Well, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has defied SADC and AU who condemned the 23 August 2023 election process as a flawed and illegal process that could not produce a legitimate. He has gone ahead and staged his inauguration and present the world with a Zanu PF government fait accompli. What is the world going to do about it?
The short answer to that is: Mnangagwa must not be allowed to get away with his arrogant disregard of the rule of law. Zanu PF has got away with rigged elections since the country’s independence, 43 years ago, turning Zimbabwe into the textbook failed state; this madness must now be stamped out.
SADC and AU election observers said Zimbabwe’s 23 August 2023 elections were not free, fair and credible pointing out such glaring flaws as ZEC’s failure to produce something as basic as a verified voters roll. The truth is the observers were pointing out well documented the flaws and illegalities it was impossible for Zanu PF and its supporters to deny the flaws and illegalities much less refute the conclusion that it was impossible for such flawed and illegal election process to produce a legitimate result. Impossible!
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies tried to get discredit the SADC Election Observer Mission (SEOM) report by mounting a ferocious attack on Dr Never Mumba, the SEOM head - a typical Zanu PF dirty tactic of attacking the messenger since they could not dispute the message. When that failed, the regime brought in SADC Panel of Elders in the hope they would water down the SEOM report. That too failed.
In the end Mnangagwa decided to ignore SADC and AU condemnation of the election and declare himself and his regime legitimate. His 4 September inauguration present the world with a fait accompli Zanu PF government! The question is what is the world going to do about it?
SADC and AU leaders have stand firm by their reports condemning the elections and refuse to grant Zanu PF political legitimacy. Most of the SADC and AU leaders did not attend Mnangagwa’s inauguration, signalling their disapproval. They must follow this up by withdrawing their cooperation with the regime and imposing sanctions.
Zimbabwe’s opposition must not take up their seats in parliament to deny the regime any modicum of legitimacy and feel this can ever be business as usual. It is the very least these sell out opposition leaders can do.
Lest some people should ever forget, Zimbabwe is still stuck in this political mess of rigged elections precisely because MDC/CCC leaders not only sold out by failing to implement even one democratic reform to stop Zanu PF rigging elections but have compounded the situation by insisting in participating in these flawed elections out of greed.
Neither Zanu PF nor the sell out opposition should profit from the political paralysis in Zimbabwe today. Even more significantly neither should play a role in the way forward, They failed to implement even one token reform during the first GNU, it is naive, to say the least, to expect them to do any better.
Both SADC and AU played a major role in denying Zanu PF political legitimacy following the 2008 elections resulting in the formation of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. The people of Zimbabwe we must accept we let ourselves down by failing to force Zanu PF and MDC leaders to implement all the democratic reforms. We failed to give SADC our full backing when the regional leaders tried to get the reforms implemented.
This time, we must not be found wanting in giving both SADC and AU our full backing in demanding an end to Zimbabwe’s curse of rigged elections and bad governance. We have a real chance of having a new GNU and a chance to finally get the democratic reforms finally implemented, we must not waste it!
9 comments:
@ JC
Has it ever occurred to you that if MDC/CCC had not sold out and implemented the democratic reforms Zimbabwe would be a healthy and functioning democracy? So instead of holding them to account for their treasonous betrayal you are praising them for keeping the Zanu PF dictatorship in power! How any one can call that a rational argument beggars belief! No wonder Zimbabwe is a failed state!
@ Chinono
Emmerson Mnangagwa was inaugurated yesterday for his second term. But as we can see from the arrest of Doug Colart and Tapiwa Muchineripi last night, nothing will change!
What now, many have been asking me in my inboxes?
The opposition in its current construct is terribly weak, and it can't take on a monster like ZANUPF!
ZANUPF rigs elections, the opposition's job must be to stop that and not just mourn!
If it doesn't unite and continues to believe in its own propaganda, we will get to 2028 the same way we got to 2023!
It is time the opposition has serious conversations in its ranks, or else it will not succeed in strengthening itself.
Strategic ambiguity failed, promises of divine intervention failed, and motivational speeches failed.
This is reality and not opinion, you discard it at your own peril!
If anyone can't see that, then they can't be helped.
ZANUPF doesn't care about legitimacy, if it governs using meritocracy, the opposition will have a mountain to climb.
ZANUPF will repeat its shameful acts of there is another election tomorrow, it only cares about retaining power.”
The lack of quality opposition is indicative of the lack of quality electorate. When we consider that most of the wildebeest herd CCC supporters have no clue what the democratic reforms are about let alone that MDC/CCC sold out by failing to implement even one reform in 23 years; you realise how naive and gullible they are. It is naive to expect the herd to follow competent leaders. They will follow one of their own and blunder from pillar to post!
As long as we have an ignorant, naive and gullible electorate, so ignorant they conned into giving up their right to free and fair elections for something as frivolous as winning in rigged elections strategies, there is very little hope of meaning change. Zimbabwe is a failed state and so it will remain.
If you have milk, cream will rise to the top. If you have sewage, scum will rise to the top. We have scum for leaders and given our electorate, that is to be expected.
ANC has accomplished its wish, to ensure there is no regime change in Zimbabwe but the price for it is a worsening economic situation in Zimbabwe and, like it or not, it will spill over into SA and the rest of the region!
The Zimbabwe elections were so flawed and illegal it is nonsensical to suggest such a process can ever represent the democratic wishes of the people. ANC has successfully held free, fair and credible elections in SA and therefore know that Zanu PF has been rigging elections. ANC is now so preoccupied with keeping itself in power it is now promoting anarchy in Zimbabwe on the off chance that this will help the party to stay in power.
ANC is worried that should there be regime change in Zimbabwe, the people of South Africa may want regime change too. It is for this selfish reason alone that ANC is fighting to make sure Zanu PF stays in power at all cost. This is already backfiring on ANC, many SA know Zimbabweans are in SA because Zanu PF is corrupt and incompetent and ANC’s blind support of the regime speaks volume of ANC’s competence!
SADC Election Observer Mission (EOM) head Nevers Mumba has called out the Zimbabwean government, saying it misdirected itself in blaming him for the regional body's relatively uncommon preliminary report and assuming he had written it himself.
Their report heavily criticised the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's (ZEC) handling of the August 23 polls, an act Mumba said was ‘uncommon' as SADC had become known for rubber-stamping questionable elections.
Speaking on Zambia's TV1 on Sunday, Mumba said his EOM never at any point deviated from its mandate.
He declared that they had every right to question Zimbabwean laws which could have denied its citizens a free and fair election.
Their report's mention of the Patriot Act and Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Bill irked ruling Zanu-PF and government who felt they should have ignored those.
Exiled former minister Jonathan Moyo and Zanu-PF are at the forefront, arguing SADC's mission had no right to do so, against what Mumba claimed.
"Zambians must relax and feel proud that this job was executed in a manner that it was asked to be executed. There was not a moment that our team stepped out of the mandate because SADC is an old organisation with established outlines of how it is supposed to operate, you cannot change that," said Mumba.
"There has been a lot of politics and misinformation.
The Zimbabwe elections were so flawed and illegal it is nonsensical to suggest such a process can ever represent the democratic wishes of the people. ANC has successfully held free, fair and credible elections in SA and therefore know that Zanu PF has been rigging elections. ANC is now so preoccupied with keeping itself in power it is now promoting anarchy in Zimbabwe on the off chance that this will help the party to stay in power.
ANC is worried that should there be regime change in Zimbabwe, the people of South Africa may want regime change too. It is for this selfish reason alone that ANC is fighting to make sure Zanu PF stays in power at all cost. This is already backfiring on ANC, many SA know Zimbabweans are in SA because Zanu PF is corrupt and incompetent and ANC’s blind support of the regime speaks volume of ANC’s competence!
Dr Mumba is like the little boy who pointed out that the Emperor was naked, everybody could see it but no one dared to say it. Everyone knew Zanu PF was rigging elections but no one dare to say so. Once the truth was out, there was no denying it.
SADC and AU have given Zimbabwe a golden chance, the second after the 2008 GNU, to implement the democratic reforms and get the nation back on a democratic footing. We must not waste this golden chance as we did the last one.
@ JC
“This can only be solved by dialogue with the mediation of SADC. If you have a better suggestion please give us. Do not dwell on what MDC and CCC did or did not do in the past. Give us suggestions that can move our country forward. Bitterness and vengeance will not help in these circumstances. Tell us your suggestions.”
Zimbabwe is a failed state for many reasons and one of them is the people’s failure to learn from the past. MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement even one democratic reform because they are corrupt and incompetent, this is a historic fact. How anyone can then call an act of treason a “God thing!” beggars belief. And instead of admitting the mistake you now accuse me of dwelling in the past, of bitterness and vengeance!
Zimbabwe needs to implement the blood reforms and end this cycle of rigged elections. To even suggest that Zanu PF and CCC can play a role in this is foolish! They failed to implement even one reform in five years, of course it is foolish to think they will do so this time.
@ Ladis
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“Wilbert is a crybaby who wishes to hold the steering wheel on remote control. No matter how much ranting repeatedly on keyboards you do, its impossible for people to articulate your thoughts in retrospect. Grow up, join the struggle on the ground, whisper your ideas to those with more influence than you and watch your good ideas in operation /action.”
Well, you are on the ground and you are the grown up. So why is Zimbabwe still a failed state?
This idea that only those on the ground know best is nonsense. Address the issues on the table and stop hiding behind foolish notion such as age, gender, tribe, in Zimbabwe, etc., etc.
Zimbabwe is in this mess because we have been going round and round in circles, discussing trivial matters, etc.
Following the elections, the head of the African Union observer delegation, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, commented that the “FAZ activities should be declared criminal offences.”
Now that both SADC and AU have condemned these elections as farcical it clear they are not going back on this. Mnangagwa must know that his regime is now a pariah state in the eyes of the international community including those nations Zimbabwe has called its allies and blood brothers!
Zimbabwe has been in the news for the wrong reasons again and again. This must be resolved one way or the other and it will be resolved! The illegitimate regime must go.
SADC and AU have created a golden opportunity for Zimbabweans to have the second GNU so we can implement the democratic reforms and finally cure ourselves of the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. We, the ordinary people of Zimbabwe, must make sure we do not waste this chance.
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