CCC is participating in 2023, 'so flawed only logical step was withdraw', out of greed and therefore must stop these crocodile tears. W Mukori

 “Chamisa shares doubts about Zimbabwe elections!” screamed the headlines in Bulawayo 24. 

This is just nonsense, he knew without reforms Zanu PF would rig these elections, God knows how many times he has been warned against the folly of participating in these flawed elections. So what is he complaining about!

Chamisa is a 45 years old adult who continues to behaving like the spoilt brat who think he can have his cake and eat it too!

Chamisa and company had the golden opportunity during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop the curse of Zanu PF rigging elections. They failed to implement even one reform because they were cocksure they would win the elections regardless the Zanu PF cheating and violence. 

The EU 2018 Election Observer Team report condemned these elections as "not to international standards." The report listed 23 reform recommendations to bring Zimbabwe elections to acceptable standard. This was a chance for Zimbabwe to finally deal with the recurring nightmare of rigged elections and wanton violence.

Instead of Chamisa and company finally seizing this opportunity and redeem themselves for their blatant betrayal during the GNU; they completely ignored the EU’s report and reform recommendations. They were once again off at a tangent; they would participate in next elections with no reforms implemented because the party had devised Winning In Rigged Elections (WIRE) strategies. All hot air, of course.

The flagship WIRE strategy was “mass voter registration, mass voting and guard the vote!” the party announce in 2018. The party would register 6 million new voters, mainly from the youths, the nation was told. 

Last year ZEC announced that as of 30 May 2022 the commission had registered only 250 000 new voters in the last four year country wide. Even if one assume that all the new voter registrants were CCC supporters, this constituted 4% of the party’s set target of 6 million. And so the talked about flagship WIRE strategy of “mass voter registration, mass voting and guard the vote!” was dead in the water!

Operation green mangoes was another one of CCC’s WIRE strategies. To counter the problem of voter intimidation by Zanu PF operatives, CCC supporters were encouraged to join Zanu PF and play along. On voting day they will vote for CCC. And hence the green mango, which is green outside, the party colours of Zanu PF, and yellow inside, the party colours of CCC. 

Zanu PF has reactivated its party cells and is keeping a attendance register. Indeed operation green mangoes was launched in response to Zanu PF move because the pressure to join the cell was unbearable. People remember the wanton violence of 2008 when Zanu PF punished the people for rejecting the party, especially in the rural areas where the party rules the roost.  

“Your vote is your secret!” CCC leaders tried to reassure its supporters. Once again, this is just nonsense! 

Zanu PF has abolished the constituency voters’ roll where voters could cast their vote in any of the polling stations in the constituency and introduced a polling station voters’ roll. The party has increased the number of polling stations from 10 or so in 2008 to over 60 this year, reducing the number of voters at each polling station to a manageable 500 or so.

Zanu PF operatives have the voters’ roll of their respective polling station, they will know everyone on the roll by face if not by name. They have been instructed to frogmarch their own Zanu PF cell members to go and vote. A voting register of all who voted will be kept. Remember to votes of each polling station are counted at that polling station and not mixed at some counting centre. Within a matter of minutes of the Zanu PF operatives would have figured out voted for the opposition with unerring certainty. 

“Chisinga zikamwi rufu! Avhota anozikamwa kuti abvakupi, avhotera ani!” (We don’t know where death has come from! As for the voters, we will know where you came from and how you voted!) Mnangagwa himself is heard, loud as church bells, boasting in an audio.

Indeed, our 45 year old brat, knows that Zanu PF is indeed rigging these elections, he knows that these WIRE strategies are hot air to con the ordinary people into participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy. 

Chamisa and his CCC friends would have implemented the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU if they cared about free, fair and credible elections and ending the curse of rigged and bad governance. They did not implement even one token reform because they did not care about reforms, etc., etc. 

They have all but given up on reforms and settled for a share of the spoils of power from Zanu PF, their reward for conning the Zimbabweans into participating in these flawed election to give Zanu PF legitimacy. You do not believe me? Well here are two of the country’s leading opposition intellectuals saying the same thing.

“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 legitimising 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.”

Tendai Biti changed his mind and participated in the 2018 and is participating in these 2023 elections against his only advice. He has never, as far as I know, ever explained why he changed his mind. 

David Coltart too has admitted of the sheer futility of participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. He has gone one step further and given the reason why the opposition has been hell bent on participating regardless of the certainty this would only perpetuate the failed state and tragic human suffering that has brought. 

“The (2013) 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,” confessed David Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.

Chamisa et al have been participating in these flawed elections, “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was (is) to withdraw,” out of greed. G R E E D, GREED!

“It has not been an easy campaign season for the underfunded Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), but still, the party drew huge crowds that mostly made their way to the rally without free transport,” continue the report in Bulawayo 24.

“In a direct message to Mnangagwa over the barring of CCC candidates in Bulawayo and a series of other lawfare moves, Chamisa said at the end that ‘God has the final say’".

The ordinary Zimbabweans are desperate for change to end the failed state and their suffering. Desperate people do desperate things and what could be more desperate than participating in flawed elections to perpetuate one’s own suffering on basis of Chamisa’s frivolous WIRE strategies even after 43 years of rigged elections. 

They need to wake up to the reality that CCC is running with the povo hare and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds. The people’s failure to realise the primary purpose of the GNU, even now with the benefit of hindsight, is the root cause of their continue blind loyalty to MDC/CCC, their greatest weakness and undoing.  

God is certainly not in Chamisa and company’s decision to participate in these flawed elections. Since when has God been a part to man’s foolishness and greed!