Thursday 1 June 2017

"Zanu PF will not reform itself out of power," boast Moyo - echoes of "no majority rule in 1000 years" W Mukori

“The issue is we all talk but don’t understand governance,” commented Punch in Zimeye. “Who has the mandate to implement the so called “reforms” and are the responsible authorities willing to implement those reforms? Lets understand this first then we can move forward.”

I agree with you, Punch,100%; most people did not understand who was supposed to do what during the GNU and after which is why not even one reform was implemented. With not even one reform in place, the question of whether or not next year’s elections should go ahead is back on the national agenda. How we answer this will determine the nation’s destiny for a generation.  

After the fiasco of Zimbabwe's 2008 elections SADC forced President Mugabe to sign the GPA in which he agreed to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging future elections and a repeat of the 2008. SADC were the guarantor of the GPA and it fell on Tsvangirai and his MDC friends as the other partners in the GNU to implement the reforms. It would be illogical to expect Mugabe and Zanu PF to want to reform a system that served them well.

Tsvangirai & co. did not implement even one reform in five years because Mugabe bribed them with the trapping of high office and they kicked the reforms into the tall grass. SADC leaders tried their best to get MDC to implement the reforms but they were ignored.

With nothing to stop Zanu PF to revert to its old and trusted way of rigging the vote, the party blatantly rigged the 2013 elections!

SADC leaders complained of MDC leaders "enjoying themselves during the GNU and forgetting why they were there!" after the rigged July 2013 elections in sheer frustration.

With more than two thirds majority in parliament and senate plus the presidency after the 2013 elections, there can be no doubt the political dynamic had swung firmly in President Mugabe and his Zanu PF's favour; if they were going to be any political reforms from there on, they called all the shots.

"You can’t expect us to reform ourselves out of power,” boasted Zanu PF thugs like Professor Jonathan Moyo and VP Emerson Mnangagwa.

So with Zanu PF back and firmly in the driving seat and openly boasting that they will not implement any of the democratic reforms need to stop the regime rigging elections and deliver the all-important free, fair and credible elections – the pre-requisite for meaningful political transformation and economic recover; what next for Zimbabwe? There are two options here:

1)    We accept Zanu PF’s position that there will never be any democratic reforms that will be implemented before 2018 elections and beyond and thus search for a way(s) forward that accepts Zanu PF will retain all its tools to rig elections.

Building an opposition coalition, voter education and mobilisation, exerting as much influence as they can on what BVR kit is bought, etc. These are some of the many solutions being pursued to wrestle political power from Zanu PF without touching any of the sacred cow hard hitting democratic reforms the party does not want touched.

If the truth be told, many of the leaders in the opposition camp know that the above solutions will never deliver any meaningful political change but continue to pursue them regardless for the selfish reason of greed, as David Coltart readily admitted in his recent book.

“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 elections,” explained Senator Coltart.

“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.”

After the fiasco of the 2008 elections in which Zanu PF was forced to go into the GNU, the regime has learned that if it is to continue to rig elections it must throw away a few gravy train seats to the opposition to entice them to participate and give the flawed the modicum of legitimacy and credibility. It is for the sake of winning these few give-way gravy train seats that the opposition will contesting Zimbabwe’s elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process becomes.

As for Zanu PF, it will retain its omnipotent power to rig the vote and to resist reforms. The logic to do so is inescapable: they greed for absolute power and the riches and influence it brings is insatiable, their continued hold on absolute power is guaranteed as long as they resist reforms design to dismantle the dictatorship and, most important of all, those whose interest are ill-served by the dictatorship have accepted it as fait accompli!

Those who are accepting contesting next year’s election with no reforms are insane. They accept that Zanu PF will rig the vote and hope against hope that, somehow, the party will lose the election! This has been going on for the last 37 years and still they hope the thorn tree will bear mangoes!

2)    We totally reject the nonsense that Zanu PF has the right to deny the people their basic freedoms and human rights including the right to free and fair elections and stand firm in our demand for the full implementation of all the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections BEFORE any new election is held in Zimbabwe.  

Of course, President Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs have no right to deny even the lowest of the low in Zimbabwe his/her freedoms and human rights enshrined in the UN The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Being inalienable does not meaning they cannot be denied, as this Zanu PF regime has shown. Whenever that happens it is for the people themselves to reclaim their freedoms and rights and to defend them even with their very lives if need be!

The demand for the implementation of all the democratic reforms to restore all the people’s freedoms and rights is per se not negotiable. It is sheer political arrogance on Zanu PF’s part to abrogate unto itself the right to deny others their basic freedoms and human rights. It is sheer stupidity on the part of such leaders as Tsvangirai, Biti, David Coltart and all the other MDC leaders to accept such arrogance!

Zanu PF has corrupted our State Institutions such as ZEC, the Police, the Judiciary, Public Media, etc. for its selfish political gain of establishing the de facto one-party cum one-man dictatorship, this is a fact. It is also a fact that there cannot be free, fair and credible elections until democratic reforms, design to severe the totalitarian tentacles holding these institution hostage, are implemented. Holding elections which are then blatantly rigged for 37 years is a futile exercise for a foolish nation.

So, what can the nation do to make sure the democratic reforms are implemented a.s.a.p.?

The simple answer to that is we must do whatever it takes to end this vicious cycle of pure madness. One of the things we must do is stop the double-faced opposition opportunists who keep contesting these flawed elections for their own selfish gain and yet pretend they are serving the nation’s interest. How does helping to keep a corrupt and tyrannical regime in office by contesting flawed elections benefit the nation?

Conclusion

We would not need to implement any democratic reforms, in the first place, if Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs had not corrupted our State Institutions to create this de facto one party state. If we, the people had stood up and demand free and fair elections even as early as the 1980s we would have nipped the corrupting tendencies in the bud.

The best opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to end Zanu PF’s de facto one-party state fell to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC during the GNU. The barbarism of the 2008 elections had one positive outcome in that Mugabe was forced to accept the implementation of the democratic reforms designed to dismantle his one-party dictatorship. It is a great pity that not even one reform was implemented during the GNU because MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent.

Since Zanu PF rigged the 2013 elections and restoring it’s iron grip on power, getting the regime to accept an situation in which the reforms can be implemented is not going to be ease, there is no doubt about that. However, to give up demands for reforms is not an option because the present system has failed and delaying implementing the reforms will make the task harder, as history shows.

"I don't believe in majority rule ever in Rhodesia... not in 1,000 years!" said Ian Douglas Smith in 1976. His white racist regime did not last another four years!

Each tyrannical regime, without exception, always considers itself invincible but in the end they all collapse. Zanu PF is already imploding as the party member fight each other like starving hyenas; the growing poverty, fuelled by the country’s economic meltdown, has not spared no one including the ruling elite. Even party grandees like the late Nathan Shamuyarima died a pauper; his wife could not even afford the bus fare to be with him on his death bed!


"You can’t expect us to reform ourselves out of power,” boasted Professor Moyo! Let me assure you Professor Moyo, that one way or the other this Zanu PF dictatorship will be reformed, dismantled and destroyed or simply implode!

6 comments:

Nomusa Garikai said...

THE trial of former war veterans' leader, Jabulani Sibanda, on allegations of insulting President Robert Mugabe was deferred again yesterday after his docket was referred back to the National Prosecuting Authority.

Jabulani Sibanda has been on remand since his arrest in 2014!

Since political power cannot be transmitted through the normal free, fair and credible elections; "sexually transmitted" power is possible!

Nomusa Garikai said...

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed that he is meeting some of the country's military officials as part of his bid to allow a smooth transfer of power if he wins the next year's national elections. 

He said he has also met various church leaders and war veterans, the army and civil servants as part of his consultations.

MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai believes the army is likely to have a major say in who will succeed president Robert Mugabe within the warring Zanu PF.

Tsvangirai was supposed to implement wide ranging democratic reforms including reforms to end Zanu PF and President Mugabe including parlous, obnoxious and undemocratic influence in the Army, Police and CIO. MDC failed to get even one reform implemented in five years.

The nation later learned that Tsvangirai had wasted the opportunity to reform these institutions because his party chief adviser on security, Giles Musekwa, was trying to bribe the security chiefs to switch sides and support Tsvangirai instead of Mugabe.

We know that MDC VP Chamisa has been bending over backward to woo disgruntled war veterans, even the ones like Jabulani Sibanda with a well documented past history of violence, to join MDC-T.

It is really disappointing that Tsvangirai has not learned what democratic reforms were about. Instead pushing for democratic reforms and fix the nation’s corrupted system once and once for all, he is instead perpetuating the system by replacing Zanu PF with MDC-T.

Nomusa Garikai said...

“What worries me the most is the fact that MDC-T has anocean of wisdom, in terms of personnel, talk about your Nelson Chamisa, Jessie Majome, Douglas Mwonzora, Thokozani Khupe, Tapiwa Mashakada, Ian Makoni and many others that can give advice to the dear leader?” you said.

Tell me one wise thing anyone of these guys has ever said or done in their whole life! For your own information, MDC-T is going full steam ahead into next year’s elections in violation of the party’s own “No reform, no election!” Tsvangirai went on a nationwide tour last year his rallies were poorly attended because most Zimbabweans can see he is going nowhere.

When MDC told the people the new 2013 constitution would deliver free and fair elections, they believed it and went into the elections full of hope and confidence. They were shocked when Zanu PF blatantly rig the vote; even the slumber sloths woke up then!

This time MDC is telling the people its grand coalition, voter education, the new BVR system, etc. will deliver free and fair elections regardless of the party’s failure to get even one reform implemented. It is a tough sell and many people are not buying it!

We are not going to see a repeat of the sea of red of MDC supporters attending 2013 party rallies this time round. MDC-T is staggering from the double whammy in that it has nothing to offer the people to make them believe in the party and it is stone-broke, they cannot afford to stage Zanu PF’s bus-loads of hired cheer leaders!

MDC-T is contesting the flawed elections for the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away and the bragging rights to being the “biggest opposition party in Zimbabwe”. As for Tsvangirai, he will never win the presidency – he will derive comfort in accusing Mugabe of “stealing the elections”, as if he did not know that was going to happen.

Zanu PF will blatantly rig the 2018 elections just as it rigged the 2013 elections. The flawed 2018 elections will not dislodge the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship just as the flawed 2013 elections failed to do.

If we are serious about political change then we must implement the democratic reforms design to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote. This is obvious but clearly not to those who see but not perceive who hear but never understand. MDC-T is a party full to the rafters of corrupt and incompetent individuals, with a proven track record and yet some people see a party “with an ocean of wisdom!”

Even after 17 years of MDC-T blundering from pillar to post with tragic consequences to the whole nation; yet some people like Daniel Chigundu still see “an ocean of wisdom” in MDC-T. I am speechless!

Nomusa Garikai said...

We have known that Zanu PF is corrupt to the core and beyond reforming and that is why the nation has been clamouring for democratic change for the last two decades. PDP leaders like Tendai Biti were in the MDC during the GNU and had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms which would have delivered the democratic changes the nation has been dying for. MDC leaders sold-out and failed to deliver not even one change in five years of the GNU.

It is therefore rich, the same sell-outs to pontificate about President Mugabe and Zanu PF failing to do this, the regime being corrupt, etc. We have known all these things for the last two decades and that is exactly why we wanted the reforms implemented so we can remove the dictatorship from office. You betrayed us by failing to implement the reforms so, shut up about Zanu PF corruption!

Nomusa Garikai said...

Talk of the UN UDHR. I will bet you that 90% of the Zimbabweans out there have not heard they, as members of the human race, have the right to life much less the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country. We love boasting about being one of the most literate nation in Africa and yet we are one of the most illiterate nations on earth when it comes to things that really matter. We are penny wise but pound foolish.

It is ironic that Morgan Tsvangirai and company were elected into power on the ticket to deliver democratic change, to force Zanu PF to accept democratic reforms and see to their implementation. The people risked life and limp to elect MDC leaders into parliament and cabinet and in 2008 alone more than 500 lost their very lives. And yet when Tsvangirai & co. had the political power, authority and opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and deliver the democratic changes they sold-out.

President Mugabe offered the MDC leaders the trappings of the gravy train lifestyle, a former white-owned farm for Ncube, a $4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. They accepted the bribes and in return kicked the democratic reforms into the tall grass.

The need to implement the reforms and save the nation from the tragic consequence of another rigged election and deepening economic crisis are self-evident. What is not so clear to povo is that it is up to them and not Tsvangirai & co. to force Zanu PF to implement the reforms! For a nation that is penny wise and pound foolish such intellectual revelations do not come easy; even after 37 years of blundering from pillar to post, there is another generation – if at all - of blundering before many of our people wake up out of the sloth slumber!

Patrick said...

“The 2018 elections are fast approaching and I am writing to lament lack of real policy announcements by Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC, Zimbabwe’s official opposition party,” wrote Kuda Bhejana.

“The MDC is yet to demonstrate that for every Zimbabwean problem, they have well thought out answers.
“As voters, we want to know how many jobs to expect from an MDC government, and from which industries? Zimbabwe is very small to the extent that it’s possible for the MDC to even point out which companies they intend to target for resuscitation, and how many jobs that creates.”

Bhejana must be the only person who does not know that Zanu PF has been rigging elections because if he did, then he should know that the issue of policies is totally irrelevant when elections are rigged. To the nearly one million who were denied the vote in 2013 because their details were deliberately posted to a different constituency other than the one they expected; what difference does it make whose policies they liked best when they did not vote!

Time and time again Zanu PF has made outrageous promises in their election manifestos last elections was no different; they promised 2.2 million new jobs. The people of Zimbabwe were not so easily fooled and would have done so if the elections were free, fair and credible. In a country where people a routinely frog marched to attend rallies and then to vote for X or they will be punished what the voter believes is immaterial.

To talk of Zanu PF or the opposition’s manifesto when it is clear the elections will be rigged is just an empty and foolish exercise. If you have nothing better to write about then shut up!