"MDC want to unseat duly elected ED" - who elected him, even ZEC failed to verify its own tally N Garikai

President Mnangagwa rigged the 30 July 2018 elections cocksure his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” clarion call would deliver economic recover. Sadly, that has no happened, the flood of investors has not materialised and it is his own fault. 

The economic recovery was founded on the premise that the November 2017 coup did not just remove Zimbabwe’s long serving tyrant Robert Mugabe from office, it also transformed the country into a new democratic Zimbabwe. Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections, proof of the “new dispensation” transformation. 

And so by rigging the elections, he proved Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. Of course, investors shied away for Zimbabwe because they know it is impossible to do business in pariah state, they know that from all the Mugabe years. 

The economic turmoil and hardship brought about by serious shortages of foreign currency, fuel, food, medicine, etc. have all underlined one fundamental fact: Zanu PF rigged the elections but wrecked all hope of any meaningful economic recovery. 

The truth is slowly dawning on Mnangagwa that his dream of bringing economic prosperity after the 37 years of economic ruin under Mugabe is but a pipe dream! The reality is the economic is sinking even deeper into the morass that Mugabe created. 

The worsening economic situation is making Zimbabwe economically and socially more and more unstable. People are not going to tolerate these forex, medicine, etc. shortages forever; they will be street protests or worse!

What Mnangagwa should do is accept that the token changes of removing Mugabe were not enough to end Zimbabwe’s pariah state status. And, above all accept, that as long as the country remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs there will be no meaningful economic recovery. Accepting those political and economic realities is essential because only then is the solution obvious - that Zanu PF must step down to allow the holding of free and fair elections. 

Instead of acknowledging the futility of his “new dispensation” as the answer to Zimbabwe’s serious economic situation, Mnangagwa is burying his head in the sand and hanging on to power at all cost. He, just like Mugabe before him, is resorting propaganda and violence to silence his critics and the victims of his failed leadership. 

“At a moment when the economy is facing temporary economic challenges, the opposition has decided to politicise the situation, blaming Government for failing to redress these challenges,” Anesu Pedzisai wrote in Bulawayo 24. 

“It is on the same background that MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has tried to ride on these mischievous shenanigans, promising pies in the air to citizens. It also does not come as much of a surprise that Chamisa is desperately trying to remain relevant, he has been at the forefront of preaching provocative and inflammatory statements, urging people to prepare to join him and take to the streets, at some point, and unseat a duly elected Government.”

Of course, Zanu PF is to blame for the country’s economic meltdown. It is the one that established and retained this de facto one-party state, the epitome of the pariah state curse, and landed the nation in this hell-on-earth. By rigging the recent elections, Mnangagwa has reaffirmed the party’s dictatorial strangle hold on the nation. It is therefore nonsensical that Zanu PF should be holding on to the dictatorial powers of a pariah state but refuse to accept the consequences of Zimbabwe being a pariah state! 

Zimbabwe’s economic situation with its nauseatingly high unemployment rate of 90% and 75% of the population already living on US$1.00 or less a day is socially, politically and morally unsustainable. What is clear is that Zanu PF will use brute force to silence all demands for change. 

The regime is using misguided MDC statements to justify repression. The people will overcome their fear of the brutality of Zanu PF to demand change because they can no longer stand the brutality brought upon them by the economic meltdown and chronic shortages of everything. 

Pedzisai, people are dying already of hunger and disease brought upon them by the economic meltdown. People know that as long as Zanu PF remains in power their suffering and deaths will continue. Zanu PF is pushing the nation over the edge into the abyss. 

The people have a simple choice facing up the Zanu PF regime and demand meaningful change or continue to die like damn sheep being driven over the cliff by a foolish dog. Common sense will prevail! 

As for the “unseat a duly elected Government”; who elected Mnangagwa and this junta? The regime denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote, failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, there was no free public media and the election observers, not even ZEC, could verify and trace the declared election result. 

ZEC’s task was to cross check the tally from the 11 000 or so V11 figures from each of polling stations. Some of the V11 forms were never released although this is a legal requirement. After four days of messing around ZEC finally declared Mnangagwa the winner but failed to show were their figures came from. Indeed, ZEC managed to come up with three different results and neither of which could be verified or traced! 

There is no question that Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections and thus confirmed the country’s status as pariah state. There is no denying that whilst the pariah state curse hangs over the nation’s head there is no hope of economic recovery. After 38 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule that have left 75% of our people living in abject poverty; there is a crying need for change. The Zanu PF dictatorship must be dismantled. 

President Mnangagwa and his junta regime rigged the elections and are, per se, illegitimate. The regime must step down to allow the nation to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. 

If Zanu PF is allowed to stay in power until 2023, the party will rig those elections too! The only sure way to make sure Zanu PF does not rig another elections is for the regime to step down now so the nation can finally implement the democratic reforms that both Zanu PF and MDC failed to implement during the 2008 GNU.

We are caught between rock and deep blue sea and lack Odysseus' insight to escape W Mukori

Zimbabweans are well and truly caught between a rock and the deep blue sea, they either have to confront the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime and demand meaningful political change or continue to suffer the worsen economic hardships brought upon the nation by the regime. This is a lesson for Zimbabweans to learn from Greek mythology. 

One of the many trials and tribulations Odysseus, Homer’s hero in Ulysses, faced to get back home was having to navigate the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Italian mainland. Odysseus was caught between a rock Scylla, a rock shoal, a six headed sea monster on the Italian side of the strait and Charybdis, a whirlpool off the coast of Sicily, the deep blue sea. 

Odysseus chose to face Scylla and lost a few sailors to the monster rather than risk the the whole ship and crew being sucked into the abyss! 

The moral of the story is Zimbabweans would be better off facing the monster Zanu PF demanding their freedoms and basic human rights and dignity including the right to free and fair elections which is at the very heart of the nation’s failure to put an end to Zanu PF’s corrupt and tyrannical rule. 

The nation has been stuck with the corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime for 38 years because the party rigged the elections and falsified its mandate to rule. After 38 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule it is now clear the regime is the root cause of the economic meltdown and, worse still, that there is no hope of any meaningful economic recovery as long as Zanu PF remains in power. None!

Zanu PF has just rigged the recent elections to tighten its iron grip on power and the regime shot dead seven protestors soon thereafter, a warning the regime will not brook any challenge to its tyrannical rule. The Zanu PF Scylla monster is real and dangerous, there is no doubt about that.

The country’s economic meltdown that has seen unemployment soar to dizzying heights of 90%, basic services like supply of clean running water and health care collapse, etc. is Charybdis, a whirlpool, sucking the whole nation into the abyss. 75% of the population is already living on US$1.00 or less a day and the situation is getting worse not better. 

“(Economic) recovery can only come with foreign investment in Zimbabwean commerce and industry. But what investor would want to bring hard currency onshore, to see its value immediately reduced as it is turned into RTGS money, where profits are generated in RTGS money and offshore shareholders cannot be paid?” explained Derek Matyszak in an article in Zimeye.

“So the logjam continues. The currency problem cannot be solved without investment, and investment won’t come until the currency problem is solved and certainly not while Zimbabwe has shown itself prone to bouts of extreme economic chaos and potential social unrest. And while government scratches its collective head, Zimbabwe’s economy inches ever closer to the brink.”

Whilst the Zanu PF’s trigger happy thugs will kill hundreds even thousands of people if Zimbabweans if the nation dared to confront the regime to demand meaningful change. Doing nothing has cause millions to suffer in damn anguish and hundreds if not thousands of lives have been lost unnecessarily every month for lack of clean running water, etc. 

The trials and tribulations Odysseus faced were not of his own making, he was at the mercy of the capricious Gods. The trials and tribulations Zimbabweans are facing are all 100% our own fault. For all our problems stem from the 38 years of corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical rule of Mugabe, Mnangagwa and the rest of the Zanu PF thugs. These are mere mortals and not Gods; of course, it is our own fault that we have allowed these thugs to ride roughshod over our freedoms, hopes and our very humanity all these years to such depths of depravity! 

Nations get the government they deserve, we in Zimbabwe, certainly deserve this corrupt Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its entourage of equally corrupt and incompetent opposition parties. If we want a competent and accountable government, one to led us out of the hell-on-earth Zanu PF landed us in, we must earn it by learning from history and our own past mistakes.

Zanu PF thuggery presents immediate and dramatic danger but it is nothing compared to the suffering and deaths of the economic meltdown the regime has fostered on the nation, the silent grime ripper. Those who refuse to confront Zanu PF and demand meaningful democratic change are making a false choice because they are not confronting the grime ripper either. It is Zanu PF thuggery that is causing the economic meltdown and those who refuse to confront Zanu PF refuse to confront the economic meltdown. 

The choice before this nation is simple; either we confront these Zanu PF thugs and demand the restoration of our freedoms and human rights or we suffer and die like sheep to the slaughter. 

It is shameful that anyone should ever seek to subjugate and enslave a fellow human being as this is bound to cause endless strive and anguish. Shame on you all who allow yourselves to be cowed down by mere mortals so much so you become as helpless as sheep!

"I am taking Zimbabwe to Canaan" says ED - dragged us to hell-on-earth P Guramatunhu

“PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has rewarded one of the biggest indigenous churches, the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), with a tractor and other agricultural inputs for overwhelmingly voting for him and his party in the July 30 elections,” reported News Day.

“This is one of the many presents gifted to the church, whose leader, Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, is an ardent supporter of the ruling Zanu PF party.
Mnangagwa visited the church before elections soliciting for votes and promised to come back after the polls.”

Mnangagwa squandered as much as $5 billion in all manner of vote rigging and vote buying schemes ZCC are not the only ones to sell their vote; the Chiefs, judges, MDC leaders during the GNU; outsiders like NIKUV, the Israeli vote rigging specialists; are all involved. As a nation, we have more than our fair share of sell-outs hence the reason all our attempts to have a healthy and functional democracy have been a total failure!

The very fact that most of the voters have no clue what a democratic system is and so fail to see these sell-outs for who they are only makes the situation even worse.

By rigging the recent elections President Mnangagwa has confirmed Zimbabwe is still a pariah state and thus slammed the door shut in the face of would-be investors. There is no hope of meaningful economic recovery; no investors would want to do business in a pariah state ruled by vote rigging thugs.

Zimbabwe’s present economic situation with unemployment a nauseating 90%, most basic services like supply of clean running water and health care all but collapse, etc. is socially, politically and morally unsustainable. Now, thanks to Zanu PF confirming we are a pariah state; we can be certain of two things; one, the economic meltdown will get worse. Second, there will be a second military coup, violent street protests, anything to end this unsustainable situation.

The current shortages of fuel, forex, food, medicine, etc. are stoking the people’s anger; there is a limit to how much people can tolerate and that limit was reached and exceeded a long time ago. Zimbabwe is now a ticking time bomb!

The violent revolution can be avoided, even now on the eleventh hour, if Mnangagwa and his junta step down now to allow the appointment of an interim administration to oversee the transition from a corrupt and vote rigging autocracy to a healthy and functional democracy. It is most unfortunate that Mnangagwa and his junta do not have the common sense to accept the dictatorship has failed and the people themselves do not have the common sense to demand change.

The time bomb will explode, like all violent revolution, it will destroying a lot of property and cause much suffering and even loose of human lives. And, worst of all, there is no guarantee it will deliver the democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe that has eluded us all these last 38 years. Many people still have no clue how Zanu PF rigged the recent elections, for example, and so they will be short changed just as easily as happened again and again these last 38 years.

“Yes, we have our own problems; it is just like when a lady is delivering, the nurses will tell her to push. But after that, the mother celebrates the kid. The same applies in the country. Let’s push. We may have issues, but let’s unite. Better days are to come,” Mnangagwa told his ZCC audience.

“Do not be afraid even if you have many problems because God is on our side, we will overcome. Just like the Israelites on their journey to Canaan, some among them thought of going back to Egypt. Even today, among our midst, we have those that want to take the country back to Egypt.”

This is Zimbabwe’s worst nightmare that sell-outs and tyrants should count themselves the worthy custodians of the Holy Scripture and even the modern Moses leading the people out of bondage into freedom.  Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF thugs have ridden roughshod over the people, denying them their freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free and fair elections and even the right to life. Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, just like the Chiefs, the Judges, etc., has played his part in frog marching his church followers to polling station and voting for Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

“No man is free who is not master of himself!” said the Greek Philosopher, Epictetus. He was former slave himself.

So, until every Zimbabwean has a meaningful say in the governance of the country, a meaningful share of the nation’s wealth and riches; they are masters of their own destiny, captain of their own soul; it is nonsense to talk of the people of Zimbabwe are free.

The oppressive and exploitative white colonial regime had one redeeming quality it had the common sense to achieve economic prosperity or be it failed to share the wealth fairly. The corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime of the last 38 years and counting destroyed the economy and ruthlessly crashed the people’s hopes and dreams. Zanu PF does not have even one redeeming quality. Not one!

“Even today, among our midst, we have those that want to take the country back to Egypt.” As if it is inconceivable for post-independence black led government to be worse that white colonial! It is conceivable that yesterday’s liberators can be today’s oppressors and even worse oppressors than yesterday’s oppressors. Oppressors can come from anyone with a mean spirit regardless of race, gender, etc.

Mr Mnangagwa, the people of Zimbabwe will never live in freedom and human dignity under your mean spirited leadership. The people would have rejected you and your Zanu PF junta decades ago if you did not rig elections. We all know you rig the recent elections and are, per se, illegitimate. The most rational course of action is for you to step down and allow the nation to get out of the hell-on-earth you have landed the nation into.

ED seeking "emergency power" to stop corruption - voiceless povo need it to force ED to step down P Guramatunhu

“President Emmerson Mnangagwa is finalising drafting legislation that will restore stability and eliminate mischief in the money markets, his spokesperson George Charamba said,” reported Daily News,

“Charamba also revealed that Mnangagwa will use emergency powers to deal with unexplained wealth and bank deposits in wide-sweeping measures that will see tighter bank surveillance as well as target tax dodgers.

"If we find that an account that had two cents yesterday suddenly has $40 million, the first thing we do is to provisionally impound that and we push the onus for you to explain the source of those funds," he warned ominously.

It is common knowledge that President Mnangagwa himself is one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. Will he lead by example then and explain where he got his wealth? 

The President can then come you! We already know that you, Mr George Charamba, were paid mouth-watering sums of money as one of the directors of the Public Service Medical Aid Society. Whilst you and your fellow directors and top managers, looted the funds the lowly paid civil servants who paid the membership fee were being deny the medical care because there was no money to pay for it! 

Soon after independence Mugabe came up with the leadership code which was meant to stop leaders abusing their position for person gain. We know it did not work hence the reason the country is in the gutter as a result of the wholesale looting by the leaders. Mugabe kept a detailed account of each leaders looting activities, he even actively encourage leaders to be corrupt, for the purpose of blackmailing the individuals. 

Corruption has been endemic in Zimbabwe and it was not because the country did not have laws to stamp it. We have the laws and the manpower to enforce the law. What has been lacking is the political will to stamp out corruption. It is impossible to stamp out corruption when those entrusted with the power and authority to do so are themselves corrupt and worst of all are accountable to no one. 

“Si quis custodiet ipsos custodes caro?” (Who will guard the guards if they are corrupt?) asked Roman poet Juvenal.

This is the insidious question that has dogged human kind from the dawn of civilisation. Those societies, nations, etc. who have deserved the necessary checks and balance to ensure those entrusted with power and authority, the greater the power the greater damage, are always accountable to those who granted them power, the people. ALWAYS! 

Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess with 75% of the population now living in abject poverty as a result of 38 years and counting of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption by the few ruling elite. The people have been totally helpless to stop the criminal waste of the nation’s resources and tragic human suffering and deaths because Zanu PF thugs have usurped the people’s freedoms and rights rendering them utterly powerless. 

In Zanu PF ruled Zimbabwe; the corrupt and tyrannical ruling elite are holding the majority to ransom. It is the tail that is wagging the dog! 

Elections are the ultimate expression of the people holding those entrusted to govern the country to democratic account. President Mnangagwa and his junta blatantly rigged the 30 July 2018 elections, proof the junta is NOT accountable to the people. 

“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,” stated the EU Election Observer Mission final report.

In other words, ZEC failed to produce the voters’ roll, V11 forms (summary of vote count at each polling station, etc. to prove where President Mnangagwa’s 2.4 million votes came from. In short, the result was completely fictitious and nothing to do with the democratic wish of the people of Zimbabwe. 

If nothing is done to remove this Zanu PF junta from office before the next elections, in 2023, we can be certain that the party will rig those elections too. Unless something is done to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship, the party will rig the elections to stay in power just as it has done for the last 38 years already. 

President Mnangagwa will use the emergency power to give himself more tyrannical power with which silence his political opponents, crItics and rivals alike. If anyone needs emergency powers then it is the people, emergency powers to force Mnangagwa and his junta to step down. After 38 years of autocratic rule, Mnangagwa et al are now addicted to absolute power, they will not give it up without a fight!

"Emulate Masiyiwa, project good image of Zimbabwe" - no lies can change pariah image P Guramatunhu

“MR Strive Masiyiwa is a telecommunications magnet and billionaire with a business conglomerate straddling the African continent and beyond. He is a self-made entrepreneur who commands respect across the entire world,” wrote Chronicle. 

“From humble beginnings in Zimbabwe, he built an empire that now encompasses telecommunications, ICT, banking, mobile money, digital television and numerous other ventures dotted around Africa and Europe. 

“The Econet Wireless Zimbabwe founder is among the 10 richest people in Africa and has made the Forbes list of wealthiest individuals in the world.”

This is just nonsense but in a way it explains why the country is still in a mess. 

People have criticised Masiyiwa for falsely claiming that Mnangagwa is “sincere” about seeking meaningful economic and political change. Only a first class village idiot would make such a claim when the regime has just blatantly rigged the elections and thus confirming the country is still a pariah state. 

No one questioned that Masiyiwa is not rich. There is only one logical reason the Chronicle was reminding us all just how rich Masiyiwa is; to cow us into submission. This is media house built on the believe “Mighty is right!” hence the reason page after page of the paper day in day out for the last 38 years is about the Zanu PF ruling elite and their apologists and no one else. Since Masiyiwa is supportive of the regime the Chronicle has added to its brief “Rich is right!”

Strive Masiyiwa, same man listed “among the 10 richest people in Africa” by Forbes Magazine, lied about Mnangagwa being “sincere”! The lie is unforgivable since it comes just three months after the later has just blatantly rigged the national elections and had seven people shot dead to quash all protests against the rigged elections.   

"It is through unity that we can achieve development and get the country to the level that we desire. It is not up to the Government and President Mnangagwa alone to champion the re-engagement drive and the rebranding of the country but also that of private citizens and the business community," Minister of Information and political boss of the Chronicle, Monica Mutsvangwa said.

You Zanu PF thugs talk of unity, re-engagement, development, etc. without paying attention to what these words mean. You calling on Zimbabweans to be united and yet you are the one dividing the nation by denying people their freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country, right to a fair share of the nation’s wealth and riches.

President Mnangagwa keeps wittering about re-engaging the West in pursuit of his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” Yet he stubbornly refuse to re-engage with the the 3 million plus Zimbabweans in the diaspora by denying them the right to vote!  

“We totally agree with the Minister and urge other prominent Zimbabweans in the diaspora and within the country to emulate Mr Masiyiwa in projecting a good image of the country,” concluded the well-paid Chronicle spin-doctor. 

“To accelerate the re-engagement drive, Zimbabwe needs all hands on deck including its leading lights in the business community.”

President Mnangagwa was never sincere about seeking a “new dispensation”, Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. No amount of lies and spin from whatever quarter will ever change that reality. 

Worst of all, Zimbabwe needs to end the dictatorship before it is all too late. Decades of Zanu PF misrule has brought the nation to the edge of the abyss, the present economic and political situation has forced millions into abject poverty and striped them of hope and human dignity. This is a ticking time bomb that we must defuse by dismantling the dictatorship itself!

"Sanctions have costed 10s of 1000s of new jobs" says Masiyiwa - pariah state costed millions N Garikai

Many people held Strive Masiyiwa in high regard, not until the heard him say “Mnangagwa was sincere” in seeking meaningful political and economic change in Zimbabwe. Masiyiwa also argued that the sanctions imposed of the Zanu PF dictatorship should be lifted. 

The statements are totally divorced from the political and economic reality in Zimbabwe. Mnangagwa has just rigged the recent elections, for example; was he being sincere in keeping his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections! It was little wonder that all those with a working brain, Zimbabweans and foreigners alike, were outraged by Masiyiwa’s foolish statements and told him so in no uncertain terms.

Someone should have told Masiyiwa that when you are in a hole, stop digging because in his attempt to explain his foolish statement he has only dug an even deeper hole for himself! 

“As an entrepreneur, on many occasions I have had initiatives for my country Zimbabwe, which could have created tens of thousands of new jobs. When I have discussed them with either investors or banks, they have turned me away, saying:

"We don't want to violate the sanctions in your country.” Wrote Masiyiwa.

“I have documents and emails from bankers and investors. I tried so hard to persuade some of them, often suggesting that they are not interpreting the sanctions correctly.

“In my case I was forced to go to China to secure loans to support our Zimbabwean businesses. But this was not always ideal. I have spoken about it publicly on many occasions even in the US and China itself.”

The sanctions imposed by the western nations targeted specific individuals and companies and unless your proposed projects involved working with any of those on the targeted list then there was no reason why the would-be investors refused to fund you. As you yourself acknowledge some failed to interpret the sanctions correctly. 

Your whole argument to have the sanctions lifted is nonsensical is discussed in isolation, one must consider why the sanctions were imposed. The Americans spelt out in detail what the Zanu PF government had to do to ensure the recent elections were free, fair and credible. Mnangagwa blatantly rigged the elections and so the sanction stayed.

It is shocking that anyone who with half a brain would ever call the person who has just committed high treason, rigging elections is high treason, “sincere”!

By rigging the elections, Mnangagwa confirmed that Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. A hell lot more investors and lenders have shied away from investing in Zimbabwe not so much because there are these targeted sanctions but because the country is pariah state. 

Whilst sanctions have costed the country tens of thousands of new jobs; being a pariah state has costed the nation the millions of existing jobs with companies closing and millions of new jobs in lost investment opportunities. 

“Now, if Zimbabwe had been a person who committed a crime, for which they went to prison, would you not say 20 years is enough? Zimbabwe has served its prison time. It's time for the country to be given a chance to get back on its feet,” continued Masiyiwa.

To start with it is not Zimbabwe or ordinary Zimbabweans who “committed a crime” it is President Mnangagwa and his junta who committed high treason in systematically denying the people their freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections and even the right to life itself. The ordinary people are the victims of the corrupt and tyrannical regime. 

How can you say Mnangagwa and his junta have “served their prison time” when they just blatantly rigged the elections and on the 1st August had seven unarmed civilians shot dead by the army? A warning the regime will shot to kill all those who dare raise their voice again its continued tyrannical rule. 

Zimbabwe will never ever register any meaningful economic recovery as long as the country remain a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs. NEVER EVER!

Zimbabwe has oil and gas - a blessing but only if shared by all and not just ruling few N Garikai

“President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially announced oil and gas deposits discovery in Muzarabani, Mashonaland Central province, following a study carried out by an Australian company, Invictus Energy Limited,” reported Bulawayo 24.

"The government of Zimbabwe will work very closely with Invictus to ensure that the Invictus realises its plans to sink an exploration well by mid-2020. After exploration well, the next stage will be commercial exploitation of the resource," he said.

For Zimbabwe, just as happened in so many other countries notably DRC and Sierra Leone; the discovery of such key resources as oil, diamonds, etc. has often turned out to be a curse and not the blessing one expected. The discovery of oil and gas deposits in Muzarabani is a blessing but only if we act decisively to make sure it does not become another curse!

The discovery of diamonds in Marange and Chiadzwa in 2004/5 only served to re-energise Zanu PF thugs and harden their resolve to hang-on to power at all cost. The prospect of losing political power in the 2008 elections and lose control of the diamond wealth that was just coming on stream was unthinkable. 

Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party lost the March 2008 vote to Morgan Tsvangirai’s tally of 73%, according to Mugabe’s Freudian slip. Zanu PF thugs under the leadership of none other than the now President Mnangagwa, order ZEC to recount the votes. After six weeks Tsvangirai’s vote was whittled down to 47%, enough to force a run-off. 

Zanu PF thugs, once again under the leadership of Mnangagwa, set out to harass, beat, rape and even kill innocent Zimbabwe; to punish the people for having rejected Mugabe and Zanu PF in the March vote and to make sure they voted for Mugabe in the June run-off. 

Mugabe secured an 84% landslide victory and Zanu PF retained its strangle hold on political power and the nation’s wealth and resources, including the diamonds. Over the years Zanu PF ruling elite and the party - money to bankroll it varied and expensive vote rigging and vote buying schemes - have benefited greatly from the discovery of diamonds in Marange. 

Of course, the discovery of Marange diamonds have been a curse to Zimbabwe; only a tiny fraction of the wealth from diamond has been used for the common good, the rest has gone into the deep pockets of the ruling elite hardening they resolve to keep the de facto one-party dictatorship at all cost. 

When President Mnangagwa staged last November’s military coup to seize power from his former boss, Robert Mugabe, the new regime promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. This was too good to be true considering he and his coup plotters were the same individuals who state the 2008 coup to stop Tsvangirai and MDC getting into power. 

No one was really surprised that Mnangagwa and his junta blatantly rigged the 30 July 2018 elections. No one!

By rigging the elections Mnangagwa was assured Zanu PF’s iron grip on power was guaranteed. But the assurance came at a price, by rigging the elections he confirmed Zimbabwe was still a pariah state. This has scarred away the much needed investors and lenders, no one wants to do business with corrupt and vote rigging thugs. 

Ever since the 30 July 2018 elections, the Zimbabwe economy has taken one knock after another, the country is facing serious shortages of foreign currency, food, fuel, medicine, etc. The regime has responded by going full throttle after forex dealers, has lifted importation of food and other goods, etc. But nothing to stimulate local production to create the much needed employment opportunities and reduce the pressure imports. 

Unemployment is a nauseating 90%, most basic services like the supply of clean water and health care have all but collapsed, 75% of the population are living on US$1.00 or less and, worse still, things are set to get worse! 

What is now crystal clear is there is no hope of any meaningful economic recovery as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state. What is also clear is that as long as Zanu PF remains in office to the next elections, the party will rig those elections just as readily as it has rigged elections these last 38 years. 

The pressure on President Mnangagwa to step down since they rigged the 30 July 2018 and are, per se, illegitimate has been growing. The discovery of oil and gas reserves in Zimbabwe is one piece of good news to the nation, no doubt President Mnangagwa wanted to announce the news himself.

Whilst the worsening economic situation has piling the pressure on the Zanu PF regime to resign, the oil and gas discovery has just re-energised the regime to hang on to power with renews hope and resolve.

The Zanu PF thugs have been singing “THE GOOD TIMES ARE HERE AGAIN!” at the top of their voices! Talk to anyone of these thugs about implementing democratic reforms and holding free, fair and credible elections and they will fall-off the chair laughing. 

Zimbabwe has oil and gas reserves and all hope of forcing Zanu PF to step down to allow the country to implement the democratic reforms and hold our first ever free, fair and credible elections is as good as dead. 

Zanu PF will now believe the country will use the wealth from oil and gas to finance all the country’s economic activities without the party risking losing power in a free, fair and credible elections. 

In practice, a Zanu PF regime that is NOT democratically accountable to the people will take the lion’s share of the wealth generated from the oil and gas to feed the insatiable appetite of the party ruling elite and use the rest to bankroll the party’s devilish vote rigging and vote buying schemes. This is what has happened to the wealth from the diamonds and exactly the same will happen to the wealth from oil and gas. 

If people think it has been hard to force Zanu PF to dismantle the de facto one-party state the nation has suffered and many have died unnecessarily these last 38 years. Ever since the party had the billions looted from Marange diamonds, the task of dismantling Zanu PF became significantly harder. The task will not become any easier should the de facto one party state still be there when the money from oil and gas start to flow. 

The discovery of oil and gas should be cause for all Zimbabweans to celebrate but only if the resources will be used for the good of all Zimbabweans and not the few ruling elite, as happened with the diamonds. If there was ever a time when Zimbabweans must unite and speak with one voice it is now. 

Our demand is simple: We demand a new system of government in which the freedoms and rights of all, including the right to free and fair elections and the right to life, are guaranteed. We demand the full implementation of all the democratic reforms agree at the on set of the 2008 GNU. 

Unless there is democratic reform in Zimbabwe the discovery of the oil and gas will be a blessing to the corrupt and tyrannical ruling elite and a curse to the oppressed and voiceless povo! We have duty to ourselves and posterity to put this abomination right!