tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937946029621043741.post3030298067002202020..comments2024-03-28T20:57:42.460-07:00Comments on Zimbabwe Light: "Zimbabweans are a bunch of cowards," says Thomas Mapfumo - and paying dearly for it too. Zimbabwe Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16660690160173744190noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937946029621043741.post-34629656879058904152017-01-29T17:37:44.869-08:002017-01-29T17:37:44.869-08:00@ Frank Talk
“They said participating in any elec...@ Frank Talk<br /><br />“They said participating in any election under the "current electoral regime would be tantamount to legitimizing ZANUPF's fraudulent processes", Tsvangirai's words,” you said.<br /><br />Exactly! <br /><br />What the people of Zimbabwe must now realise is there will be no democratic changes as long as we have an opposition that cannot keep their eyes on the bigger picture, the need for democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections, and get side lined by the distraction of few gravy train seats Zanu PF puts out as bait! The obvious impediment to democratic change is the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF but immediate impediment is the country’s corrupt and incompetent opposition politicians. <br /><br />In the last 10 years all our efforts to bring about meaningful democratic change have been thwarted not by Zanu PF but by the opposition. If we want free, fair and credible elections then we must rein/manage the opposition leaders’ corruption, incompetence and, most important of all, their shameless and myopic greed – an impossible task. <br /><br />Former USA ambassador to Zimbabwe, Chris Dell said, in a leaked Wikileak cable, Tsvangirai is "a flawed figure, not readily open to advice, indecisive and with questionable judgment". Time has proven the ambassador was right. <br /><br />We know that whilst they were in office both Tsvangirai, as Prime Minister, and Mujuru, as Minister and VP, they were even less amenable to receiving advice from other world leaders much less from anyone else of lower rank than themselves.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03002527980821483437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937946029621043741.post-15026075127232210002017-01-29T16:11:05.068-08:002017-01-29T16:11:05.068-08:00“MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has bann...“MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has banned the selection of candidates who will represent the country’s biggest opposition party in next year’s general election amid reports that the process had reached fever pitch in most parts of the country.”<br /><br />MDC-T resolved that the party will not contest any future elections until reforms are implemented; there was no debate to reverse this decision and yet there is a mad scramble to be selected candidate. Many of these individuals would have contested as independent is the party was to maintain its position to boycott the elections – such is the desperate desire to win a seat on Zimbabwe’s political gravy train! <br /><br />The party took part in the 2013 elections with no reforms because it could not resist the few seats Zanu PF always throw away during national elections as Senator Coltart admitted in his book.<br /><br />“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. <br /><br />“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.”<br /><br />MDC members have all decided to contest the 2018 elections for exactly the same reason as in 2013 – greed! Boycotting the elections is the only sure way of forcing Zanu PF to accept meaningful democratic reforms, that is obvious now as it was to Senate Coltart and SADC leaders in 2013. MDC leaders were forced to open their eyes and see the need to boycott elections after the rigged July 2013 elections but the passage of time and greed have made them blind to the obvious again!<br /><br />What is now clear is that as long as there is the off chance of winning a few lousy seats Zanu PF throws away there will be opposition candidates who will contest elections no matter how flawed and undemocratic the process happens to be. Short of repeating the wanton violence of 2008, we will never ever have free, fair and credible elections!Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03002527980821483437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937946029621043741.post-15137097604129603472017-01-29T15:26:03.961-08:002017-01-29T15:26:03.961-08:00@ Manheru
Only a sick man would consider an elect...@ Manheru<br /><br />Only a sick man would consider an election were the voters are threatened and herded to the polling stations like cattle a victory! <br />The tragedy of Zimbabwe is that we have a host of some of the most corrupt and incompetent opposition parties who will continue to give credibility to a flawed electoral process by their participating just for the off chance of winning the odd seat Zanu PF throws away. People like Joice Mujuru and Morgan Tsvangirai will never understand that they are selling out the nation for their own selfish and dubious gain!<br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03002527980821483437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937946029621043741.post-12940280515575646412017-01-29T14:20:35.958-08:002017-01-29T14:20:35.958-08:00Opposition parties and their supporters have faile...Opposition parties and their supporters have failed to get Zanu PF to implement any democratic reforms since the July 2013 rigged elections. Instead of accepting the futility of contesting another election without reforms they are focusing on forming opposition coalition as if that is enough to counter if not stop vote rigging completely.<br /><br /><br />In the Bikita West by-elections last week, Zanu PF threatened the voters and then frog marched them to vote for the Zanu PF candidate. All the civic organisation observers ruled the election was not free and fair days before voting started because they had already seen and heard enough to make the judgement call. Zanu PF candidate garnered 78% of the votes, it is academic whether there was one or more opposition candidates to share the remaining 22%; Zanu PF will still have won! <br /><br /><br />The same people proffering opposition as the answer to the vote rigging problem will be the ones claiming that the vote was rigged, as if they did not know this will happen! Our problem is we have some of the most dishonest and unprincipled leaders on earth!<br /><br />We have not implemented the reforms to stop vote rigging and that is the single most important factor in the 2018 elections and not whether or not there is an opposition coalition! <br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03002527980821483437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937946029621043741.post-33288987867114689032017-01-29T13:48:27.095-08:002017-01-29T13:48:27.095-08:00Zimbabweans did not take the task of making indepe...Zimbabweans did not take the task of making independence work for all with the seriousness the matter demands and you are right, we have "paid dearly in looted treasure and lost human lives". After 37 years of this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship and with the country on its knees in the gutter one would think the suffering and deaths have drummed the message home in every Zimbabweans' head. Sadly, that is not the case!<br /><br />Zimbabweans continue to follow corrupt and incompetent leaders like Tsvangirai and Mujuru, even now with a truck load of evidence of their failures, is proof that this nation is not yet ready for democratic rule. Whether or not we will ever be ready for democratic rule is another matter. What is certain at present is that we are not ready.<br /><br />Many people risked life and limp in the fight to end white colonial oppression, thousands died in the struggle and hundreds of thousands suffered serious injuries. It is a sobering thought that all these people's sacrifice was for nothing! If doom is the destiny of this country then it was not worth the life of even one Zimbabwean!Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03002527980821483437noreply@blogger.com