Zimbabwe is a failed state because of "you and me". You and me, yes, but not the rural folk! W Mukori

 “Zimbabwe is where she is because of you and me

24 July 2024 

I was wondering why the law stings, also the one who defends the criminals for defeating the end of justice or obstructing the course of justice.

The law is right because those who defend, support, and  protect wrongdoers and failures are the *number one foes  and  internal  saboteurs of Zimbabwe development.

Blaming politicians is just as good as missing the target.

No politician can survive politically without supporters and defenders.

But the truth is defenders of politicians are treated as cleaning rugs or hunting dogs 🐕  which defend the owner or even hunt and catch a fatty animal, putting all this effort for bones as their reward.

Zimbabwe is where it is because you and me can not draw a line between white and black. 

Let's correct our leaders when they make mistakes. That way, we will build Zimbabwe.

Akson Potera.”

Very interesting but this is too general to be of much use.

The Greeks said democracy - government of the people by the people and by the people - only works if the said people are educated, knowledgeable and diligent in holding the leaders to account. I would say in Zimbabwe there has not been even the effort to educate the voters, especially in the rural areas who are kept poor, ignorant and in constant fear of the over bearing Zanu PF ruling elite and their proxies! 

Mnangagwa himself is on record boasting of how the rural voters would be frog marched to vote. “Sabuku beri vanhu pakati kumashure Zanu PF chayamani kumashure. Chisinga zikanwi rufu, avhota anorikanwa kuti abvepi!” 

Zanu PF has increased the number of Polling Stations from 10 per constituency with a constituency voters’ roll (meaning one could vote in any of the 10 PS) in 2008 to 54 PSs and with PS voters’ roll. Of course, it is naive to deny this was done for the express purpose of ending the myth that one vote is one’s secret, exactly what Mnangagwa was crowing about. The rural voters has no choice but vote for Zanu PF!

The urban voters are  different kettle of fish! The urban and the millions in the diaspora voters participated in 2023 elections knowing fully well the process is flawed, “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw,” as David Coltart aptly put it. They also knew that participating would give Zanu PF legitimacy. Still they soldiered on because Chamisa told them “I have plugged all the vote rigging loop holes. #Godisinit!” 

Of course, Chamisa was lying and not for the first time either. 

One cannot say the urban voters and the millions in the diaspora are not educated and knowledgeable; what excuse it there for them not to be in this day and age. And yet the facts on the ground speak for themselves - nearly 2 million voted for Chamisa and 3 to 4 million in the diaspora cheered and applauded the participation.  How is it possible that so many were so easily conned by a corrupt, incompetent and lying upstart like Chamisa? 

Mnangagwa, just like Mugabe, has never had an problems recruiting some of the country’s most learned men and women to spruce up the party’s image, to do the party’s dirty work and/or clean up afterwards. He has very deep pocket and the raw call of these who have received his bribes is impressive. Here is a list of the recipients of Mnangagwa’s generosity for helping him rig the 2023 elections:

• MPs and senators received US$40k, deputy ministers and ministers US$ 230k and 500k “housing loan” (euphemism for bribe) paid in Nov 2022 to buy their silence on reckless spending blow.

• All the country village heads and Chiefs received motor cycles and twin cab trucks - they were Zanu PF political commissars in all but name

• church leaders receive farms and/or cars for mobilising their church members to vote for Zanu PF

• magistrate and judges receive varying amounts with all judges getting US$ 400k “housing loans” for turning blind eye to electoral flaws and illegality. 

• ZEC officials received US$ 230k “housing loan” plus undisclosed amounts from dodgy contract suppliers like Wicknell Chivhayo; payment to do whatever is necessary to guarantee electoral victory for Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

• millions of dollars were spend transporting and feeding the hired crowds to party rallies.

• last but not least, there is no denying MDC/CCC are Zanu PF team B in all but name. Mugabe bribes Morgan Tsvangirai with the trapping of high office during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and have been doing Zanu PF’s bidding ever since. Of course, Chamisa knew he was lying about plugging all the vote rigging loop holes, he just wanted his supporters to participate in the flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy.

Yes Zimbabwe is a failed state because of “you and me” but we must separate the guilt from the innocent victims! Our political analysis must be surgically accurate if we are ever going to get out of the mess we are in. We have the historic data to pin-point the root causes of the dysfunctional dictatorship and our seemingly inability to end it. We must use it! “Kwete kungokuvhirira zvose mavhu namarara!” as one would say in Shona.