Those arguing that Mugabe should step down much less contest the next Zimbabwe presidential election on the grounds that he is old and his health is failing are ignoring one basic fact: Mugabe is to be president for life! That is what Mugabe and the Join Operation Command (the people with all the real political power in Zimbabwe) want, period.
Mugabe’s claim of being mentally “sharp” is no empty one. He has always been as sharp as Samurai sword and has remained so even at 87 year old compared to his 60 year old main challenger, Tsvangirai, whose intellectual agility can only be compared to that of a sloth! US Ambassador Dell call Tsvangirai a “flawed and indecisive character”. Of course he was right!
The Zimbabweans people’s failure to address the pressing need for competent and serious challenger to Mugabe’s rule is what is helping the aging dictator’s cherished dream of president-for-life come true!
88888
It is hard to be patient with PM Tsvangirai. What does he mean Zimbabwe “risks sliding back to 2008 with the consequent chaos and instability”? After the 2008 sham elections Mugabe has pointedly refused to address this thorny problem of political violence that have always been an integral party of Zimbabwean politics. The only way to address it was to have all those responsible for the rapes, beatings, murders, etc. are arrested and punished. What Mugabe did was dismiss the whole episode as if it was a minor skirmish of no political consequence. By doing so Mugabe once again assured his party thugs and the State Security Agencies who played an increased and prominent role in the 2008 violence that they are above the law.
In the last two years Mugabe has gone on to reorganise the party’s terror machine. The money Mugabe is getting from the sell of Marange diamonds (MDC have failed to wrestle the control of this resource from Mugabe for the benefit of the whole nation and not just Zanu PF) has given the tyrant the full war chest to fund his party’s election campaign and pay the party thugs.
Mugabe wants fresh election held in Zimbabwe this year and, naturally, his terror machine which has been idling all along has now stepped up a gear or two. Tsvangirai has seen all this coming and therefore it is nonsense to talk of it as if this is a new development!
999
@ Skint War Vet
Tsvangirai should "soldier on" to the finish line!? What is the finish line? Tsvangirai had no plane "B" if the marriage did not work and that is why he is in this mess. And needless to say that he dragged the whole country with him.
If Tsvangirai walkout of this GNU MDC would have the chance of a change of guard - something the party has needed so desperately for years. If MDC had had competent leaders, they would have never agreed to such a one-sided power sharing arrangement. To continue in the arrangement only serves to underline that Tsvangirai does not have the guts to make any decisive action even when one has been forced on him!
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Tsvangirai is worse than damn if he does not walkout of the GNU: it will show he incapable of decisive action!
Many people have said Tsvangirai and MDC are better off staying in the GNU than walking out. If MDC was to walk out Mugabe will call for fresh elections straight away – something he has been itching to do.
Holding elections in the current atmosphere of violence is something many people right across the political divide have said would mean a “blood bath” as Minister Tendai Biti put it. There is no doubt that the political violence will certainly go into overdrive!
But every political analyst would also tell you that since the 2008 elections the threat of violence has remained hanging over the nation’s head.
Soon after the 2008 sham presidential run-off Mugabe was at his most vulnerable position in his political life. For once he was totally disarmed- he could not used violence, his number one weapon of choice, to win an election. With all the rape, beatings, and murders and the international community right across the board refusing to accept Mugabe as the legitimately elected president of Zimbabwe – not even one of his fellow African tyrants dare stick their head above the parapet to say the whole process was free and fair. If fresh elections had been held then – Tsvangirai and MDC had only to refuse to go into the power sharing arrangement to trigger fresh elections – it would have been impossible for Mugabe to use violence again. Not with the whole world watching!
The situation is totally different now; Mugabe is once again free to use violence. In the last two years the tyrant has had time to reorganise his party, the youth militia, and State Security Agencies who have now been co opted to form one cohesive Zanu PF terror machine. The windfall from the sell of Marange diamonds has allowed the dictator to have a full treasure chest to finance his election campaign and pay his thugs. And above all, time heals; the world has forgotten what he did in 2008!
The GPA Tsvangirai signed with Mugabe was so one sided, giving all power to Mugabe and Zanu PF and leaving precious little for Tsvangirai and MDC, it beggars belief. Why did Tsvangirai sign? The only thing Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, etc got out of the marriage was to be PM, Minister of Finance, etc.
And, of course, the only reason why the entire MDC leaders are fighting to extend the life of the GNU, even after they have finally openly admitted it is not working, is so they can enjoy a few more weeks as PM, Minister, etc.
Some people have urged that the GNU has brought some economic stability. “Look at the shops,” they said. “They are full of food and other goods!”
Yes, the shops are full but how many people can afford to buy the food given that unemployment has stubbornly remained at 80% plus throughout the life of the GNU. And what about our aspiration for freedom, human dignity, a meaningful say in the governance of the country, the right to life, etc., etc.? Are we supposed to forget them all now that there is bread in the shops? It is one thing for the ordinary man and woman to expect so little out of life – they have often got worse than nothing from Africa’s leaders. But it is a different kettle of fish for leaders themselves to have neither vision nor aspiration!
Some MDC leaders are particularly proud of the economic stability and will never tire of reminding the nation of this. They should ask themselves why the nation waged a bloody war end the white colonial oppression and exploitation if all we cared about is to have bread in the shops? The country’s economy was in a far better state under Ian Smith than it has ever been under Mugabe or since the formation of GNU. With such narrow minded leaders like Tsvangirai it is hardly surprising the nation is in this mess!
That Tsvangirai should find himself in this pathetic position of damned if he stays in the GNU and damned if he walks out is to be expected. It was a foolish thing to have entered into the GPA and the fact that he had no plan “B” if the marriage failed only served to compound the sheer stupidity of it all. All attempts to rationalise the initial or subsequent decisions is folly.
Hindsight has the proof and knows the true cost of past mistakes and therefore have the confidence to judges them even more harshly intuition ever can. It is far wiser to acknowledge past mistakes and move on than to continue the pretence of ignoring the elephant in the room. Like all foolish decisions, they get worse not better with time.
Mugabe will call for fresh elections at a time he pleases, that is quite clear.
MDC have done nothing to ensure there will be no more political violence. And Mugabe, for his part has done everything to ensure that there is violence if that is what it will take to ensure a Zanu PF victory. Even if elections are postponed it is Mugabe alone who will decide the level and extend of political violence in Zimbabwe.
If Mugabe calls for fresh elections and the GNU is still in place Mugabe will want MDC seen as the one organising and running the elections although, as usual, MDC will have neither the power nor authority to do anything! Mugabe will see to it that some MDC “win” seats.
By walking out of the GNU MDC will end this scandalous and frankly humiliating power sharing arrangement in which every one knows Mugabe has all the power.
By walking out Tsvangirai will show the first time that he is decisive. He has finally publicly admitted that the GNU; so why is he still in the GNU? The obvious answer is that he is totally incapable of making that final and logical move. God knows it took him two long years of abuse to say nothing of the thousands of MDC supporters who have been terrorised and murdered to force him to accept the GNU was not working!
Mugabe will have good cause to worry if MDC walked out of the GNU. The dictator will know whoever MDC elect to replace Tsvangirai - can not see Tsvangirai remaining as MDC leader if he stepped down now – will mean Mugabe will have a fight in his hands – he or she can not be as incompetent and inapt as Tsvangirai, not even a party known for shooting itself in the leg can elect two complete idiots in quick succession – touch wood!
Holding elections in the current atmosphere of violence is something many people right across the political divide have said would mean a “blood bath” as Minister Tendai Biti put it. There is no doubt that the political violence will certainly go into overdrive!
But every political analyst would also tell you that since the 2008 elections the threat of violence has remained hanging over the nation’s head.
Soon after the 2008 sham presidential run-off Mugabe was at his most vulnerable position in his political life. For once he was totally disarmed- he could not used violence, his number one weapon of choice, to win an election. With all the rape, beatings, and murders and the international community right across the board refusing to accept Mugabe as the legitimately elected president of Zimbabwe – not even one of his fellow African tyrants dare stick their head above the parapet to say the whole process was free and fair. If fresh elections had been held then – Tsvangirai and MDC had only to refuse to go into the power sharing arrangement to trigger fresh elections – it would have been impossible for Mugabe to use violence again. Not with the whole world watching!
The situation is totally different now; Mugabe is once again free to use violence. In the last two years the tyrant has had time to reorganise his party, the youth militia, and State Security Agencies who have now been co opted to form one cohesive Zanu PF terror machine. The windfall from the sell of Marange diamonds has allowed the dictator to have a full treasure chest to finance his election campaign and pay his thugs. And above all, time heals; the world has forgotten what he did in 2008!
The GPA Tsvangirai signed with Mugabe was so one sided, giving all power to Mugabe and Zanu PF and leaving precious little for Tsvangirai and MDC, it beggars belief. Why did Tsvangirai sign? The only thing Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, etc got out of the marriage was to be PM, Minister of Finance, etc.
And, of course, the only reason why the entire MDC leaders are fighting to extend the life of the GNU, even after they have finally openly admitted it is not working, is so they can enjoy a few more weeks as PM, Minister, etc.
Some people have urged that the GNU has brought some economic stability. “Look at the shops,” they said. “They are full of food and other goods!”
Yes, the shops are full but how many people can afford to buy the food given that unemployment has stubbornly remained at 80% plus throughout the life of the GNU. And what about our aspiration for freedom, human dignity, a meaningful say in the governance of the country, the right to life, etc., etc.? Are we supposed to forget them all now that there is bread in the shops? It is one thing for the ordinary man and woman to expect so little out of life – they have often got worse than nothing from Africa’s leaders. But it is a different kettle of fish for leaders themselves to have neither vision nor aspiration!
Some MDC leaders are particularly proud of the economic stability and will never tire of reminding the nation of this. They should ask themselves why the nation waged a bloody war end the white colonial oppression and exploitation if all we cared about is to have bread in the shops? The country’s economy was in a far better state under Ian Smith than it has ever been under Mugabe or since the formation of GNU. With such narrow minded leaders like Tsvangirai it is hardly surprising the nation is in this mess!
That Tsvangirai should find himself in this pathetic position of damned if he stays in the GNU and damned if he walks out is to be expected. It was a foolish thing to have entered into the GPA and the fact that he had no plan “B” if the marriage failed only served to compound the sheer stupidity of it all. All attempts to rationalise the initial or subsequent decisions is folly.
Hindsight has the proof and knows the true cost of past mistakes and therefore have the confidence to judges them even more harshly intuition ever can. It is far wiser to acknowledge past mistakes and move on than to continue the pretence of ignoring the elephant in the room. Like all foolish decisions, they get worse not better with time.
Mugabe will call for fresh elections at a time he pleases, that is quite clear.
MDC have done nothing to ensure there will be no more political violence. And Mugabe, for his part has done everything to ensure that there is violence if that is what it will take to ensure a Zanu PF victory. Even if elections are postponed it is Mugabe alone who will decide the level and extend of political violence in Zimbabwe.
If Mugabe calls for fresh elections and the GNU is still in place Mugabe will want MDC seen as the one organising and running the elections although, as usual, MDC will have neither the power nor authority to do anything! Mugabe will see to it that some MDC “win” seats.
By walking out of the GNU MDC will end this scandalous and frankly humiliating power sharing arrangement in which every one knows Mugabe has all the power.
By walking out Tsvangirai will show the first time that he is decisive. He has finally publicly admitted that the GNU; so why is he still in the GNU? The obvious answer is that he is totally incapable of making that final and logical move. God knows it took him two long years of abuse to say nothing of the thousands of MDC supporters who have been terrorised and murdered to force him to accept the GNU was not working!
Mugabe will have good cause to worry if MDC walked out of the GNU. The dictator will know whoever MDC elect to replace Tsvangirai - can not see Tsvangirai remaining as MDC leader if he stepped down now – will mean Mugabe will have a fight in his hands – he or she can not be as incompetent and inapt as Tsvangirai, not even a party known for shooting itself in the leg can elect two complete idiots in quick succession – touch wood!
Tsvangirai finally, FINALLY, admit the GNU is not working and yet still remain in the GNU!
It took Tsvangirai over two years in this GNU to finally admit that it is not working. Instead of making a decisive break and walk out he has decided to go on a “diplomatic offensive” to tell SADC Head of State that the GNU is not working. And the usual “consult the people”. Typical!
What would Tsvangirai tell SADC Heads that they do not already know? And more significantly; what does Tsvangirai want/expect SADC to do?
What makes this promise of “consult the people” really insulting to every thinking Zimbabwean out there is that he never ever bothers to consult them. He has made similar promises in the past and then addresses a few public rallies where the listeners are told what the party was going to do. And the public at large are then told that the course of action was endorsed by the MDC membership and the people of Zimbabwe.
MDC like Zanu PF has made it a point of honour to deliberately keep the Zimbabwe public in the dark about everything. The two made a devil’s pact not to tell the people anything – a pact both sides can honestly say neither side has ever broken. One would have to be very naïve to think that Mugabe needed to twist any arms to get Tsvangirai and MDC to go along with this one!
And so every time Tsvangirai is stuck he turns to the people to “decide” on matters Tsvangirai himself has deliberately kept them ignorant. How cynical can one be!
Many, many people, Zimbabweans and none Zimbabweans alike have again and again advised Tsvangirai on many critical issues and against forming the GNU with Mugabe. They went to great lengths to explain why the GNU would not work and these events have come to pass. Tsvangirai ignored them for his own selfish reasons.
Mugabe offered Tsvangirai and a few of his MDC friends a chance to hold positions of power plus all the pecks of ministerial car, etc. that went with being PM or minister. It was clear Mugabe would not allow MDC leaders to exercise any meaningful power – that was why the negotiation took seven months before the GPA was finally signed. Mugabe stuck to his guns and MDC settled for illusion of power sharing in which Mugabe, JOC and Zanu PF have all the power and Tsvangirai and MDC have none.
The illusion suited Mugabe in that the after 2008 he under great political pressure to dismantle his dictatorship. The intervening time has allowed him keep and reorganise his dictatorship under the cover of the more international acceptable GNU. Yes it was humiliating for him to even accept Tsvangirai as a sleeping partner but it was a small price to pay considering he faced regime change and serious criminal charges if Tsvangirai had not got him off the hook!
The single most important thing Tsvangirai and MDC owed to the people of Zimbabwe was to ensure there was an end to Mugabe instigated political violence and there is rule of law in the country. Because nothing, absolutely nothing economically, socially and politically could be accomplished as long as Mugabe and his thugs are free to do as they pleased. MDC have singularly failed in this important and critical task. And the escalating violence and the continued economic melt down are proof of this political failure and betrayal!
I sincerely hope that Zimbabweans will have the common sense and realise that with Mugabe and his thugs on a war footing they will be seating ducks. Tsvangirai and MDC did not have any plan on how to rein in Mugabe and his thugs two years ago and still have no plan now. There is a time to stand up and fight but when everything is stacked against you, it is better to withdraw and live to fight another day! With war vets and Zanu PF militia everywhere, it wiser to carry a Zanu PF membership card and foolish to wear a MDC T-shirt!
What would Tsvangirai tell SADC Heads that they do not already know? And more significantly; what does Tsvangirai want/expect SADC to do?
What makes this promise of “consult the people” really insulting to every thinking Zimbabwean out there is that he never ever bothers to consult them. He has made similar promises in the past and then addresses a few public rallies where the listeners are told what the party was going to do. And the public at large are then told that the course of action was endorsed by the MDC membership and the people of Zimbabwe.
MDC like Zanu PF has made it a point of honour to deliberately keep the Zimbabwe public in the dark about everything. The two made a devil’s pact not to tell the people anything – a pact both sides can honestly say neither side has ever broken. One would have to be very naïve to think that Mugabe needed to twist any arms to get Tsvangirai and MDC to go along with this one!
And so every time Tsvangirai is stuck he turns to the people to “decide” on matters Tsvangirai himself has deliberately kept them ignorant. How cynical can one be!
Many, many people, Zimbabweans and none Zimbabweans alike have again and again advised Tsvangirai on many critical issues and against forming the GNU with Mugabe. They went to great lengths to explain why the GNU would not work and these events have come to pass. Tsvangirai ignored them for his own selfish reasons.
Mugabe offered Tsvangirai and a few of his MDC friends a chance to hold positions of power plus all the pecks of ministerial car, etc. that went with being PM or minister. It was clear Mugabe would not allow MDC leaders to exercise any meaningful power – that was why the negotiation took seven months before the GPA was finally signed. Mugabe stuck to his guns and MDC settled for illusion of power sharing in which Mugabe, JOC and Zanu PF have all the power and Tsvangirai and MDC have none.
The illusion suited Mugabe in that the after 2008 he under great political pressure to dismantle his dictatorship. The intervening time has allowed him keep and reorganise his dictatorship under the cover of the more international acceptable GNU. Yes it was humiliating for him to even accept Tsvangirai as a sleeping partner but it was a small price to pay considering he faced regime change and serious criminal charges if Tsvangirai had not got him off the hook!
The single most important thing Tsvangirai and MDC owed to the people of Zimbabwe was to ensure there was an end to Mugabe instigated political violence and there is rule of law in the country. Because nothing, absolutely nothing economically, socially and politically could be accomplished as long as Mugabe and his thugs are free to do as they pleased. MDC have singularly failed in this important and critical task. And the escalating violence and the continued economic melt down are proof of this political failure and betrayal!
I sincerely hope that Zimbabweans will have the common sense and realise that with Mugabe and his thugs on a war footing they will be seating ducks. Tsvangirai and MDC did not have any plan on how to rein in Mugabe and his thugs two years ago and still have no plan now. There is a time to stand up and fight but when everything is stacked against you, it is better to withdraw and live to fight another day! With war vets and Zanu PF militia everywhere, it wiser to carry a Zanu PF membership card and foolish to wear a MDC T-shirt!
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Gaddafi continue to kill whilst the world dithers: encouraging other tyrants to do the same in future!
Andrew Rawnsley in Observer wrote about dictators faced with the popular uprising as seen in the Arab countries in the last few months have the trilemma to “reform”, “quit” or to “kill”! What Andrew did not say is that tyrants like Gaddafi, Mugabe and a few others decided to kill a long time ago. What they have left now is to either stop the killing and face the consequences of their corrupt, oppressive and murderous past or go down with all guns blazing.
If the West and the world at large had taken a firm stand against the continued murder of innocent protesters from the word go, instead of all the dithering, they would sent a clear message to Gaddafi and his henchmen that the game was up; they will either face a court of law for his past crimes or be shot for resisting arrest. The dithering has given Gaddafi the confidence to step up the killing and silence the protesters.
“Are we content to let Colonel Gaddafi win?” writes Andrew. “This is the question that neither western countries nor their leaders have wanted to confront. This is the question that now stares us hard in the face.”
“If Gaddafi prevails, his fellow dictators will have a template for what they should do when faced with revolt: kill the opposition without mercy in the confidence that the preachers of democracy in the west will do nothing more than wring their pathetic hands.” A very worrying prospect for those living under a tyrants who like Gaddafi crossed the Rubicon years ago, like us in Zimbabwe!
If the West and the world at large had taken a firm stand against the continued murder of innocent protesters from the word go, instead of all the dithering, they would sent a clear message to Gaddafi and his henchmen that the game was up; they will either face a court of law for his past crimes or be shot for resisting arrest. The dithering has given Gaddafi the confidence to step up the killing and silence the protesters.
“Are we content to let Colonel Gaddafi win?” writes Andrew. “This is the question that neither western countries nor their leaders have wanted to confront. This is the question that now stares us hard in the face.”
“If Gaddafi prevails, his fellow dictators will have a template for what they should do when faced with revolt: kill the opposition without mercy in the confidence that the preachers of democracy in the west will do nothing more than wring their pathetic hands.” A very worrying prospect for those living under a tyrants who like Gaddafi crossed the Rubicon years ago, like us in Zimbabwe!
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Human Rights Watch condemn continued political violence in Zimbabwe.
Human Rights Watch report condemns continued violence in Zimbabwe and suggest elections should be postponed until the violence stop.
Whilst one shares the HRW’s concerns; no one wants more people raped and killed. Still one has to accept that the GNU has failed the people of Zimbabwe and therefore it must go. This can only happen if elections are held.
The HRW were critical of PM Tsvangirai and his MDC party for focusing their attention on the survival of the GNU and none on ending political violence.
People should consider what to do NOW to ensure the next elections are free of violence? Postponing elections is not really the answer considering there was violence in the last elections and for the last years Mugabe has continued to beat the war drum. If we did not have an answer to this thorny issue in the past why should tomorrow be any different?
Mugabe and his cronies were quick to dismiss the HRW report and restate the now familiar lie that it is MDC supporters who are behind the violence. Even those people who are not familiar with the going on in Zimbabwe find it difficult to accept Mugabe and Zanu PF's excuses for the continued violence for three basic reasons:
1) If it is indeed MDC supporters who are causing the violence then why is it that the violence always takes place at MDC rallies, meetings and in the private homes of MDC supporters?
2) Why has Mugabe failed to establish an independent commission to establish the true facts behind the violence since the dictator and you, his cronies, do not believe the HRW report? By the way SADC Election Monitoring Team's report on 2008 Elections confirmed most of the violence then were carried out by Zanu PF supporters and, worse still, that the Police and other State Security Agencies did not only failed to stop the violence but were themselves involved in the violence in support of Mugabe!
3) Whenever there is widespread human rights violations and those responsible are not punished - 1000s were raped and 200 killed in 2008 and not one of those responsible were ever arrested - it is clear that the State is behind the violence. This is a well documented tactic of repressive regimes the world over!
Whilst one shares the HRW’s concerns; no one wants more people raped and killed. Still one has to accept that the GNU has failed the people of Zimbabwe and therefore it must go. This can only happen if elections are held.
The HRW were critical of PM Tsvangirai and his MDC party for focusing their attention on the survival of the GNU and none on ending political violence.
People should consider what to do NOW to ensure the next elections are free of violence? Postponing elections is not really the answer considering there was violence in the last elections and for the last years Mugabe has continued to beat the war drum. If we did not have an answer to this thorny issue in the past why should tomorrow be any different?
Mugabe and his cronies were quick to dismiss the HRW report and restate the now familiar lie that it is MDC supporters who are behind the violence. Even those people who are not familiar with the going on in Zimbabwe find it difficult to accept Mugabe and Zanu PF's excuses for the continued violence for three basic reasons:
1) If it is indeed MDC supporters who are causing the violence then why is it that the violence always takes place at MDC rallies, meetings and in the private homes of MDC supporters?
2) Why has Mugabe failed to establish an independent commission to establish the true facts behind the violence since the dictator and you, his cronies, do not believe the HRW report? By the way SADC Election Monitoring Team's report on 2008 Elections confirmed most of the violence then were carried out by Zanu PF supporters and, worse still, that the Police and other State Security Agencies did not only failed to stop the violence but were themselves involved in the violence in support of Mugabe!
3) Whenever there is widespread human rights violations and those responsible are not punished - 1000s were raped and 200 killed in 2008 and not one of those responsible were ever arrested - it is clear that the State is behind the violence. This is a well documented tactic of repressive regimes the world over!
Monday, 7 March 2011
Police ban all MDC meeting and rallies and MDC response by kicking the issue into the tall grass!
The Police has banned all MDC public meetings. What else does Mugabe have to do to force MDC to react?
“We actually are going to exhaust whatever remedies are within our reach politically and legally so that we are able to deal with these issues as soon as possible,” Chamisa said. To you and me that mean MDC does not have the foggiest idea what to do other than kick the issue into the tall grass!
It was very naughty of Ms Irene Madongo of S W Radio Africa to even ask what MDC was going to do; she did put the Right Honourable Minister on the spot!
Minister Chamisa the one solution to all these cases of Zanu PF making it impossible for MDC to play any meaningful role in this GNU is for MDC to walk out. But of course none of you guys in MDC will ever want to consider that. Not one Zanu PF Minister resigned even at the height of the Matebeleland and Midlands massacres. Resign and give up the ministerial Benz and all that political power brings - unthinkable. MDC leaders are caught in the same honey trap.
“We actually are going to exhaust whatever remedies are within our reach politically and legally so that we are able to deal with these issues as soon as possible,” Chamisa said. To you and me that mean MDC does not have the foggiest idea what to do other than kick the issue into the tall grass!
It was very naughty of Ms Irene Madongo of S W Radio Africa to even ask what MDC was going to do; she did put the Right Honourable Minister on the spot!
Minister Chamisa the one solution to all these cases of Zanu PF making it impossible for MDC to play any meaningful role in this GNU is for MDC to walk out. But of course none of you guys in MDC will ever want to consider that. Not one Zanu PF Minister resigned even at the height of the Matebeleland and Midlands massacres. Resign and give up the ministerial Benz and all that political power brings - unthinkable. MDC leaders are caught in the same honey trap.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
A discerning electorate is a must for functioning democracy; quality leaders is a bonus!
Let us assume there was indeed the brave and visionary leader in Zimbabwe who could lead the nation out of the nightmare Mugabe landed us into. Will the Zimbabweans electorate give him or her their vote and support? Hell no! Democracy assumes you have a discerning electorate, I would not say the Zimbabwean people are a discerning lot. Remember these are the people who took Mugabe to their hearts and for decades refused to see him for the tyrant he is. When they finally dumped Mugabe they embraced Tsvangirai, a flawed character who should be herding goats and not masquerading as PM, with blind zeal.
The Zimbabwean people have yet to learn that there is a lot more to electing leaders than putting a cross on a piece of paper. They have to distinguish reason and sense from empty rhetoric and rubbish. And to do so, they have to understand the subject matters, at least the basics, before them and thus ask the different candidates the pertinent questions. Until they do, the candidate offering them nothing but empty promises will certain appeal to an undiscerning electorate.
Cream will rise to the top if you have a jar of milk, yes. If again and again you find not cream but scum rising to the top: then the jar is not full of milk but sewage. Mark my words; without a discerning electorate, Zimbabwe will never ever get out of the hell-hole Mugabe landed us into! Of course to be a discerning voter will demand hard work on the part of the voter – they have to understand what can and can not be done. On the economic front, for example, the people have to understand it may have taken six years for the Zimbabwe economy to shrink by 84% it will take decades to rebuild it back; so they must be patient. They have to learn to see the bigger picture and not be gullible and be bowled over by one minor achievement as they did when the ships filled with goods after the formation of the GNU in 2008 only to finally realise the regime had no answer to all the other teething national problems like ending violence, creating jobs, etc.
The people had looking to a Moses character to get them out of this mess. The Children of Israeli had Moses but still they had to walk all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land and face all manner of hardships along the way. Zimbabweans look to the leaders to do everything for them. After independence in 1980 the people should have realised that the tough road ahead had just begin; it was their responsibility to ensure Mugabe remained accountable to them at all times by paying attention to everything the regime was doing. They did not and have paid dearly for it.
A Moses figure head is great but that is not enough for a effective and functional democracy; the people, the electorate must be discerning, walk the walk and talk the talk! Even if a Moses figure was to be found, the people have to do their bit; he would never carry everyone and all their worldly belonging all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land. Beside one should never under estimate the psychological benefit to all those who do walk every step of the journey. Beside God Himself does not do for us what we can do for ourselves and it is naïve to some how expect that a leader, a mere mortal, will do everything for us!
The Zimbabwean people have yet to learn that there is a lot more to electing leaders than putting a cross on a piece of paper. They have to distinguish reason and sense from empty rhetoric and rubbish. And to do so, they have to understand the subject matters, at least the basics, before them and thus ask the different candidates the pertinent questions. Until they do, the candidate offering them nothing but empty promises will certain appeal to an undiscerning electorate.
Cream will rise to the top if you have a jar of milk, yes. If again and again you find not cream but scum rising to the top: then the jar is not full of milk but sewage. Mark my words; without a discerning electorate, Zimbabwe will never ever get out of the hell-hole Mugabe landed us into! Of course to be a discerning voter will demand hard work on the part of the voter – they have to understand what can and can not be done. On the economic front, for example, the people have to understand it may have taken six years for the Zimbabwe economy to shrink by 84% it will take decades to rebuild it back; so they must be patient. They have to learn to see the bigger picture and not be gullible and be bowled over by one minor achievement as they did when the ships filled with goods after the formation of the GNU in 2008 only to finally realise the regime had no answer to all the other teething national problems like ending violence, creating jobs, etc.
The people had looking to a Moses character to get them out of this mess. The Children of Israeli had Moses but still they had to walk all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land and face all manner of hardships along the way. Zimbabweans look to the leaders to do everything for them. After independence in 1980 the people should have realised that the tough road ahead had just begin; it was their responsibility to ensure Mugabe remained accountable to them at all times by paying attention to everything the regime was doing. They did not and have paid dearly for it.
A Moses figure head is great but that is not enough for a effective and functional democracy; the people, the electorate must be discerning, walk the walk and talk the talk! Even if a Moses figure was to be found, the people have to do their bit; he would never carry everyone and all their worldly belonging all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land. Beside one should never under estimate the psychological benefit to all those who do walk every step of the journey. Beside God Himself does not do for us what we can do for ourselves and it is naïve to some how expect that a leader, a mere mortal, will do everything for us!
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