Dear Zimbabwe Vigil,
Let me say I support the excellent work the group has done over the years. I salute all you members’ staying power; whilst many of us protested what Mugabe has been doing for a few weeks a few months at most, you have continued the protest for over ten years!
Regarding the statement on your web site: “Vigil supporter Wilbert Mukori has been urging us to campaign against the constitution but we felt our energies should be devoted to what is really important: free and fair elections. Indeed, we have been dismayed that so much time and money has been devoted to the ludicrous constitution at the expense of more vital things.”
I am writing in the spirit of debate and not criticism.
My first point is that we are both fighting for the same thing, free and fair elections. We are going to the same place; the difference is which route to take. The Copac constitution is now on the table and the people will be voting on it on the 16 March 2013; these are two political realities no one can do anything about.
If people vote yes in the referendum; then they would accepted the constitution which I believe is rubbish but the nation will move straight into elections. With things as they stand there will be no avoiding a repeat of 2008. There will be no free and fair elections.
If, on the other hand, people voted NO then the nation will be forced to revisit the tasks agreed in the GPA and get the reforms implemented and a democratic constitution written and the hold elections. This course of action will deliver free and fair elections.
You proposed route, if I understand you correctly, if to pressure SADC to force the GNU to implement the reforms and completely ignore the referendum. We you can do that but SADC cannot because the Copac constitution and holding the referendum are accepted milestone along the SADC roadmap.
Whilst the referendum is asking people’s view on the Copac constitution they will, like it or not whether or not they are aware of it or not, be voting on whether what this GNU has done will deliver free and fair elections. A yes vote in the referendum is therefore a yes we are happy for the elections to go ahead.
There many negative and precious few positive things one can say about SADC but one of those precious few positives is the regional body DOES NOT WANT A REPEAT OF 2008 in ZIMBABWE. However is people vote and say a repeat of 2008 is what they want SADC will have no choice but to accept.
If people vote no then SADC can step in and help to see to it that the reforms agreed in the GPA and those you are asking are implemented this time.
Zimbabwe Vigil can petition SADC all they like; there is nothing SADC can do until 16 March 2013 and if the yes have-it then there is still nothing SADC can do. Think about it; you will see I am right!
4 comments:
@ John Kachere
How anyone, anyone can ready that copac rubbish and look at the situation on the ground and say "Yeah this is what I have always wanted in a free and democratic Zimbabwe!" is the greatest mystery of our time!
This is turning out to be an IQ test than a referendum on the constitution. The people have been given a leaky bucket, let us see how many fill it with water, put
it on their heads and walk 1 km and find there nothing left and go back to the well!
@ Giribheti
Mugabe refuse to implement the reforms for these last four and half years you had to be really naive to believe what Tsvangirai said in January that he will ge the reforms implemented before the elections. He has since given up by the way. You really are not up to speed my friend!
If Mugabe gets the yes vote in the referendum then the elections will go ahead. Mugabe will play all his dirty tricks to win and if everything else is not working then he will play his tramp card - use violence!. Even if Mugabe does not have an alright win Zanu PF will retain a great deal of political muscle enough to make Tsvangirai nothing but a puppet president, a papaer tiger. They will be no reforms after the elections whatever happens.
The master stroke for Mugabe was to get Tsvangirai to accept this stupid arrangement and then to get you Zimbabweans to think and believe the yes vote is a formality.That is of course nonsense the people can vote no and force the reform to be implemented.
The major battle is therefore not after the referendum; the referendum itself is the major battle. Lose that and Mugabe has won. Elections where Mugabe is free to use all his dirty tricks is not the major battle! Mugabe is counting a well know Zimbabwean weakness they only wiseup to anything when it is too late. Kuyeuka bako mvura yavara!
@ Chimbwido
No one believe your nonsense of "this is a war no so-called white commercial farmer can win and take advice from Chimbwidos Warvets that these war veterans are serious about taking their land back from the previous illegal occupiers of farms in this country".
This has been a convenient excuse behind which to hide Zanu PF's brutal political repression. Do not see the lifting of the sanctions as proof that Mugabe and Zanu PF are now off the hook and can as you please.
The failure to get meaningful political change for the last five years as forced many to give up. Having Tsvangirai and MDC campaigning to have the sanctions lifted has only made it even more difficult.
Still, Zanu PF's continued repression will not be allowed to continue for very much longer. There, that is something you can be sure of; bank that!
All those Zanu PF thugs with blood of over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans on their hands have a date with Zimbabwe’s newly appointed hangman – I would hate to see them miss it! I have very strong suspicions that you are one of the thugs, Chimbwido; your postings are those of someone who has a lot more to hide than mere blind loyalty to land seizures or a murderous tyrant!
So get off the rooftop and stop crowing this is not over until you have the hangman's rope round your neck!
@ General Torpedo
It was Zimbabwe that asked SADC to step in and help solve the country's political mess and President Khama is one of the SADC Heads of State is he not?
President Khama is speaking over Mugabe and Tsvangirai's heads to the ordinary Zimbabweans. Let those with ears to hear, hear him.
Those who hear but fail to comprehend; well they cannot be helped. Zimbabweans' IQ is a disappointing 66, and over the last ten years it has sunk 10 or more, so one can expect a lot of blunk faces. And then there are hopefully a number who heard him and did comprehend his warning and well do the right thing.
It seems to me that you General Torpedo (my A***) belong to the group whose IQ is beyond the idiot mark. You will remember President Khama's warning when Chipangano thugs are knocking at your door but then it would be too late.
Or are you a Zanu PF thug yourself. Well Zanu PF is breaking up into warring factions, you may belong to the stronger faction now but will that still be the case in five years’ time?
It is a common weakness amongst you the mentally challenged idiots to only think of the here and now. Even Zimbabwe with its life expectancy down to 34 years, surely you should be able to think of two, three months down the line. Because if you did, then you cannot but see that this is a trap. Mugabe wants you to vote yes in the referendum and as soon as he has the yes vote in the bag he will roll out his terror machine to secure a Zanu PF victory!
It is amazing what people like President Khama have to put up with from idiots like you to save them from their own folly!
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