“My Voice Is In!!! My Vote is Yes!!” Runs the MDC slogan for the upcoming
Copac referendum.
One of the key democratic reforms the two MDC factions should have
pushed through but did not is media reform. If Zanu PF's monopoly of the radio
and TV media and grip on the large public print media had been broken and the
party's muzzle on the tiny independent print media removed and there was
freedom of expression and a free media in Zimbabwe today we would all have
confidence in the result of the referendum being a democratic expression of an
informed electorate. As things stand, clearly that will not be the case.
At least 60% of the Zimbabwean electorate be voting in the referendum
but without the foggiest idea what exactly they are voting for or the
consequences of their vote. Not only is this Copac draft constitution an
negotiated document between the three political parties in the GNU in which the
ordinary Zimbabweans been denied an meaningful say throughout - whatever the
public said during the outreach stage has all been thrown out.
In a true democracy with a free media the paper, radio and TV will be buzzing
with people discussing and dissecting every section and clause of the proposed
constitution. Not in Zimbabwe, the whole nation is silent; they will only get
to hear about this Copac constitution when they are being instructed to vote
YES.
By failing to have the media reform implemented MDC effectively denied
the people a voice and now the party has the cheek to say the people views in
this Copac rubbish have been heard! Most people will not even know what is in
this Copac constitution much less their “voice in” it!
3 comments:
@Shumbar
Yes we should all do what we can to educate the people but that should not makes us fail to point out the fact that this GNU has failed in their public duty to ensure freedom of expression and a free media. With all the good will in the world you and me will only reach but a fraction of the people. It is totally unacceptable that 33 years after independence so many of our people should suffer the consequences of ignorance and are daily being brainwashed by the very people who should be fighting on their side!
@Kwidz
Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs have two very big reasons to stay in power now more than ever:
1) They loot to protect, with the country in choking to death the prospect of dying a pauper if they lose the loot is real.
2) With over 30 000 murdered to say nothing of the millions beaten and rape: that is simply too much blood to washoff and hope to get away with it.
So the only sure way of keeping the loot and keepingall the serious human rights violation under wraps is by staying in power.
Mugabe is talking of peaceful elections to encourage gullible MDC leaders to tell their supporter to vote yes in the referendum - he is a cunning fox, Mugabe. Once he has the Copac constitution in the bag hell will break lose; he will once again show the nation why he has "degrees in violence".
The only why Mugabe can be defeated now is by refusing to take him head-on. Vote NO to the Copac rubbish and that will force the full implementation of the reforms, which is what these MDC clowns should have insisted on in the first place!
In the 218 to 201 BC Punic War the Romans avoided a total wipe out by the greatest general of Carthage Hannibal Barca not by fighting even with the latter camped on their door step but by doing the exact opposite - by refusing to fight.
Zimbabweans will not win their democratic right to free and fair elections and their right to life itself by fighting Mugabe and Zanu PF in elections in which the tyrant and his thugs are free to break all democratic rules! Zimbabweans have this one in a generation chance to force Mugabe to accept the necessary reforms to guarantee free and fair elections. It would folly to waste that chance!
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