“EU turns to Zanu-PF as prospects of opposition govt fades” - disappointing but only have ourselves to blame for this P Guramatunhu

“EU turns to Zanu-PF as prospects of opposition govt fades” screamed the headlines in Bulawayo24. Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean out there must be disappointed the EU has given up the fight end the Zanu PF dictatorship article. The re-engagement is taking place on the ever of the 2023 elections which Zanu PF was rigging and will therefore take the EU’s willingness to do business regardless of the regime’s failure to hold free and fair elections as a green light to rig 2023 elections!

"Particularly noteworthy is the remarkable diplomatic warmth now between us and the European Union (EU), achieved in so short a time (since the 2017 military coup),” the article quoted Mnangagwa’s letter in The Sunday Mail.

"Only last week, the EU bloc launched its ‘Team Europe', a new rubric under which the 27 countries comprising the bloc will coordinate and consolidate relations with us, this time through Government, and in line with, and in support of our priorities under Government's National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

"This is the first time that the EU has disbursed directly to Zimbabwe through structures of our Government.

"All along, relations were being conducted asymmetrically and unconventionally through non-governmental organisations.”

This very disappointing but comes as no surprise to any thinking Zimbabwean out there. Lest the EU has forgotten the sanctions were imposed on the Zanu PF regime for failing to hold free and fair elections. The regime has failed to hold free elections as the 2018 elections showed. The 246 man-strong EU Election Observer Mission condemned Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections.

“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,” reads the EU 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.”

The MEU mission made 23 recommendations the Zanu PF regime was asked to implement to bring Zimbabwe’s elections to accepted international standards. Not even one of the recommendations has been implemented. Not one!

The last thing for anyone to do is to ease pressure on this Zanu PF regime to hold free and fair elections. And yet that is exactly what the EU is doing; first by lifting the economic sanctions imposed on the regime and now by normalising relationship with the regime. No wonder President Mnangagwa is over the moon about it!

The timing for the EU to be welcoming the Zanu PF regime could not have been worse than doing on the eve of fresh elections which we already know Zanu PF is rigging already. There is overwhelming evidence that Zanu PF is rigging the upcoming 2023 elections; failure to implement even one EU reform recommendation, no verified voters’ roll, soaring cases of Zanu PF political violence, etc.

The EU decision to re-engage with the Zanu PF regime can only one thing, the EU has given up the fight to force Zanu PF to dismantle the corrupt and tyrannical one-party dictatorship because they realise the dismantling will have to be done by Zimbabwe’s opposition and not outsiders. The West imposed the sanctions 20 years ago and the local opposition has failed to implement even one reform in that period.

Like it or not the MDC/CCC has proven beyond all doubt that they are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent. The late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDEC friends had the golden opportunity to implement democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and they wasted it. And ever since the GNU debacle MDC/CCC have participated in flawed elections, ignoring the SADC, EU and others’ advice to implement reforms first, to give Zanu PF legitimacy.

By re-engaging with the vote rigging Zanu PF regime the EU is simply acknowledging a political reality – that there is no competent opposition in Zimbabwe push through democratic changes in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime and the EU might as well accept that reality and normalize its relationship with Zanu PF. 

ZESA has no "usable Kariba Dam water" to generate, pushing power cuts to unfathomed depths - it's time to think W Mukori

 The people of Zimbabwe had their first ZESA loadshedding in 1995. It started with just a few hours once or twice a month power would be switched off. It has got progressively worse and worse and today it is normal to hear customers who have only had power for a few hours in six months or more!

Well brace yourselves Zimbabweans, if you thought you had reached rock bottom and the situation not possibly get any worse, it is going to get a lot worse. You were used to the candlelight suppers and at least there was regular power supply in the hospitals, shops, offices, and other essential services. Not anymore!

 was not  In a statement weekend, ZRA Chief Executive, Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the high-level Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meetings held on November 10 and 25, 2022 held between Zimbabwean and Zambian parties to the Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) for Kariba, had noted a depletion in allocated quota, hence the need to stop operations.

"Please be advised that as of 25th November 2022, Kariba South Bank Power Station had utilised 23,89 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of water, accounting for 1.39 BCM(or 6.16%) above the 2022 water allocation of 22,50BCM,” announced Munyaradzi Munodawafa, CEO of Zambezi River Authority.

"Given that the Kariba Reservoir usable storage currently stands at a paltry 2,98 BCM or 4,60% full, and that ZESCO Limited (of Zambia) still has a positive balance of 2,44BCM (10.82%) as of 25th November 2022, ZPC/KHPC (ZESA) no longer has any usable water to continue undertaking power generation operations at Kariba South Bank Power Station."

The situation will be reviewed in January 2023 and until then Kariba South Power Station generators will be off stream.

The lose of generation at Kariba South is a lot more that a lose of same generation output at Hwange because of the characteristics of units. The water intake, the prime mover of the turbine at Kariba, can be turned on and off in response to the system demands thus making the system stable. Coal which is the fuel in the thermal power station cannot be shoved in and out to increase the power output with the same finesse as the hydro generator.

So one needs at least one unit at Kariba South connected at all times for system stability. And so having all units off line presents serious system stability challenges at the thermal generators themselves are sensitive to demand fluctuation and it one trips the rest often follow. Equipment will malfunction or worse if subjected to big voltage and frequency variations.

What is infuriating about this tragic situation of loadshedding, and power cuts is that it could have been avoided with good management and visionary leadership. Blame for the chaotic situation in the power supply can laid this Zanu PF regime’s door and ZESA managers.  

In 1980, when the country attained her independence, the outgoing Ian Smith government handed over to Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF government the feasibility reports to build Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Station and to add Unit 7 and 8 at Hwange Thermal Power Station. Smith would have started on both projects if it was not for the war of independence.

There is no excuse why today 42 years later the country has not only failed to build Batoka Gorge and/or add the two Units at Hwange but has not added any generation capacity of note. None!

It is not as if the country had no money! The regime has splashed US$ 2 billion on Mugabe’s Blue Roof Mansion. In 2015 Mugabe admitted the country was “swindled” out of US$15 billion in diamond revenue. In 2019 Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Dr John Mangudya revealed that the country was losing US$1.2 billion to gold smugglers every year.

If some of this looted fortune had been invested in building the US$3 billion Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Station, think of the economic benefits to the country. To those who do know, Batoka Gorge is between Victoria Fall and Kariba Dam. The water used to generate power at Batoka Gorge would flow into Kariba Dam and use to generate power.

We would have two Kariba Dam renewable power stations! We have a sprawling Blue Roof mansion, instead. What a criminal waste of resources and we are paying dearly for it.

If operating Hwange Power Station should prove problematic, as pointed out above, then ZESA managers must be fired for landing the nation in this mess. To have used up the country’s water allocation to supply base load when they knew the system needed at least one Kariba Unit running at all times for stability was unforgivable.

As ZESA managers deserve to be fired, a lot worse must be meted out to the Zanu PF regime whose gross mismanagement, rampant corruptions and lawlessness have all but destroyed the nation’s economy and us our freedoms, human rights and dignity. The nation has been stuck with this Zanu PF dictatorship for 42 years because the party rigs elections, denying the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country.

As long as Zanu PF retains its carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig elections, there is nothing the nation can do to end the mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness. Absolutely nothing.

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to take away the dictatorial powers during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, they took their eyes off the ball and failed to implement even one reform. And to add insult to injury, MDC now morphed into CCC have participated in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy for the sake of a few gravy train seats.

We, the people, cannot stop Zanu PF rigging the 2023 elections. Nor can we stop CCC participating in the flawed elections. What we can do is make sure everyone, notably SADC, knows the whole election process is flawed and illegal and that CCC are participating out of greed. CCC has lost political credibility and Zanu PF must be denied political legitimacy.

Deny Zanu PF legitimacy and the country will be forced to have yet another GNU arrangement as happened following the rigged 2008 elections. This time round, we must see to it that the democratic reforms are implemented.

So, whilst you sit in the dark because of these ZESA and Zanu PF instigated power cuts you must think of how to make sure Zanu PF does not get legitimacy after rigging 2023 elections so we can finally implement the reforms. To address the power cuts, the economic meltdown, collapsed education and health services, etc. we must first end Zanu PF’s dictatorial power to rig elections by implementing reforms.

Ncube 2023 budget take 150 years to deliver upper middle income, forget Vision 2030. The maths do not lie! W Mukori

 The Zimbabwe economy has been in decline for the last 42 years, it shrunk staggering 50% in the period 2000 to 2008 alone fuelled by the hyperinflation, that soared to dizzying heights of 500 billion percent, and the collapse of the agricultural sector following the seizure of white own farms to give to Zanu loyalties main. The economy has never recovered.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the lawlessness, exasperated by the failure to hold free and fair elections which has kept Zanu PF in power all these last 42 years. And for that, Zimbabwe has rightfully earned the pariah state tag.

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance has just stagnant economy. Nothing! presented the nation’s Z$4.2 trillion (about US$6.5 billion) 2023 budget most of which is goggled up in wages with very little left to maintain the present infrastructure much less new capital projects. There is nothing in the budget to kick to kick start the

Still, that did not stop Minister Ncube boasting the budget will, “Accelerate Economic Transformation” a term coined by Rodrik as a critical ingredient in generating economic growth that promotes social development and was sustainable, the budget plays a balancing act on pressing national needs and available resources; he explained to the honourable MPs. Never seen so many blank faces!

President Mnangagwa and his Minister Mthuli Ncube insist Zimbabwe is on target to become an upper middle-income nation by 2030, the so-called Vision 2030. Where this is coming from is a complete mystery, the maths simply do not up!  

Zimbabwe’s present GPD per capita income of US$ 1 737 p a

Minister Mthuli Ncube and President Zimbabwe is on target to be upper middle-income nation by 2030, Vision 2030, with an income of US$ 106 – 373 000 p a

Minister Ncube says Zimbabwe economy will grow by 3%

Mathematical calculation:

106 000 = 1 737(1.03) ⁿ

Where n = 150 years which the time it will take to grow an income of US$ 1 737 to US$ 106 000. Vision 2030 says this will be achieved in 8 years not 150 years

As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, the economy will never recover. Never! No national economy can survive much less thrive given such a heavy burden and criminal waste of human and material resources. It is near impossible to do business in such caustic and chaotic environment.  

It is laughable that Minister of Finance makes a big song and dance producing a meaningless budget! He is no more than a doctor content with treating the patient of minor ailments like flu whilst ignoring cancer, the real killer!

49% of our people are now living in abject poverty, basic services such as health care and education have all but collapsed, 60% of our women folk are resorting to prostitution just to survive and 60% of them are HIV positive, etc. Like it or not Zimbabwe is dying!

We all know the cancer killing Zimbabwe is the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. We also know the cure for this political cancer is to implement the democratic reforms and hold free and fair elections.

The nation had its best chance ever to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were given the task to implement the reforms took their eyes off the ball and failed to get even one reform implemented in five years.

What Zimbabwe needs is another chance to implement the democratic reforms and all it will take is to deny the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections, the regime has failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll for Pete’s. How anyone can judge an election in which there was no verified voters’ roll free, fair and credible; beggars belief.

How anyone would be so foolish as to participate in an election process so flawed and illegal there is not even a verified voters’ roll beggars belief. MDC/CCC and their opposition friends have been participating these flawed elections for the same reasons they failed to implement even one reform during the GNU – greed and breath-taking incompetence.

SADC leaders have endorsed Zanu PF rigged elections as “substantially free and fair” and thus granting the regime legitimacy, out of spite to punish MDC for failing to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. It is absurd to punish a whole nation for the iniquities of the few and after a decade of punishment, enough is enough.

If SADC leaders rightly condemn the 2023 rigged elections and deny Zanu PF legitimacy; Zimbabwe will need another GNU. This time we will implement all the democratic reforms, after all it is not rocket science. This time Zimbabwe will take the cure to end the Zanu PF dictatorship.

After four decades of blundering from pillar to post, Zimbabwe is dying to do something right. Well, here is the one thing we can do implement the democratic reforms. All we are asking for is for SADC to stop the madness of granting vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. That surely is not too much to ask! 

"Rascal Moyo is broke and is licking the rogues who tried to kill him." They are luring him back for a wallop. Nomusa Garikai

 

Ever since the day Professor Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao penned off their letter accusing Mnangagwa and company for the 15 November 2017 military coup; many Zimbabweans have had a good laugh at the two rogues’ expense. Of course, the letter was accusation masquerading as an apology, just as the November 2017 was a coup masquerading as a “military assisted transition”! No one was fooled five years ago, and no one was fooled now; this is what making it so hilarious! Zimvigil joined in the funny!  

“In the pantomime now being played out in Zimbabwe, the re-emergence of the notorious rascal Jonathan Moyo comes as a Christmas gift for the Mnangagwa regime. Tired of exile and no doubt running out of money, he is begging to return to Zanu PF moneybags,” wrote Zimvigil in their weekly article.

“Like a grovelling dog, he has been chased away by all factions in Zimbabwe, but needs must so he is licking the fists of the rogues who tried to kill him. Given the shortage of brain cells among the Zanu PF leadership, he will no doubt be allowed to slink back to a Zanu PF kennel.

“The Herald says Moyo and another exile, Patrick Zhuwao, have written an open letter to the party apologising for their ill-fated bid to block Mnangagwa’s election in 2018, explaining that ‘in their tormented state’, they had hopped into bed with the opposition CCC.”

Zanu PF has reportedly accepted the thinly disguised apology.

"This is the most welcome development. I salute the courage and candor coming from the two as penned in their joint letter. This is an endorsement of the sincere and visionary policies and programs espoused by President ED Mnangagwa, our ZANU PF Party leader,” said Chris Mutsvangwa, Zanu PF spokesperson.

"His message and conduct is coming across as he strives to unify the nation and reaches out to the wider world. We say the more the merrier in the all-embracing tent of ZANU PF, the mass party of the Zimbabwe Revolution. All Zimbabweans are equal in their varied capacities and talents. Better we join all our minds and hands in the noble task of building a new Zimbabwe."

Endorsement of Mnangagwa’s “sincere and visionary policies and programs”. Even the two rogues must have laughed their heads off at that one!

As the Zimvigil rightly pointed out the two are broke, the looted wealth salted out of the country is running out. The two know that other Zanu PF thugs, from both Lacoste and G40 faction, are living in total comfort because they still have their position on the top table or have been put to pasture with a golden handshake. The two are hoping they too can be given a golden handshake, at least.  

Of course, the two rogues are aware, as we all are, of Zimbabwe’s deepening economic crisis.  Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was a lead balloon that never took off. Zimbabwe was pariah state during Mugabe’s days; known for the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption, lawlessness and rigged elections. The November 2017 military coup replace the dictator Mugabe with another dictator Mnangagwa; the country remain a pariah state closed to business.

Moyo and Zhuwao inspired by the “sincere and visionary policies and programs!” Yeah right! They are broke; they are not stupid!

Indeed, the worsening economic situation has made Mnangagwa as paranoid as hell; he knows that his failure to revive the Zimbabwe economy has emboldened the G40 leaders, they are itching to get back into power. Mnangagwa is a buffoon and no match for the “devil incarnate” Jonathan Moyo as Mugabe call him. However, the buffoon is ruthless; he will extend a welcome to the two rogues to lure them into a trap! The two will not know what hit them!

Zanu PF thugs did not invent the art of double talk to lure some one in and then wallop!

Following the November 2017 military coup it was Chris Mutsvangwa who assured Morgan Tsvangirai the coup leaders share power with MDC if they supported the coup. They did! Tsvangirai left his South Africa hospital bed in a huff, confident the good times of the 2008 to 2013 GNU were back again.

As soon as Mugabe resigned and the new regime had the international recognition and political legitimacy, Zanu PF dismissed MDC leaders with utter contempt. Tsvangirai died a “disappointed” man, Chamisa latter admitted.

Zanu PF did not invent the art of double talk, “kurova imbwa wakavhinga mupini” as we call it in Shona. They have perfected it! When two seasoned Zanu PF thugs clash, two sevens clash; it is bound to be hilarious as each take the bitter medicine they have dished to us all these years.

There will be no fatted calf slaughtered to welcome Professor Jonathan Moyo and Zhuwao back into Zanu PF. Mnangagwa is not that kind of loving father nor is Moyo that kind of repented son!

“Matsotsi haagerani!” (Crooks will never cut each other’s hair!) as one would say in Shona. There was the coup that was not a coup, followed by an accusation masquerading as an apology and now insincere welcome to lure the dog closer. What next, in this pantomime of errors!!!  

60% Zimbabwean women are now sex workers "to make ends meet". "No one will be left behind!" My foot! P Guramatunhu

 Zimbabwe’s economy has been in decline since the country’s independence in 1980, we have done nothing to stop the rot and the chickens have come home to roost! Everyday there is one or more stories of the tragic human suffering, a consequence of the economic meltdown.

“Zimbabwe has recorded an increase in commercial sex workers, with Harare adjudged to be the biggest red-light district, a new survey by the National Aids Council (Nac), Health and Child Care ministry and the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network has revealed,” reported Bulawayo 24.

“A recent survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) revealed that 59,6% of women in the country were unemployed and many of them were apparently turning to commercial sex work to make ends meet, according to the recent report.

“In the report titled Zimbabwe's situational analysis of drug use and injection in five provinces to form HIV and TB programming for people who use drugs, Nac and partners noted that: "In Harare the most often mentioned source of income is sex work (36,07%); the higher rate in this province is linked to the mobilisation strategy, which include recruitment of respondents in an area where sex work takes place."”

All the gains the nation had made in uplifting the lives of woman through such initiatives as Girl Child Education, etc. are all being undone.

“No one will be left behind and no place will lag behind!” President Mnangagwa has often said. Well, these women HAVE been left behind! They have no future!

Indeed, the whole nation is being left behind because no nation can survive much less prosper when 59,6% of its mothers, sisters, aunties, etc.; the homemakers without which no home can stand!   

Zimbabwe is in serious economic, social and political trouble because of the economic meltdown. The country has been in economic decline since independence in 1980 and the rot has only got worse and, as long as the country remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs, there will be no meaningful economic recovery.

Forget the idiotic Zanu PF claim of the country is on course to become an upper middle-income nation by 2030, the so-called Vision 2030. It is just nonsense.

If we are serious about ending Zimbabwe’s economic and political nightmare then we must implement the democratic reforms and hold free and fair elections.

Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends’ promise to end the Zanu PF rule by winning rigged elections, they claim to have winning in rigged elections (wire) strategies; is just another mirage by moonlight! Their flagship wire strategy of mass voter registration followed by mass voting is already dead in the water. As of 30 May 2022, four years since the launch of their strategy, the party has only registered ¼ million or 4% of their 6 million target.

It is too late to get any reforms implemented before the 2023 elections and there is little one can do to stop Zanu PF holding and rigging the 2023 elections. Chamisa and company know Zanu PF is rigging these elections and that participating with only give Zanu PF legitimacy.

Zanu PF needs the opposition to participate in these elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process got to avoid a repeat of the 2008 when SADC refused to grant the party legitimacy because of Zanu PF’s blatant cheating and wanton. And so to entice the opposition to participate in the 2023 elections, regardless of the rigging and violence, Zanu PF is giving away a few gravy train seats. Chamisa and company have found the bribe irresistible!

After the 2018 elections, President Mnangagwa created Political Actors (POLAD), a supernumerary body, for the sole purpose of thanking and rewarding the losing presidential candidates for participating in the 2018 elections who publicly proclaimed the election was free and fair. The 2023 elections will, no doubt, attract just as many presidential and parliamentary candidates.  the 22

So, it is too late to implement any reforms, we cannot stop Zanu PF holding and rigging 2023 elections nor can we stop Chamisa and the rest of the opposition camp participating in the flawed elections. What is plan B?

Plan B is to make sure that everyone, especially SADC leaders, are aware the whole election process is flawed and illegal. How the elections be free, fair and credible when the regime has failed to produce something as basic for elections as a verified voters’ roll. Everyone must know that CCC and the rest of the opposition are participating in these elections out of greed, pure and simple. Zanu PF is rigging these elections. CCC has lost political credibility. And so the election process must be dismissed as a sham and Zanu PF denied legitimacy.

Zimbabwe must be forced to form yet another GNU as happened in 2008. This time competent men and women must be appointed into the GNU to make sure the democratic reforms are implemented.

The increase in sex workers, the collapse of basic services such as education and health care, etc. these are all symptoms of the economic and political rot in Zimbabwe. Implementing the reforms and holding free and fair elections is the cure. Zimbabwe’s economic and political chaos has disrupted normal human life and caused untold human suffering and deaths; the cup is full to overflowing.

President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are holding the nation to ransom be resisting demands for reforms and free elections. They do not have the divine right to rule Zimbabwe. The mandate to govern must be given by the people of Zimbabwe in a free, fair and credible elections. We must implement the reforms and hold free election. We must take the medicine, now!

"It's foolish participating in rigged elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy" admitted Biti in 2015 - of course, has known this all along P Guramatunhu

 “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,” 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.”

There are four key points in Biti’s admission:

1)     The elections are not just flawed and illegal they are so flawed the opposition cannot win

2)     Zanu PF is guaranteed of a super majority which the regime then uses to do as it pleases

3)     By participating in the flawed elections, the opposition is giving Zanu PF legitimacy.

4)     Tendai Biti is well aware of the consequences of the participating in these flawed elections is crushing the hopes for meaningful political and economic change in the country. The consequences of giving Zanu PF legitimacy is perpetuating the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.

The reader will be interested to know that Tendai Biti’s condemnation of the opposition’s position of participating in the flawed 2013 elections was not a lightning bolt out of the clear blue sky. MDC-T 2014 party congress had come out with a resolution they party would not participate in any future elections and by elections until democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections were implemented.

“No reforms! No elections!” was the new MDC-T party slogan.

By the end of 2015 MDC-T had ditched the resolution to stop participating in elections until democratic reforms were implemented. The party was openly admitting it would participate in the upcoming 2018 elections.

Tendai Biti, who had broken away to form his own party, reconciled to his former MDC-T friends to form the MDC Alliance which went on to participate in the 2018 elections – forgetting Biti’s June 2015 denouncing participation as foolish and MDC-T party resolution.

There was no follow-up interview with Biti, asking him why he and his MDC friends have continued participating in flawed elections post 2015, knowing fully well doing so only gave vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy, perpetuated the dictatorship and thus the suffering of the people! Of course, Biti and his opposition colleagues were asked the question but have been very careful to avoid answering it or else offered so feeble excuse for participating.

The only MDC leader who has given an explanation why MDC has consistently participate in flawed elections was David Coltart.

“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.”

MDC leaders realised the sheer stupidity of participating in the flawed elections but reason was trumped by greed. They each had their eyes set on winning the few gravy train seats they knew Zanu PF was giving away to entice the opposition to participate.

Indeed, SADC leaders had advised the two MDC factions not to participate in the 2013 elections without first implementing the reforms. The good advice fell on deaf ear because of greed.

As noted above, four of the main MDC factions came together to form the MDC Alliance (MDC A) before the 2018 elections, the united party did not stop them participating in that year’s elections.

CCC is basically MDC A rebranded, it still constitutes the main opposition winning 43% of the vote according to ZEC 2018 result and the remaining 40 plus opposition parties winning 4% of the vote. So, for CCC boycotting the 2023 elections would make a lot of sense, to follow Coltart’s argument: more so now given the 42 years of rigged elections. And yet Chamisa and co are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections for the same reasons as before - greed and breath-taking incompetence!

The Tendai Biti interview is available on www.dw.com/en/zimbabwes-opposition-defends-by-election-boycott/a-18507971, together with David Coltart’s Book; they provide the documentary proof Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders have KNOWN all along that Zanu PF is rigging these flawed elections and that their participation was giving the regime legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. They have continued participated regardless out of greed, Zanu PF has given away a few gravy train seats, their reward for selling out on reforms and free elections!

Chamisa endorse Zimbabwe readmissioninto Commonwealth regardless 2023 rigging - his "Easy Street" down payment P Guramatunhu

 

The important thing is Chamisa has endorsed Zimbabwe's readmission into the Commonwealth before the 2023 elections, in his usual long winded and confused way.

Chamisa and his CCC team met the Commonwealth team in Zimbabwe to find out the wishing of as many key players in Zimbabwe's view to the Zanu PF led government's application to be readmitted into the Commonwealth. Chamisa started his presentation to the Commonwealth delegation with a litany of how Zimbabwe's economic situation was considerable worse now than it was in 2003.

"On the economic front we underscored that 49% of Zimbabweans now live in deadening, extreme, abject poverty and highlighted that the general situation and hardship has escalated, the situation is now worse and there has been an escalation and suffering of the people particularly on account of bad governance, economic mismanagement, corruption and a disputed leadership,” Chamisa rightly pointed out.

The worsening economic situation is the root cause of the country’s worsening political situation. The people have lost confidence in Zanu PF’s ability to end their economic suffering. They want change, regime change. And Zanu PF has responded to the people’s demand for change by resorted to more and more repressive measures to hang on to power.

"On the political climate and the breakdown of the rule of law, we emphasised that Zimbabwe suffered from a crisis of governance. We emphasised what is obtaining in the country in terms of breakdown and state of the rule of law," Chamisa said.

"It is a crisis borne out of disputed elections, legitimacy and we have noted that Zimbabwe is buffeted by a set of circumstances that have germinated acrimony, division, disputed national process and outcome, disputed leaderships, toxicity and lack of legitimacy. This has been essentially the problem in Zimbabwe."

"We have also made issues of the voters roll that must be made available to participants. We want the voters roll that is going to be used in 2023 elections to be audited by an independent firm so that we do not have a shambolic voters roll."

In short, Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections already and there is rising number of cases of wanton violence by Zanu PF operatives aided and abetted by the state institutions like the Police’s failure to deal with Zanu PF inspired lawlessness. After saying all that, it was therefore nonsensical for Chamisa to then announce that CCC did not have any objections to Zimbabwe being readmitted into the Commonwealth.

Indeed, Chamisa said the MDC had objected to the Zimbabwe being booted out of the club back in 2002 regardless of Zanu PF’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections and all the other serious human rights violation! Readmitting Zimbabwe now was correcting a past wrong. Well, not even the arrogant and effervescent Zanu PF had ever dared to dismiss the vote rigging and the human rights violations as inconsequential!

For anyone to understand this glaring case of Chamisa and CCC ideocratic duplicity one has to know the political path the have travelled.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which has morphed into Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) was launched in 1999 to answer the nation’s demand for democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. The people have risked life (over 500 MDC supporters were murdered by Zanu PF during the 2008 runoff alone) and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding they would deliver the changes the nation was dying for.

After 22 years, 5 of which in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, MDC has failed to deliver even one token reform. The GNU was, without doubt, the golden opportunity for Zimbabwe to implement reforms. Chamisa and his MDC friends failed to implement even one reform. Not even one!

Indeed, the same cavalier indifference to Zanu PF having the carte blanche dictatorial power to rig elections and use wanton violence shown above was evident throughout the GNU. MDC does not care that Zanu PF should rig the election hence the reason why they failed to implement even one token reform when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the GNU.

Nelson Chamisa and company does not care Zanu PF is set to rig the 2023 elections and admitting Zimbabwe back into the Commonwealth will make it near impossible to the club to condemn the rigged elections. And so readmitting Zanu PF into the Commonwealth is tantamount to granting Zanu PF legitimacy regardless how flawed and illegal the election process gets!

Again, to outsiders, it is insane that Chamisa and his CCC friends, as the country’s main opposition party and therefore the one first to suffer if the elections are rigged.

Since the 2008 GNU debacle, Chamisa and co have participated in the flawed and illegal, so flawed the opposition failed to win power even after garnering 73% of the votes in the March 2008 election. They also knew that by participating they were giving Zanu PF legitimacy. Still, they have participated regardless because they also knew that Zanu PF was giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate. Chamisa and company have found the bait irresistible.

Chamisa and his CCC friends were hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the process and, if need be, use wanton violence to secure electoral victory. They know Zanu PF will be giving away the usual few gravy train seats, the reward for participating. Getting Zimbabwe readmitted into the Commonwealth will not stop Zanu PF rigging the elections but will put the regime under increased pressure to be even more generous with its bait to the opposition to enhance the multiparty democracy façade!

It took Zimbabweans 20 years to accept that Zanu PF was corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs and to come to a consensus the nation needed democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship.

How long, I wonder, will it take Zimbabweans to realise Nelson Chamisa and company has abandon the task of implementing democratic reforms to ensure free and fair election for the “Easy Street” option of cooperating with Zanu PF for a share of the spoils of power! With 49% already living in abject poverty because of the failure to implement reforms and end the dictatorship and the country sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss with each passing day the country remains a pariah state. What will it take to open Zimbabweans’ eyes and mind to the reality CCC are sell outs!