an option either. Nothing has changed! Wilbert Mukori

 Let us agree on one thing from the onset: Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections are NOT going to be free, fair and credible. Not even one token democratic reform was implemented since the last elections in 2018 and so many of the flaws and illegalities pointed out in 2018 will be repeated this year.

“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 the EU Election Observer 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,” concluded the report.

The EU Observer Mission was 246-man strong. The report included 23 recommendations to bring Zimbabwe elections to international standards. Not even one of the recommendations has seen the light of day and so many of the shortcomings that can be observed now such as the biased public media, the failure to produce a verified voters’ roll, etc. are still there.

It is not that Zimbabwe’s opposition politician do not accept that the elections are flawed and/or fail to see the sheer futility of participating in such elections. They do understand all these things.

 “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,” acknowledged Tendai Biti in a 2015 interview with Isaac Mugabi.

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

Biti was the MDC-T Minister of finance during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and is one of the three Vice Presidents in the Nelson Chamisa led CCC. He is certainly one of the heavy weights in Zimbabwe opposition politics.

Contrary to his own strongly expressed view not to drag the nation through those futile elections, raising the people’s hopes of changed only to see their hopes crushed, he and his opposition colleagues participated in the 2018. Zanu PF rigged those elections and the peoples’ hopes and spirits were crushed. The opposition is hell bent on participating in these 2023 elections as Nelson Chamisa has once again reiterated.

“Zimbabwe's main opposition leader has insisted that his party is ready to participate in forthcoming elections, despite the rigging and repression he said was already under way to keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa in power,” reported Bulawayo24/FT.

“Chamisa, 45, dismissed calls for a boycott of the August vote, despite widespread doubts over the process's credibility. "We will not allow Zanu-PF to have a free lunch, we will not allow dictatorship to have a free rein. We have to fight for change and we must give citizens the right to choose their leadership," Chamisa said.

"Surrender is not an option . . . boycotting ourselves is not an option."

It was David Coltart who was honest enough to admit the real reason why MDC/CCC leaders will never boycott elections even when it was the “obvious thing to do” is greed.

“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.”

David Coltart is another opposition heavy weight. He was an MDC-N minister of education throughout the GNU and is the Treasurer General of CCC.

Nelson Chamisa and his MDC/CCC friends’ political careers are riddled through and through with corruption, betrayal, contradictions, rhetoric and denials! They have been a curse and not a blessing to the nation and their continued meddling in the nation’s affairs is a cancer second only to the Zanu PF cancer.  

There four tenets of the rule of law, specifically as regards the laws pertaining to free, fair and credible elections, which Chamisa and his friends are ignored but the consequence of their folly cannot be ignored:

1)     Elections must be free, fair and credible or the process and results are meaningless. It is Zimbabwe’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections which is the root cause of the country being label a pariah state. The political and economic consequences of this is the dictatorship and the failed state. These elections are already disputed elections by virtue the process being flawed and illegal. And as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic recovery and the political paralysis will remain.

 

2)     Chamisa and company are insisting on participating in these elections regardless of all the flaws, illegalities and violence for whatever reasons, stated or denied, and thus accept the power and authority of those officiating in these elections. The consequence is that CCC must accept the results as annunciated by ZEC. Chamisa and company have been warned the process is flawed and must be reformed before elections and they freely chose to disregard the warning. They cannot therefore reject the results just because they were not declared the winner. By participating they will have given the process credibility and the results legitimacy; these cannot be withheld or withdrawn afterwards, its too late.

 

3)     Of course, it is this iron clad guarantee that the opposition will participate in these elections come what may that has given Zanu PF the confidence to ignore demands for reforms and free elections. It there is no punishment for breaking the law then there is no motive for upholding the law especially when there is everything to be gained by breaking the law.

 

MDC leaders failed to implement even one token democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU because Mugabe bribed them with the trapping of high office. What the MDC/CCC leaders have done since including the stubborn insistence on participating in flawed elections makes sense when viewed in the light of the treasonous betrayal during the GNU. By abandoning reforms and free elections and fostering that position on the nation CCC are denying this nation hope of free, fair and credible elections and with it hope of good governance. What right does CCC have in denying the people hope?

"It's dumb for CCC to boycott election with Mwonzora lurking" He is bait, participate and VHAMBU! W Mukori

“It is stupid to think Zanu PF will reform itself out of power. It is also dumb stupid to suggest boycotting of elections when Mwonzora is lurking in the shadows to fill that void,” shot Osama23. Shooting from the hip!  

It is indeed stupid to expect Zanu PF to reform itself out of office hence the reason the people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC/CCC for the express purpose of implementing the reforms. If I have said this once, I have said it 100 times today alone!

If you think it is dumb stupid “to suggest boycotting of elections when Mwonzora is lurking in the shadows to fill that void”. It is even worse to participate in the flawed election to stop Mwonzora winning the few gravy train seats because the principal beneficiary here is Zanu PF who set the trap.

A rat on it’s own will avoid a trap. Introduce the competition and the rat throws all caution to the wind. It doesn’t matter how many other dead rats it has seen caught in the trap, all it is thinking about is “If I don’t get that nut quick, some other rat will!” VHAMBU!

Mnangagwa is a buffoon, the recent Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary proved that point beyond all reasonable doubt, still he, just like Mugabe before him, understands that Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders are as greedy and reckless as competing rats.

Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections took place when the country was facing its worst ever economic meltdown; inflation was a nauseating 500 billion %, the economy had all but collapse, unemployment had soared to 90% plus, etc., etc. The people were restless for meaningful political change, as one might well imagine! Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies resorted to blatant cheating and wanton violence to retain their iron grip on political power.

However, the cheating and wanton violence were so outrageous that not even SADC and AU, who had always turned a blind eye to Zanu PF rigged elections in the past, could endorse the 2008 elections as a legitimate process. Mugabe was forced to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA) agreeing to the need for Zimbabwe to implement the raft of democratic reforms designed to restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free elections.

Properly implemented the reforms would have stopped Zanu PF rigging future elections.

The task of implementing the reforms were left to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends for the obvious reason – Zanu PF would never reform itself out of power.

Alas! MDC leaders took their eyes off the ball, and they failed to implement even one token reform in five years of the GNU. Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the ministerial E-class Mercedes Benz, the generous salaries and allowances, the US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. In return the MDC leaders throw the reforms out of the window. Not even one token reform was implemented in five years!

So, Zanu PF emerged out of the 2008 to 2013 GNU with all the party’s dictatorial powers including the carte blanche powers to rig elections. The party was careful to ensure it gave up a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate in the election no matter how flawed and illegal the process got. Zanu PF needs to maintain the multi-party democracy façade to avoid SADC dismissing the election as a farce as happened in 2008.

Mnangagwa has spiced up the opposition bait by creating POLAD a political body composed of the losing presidential candidates who publicly endorsed the 2018 elections as free, fair and credible and endorsed him as the legitimately elected president. They were rewarded with a new car each plus other freebies.

I once taught an adult education “O” level Mathematic class. It was hard work. And soon realised that for many of the students it was mission impossible because, forget doing form one and two, they had not completed grade seven. How can anyone comprehend the complexities of trigonometry when they have not mastered simple Arithmetic!     

Similarly, if one has failed to understand the democratic reforms are and that MDC leaders sold out big time by failing to implement even one reform during the GNU, this is primary school stuff. It is naïve to expect them to comprehend the futility of participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuating the dictatorship.

Nelson Chamisa and the few of his CCC friends who win the few gravy train seats on offer as bait benefit. Douglas Mwonzora and Lovemore Madhuku and the rest in the opposition camp benefit too from the POLAD freebies. The real big losers here are the ordinary Zimbabweans who are paying dearly for the consequences of 43 years and counting of Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical rule. Explaining all this to Osama23 is a complete waste of time, it is teaching University stuff to a grade one!

Osama23 is blissfully content participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating his/her own suffering just to stop Mwonzora winning any gravy train seats on offer as bait. He/she will not stop Mnangawa giving Mwonzora the POLAD freebies.

If Nelson Chamisa and his MDC Alliance had boycotted the 2018 elections, for example, it is rich to argue that SADC and AU would not have noticed. The opposition boycott would have been even more effective is they had done so in 2013 because it was none other than SADC leaders themselves who had proposed a boycott. But, again explaining all this to Osama23 is a waste of time, it is all water off a buck’s back.

Of course, the POLAD freebies are a small price for Mnangagwa to pay for the guaranteed participation in the flawed elections of Chamisa, his supporters and all the misguided Osama23s out there.

If I had to name one reason why Zanu PF has ridden roughshod over this nation then it must hubris. Hubris in the form of greed and breath-taking incompetence on the part of the MDC/CCC leaders. Naivety and ignorance on the part of the populous; the stubborn ignorance of people like Osama23 who think they know when in fact they don’t know.

It is most disconcerting that anyone would participate in flawed elections to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy, boast of the worthless trophy they have won and yet remain blissfully ignorant of the priceless price they have paid. Even after 43 years of rigged elections they are the one failing to see the trap and are caught by the neck like a rat!   

Zanu PF is rigging 2023 and CCC is participating out of greed; it's insane! Even mentally challenged must know this. W Mukori

 

“You should be ashamed of yourself! How can you keep attacking Nelson Chamisa and his CCC party? They are the only hope for Zimbabwe!” came the caustic attack.

How naïve!

In my article, I had said Zanu PF was rigging the 2023 elections and Chamisa and company knew the election was flawed, knew that by participating they were giving Zanu PF legitimacy and were participating regardless out of greed.

When I reminded the attacker that what I said was based on what David Coltart’s confession, admitting the same things. “David Coltart was wrong and you must stop quoting him!” Came the reply.

Tendai Biti is one other senior MDC/CCC leader who has admitted on the futility of participating in these elections without first implementing the reforms. “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,” 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.”

Indeed, SADC leaders wanted the 2013 Elections postponed to allow time for the implementation of the reforms and warned Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friend of the folly of participating with no reforms.

“In 2013 the Maputo Summit, in June 2013, before the elections, the Maputo Summit was all about having the elections postponed – the SADC summit. I went there,” Dr Ibbo Mandaza, Director of SAPES, told Journalist Violet Gonda.

“I was there at the Summit and Mugabe pretended to agree to a postponement of the elections. If you recall, the postponement was based on the need to reform at least electoral laws.

“And after that Summit, Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, all of them were called to a separate meeting by the Heads of State of SADC in the absence of Mugabe, that same evening. And they were told; I was sitting there outside the room with Mac Maharaj; they were told ‘if you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done’.”

Yeah! But why blame MDC/CCC leaders alone for the GNU’s failure to implement any reforms, the critic argued. After all, Zanu PF and MDC were partners in the GNU.

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to election MDC/CCC leaders into power on the understanding they would implement the needed democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship, as the party’s name implied. The people did not risk all to elect MDC leaders to implement reforms only to expect Zanu PF to perform the task.

Nelson Chamisa and his MDC/CCC friends have not only failed to implement even one meaningful democratic reform in 23 years, 5 of which in the GNU, but worst of all they are participating in flawed elections to perpetuate the dictatorship out of selfish greed. It is the duty of every rational person out there to hold MDC/CCC leaders to account for selling out.

Besides, those who have failed to condemn MDC/CCC leaders for and continued to give them the political support are just as guilty of giving Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuating the dictatorship. Whilst Chamisa and company are participating out of greed they are doing so out of ignorance, in this case, born out of the stubborn refusal to face facts.

Zanu PF is blatantly rigging the 2023 elections. The party has, once again, failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, denied 3 million in the diaspora the vote, is squandering US$ billions bribing officials to rig the elections and bribing the opposition to participate no matter flawed the process, etc., etc.

We, the ordinary citizens cannot stop the elections going ahead, not this late in the process. What we can do is make sure that Zanu PF, CCC and SADC (whose endorsing and granting legitimacy is key) know we condemn this election process because it is flawed, condemn CCC for participating out of greed and demand that Zanu PF is deny political legitimacy.  

We, the people, can agree to disagree on many things but cannot afford to disagree of this fundamental point that Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections and that participating is to give Zanu PF legitimacy is insane! With the nation in serious economic and political trouble precisely because for 43 years we have failed to deal with this curse of rigged elections and bad governance; are we going to fail ourselves yet again.

Coltart and his MDC/CCC friends have betrayed the nation in failing to implement the democratic reforms and in refraining from participating in the flawed elections until reforms were implemented. Greed got the better of them and rules the roost. Still, his confession that boycotting the flawed elections until reforms are implemented was spot on in 2013 and is still spot on now.

"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.”

2023, JUST LIKE 2013 AND 2018, ELECTION PROCESS IS SO FLAWED PARTICIPATING WILL ONLY GIVE ZANU PF LEGITIMACY. DOING SO, IS INSANE!

The writing is on the wall and will be shouted out from the rooftops. So that this time not even the mentally challenged will say they did not know Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections and CCC is participating out of greed.  

"Will CCC partake in shoddy 2023 without verified voters' roll?" Cut out the bull, yes Chamisa answered! W Mukori

 

Nelson Chamisa was finally cornered and nailed down on why CCC is participating in these elections without even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll!

Quizzed on the course of action the opposition intends to take should ZEC continue to hold on to the voter’s roll as has been witnessed lately, Chamisa said: “ZEC is a servant institution of the citizens. It is a citizens’ institution. It is a national and a citizens’ institution. Citizens are the ultimate authority and authors of the Republic. They are the owners of the Republic,” reported New Zimbabwe.

“Power resides in the citizens. Legislative, judicial, and even executive. All power is vested in the citizens. So legitimately citizens are demanding that all national processes be done in a particular way. There is no debate about that. That is non-negotiable”.

Further challenged to divulge details on whether CCC will partake in “shoddy elections” conducted without a voter’s roll, the CCC leader said there is no room for ZEC to lower the standard.

“ZEC has no option but to adhere to acceptable national and global standards for free and fair elections. These elections are national so there is no room for any variation or lowering of the standard. It’s not up for debate. It is the citizens who ultimately determine the quality, calibre, standard and nature of the election,” he added.

There is room for CCC to lower the standards by participating in the elections knowing fully well they are flawed and that participating will give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. MDC/CCC has been participating in these shoddy elections out of greed.

“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.”

Indeed, the participating in these flawed elections, “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw” should not come as a surprise to anyone who had been following Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends’ political performance. The MDC leaders had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms which would have freed ZEC and other state institutions to carry out their democratic duties of delivering free, fair and credible elections. They failed to implement even one meaningful reform in five years. Not one!

SADC, the regional body that had forced Robert Mugabe to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the need to implement the raft of democratic reforms, wanted the 2013 elections postponed to allow reforms to be implemented, a point Coltart was referred to in the above quotation.

“If you go into the elections next month, you will lose. The elections are done!” SADC leaders had warned Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to their faces.

It was a chance for the MDC leaders to redeem themselves for the having failed to implement the reforms during the GNU. They did not heed the warning for the same reason they had failed to implement the reforms during the GNU – greed.

Ever since the GNU debacle, Zanu PF has ignored demands to implement reforms to ensure elections are free and fair elections confident MDC/CCC will participate in the elections to give the process credibility and legitimacy, just as Coltart stated above. Why indeed, would Zanu PF risk losing power by implementing even a token reform when the party is assured of the opposition’s participation NO MATTER HOW FLAWED THE PROCESS GOT!  

Chamisa and company are participating in these 2023 elections WITHOUT a verified voters' roll; they have participated in the past with no verified voters' roll out of greed, they are still as greed as ever and therefore they will participate this year guaranteed!

Zimbabwe is in deep, deep trouble; we are failed state. Betrayed by the Mafiosi Zanu PF thugs who are rigging these 2023 elections, betrayed by the sell-outs CCC who are participating in these flawed elections out of greed and betrayed by SADC leaders who are endorsing the rigged elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy out of callous indifference!   

"I may disapprove of what Chin'ono say, but will defend his right to say it," to paraphrase Voltaire; for freedom of expression's sake. W Mukori

 A healthy and functioning democracy demands an informed and diligent electorate. How else can you have a government of the people, for the people and by the people if the said people cannot hold those in public office to democratic account because they have no clue what in going on.

It is a crying tragedy that many Zimbabweans out there have no clue the primary purpose of the 2008 to 2013 GNU was to implement the democratic reforms designed establish the basic human freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections, so ruthlessly denied by the Zanu PF dictatorship, for example. Even now, with the benefit of hindsight, many people still have no clue the primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the democratic reforms.

The dire consequences of this is the people’s failure to hold Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who sold-out and failed to implement even one reform in five years to democratic account. Worse still, in their ignorance and naivety the people have continue to trust and follow the MDC blindly a situation that has allowed the opposition leaders to continue with the blatant betrayal by participating in flawed elections knowing fully well doing so would only give Zanu PF legitimacy.

“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 David Coltart, CCC Treasurer General, 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.”

CCC leaders are hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections for the same reasons they did not implement any reforms and participated in flawed elections during their MDC days – greed and their breath-taking incompetence. And to hide their greed and incompetence CCC have declared war on their critics, especially the media!

“You said I have a dirty agenda for reporting the truth.” Responded Hopewell Chin’ono to the barrage of attacks from Fadzayi Mahere, CCC party spokesperson, on twitter.

“I have provided evidence from your internal communications that the wards I mentioned don’t have candidates.

“So, what is the dirty agenda there?

“I have reported on Zanu PF primaries, why should it be different with CCC?”

Mahere was did not address the specific issues raised i.e. where is the dirty agenda if the information was indeed the truth sourced from the party’s own communications.

“Journalism, constructive criticism and freedom of expression are good. Having a dirty agenda is not!” Fadzayi Mahere fired back.

Typical! They pay lip service to freedom of expression and constructive criticism and in the next breath they dismiss all criticism as gutter journalism without even providing the supporting evidence. If you cannot deal with the message attack the messenger!

“It has become difficult for me to report on anything to do with CCC without insults,” responded Chin’ono.

“I have therefore taken the decision to STOP reporting on anything to do with CCC from today throughout the election campaign in order to have peace of mind.”

For all MDC/CCC’s claim to being a democratic party and the antithesis of the autocratic and tyrannical Zanu PF; the two parties have a deep-rooted dislike of all the democratic values when they are asked to walk the talk. It will be no surprise at all if a CCC government will keep the same control on the public media and harass the private media just as Zanu PF is doing. There will still be no freedom of expression and free media.

Like it or not one of the major, if not the number one, contributing Zimbabwe being the failed, pariah, state we are today is that Zimbabweans are a naïve and gullible people, a far cry from the informed and diligent electorate required for a healthy and functioning democracy. We desperately need freedom of expression and free media and those in the public eye who cannot stand the scrutiny must get out of the kitchen!

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," Beatrice Evelyn Hall on Voltaire. 

SADC will not let Zanu PF "continue" rigging elections! Shame rigging has last 43 years and counting. W Mukori

 

"Zimbabwe has always been violating those (election) principles and guidelines as far as elections are concerned," acknowledged SADC Electoral Advisor, Likhwa Dlamini said after meeting Nelson Chamisa and his CCC team. CCC have the usual catalogue of issues to complain about.

"SADC is there to assess the likelihood of such incidents recurring, but our report does not address such issues and if they keep on recurring, there are other senior structures that deal with such issues.

"But SADC will not sit down and watch this continuing.

"We are not going to use force or push through the throat everything that we think of.

"We are going to do it in a way that would make us remain brothers and sisters."

"Our presence here is to do an assessment and detect issues, which I think are of concern and then assist."

It must be noted that SADC facilitated the implementation of the democratic reforms, the only sure way to end Zimbabwe’s culture of political violence and vote rigging, during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends wasted that golden opportunity by failing to implement even one reform in five years.

Worse still, SADC leaders wanted the 2013 elections postponed until reforms were implemented, in a last-minute attempt to get the reform implemented. “If you go into the election next month,” SADC leaders told Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to their faces. “You will lose. The elections are done!”

Alas! MDC leaders paid no heed and participated in the 2013 elections, which Zanu PF blatantly rigged, as SADC leaders had predicted. Zimbabwe’s opposition has insisted in participating in these flawed and illegal elections disregarding the repeated calls for reforms before elections from other quarters such as the EU and Americans.

There are five key points that must be said here:

1)     SADC election observer teams endorsed the Zanu PF rigged 2013 and 2018 elections as being “substantially free and fair”. Of course, it is disappointing that this was ever allowed to happen. One hopes the commitment “SADC will not sit down and watch this continuing” will be honoured from now on!

 

2)     Not even one meaningful reform has been implemented since the June 2013 SADC meeting when the leaders called for the elections to be postponed. The 2023 elections are four months away, no meaningful reforms can be implemented now. SADC must reiterate its 2013 demand for elections to be postponed until reforms are implemented!

 

3)     The MDC leaders did not implement any reforms during the GNU and squandered the chance to boycott the 2013 and 2018 elections and redeem themselves because of greed. CCC are hell bent on participating in these 2023 elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process get, Chamisa and company are just paying lip service to reforms.

4)     Indeed, it is this assurance that MDC/CCC will not implement reforms nor boycott elections no matter how flawed the process gets that have given Zanu PF the confidence to ignore demands for meaningful reforms and holding free elections. If we are serious about ending Zimbabwe’s curse of rigged elections and bad governance then we must apply pressure on both Zanu PF and CCC to accept democratic changes.  

 

5)     If SADC will not condemn the 2023 elections in advance, then SADC election observers must judge the process on the evidence gathered on the ground. Whether or not the country should have another GNU if the election fail to produce a legitimate government as happened in 2008; is not for SADC to say. The regional body must allow the people of Zimbabwe and the rest of the international community deal with that. This is not too much to ask!

"I'm working for investor-friendly environment" insist Mnangagwa. Watch Al Jazeera's Gold Mafia. I rest my case! W Mukori

 

The spirit is willing, but the intellect is weak!

“Zimbabwe is open for business!” is the most enduring thing President Emmerson Mnangagwa has ever said since taking over from the late Robert Mugabe following the 2017 military coup. The mantra was motivated by his burning desire to revive the comatose Zimbabwe economy. Sadly, for him and the nation, he has no clue how to revive the economy. None!

"My government is continually working towards improving the sustainable investor-friendly business environment. This in turn should attract more foreign direct investment into our economy and generate employment in all sectors of the economy," said Mnangagwa at the official opening of the Varun Beverages water and closures project in Harare.

"Such investment projects as the one we are witnessing today, as well as those by other investors, are quite crucial as they significantly contribute to economic growth and create employment for our citizens."

When Mnangagwa took over from the late dictator Robert Mugabe in 2017, he had rightly identified the two areas he needed to improve to create the investor-friendly business environment: end corruption and bad governance. He promised zero tolerance on corruption and promised to hold free, fair and credible elections.

The floodgate of local and foreign investment expected to follow the official launch of his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” campaign in January 2018 in Davos Switzerland did not materialise. Investors are savvy and shrewd lot, they held back to see if he was going to keep all his promises.

The blitzkrieg to arrest the those responsible for the rampant corruption and gross mismanagement, the two cancers that had all but destroyed Zimbabwe’s once upon a time robust and promising economy, did not take place. Indeed, the corruption and mismanagement under Mugabe’s rule is nothing compared to what is today.

The four-part “Zimbabwe: Gold Mafia” documentary on Al Jazeera has uncovered details of how Zimbabwe is losing US$1.6 billion per year to gold smugglers or 80% of traded gold and 5.7% of the country’s US$ 28 billion GPD. The documentary focused on gold smuggling and money laundering only but the looting is just as rampant in other areas such as diamond, lithium and platinum mining and the purchase of fuel and medicine by the various cartels.

 looting ood said Varun Beverages' investment will help in the production of more affordable goods and reduce the country's imports bill.

"By the time the Second Republic came into being, we occupied between 35 and 37% of retail shelves, but now I am informed that we are around 81% in terms of production locally," he added.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce Sekai Nzenza, speaking at the same Varun Beverages official opening, said at least US$101 million was invested into the country's manufacturing sector last year. This is less than the US$133 million per month the country lost to gold smugglers alone! No nation can afford this level of economic haemorrhage and criminal waste of resources.

The Al Jazeera documentary showed that corruption in Zimbabwe is not because of the usual one or two rotten apples in the Police, Bank and other key institutions; the top brass in these institutions are either themselves corrupt and/or are under strict orders to do nothing. Most of the gold smuggling kingpins in the documentary underlined their very close links with President Mnangagwa himself or a very close member of his family.

Ambassador-at-large Uebert Angel, alias Diplomat Mafia, offered to use his diplomatic bag to carry dirty money to Zimbabwe. The alternative was to use Mnangagwa’s presidential jet to transport the money. It was none other than President Mnangagwa himself who appointed Uebert Angel ambassador-at-large.

No wonder President Mnangagwa has failed to uproot corruption in Zimbabwe. How can he end corruption when he and his fellow Zanu PF ruling elite are the principal beneficiaries and the godfathers of corruption.

President Mnangagwa failed to keep his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections in 2018. No one in their right mind expected him to do anything else than rig the elections. He and his fellow coup plotters were not going to risk all in staging the coup only to risk losing power in a free election. Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was a lead balloon that never took off and it is no surprise the economy is now in total meltdown. Still, Zanu PF’s hunger to retain power is as keen as ever and so the regime is blatantly rigging the 2023 elections.

Indeed, the looting of the country’s resources has gone into overdrive because Mnangagwa inherited a bankrupt nation from Mugabe and has had to dig deep, he is now selling the nation’s crown jewels, to raise the funds to bribe all and sundry to help him win these elections from the US$5 bag of maize meal for povo right up to the US$ 230 000 bonus paid to CIO directors and ZEC. The regime is also spending a fortune bribing the opposition to participate in these flawed elections.

Kamlesh Pattni, alias Brother Paul in the Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary, boasted how the wealth generated from his gold smuggling activities help Kenya’s dictator, Arap Moi “survive” by buying off the off the opposition. Pattni moved to Zimbabwe and continued with the gold smuggling to help Mugabe and then Mnangagwa “survive”. The failure by MDC/CCC leaders to implement even one reform during the GNU and they stubborn insistence on participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy all point to one thing – a corrupted and captured opposition.

Zimbabwe is a failed state, a pariah state that is failing to provide even the most basic needs such as clean water, education and health care to its people. Mnangagwa is selling the nation’s crown jewels in a desperate bid to stay in power only to drag the nation even deeper into the hell-on-earth Zanu PF landed us all into.

Mnangagwa and his fellow Zanu PF cronies are just buffoons whose hunger for absolute power is insatiable, they would rather see the whole nation in economic ruins than see anyone else rule the country. Our curse has just been compounded by having a corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless opposition that has repeatedly betrayed the nation’s fight for reforms, free elections and good governance for a share of the spoils of power from Zanu PF.

Mnangagwa is rigging the 2023 elections so he can continue to preside over the wholesale looting of the nation’s gold, diamonds, etc. and the nation’s future, hopes and dreams. We must stop this insanity!  Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF do not have the divine right to ride roughshod over us denying us our meaningful say in the governance of the country. It is us who have let them ride over us roughshod and after 43 years it is insane to let this continue. They are not just mortals but buffoons, for Pete’s sake!

Professor Moyo dismiss Al Jazeera Gold Mafia as "disjointed thesis". He too must be feeling the heat Wilbert Mukori

 When the story first broke that Al Jazeera was going to air a documentary of the gold smuggling and money laundering in Zimbabwe, Zanu PF regime and its apologists dismissed the whole thing s inconsequential. Christopher Mutsvangwa heralded the story as a sanctions-busting success story.

After the first part of the documentary was aired, individuals like Uebert Angel, alias Diplomatic Mafia in the documentary, was stripped of his Ambassador-at-large title and privileges. Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Information and Publicity announced there would be a criminal investigation and all those found guilty would face the full wrath of the law.

Well, there is yet another change of direction, this time coming from Professor Jonathan Moyo, a seasoned political turncoat. He is dismissing the documentary as “a disjointed and incoherent thesis”.

“Now that three of its four episodes have been – and notwithstanding the fact that the fourth episode might have bombshells in the form of controversial or shocking utterances by its main interlocutors – there is nothing that the last episode will do to save the documentary's disjointed and incoherent thesis, which would have long gone up in smoke but for the gripping and often self-incriminating verbatim claims of its greedy interlocutors,” wrote Professor Moyo in a Bulawayo24 article.

The primary purpose of the public media the world over, is to educate, inform and/or entertain the public. The Al Jazeera “Zimbabwe: Gold Mafia” documentary has certainly lived to its billing of educating and informing the world about Zimbabwe’s gold smuggling and money laundering criminal activities.  

The Al Jazeera documentary gave details of the quantity of gold smuggled, 80% 0f the US$ 2 billion per year and how the country’s gold is then paid with dirty money. The proceeds of all these criminal activities are shared amongst the Zanu PF ruling elite and their appointed enablers with the Gold Mafia criminal masterminds, get the lion’s share of the loot. The gold-panners, doing the donkey work, get the small change.

The nation has “very little to show for all its gold”, as Tendai Biti readily admits in the documentary because none of the beneficiary pay cooperate or income tax the Mafiosi invest their loot in Dubai and some such safe heavens. But most worrying of all is that the looted wealth is being used to keep the corrupt and tyrannical ruling elite in power at the expense of the long-suffering ordinary people.   

In the documentary, Kamlesh Pattni, alias Gold Mafia, a Kenyan gold smuggler whose activities “nearly bankrupted Kenya” during President Arap Moi’s days, has since immigrated to Zimbabwe to ply his trade. He boasted of helping many of Africa’s tyrants “survive” by using some of gold smuggling loot to buy-off the tyrants’ political opponents. Zimbabwe is awash with political intrigue and mysteries.

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, which would have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship. They failed to implement even one token reforms. And to add insult to injury, ever since the GNU debacle, MDC/CCC leaders have insisted on participating in flawed elections knowing fully well that doing so would only give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship.  

CCC are hell bent in participating in these 2023 elections no matter how flawed the election process got. The only rational explanation to MDC/CCC’s irrational behaviour is that the opposition has been bribed to sell out on reforms and free elections!  

Of course, Al Jazeera’s “Zimbabwe: Gold Mafia” documentary has been an eye opener, the nation would never ever get this from the Zanu PF controlled public media. As a former Minister of Information and Publicity, Professor Moyo, knows only too well how The Herald, ZBC and the rest of the public media had brainwashed the Zimbabwe populous. God only knows what Al Jazeera “thesis” he was wittering about!

“It is unfortunate that there has been a concerted but ill-conceived and desperate campaign to drag @ReserveBankZim into the documentary's mud in pursuit of a hidden agenda,” continued Professor Moyo.

“Factually, and legally in terms of the Gold Trade Act, the #RBZ does not issue gold export or dealership licences, that is a responsibility of Government through Treasury. Fidelity's licence to refine and export gold was therefore issued by Government, not by #RBZ.”

 It is nonsensical that US$2 billion worth in smuggled gold would leave the country and as much in dirty money would flow in and out of the country with no one at RBZ knowing. In this case two of the Bank’s senior managed were not only named but paid for their role in the gold smuggling/ money laundering activities and the Nutty Professors still wants us to believe the RBZ is squeaky clean!

The torrid of criticism of Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia documentary by Professor Jonathan Moyo is not exactly a lightning bolt out of the clear sky! Professor Jonathan Moyo has criticized his erstwhile Zanu PF colleagues for haunting him out of the country following the November 2017 military coup but has always been careful never to cross certain lines.

He has never criticized MDC’s failure to implement even one reform during the GNU, on the one hand. He became one of Chamisa’s confidants before the 2018 elections and, no doubt, would be holding a senior government position if MDC A had won that election!

On the other hand, Professor Jonathan Moyo has been careful not to blubber too much about Zanu PF corruption and tyranny. He did not want to self-incriminate but also to keep the door open for re-joining Zanu PF.

The Al Jazeera documentary has uncovered so much, he must be feeling the heart even with him hiding in his fox-hole in Kenya. Could it be that one of the individuals named in the documentary helped him smuggle gold and some such valuable; after all that is something Kamlesh Pattni, alias Brother Paul, would do every day before breakfast!  

Zanu PF is rigging 2023 and CCC and povo are participating out of greed and ignorance. It's insane! W Mukori

 Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections. There will be no verified voters’ roll, no free public media, 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora will be denied the vote, thousands of rural voters will be frogmarched to vote for Zanu PF, etc., etc. 

Why is Zanu PF rigging the 2023 elections?

Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF friends have alway believed they had the right to rule Zimbabwe, right of conquest, as the party that defeated the white colonial regime in the war of independence. And what better way to secure that right than by rigging the elections. 

The longer Zanu PF has stayed in power the more it has become obvious to the people that the party leaders were corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs and therefore not fit to rule. And so to retain power the party has resorted to more and more ruthless vote rigging measures including the capture of state institutions; bribing officials, critics and opposition; and use of wanton violence. There is already a mountain of evidence to prove that Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections. 

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC/CCC leaders on the understanding they would implemented the necessary democratic change to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. 

Alas! After 23 year, 5 of which in the GNU MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement even one democratic reform. Worse still, since the GNU debacle, MDC/CCC have participated in the flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship.

What is really infuriating about MDC/CCC leader is that they know the sheer futility of participating in these flawed elections and yet continue doing it out of greed, as David Coltart admitted.

“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.” 

Coltart was an MDC-N Minister in the 2008 to 2013 GNU and is the Treasurer General in the CCC. 

So Zanu PF are rigging these elections and denying the millions of Zimbabweans the fundamental right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country because the party cannot risk losing its iron grip on power by holding free, fair and credible elections. MDC/CCC sold out on reforms and are selling out now by participating in flawed elections to perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship because Chamisa and et al are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent.

Why are the ordinary Zimbabwean participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy? 

The Zimbabwe populous can be divided into two groups; 

1. those who are politically powerless to stop the Zanu PF dictatorship, whether or not they understand what is going on is irrelevant. Zanu PF leaders have retained the coercive power from the liberation war days and abusing the state security services. The rural folk are as helpless as medieval serfs under their Zanu PF operative landlords. When you are looking up the business end of an AK47 rifle, it is unwise to argue.

2. the urban voters are not, as a rule, under the Zanu PF yoke, they should be better informed but, alas, they are not. It is disheartening that many urban voters have no clue the primary purpose of the 2008 to 2013 GNU was to implement reforms much less that MDC sold out, for example. Chamisa and company have conned them into believing in the oxymoronic nonsense of “winning rigged elections” even after 43 years of Zanu PF rigging and winning these elections. 

Zimbabwe is a failed state because we have a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical ruling party whose leaders believe they have the right to rule regardless of their disastrous 43 years in power track record. Our political situation has been made worse by the MDC/CCC who have wasted the many golden opportunities implement the democratic reforms and end the dictatorship. The sell-out are now participating in the flawed election to keep Zanu PF in power for a share of the spoils of power. And to crown it all we have politically and/or intellectually powerless electorate to demand their right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country.

Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections and both CCC and the populous are once again, for the umpteenth time in 43 year, foolishly participating to give Zanu PF legitimacy out of greed and ignorance respectively. Of course, this is inane the more so we have the cure for both greed and ignorance!

UAE refuse SA's Gupta brothers extradition for laundering. Pattni and other Gold Mafia must be equally relieved. W Mukori

 

Remember the many stories of State Capture involving former SA President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta brothers? Well whatever peanut butter bait the South African government was using in its Agatha Christie mousetrap, it snared Zuma and the Gupta brothers got away!

The South African authorities have been trying to get the Gupta brothers extradited from United Arabs Emirates (UAE) to South Africa to face charges of money laundering and fraud. The extradition request was turned down.

“We learnt with shock and dismay that the extradition have been concluded in the Dubai courts … on the 13th of February 2023, and our extradition request was unsuccessful,” Minister Ronald Lamola of Department of Justice and Correctional Services revealed.

“The court found that on the charge of money laundering, the crime in question is alleged to have been committed in the United Arab Emirates and in South Africa.”

Many of the big fish named in the ongoing Al Jazeera four part “Zimbabwe: Gold Mafia” documentary such as Kamlesh Pattni have settled in Zimbabwe but have set up shop in UEA and other countries. In the documentary Pattni is seen flaunting his amassed wealth from smuggling gold and money laundering.

Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean will be equally shocked and dismayed by the UAE court refusal to have extradited the Gupta brothers; the same court will no doubt refuse to have Pattni extradited to Zimbabwe to answer similar charges!

The real crying shame for both South Africa and Zimbabwe is that corruption has been rampant for decades and it was at the very heart of government. Worst of all, corrupt is still rampant in the two countries as the Al Jazeera documentary clearly shows and we really have no clue how to uproot it!

“He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon!” so goes the old adage.

The rot has spread to every segment of society right up to the core. How does one uproot the cancer when those in positions of power and authority are the godfathers and principal beneficiaries of the corruption!

The Zimbabwe mousetrap will catch the small-time gold smugglers operators such as the Airport and Bank staff, they will serve jail time. The likes Uebert Angel and Henrietta Rushwaya have powerful political connections and/or know too much to risk them incriminating the Zanu PF godfathers; it will be catch and release.

Mnangagwa and the rest of the Zanu PF godfathers will use their looted wealth to rig elections and stop regime change at all costs! The Al Jazeera documentary has only served to harden their resolve to rig the elections and stop regime change.

The Mafia masterminds like Kamlesh Pattni know they are safe in UEA, they will live to a ripe old age in unparallel luxury and comfort. Pattni never invested any of his looted wealth in Zimbabwe because he knew the country was corrupt and unstable – he should know, after all he has played his role in creating the rot and chaos.

Obama was "fundraising phenomenon" but nothing compared to Mnangagwa's US$240 m war chest, thanks to Gold Mafia W Mukori

 When elections costs in an impoverished nation like Zimbabwe are comparable and even exceed those in a very rich nation like United States of America; you can be sure of one thing the Zimbabwe elections are NOT the same free, fair and credible democratic elections you get in the USA. For one thing, the budgetary difference between the contestants is so huge, it is like Fred Flintstone in his stone-age car racing against Lewis Hamilton in his F1 car.

The mismatch is so blatant one has to ask what the opposition is being paid to keep participating in such a clearly one-sided race!

Former US President Barack Obama is one of the American politicians known, amongst many other things, for his election fundraising prowess.

“In all, no US politician has ever raised so much money for a political campaign – and this one will be the most expensive ever. Of the $942m in receipts so far for the 2008 race, Obama has raised $347m, more than double John McCain's $143.8m,” reported the UK Guardian in July 2008

“If nothing else, Barack Obama has proved himself to be a financial phenomenon.”

Who would have guessed that President Obama would be outdone by President Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, one of the poorest nations on earth!

"In this (2023) election, I think, they are spending something like US$240 million and that is his (Mnangagwa) money. It's not somebody else's. It's not the party, it's his money," Uebert Mudzanire alias Prophet Uebert Angel, alias Diplomat Mafia, claimed in the Al Jazeera “Zimbabwe: Gold Mafia” documentary.

"So, when somebody has got that money to spend on an election campaign, you give him one million, it's like a slap in the face, unless you say this is to thank you.

"The guy doesn't take bribes. Oh no, no, he won't. There is a big difference in appreciating somebody and bribing."

The truth is Mnangagwa in raising a hell lot more for the 2023 Zimbabwe elections. His fellow Zanu PF ruling elite leaders like VP Chiwenga, ministers, high ranking officers in the Police and Army, etc. who too have benefited from the wholesale looting of the nation’s resources will show their appreciation of the Zanu PF dictatorship by making a generous contribution to keep the regime in power. The biggest donations will come from the Gold Mafia bosses, the individuals (mostly foreign) sitting at the apex of the gold smuggling and money laundering activities, who make a lot more money than the Zanu PF ruling elite who facilitate the looting.

Similar generous donations will come from the Diamond Mafia (country was swindled out of US$15 billion in diamond revenue in the period 2007 to 2014 according to Professor Jonathan Moyo in a recent SABC interview), Lithium Mafia and platinum Mafia. More donations will come from the many cartels that have mushroomed including such tycoons as the Kundakwashe Tangwirei whose business empire is worth US$ billions, etc.

As the incumbent government Zanu PF will be creaming-off billions of dollars in material, labour and cash from the state to pay for Zanu PF election expenses.

All told Mnangagwa and Zanu PF will be spending a staggering US$4 billion to secure a Mnangagwa victory and Zanu PF parliamentary majority. Most of the money will be spend on vote buying from the few bags @ of food and/or agricultural inputs for the ordinary voters, buying US$60k cars for chiefs to turn them into party political commissars, US$230k bribes for key officials in ZEC, Police, etc.

The regime is spending millions of dollars in making sure the opposition participate in these elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process gets. Ever since the 2008 GNU, Zanu PF has been careful to ensure the party bribed opposition to entice them to participate in the elections to maintain the façade Zimbabwe is a healthy and functioning multi-party democracy. The GNU forced the party to discard the de facto one-party image.

CCC and the rest of the opposition parties will have done very well indeed if they raised US$4 million for their campaign, including the direct and indirect financial assistance from Zanu PF.

So, the opposition’s campaign budget is 0.1% of Zanu PF’s US$4 billion; that alone shows this is not a fair contest! There many other reasons making this an unfair contest such as ZEC’s refusal to produce a verified voters’ roll, a blatantly pro-Zanu PF public media, etc. The thing is the opposition know these elections are not free nor fair and yet they insist in participating regardless.

“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.”

In other words, the opposition are participating in these flawed and illegal elections out of greed. Pure and simple!

USA GDP                            23 618.00 USD Billion.

ZIMBABWE GDP                       28. 00 USD BILLION

Zimbabwe’s GPD is 0.1% of USA and yet Zanu PF is spending US$4b or14% of the country’s GPD on elections! How is that possible?

Easy, Zanu PF has captured the state institutions and commandeered the nation’s material and human resources, which should be used for the good of all, to securing electoral victory for Mnangagwa and the ruling party, Zanu PF. The regime is squandering millions buying chiefs new twin-cab trucks every five years, down payment for them to frogmarch the rural voters to vote for the party, and yet many rural hospitals have no ambulance service!

The real big surprise is how Zanu PF has managed to get the opposition to work for the regime, making a mockery of the whole electoral process!

“The Gold Mafia is bigger than the government. Bigger than any authority!” boasted Dawood Khan Former Gold Leaf Mafia Member turned informer.

The opposition knew the 2013 election process was “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw”; they did not withdraw because the Gold mafia and their Zanu PF ruling elite partners had opposition in their deep pockets. Today, ten years later, two rigged elections later, the opposition are still hell bent on participating in the same flawed and illegal elections.

The one thing Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary has shown beyond all reasonable doubt is just how powerful the Gold Mafia and the Zanu PF ruling elite partnership is in Zimbabwe. Those who expect any meaningful democratic changes in Zimbabwe without first implementing the democratic reforms are naïve.   

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw!” confessed David Coltart in 2013, ten years ago. The electoral process today, 2023, is just as flawed and illegal as in 2013 and yet CCC are just as determined to participate in these 2023 elections as they were in 2013! Until we implement the democratic reforms designed to end the tyrannical hold of the Gold Mafia and Zanu PF ruling elite have over the people notably the opposition the country will never hold free and fair elections. Never! 

"Impeach Mnangagwa over gold mafia!" No, focus on denying him legitimacy and all else will follow. W Mukori

 

Team Pachedu have done excellent work in the fight for free, fair and credible elections. However in calling for Mnangagwa to be impeached over the Al Jazeera Gold Mafia expose, they are losing the plot.

"As Team Pachedu, we think the opposition should put the necessary pressure on Mnangagwa to step down and a good safe way is to move a motion to impeach him in Parliament.

"The legislators have a role to play in checking the executive," Team Pachedu told NewsDay.

Yes, the opposition MPs can table a motion to impeach Mnangagwa, but to what end and purpose! Even if they did table the motion, it will be quashed like a bug underfoot. Remember Zanu PF has 2/3 majority in parliament and these MPs are not accountable to ordinary Zimbabweans but to Mnangagwa and the rest of the corrupt ruling elite! Mnangagwa and his cronies rig elections – remember!

As long as Zanu PF is able to rig the elections and stay in power the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and tyrannical oppression will continue. So, if we are serious about ending the mismanagement, corruption, etc. we must focus on implementing the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. Anything else is just a waste of time and effort!

We are in the middle of an election campaign and will be going to the polls in four months’ time. There is overwhelming evidence already to show the process is flawed and illegal including the failure to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. Team Pachedu has done excellent work in helping to document some of the evidence.

Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections. After 43 years of rigged elections, it is insane to let this happen yet again!

With four months to go before polling day, it is too late to get any meaningful democratic reforms implemented nor can we stop the elections going ahead. What we can do is make sure everyone knows that these elections as flawed and illegal and cannot therefore produce a legitimate government. Zanu PF must not be allowed to get away with yet another rigged election and granted political legitimacy.

It is a well-documented historic fact that Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC/CCC have played a major role in helping Zanu PF rig elections and get away with it. MDC leaders had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms, notably during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to implement even one reform.

Worse still, Chamisa and his opposition friends have insisted on participating in these elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and that participating will give the process some modicum of credibility and the outcome legitimacy. They have participated regardless out of greed.

“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 David Coltart, CCC Treasurer General,  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.”

Chamisa and his CCC friends are once again participating in these flawed and illegal 2023 elections to give Zanu PG legitimacy out of greed. How long are we going to allow this blatant betrayal of the people fight for reforms and free elections to continue, for Pete’s sake!!!!

The suggestion that the opposition MPs must table a motion to impeach Mnangagwa will be a welcome distraction from addressing with the critical questions; why the sold out on reforms and continue to do so by participating in flawed elections?

Indeed, the very act of raising the motion of impeaching Mnangagwa on corruption, even if everyone knowing it is academic, will be a feather in the opposition’s cap. They will see it justification for their continued participation in these flawed elections!

The number one task before us is making sure Zanu PF does not get political legitimacy and thus get away with yet another rigged 2023 election. The last thing we want is give the sell-out opposition a feeble excuse to justify their participation.

Tabling the motion to impeach Mnangagwa over the gold looting will be no more than a house-fly to a elephant, the Al Jazeera documentary has been a swarm of stinging bees, at the very least. Deny Mnangagwa political legitimacy and the Zanu PF dictatorship will end and with it the mismanagement, corruption, etc.

We can end the Zanu PF dictatorship, the regime is rigging these elections and knows that getting away with it is not going to be easy. The regime on the ropes and we need to stay focused and not the distracted by impeachment side show of no consequence!