There is an audio of “Retired Army officer speaks” pouring his heart out complaining about Zanu PF’s corrupt leaders and how their insatiable greed is the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic melt down. Corruption started soon after independence, he argues, and it is nonsense to blame the meltdown on sanctions.
“Zanu PF leaders are still in the liberation war mode!” argues the speaker. “They left the bush and went into office without a proper demobilisation.”
This is just a feeble excuse for Zanu PF leaders’ insatiable greed for power and wealth. The truth is Zimbabwe is not the only country in history that earned its independence after a bitter armed struggle, whilst many have emerged with a healthy and functioning democratic system of government we got this murderous kleptocracy.
Many Zimbabweans did join the armed struggle because they genuinely believed in freedom, liberty and justice for all regardless of race, tribe or gender. Yes there were others who motives for taking up arms were not so benign and generous. There were many who jointed the armed struggle with mercenary goal of being richly rewarded.
“Our sacrifice will be fully rewarded or compensated after the war,” Jabulani Ngoma had said as he kissed her goodbye outside his parents’ home at Dendenyore. “those of us taking this calculated risk in the national interest, will be richly rewarded in Zimbabwe.” Wrote Geoffrey Nyarota in his book The Honourable Minister An Anatomy of Endemic Corruption.
In the book, Jabulani Ngoma is the fictional character who joins the liberation war in a huff, running away from justice who then becomes one of the pot-bellied minister in independent Zimbabwe living in a mansion, with fleet of posh cars, farms, small house, etc. etc. The epitome of corruption!
In the real Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe was Prime Minister of independent Zimbabwe and within a few weeks of being in power he replaced the Peugeot 406 Ian Smith had given his ministers with E-Class Mercedes Benz limos kicking off the patronage and chef culture behind rampant corruption.
The audio retired Army officer waxed on and on about Zanu PF corruption, mismanagement, propaganda, rigged elections, etc., etc. We all know or should know all these things by now after 43 years of the regime’s tyrannical rule. What, in my humble opinion, we should be talking about is why have we, the people of Zimbabwe allowed this tyrannical Zanu PF kleptocracy rule for 43 years dragging the whole nation deep into this economic and political mess.
Of course, there were many opportunities in the 43 years to end the Zanu PF dictatorship, with the best of those chances coming during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when SADC leaders forced Mugabe to accept the need for democratic reforms.
The primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the democratic reforms and stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. Not even one token reform was implemented in 5, FIVE, years!
Robert Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends with the trappings of high office; the E-Class Mercedes Benz, generous salary and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai himself, etc., - the same honey trap used to buy the blind loyalty of his own Zanu PF leaders. It worked, Tsvangirai and company kicked the reforms out of the window; not even SADC leaders’s constant nagging could get MDC leaders to implement even one token reform in five years.
Indeed, ever since the GNU MDC/CCC leaders have abandoned implementing the reforms content with participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy for a few gravy train seats, a share of the spoils of power.
It is all very well our Army officer blubbering on and on about Zanu PF being a party of corrupt, incompetent and murderous crooks; it is true, Mnangagwa and company are indeed corrupt and murderous thugs. The material point is denouncing the regime alone will not end the dictatorship especially now that Mnangagwa has corrupted the nation’s institutions including the opposition - men and women the public had entrusted the task to implement the reforms and dismantle Zanu PF.
When Chamisa resigned from CCC claiming that Zanu PF had infiltrated the party, he was telling the truth but not the whole truth. He left out his own role in this infiltration! He was one of the NMDC -T ministers in the 2008 to 2013 GNU why is it that he just like everyone else, did not lift a finger to implement even one token reform?
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” boasted Zanu PF cronies when ask why MDC leaders had forgotten about implementing the reforms!
Like everyone else he was the recipient of Mugabe’s generosity, the ministerial limo, generous salary and allowances and, after such an ostentatious start (he was barely out of college and already he was a minister) he did not want to rock the boat.
Zimbabwe is a failed state and after 43 years in power Zanu PF has definitely a lot to answer for but as long as the regime continues to enjoy carte blanche powers to rig the elections it will ignore us completely and continue will the looting and plunder and rigging of elections.
MDC/CCC leaders were elected to implement the reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. After 23 years, including 5 in the GNU, and not even one token reform implemented Chamisa and company have a lot to answer for. But whilst they continue to enjoy a few gravy train seats, a share of the spoils of power it is clear they ignore our demands for an explanation why they have not implemented even token reform.
The A number One priority for the people of Zimbabwe must be stopping Zanu PF rigging elections and after 23 years with not even one reform in place we should be asking ourselves why have we continued to entrust MDC/CCC leaders with this key task of implementing the reforms. 23 years is a long time especially when there is nothing to show for it!
The very fact that Zimbabweans are sitting there wringing their fingers, lot and confused what to do; after 43 years of Zanu PF blatantly rigging the elections with MDC/CCC selling out on reforms the last 23 years; speaks volumes of our own ignorance and breathtaking incompetence.
There is a time and season for everything; a time to sow and a time to reap. The Zanu PF dictatorship is not going to be stopped by denouncing the regime, naming and shaming its leaders as corrupt. They know that and they are beyond caring. What is required to implement the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. MDC/CCC leaders have failed to get even one reform implemented in 23 years, we must find other leaders who will! Simple!
Why such a simple, obvious and rational step has remained an incomprehensible mystery and mission impossible to many Zimbabweans out there, beggars belief.
Until we start thinking in a rational manner, Zimbabwe will remain a failed state.
People get government they deserve, we in Zimbabwe certainly deserve this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF kleptocracy complete with its equally corrupt and utterly useless CCC side-kick!
@ Chicken Breast
ReplyDelete“At times unotombofunga kuti Mukori ari kunyora zvine musoro wozoona aaa inga madhoti ake edzokorodzo.So far we are ini 2024 and still crying for 2008.What a naivy Mukori.Are you really a political commentator or a fake one.Mukori usadaro iwe inga uri kuvarungu wani vanokasira kufunga."
The 10 Commandments are still a key pillar of Christianity and Judaism today, 3 000 after Moses, because they are as relevant today as they were then. 2008 GNU failed to implement any reforms and they are still relevant today and hence the reason why reforms will remain on the national agenda.
You did not see the reforms as necessary then and still you are no wiser. Thank God it is not village idiots like you who set the national agenda.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IADWEFGaalE
ReplyDeleteNaming and shaming corrupt Zanu PF thugs will not bring any change, we need to start thinking out side the box. We need to focus on getting competent opposition leaders who will implementing democratic reforms and finally stop Zanu PF rigging elections.
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-241125.html
ReplyDeleteNot even the hardcore Zanu PF supporters can deny that Zimbabwe's 2023 elections were flawed and illegal because, unlike with past rigged elections, this time the condemnation was unanimous; even SADC, AU and Zimbabwe's own ZHRC condemned the process as a farce. SADC would have probably denied Zanu PF political legitimacy if Chamisa et al had not swept the rug from under them by taking up their gravy train seats thus endorsing the election as having been free, far and credible.
So, 43 years after independence in this day and age, we in Zimbabwe have failed to hold free, fair and credible elections. And, unless we do something about it quick smart we are heading for yet another Zanu PF rigged 2028 elections. This is a damning testimonial of our failure to govern ourselves!
Every Zimbabwean with half a brain must hang his/her head in shame at this! But better still must do everything get the bloody reforms implemented and thus end this double curse of rigged elections and bad governance a.s.a.p!
“Your posts are good and make lots of sense.
ReplyDeleteOur problem is how to move away from this business of the politics of populism and personalities. It’s then that people can start to vote for issues and possess the power to change any failing government. As it is, leader with nothing and no prospect of doing better will be what we deserve.
I think you, I and any right thinking person need to come together, draft a party and get into the civic society to demand meetings about funding for political education for our people first and then go for elections. Voters who have knowledge can even boycott an election and force politicians to behave. It’s normal for clueless voters to wait for life for Chamisa to get into power for life to change and ruin a generation. Voters with a clue will demand change fast.”
Thank you for the compliment. I normal get abuse from both Zanu PF and CCC supporters, as you might well imagine.
I totally agree with you, nothing of any substance will ever be accomplished until we have an educated electorate instead of the ignorant and gullible mob who are easily conned and abused by both Zanu PF and CCC. I think we must use all the available public media to engage and educate the voters.
I would strongly recommend that you post your comment of the WhatsApp group and on Bulawayo 24 so we can have a debate and hopefully engage even more people.
It is ironic that we should be complaining of our people being ignorant at the time in human history where it has not been easier to communicate! We just need to make better use of the wonderful opportunities to educate and inform our people.
Forming a political party makes a lot sense but not right now because you will be swamped with the many disillusioned by MDC/CCC and instead of educating the voters you will be spending all the working hours managing the mob!
@ Mbofana
ReplyDelete“In fact, information minister Jenfan Muswere was quite unequivocal, a few days ago, that the government did not need anyone, let alone world powers, instructing it on what was best for Zimbabweans.
This was in reference to the placement of 11 top individuals - including President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia - as well as three entities under the Global Magnitsky Act sanctions by the US.
Muswere did not mince his words as he told whoever was listening that the authorities in Harare were not there to please the Americans, but to do what benefited the generality of Zimbabweans.”
Zanu PF rigged the 2023 elections denying the people of Zimbabwe a meaningful say in the governance of the country. And it was not just the Americans and their western allies who condemned the election this time; SADC and AU elections observers did so too!
Free, fair and credible elections are not just another human right, DAMN IT! It is the every essence of good governance. And so by rigging the elections Zanu PF was once again denying the people of Zimbabwe the right to good, competent and accountable government.
After blatantly rigging the elections it therefore beggars belief how this Zanu PF regime can still say it is governing the country “in the best interest of Zimbabweans”! But, of course, the regime does not give a damn about anything because these thugs know they are not accountable to anyone and can do and say anything they damn well please. They do not care about the tragic human suffering and deaths of millions of Zimbabweans who are facing the dire consequences of economic meltdown and tyrannical oppression.
As long as these Zanu PF thugs remain in power Zimbabwe will remain a failed state and millions of our people will continue to suffer and die whilst the regime continue looting and insult us. We had the golden opportunity to end the dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends wasted it. I never thought we will live to regret that betrayal as bitterly as we do now.
Still, this is no time to be feeling sorry of ourselves; we need to get up dust ourselves up and take up the fight to implement the reforms and cure ourselves of the double curse of rigged elections and bad governance. The first act in that fight is to stop the wildebeest herd participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy.
How anyone can be conned into participating in flawed elections by Chamisa’s idiotic promises such as “I have plugged all vote rigging loop holes”. Zanu PF is counting on sellout opposition and the ignorant, naive and gullible electorate to stay in power.
“Do you honestly believe your actions are fair and good for Zimbabweans?” you rightly ask Mnangagwa and his cronies. The truth they have gone beyond caring about the ordinary people and right now they are too busy looting to hear you!
CITIZEN Coalition of Change (CCC) self-imposed interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu's faction has written to the government requesting for the disbursement of a "windfall" due to the party under the Political Parties Finance Act. The money is given to political parties basing on the performance in the August 23 elections.
ReplyDeleteCCC interim treasurer Mbuso Siso yesterday told NewsDay that they held a meeting in Bulawayo last year and resolved that the party should open a bank account.
Siso said he will provide the necessary party accounts to the government regarding the party finances. He said Tshabangu remains suspended pending disciplinary hearing for not attending party meetings.
Siso said the party has also recalled three newly-sworn in proportional representation National Assembly members in Bulawayo arguing that they were not part of the agreed list.
The recalled are Nomvula Mguni, Otilia Sibanda and Lungile Ncube.
CCC was but house built on quick-sand by corrupt and breathtaking incompetent individuals. The peace and unity lasted only whilst each member thought they had the chance of winning a gravy train seat and so the dog-eat-dog fighting started soon after the elections. They will be fighting over the proportional representative seats and the pay off from the Political Party Finance Act for the coming four years and do nothing else!
Zimbabwe needs quality opposition leaders who will implement the reforms but will never have them given the country’s ignorant and gullible electorate. Who would have believed anyone would be conned into participating in last year’s elections on the back of Chamisa’s “I have plugged all vote rigging loop holes” when the upstart did not even have a verified voters’ roll? Over 2 million Zimbabweans believed him and voted for him!
We have a serious problem of corrupt and incompetent opposition but that cannot be addressed without first addressing the equally serous problem of ignorant and naive electorate!
There is no one more blind than he who choose to close his eyes or worse still to bury his head in someone else's back side.
ReplyDeleteThe archeologist does not know this man participated in the 2023 elections only to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating his own suffering for two reasons:
i) attended Zanu PF rallies and voted for the regime for the sake of one piece of chicken and chips!
ii) or was conned by Chamisa to participate believing CCC would win big because Chamisa plugged all the Zanu PF vote rigging loop holes. “God is in it!” he proclaimed. How anyone can be so ignorant and gullible to believe this trash beggars belief!
And so he lived in abject poverty to his dying day asking for chicken/change. The relative could not shut the wide open spring loaded beak nor pull back the begging alarms! This was the lost generation of degenerates who were so thoroughly brainwashed they believed in Mnangagwa’s mirage vision 2030 and that Chamisa was an infallible demigod!
Once you have rigged the elections you can say anything you like because you know you are not accountable to the people.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing this Zanu PF regime cannot do is deny that it rigged the 2023 elections because even SADC, AU and Zimbabwe’s own election observer condemned the 2023 elections as flawed and illegal. This Zanu PF regime is per se illegitimate.
I will say this once again, free and fair elections are more than just another right they are the every essence of good governance. By rigging the elections therefore Zanu PF not only denied us the people a meaning say in the governance of the country but more significantly the right to good governance, to competent and accountable leaders.
After 44 years of this tyrannical dictatorship we must double our efforts to end the double curse of rigged elections and bad governance.
We need competent opposition leaders who will implement the blood reforms. Chamisa and company have failed to implement even one token reform in 23 years, how anyone can still consider him the best foot forward for the nation beggars belief!
@ Chisa
ReplyDeleteChamisa is not just a mere mortal but one who has a proven track record as corrupt and incompetent. Why anyone would consider him untouchable, infallible demigod beggars belief. Still, one has to accept that Zimbabwe has some of the worst voters in the world - ignorant and gullible village idiots whose brains have ossified into fat. It is a great pity the idiots have a vote!
@ Bachipeneti
ReplyDelete“This is why I always say you should stand up yourself n do the right thing timboonawo iwee.”
And because I, like millions of other Zimbabweans out there, have not stood up I must not hold Chamisa to account for selling out by failing to deliver even one reform in 23 years.
You are just a village idiot hell bent on defending Chamisa and so you coming up with all manner of idiotic arguments to silence all those who dare hold Chamisa to account. You have been hammering on the foolish notion that only those who have held public office or formed their own political party can hold Chamisa to account.
Chamisa is accountable to ALL Zimbabweans regardless of their political affiliation.
The greatest tragedy for Zimbabwe is that we gave the voice and vote to village idiots like Bachipeneti, they are now the ones keeping buffoons like Mnangagwa and Chamisa in power. One cannot reason with BaChipeneti, his brain has ossified into fat!
Here we are fighting Zanu PF that all Zimbabweans must have the right to free, fair and credible elections. And the village idiot is undermining us with his suggestion that only those who belong to a political party must enjoy that right! How can anyone be this thick, shallow and slow!!!!!!!
@ Mukanya
ReplyDelete“For your own information, Zanu pf is no longer rigging the election, they are now just grabbing the election results and change it into their own favor, this is no longer a rigging, wake up bro zve rigging zvakavharwa like what chamisa has said there is no more room for rigging, but they can only deny you for a victory, and there's nothing you can do to them, bcoz they have all the powers of the state. So you better not to send this rubbish anymore.”
Stop talking nonsense! MDC leaders fail to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. What power of state was used to stop them implementing even one reform?
Chamisa did not even have verified voters’ roll and failed to deploy election agents at all Polling Station even though he had the funds to do so. He was lying about plugging all the voting loop holes because he wanted to con the ignorant and gullible voters to participate in the flawed elections. He knew Zanu PF was rigging and that participating will give the regime legitimacy. Still he wanted you lot to participate because he would get his reward of giving Zanu PF legitimacy.
“Zanu PF is no longer rigging the election, they are now just grabbing the election results and change it into their own favour.” Call it what you wish everyone else calls rigging. And the material point is that Chamisa conned village idiots like you to participated to give Zanu PF legitimacy. CCC members took up their gravy train seats and thus endorsing the elections were free and fair and thus making it impossible for SADC to deny Zanu PF legitimacy.
The very fact that even now with the benefit of hind sight you still do not realise that CCC leaders sold out in failing to implement even one token reform in 23 years and have been participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy; means you will never ever get it! You are like Boxer, the horse in Animal Farm, he failed to learn the alphabet and could never string two coherent ideas.
Poor, poor Zimbabwe! We are trying to build a healthy and functioning democracy only to find the majority of the electorate have the IQ of a horse! FCUK me!
@ Mukanya
ReplyDeleteAnd Zanu PF hijacked all the 110 MDC MPs, 30 ministers, 50 senators, 2 Deputy PM and the PM for five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU and thus stopped them implementing even one token reform? Some of the things being said here explain why Zimbabwe is a failed state and could not be anything else!
@ Ebenezer
ReplyDeleteI uses to be anti
But am picking some sense. You balance your arguments sometimes but majority is at logger heads with you because of perceptions.You write what they don't like to hear and they denounce everything in the process.”
The great Greek philosopher said there are three kinds of people those with strong minds, they discuss idea, those with an average mind, they discuss events and then those with a weak mind, they discuss people. In Zimbabwe we have to go even lower for we have people whose intellect is lower than that!
In his book Animal Farm, George Orwell writes about Boxer, the horse, who failed to learn the alphabet and could never string two coherent ideas. Boxer gave up thinking for himself and accepted everything Napoleon did, no questioned asked. “Napoleon is always right!” was his motto.
Chamisa Chete Chete would be Boxer’s Zimbabwe equivalent. And to spice it all up our horses have the knack of aggressively defending Chamisa not with evidence or facts but rhetoric - if Chamisa said so, it MUST be right!
Socrates and his follow Greeks argued that the people must be educated foe democracy to work, I think he would have agreed those with a IQ of a horse and beyond the pale. How do you educate some one impermeable to reason and logic!
Someone so dumb they were conned into participating a flawed elections to perpetuate their own suffering because they believed Chamisa had plugged all the vote rigging loop holes even when they knew he had bot even secured verified voters’ roll. If you are that dumb then you are indeed beyond the pale! Sadly, there were no fewer than 2 million such village idiots who voted to perpetuate their own suffering!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOgLBr86OZE
ReplyDeleteNow that Zanu PF has rigged the elections and got away with it, thanks to MDC/CCC leaders' failure to implement reforms and conning the people to participate to give the process legitimacy, the regime is doing as it damn well please knowing fully well it is NOT democratically accountable to anyone.
Free, fair and credible elections are not just another human rights, they are the essence of good governance and so by rigging elections Zanu PF is denying people their right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country but also the right to dood government.
@ Mujuru
ReplyDelete“Mukoma, are you fair when others respond to you and we think the area has been covered but you keep bringing it back.
You don't want Zanu to rig but you want to rig our brains.
CCC / MDC did not get the reforms you want but you are not reforming yourself, this issue has been discussed for months and hamuna solution to past nor future.”
I have offered solutions and whether you think there are sound or not is your affair.
Zanu PF rigging the national elections is a serious matter and to compare it to me “rigging your brain” is trivialising a life and death issue!
I did not realise that I am supposed to reform myself. What reforms are you talking about?