"I'm leader of the opposition" said MP freshman Khupe - bet will sell-out, again, and contest 2023 with no reform W Mukori

 "I'm the senior member of the MDC-T, so it follows that I'm the leader of the opposition,” said Dr Thokozani Khupe soon after being sworn in as MP together with six others.

"We're here to work for Zimbabweans to get jobs, food, functioning clinics and good schools. Parliament is a place for working for the people.”

Madam, please do not insult our intelligence because if you and your fellow politicians, across the political divide, ever honoured the promise to work for the people; then the country would not be up to its eyes in this man-made economic and political mess! Be rest assured you are going to be held to democratic account. 

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic mess; that has left the country in economic ruins and millions living in abject poverty; and political paralysis; with corrupt, incompetent and murderous ruling party leaders and equally corrupt and incompetent opposition leaders; is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. 

The country has been stuck with this de facto Zanu PF dictatorship for 40 years and counting because the party rigged the elections. And from time to time the party has used wanton violence; abductions, beatings, rape and even mass murders to consolidate its hold on power. 

It is therefore rich for you, Madam Khupe, or anyone else for that matter, to be promising the people of Zimbabwe jobs, food, functioning schools, etc. without first solving the problem of rigged elections and bad governance.

Zimbabwe had its best opportunity ever to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging that agreed the 2008 Global Political Agreement. The MDC was 2008 to 2013 Government of National Unity (GNU) partner tasked to implement the reforms. 

MDC failed to get even one token reform implemented in five years of the GNU. Madam Khupe, you were a senior MDC leader, second only to Morgan Tsvangirai. Can you please tell us why did MDC failed to implement even one token reform?    

SADC leaders warned MDC leaders not to participate in the 2013 elections without first implementing the reforms because Zanu PF would rig the elections. MDC ignored the warning and, lo and behold, Zanu PF rigged those elections just as SADC leaders said would happen. 

In its 2014 party congress MDC resolved the party would not participate in any future elections unless the democratic reforms are implemented first. “No reforms! No elections!” party leaders, including yourself Dr Khupe, announced. 

You and many other MDC leaders participated in the 2018 elections although not even one reform had been implemented. Why?

Many nations and organisations including the EU, USA and the Commonwealth condemned the July 2018 elections as a farce. 

“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Observer Mission final report. 

“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards,” concluded the report. 

The elections were not free, fair and credible and EU, the Americans, etc. have all been calling for meaningful political reforms to be implemented before the next elections. 

You Dr Khupe participated in the July2018 elections; in the presidential race as a candidate and many of your party members contested in the parliamentary and local government races. Do you:

1. agree the July 2018 elections were not free, fair and credible? 

1. agree the country must implement the democratic reforms to finally end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance?

1. will you contest the 2023 elections if no reforms are implemented as you did in 2013 and 2018?

"Making Zimbabwe ungovernable is not what we fought for" - look who is talking, cup is full to overflow P Guramatunhu

 "Given the onslaught, machinations and clandestine shenanigans by our detractors, isu tasara, ngatirambei takabatana (we the living must remain united) … in defence of our hard-won independence,” Mnangagwa told mourners at Heroes Acre.

"Violence, destruction of property and making Zimbabwe ungovernable can never be democratic and that is not what we fought for.” 

This is just nonsense. 

If anyone has made Zimbabwe ungovernable it is Zanu PF every time the party has felt its iron grip on power threatened, it has blatantly rigged the elections and, time and time again, resorted to wanton violence, abductions, beatings, rape and even cold blooded murder of its political critics and opponents. All “done in defence of our hard-won independence”!

Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the country has been stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime that rigged elections to stay in power. All “done in defence of our hard-won independence”! 

All attempts to restore the citizens’ basic freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections and even the right to life have been ruthlessly resisted. All “done in defence of our hard-won independence”! 

Of course, this is nonsense Zanu PF is a party of corrupt, incompetent and ruthless thugs who believe they have the divine right to rule the country and are not democratically accountable to the people. They have rigged elections and use brute force to impose their will under the pretext if anyone else got into power they would undermine the country’s independence, sovereignty, etc., etc.

It the last 40 years the regime has accused all its critics and political opponents of all manner of crimes and treason but has never produced the evidence. Allowing citizens to exercise the freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote does not threaten the nation’s independence. On the contrary, nation that have upheld the citizens’ freedoms and rights have also enjoyed peace, justice, liberty and economic prosperity.

Zimbabwe is facing its most serious economic and political crisis and to end it we must, first and foremost, end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. We totally reject Zanu PF’s attempts to maintain the status quo under the pretext that change will threaten the nation’s independence. The status quo has been a disaster for the nation and it must go! 

Ending the status quo will end the Zanu PF dictatorship and will have no effect on the country’s independence! This is just Zanu PF project fear of the unknown!

Fear and violence have ruled Zimbabwe these last 40 years. We demand an end to fear and violence. We demand the implementation of the democratic reforms to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible. 

Since Zanu PF is not going to reform itself out of office, the party must step down to allow the nation to appoint an interim administration that will implement the reforms. 

After 40 years of rigged elections all “done in defence of our hard-won independence”; the cup is full to overflow. Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections, the regime is illegitimate and it must step down.

"Teachers must be realistic in their wage demands" - no doubt, expected to survive on fresh air N Garikai

 School closed end of March, at the on set of the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of corona virus, have just reopened. Many teachers are refusing to go back to work until they are paid living wages.

The Poverty Datum Line wage for a family of five is US$650 per month. Some teachers are paid as little as US$30 per month which is less than 5% of the PDL.

”They (teachers) have raised their concerns and we are taking these concerns to the President and Cabinet. We have heard their concerns, but we also appealed to them to be realistic in their concerns and consider the economic conditions prevailing in the country,” said Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima.

"The salary negotiations between the Government and the National Joint Negotiating Council are ongoing. But Government decided to cushion its workers, while waiting for these negotiations to be finalised and the appeal to civil servants is to be patient while waiting for the outcome.” 

The sheer arrogance of this Zanu PF government beggars belief! 

Is government being realistic in paying someone 5% of the PDL wage?

The issue of slave wages was on the table before the lockdown six months ago; why has government failed to have this matter resolved during that period? 

Of course, the teachers, like everyone else, are aware of the prevailing economic conditions in the country. They know the prices of basic necessities such as food and fuel are soaring, there are the usual shortages of cash and medicine, inflation is soaring, etc., etc. They are worried sick. 

With year on year inflation rate now at 838% or month on month rate at 35%, they will need to get a 35% wage increase every month just to stay where they are! They know that will not happen and hence the reason they are asking the wages to be paid in US$ or pegged to the US$. 

The much anticipated flood of new investors and lenders in response to President Mnangagwa’s clarion “Zimbabwe is open for business!” call has never materialised. This Zanu PF government must now accept that it has failed to revive the country’s economy, team inflation, etc., etc.  

It is unrealistic to expect teachers to live on US$30 per month. Without the teachers, Zimbabwe’s education service has but totally collapsed. The same has happen to the health service and other sectors. 

What kind of nation is this with no education for the children? No function health care? And the timing could not have been worse, given we are in the middle of a serious pandemic. 

The economic situation is Zimbabwe has become intolerable; teachers cannot be expected to survive on air and the nation cannot be expected to accept a future with no education, health care, etc.

“Teachers must be realistic with the wage demands!” No Minister Mavima, it is government that is not being realistic, teachers cannot survive on air alone!

"Zanu PF is creating fake opposition to win 2023 elections" - why, did not need one to win 2018! P Guramatunhu

 Dear Knowledge Hakata

“As a political student this is my prediction of what is happening and what is going to happen in Zimbabwe. Zanu PF knows that they won't stand a chance in 2023 presidential elections and to counter that they had to create fake opposition party in the form of MDC Khupe and her political demagogues,” you predicted 

Your name is Knowledge but, sadly, knowledge is the one thing you DO NOT have! 

Zanu PF has been rigging elections for donkey years now because the party KNEW it would lose power if it held free, fair and credible elections. Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections following the November 2017 military coup but failed to implement even one token democratic reform because he did not want to risk losing the elections. 

Mnangagwa knew that if he could get the MDC to participate in the elections regardless of the electoral flaws and illegalities he can rig the election and get away with it. He offered the opposition a few gravy train seats as bait and it worked. There were 23 presidential candidates alone! 

“MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections,” insisted Nelson Chamisa. Of course, he knew that Zanu PF was rigging the July 2018 elections, he had no measures to stop the rigging and yet he still participated out of greed.

Zanu PF went on to win 2/3 majority in parliament and the presidency in the July 2018 elections. 

By participating in these flawed and illegal elections the opposition are giving “credibility” to the flawed process. And they know it, as David Coltart readily admitted. 

In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe, David Coltart, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear to all the elections would not be free, fair and credible.

“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,” wrote 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.”   

By giving credibility to the illegal election process the opposition is also, by extension, giving legitimacy to the vote rigging, ipso facto, illegitimate Zanu PF government. 

Zanu PF’s electoral chance of winning the 2023 elections have not improved from that in 2018 and hence the reason the party has resolutely resisted all calls to implement the democratic reforms. The only likely reforms to be carried out are to create the position of Leader of the Opposition complete with a few Shadow Cabinet post; the office bearers will be entitled to ministerial limos, generous salaries, etc. The opposition will find the bait even more irresistible! 

Mnangagwa won 2018 elections because Zanu PF had the carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig the elections. The party has retained all the dictatorial powers and so would he bother creating fake opposition parties to win the 2023 elections?

Ever since the High Court ruling that said Nelson Chamisa’s seizure of power following Morgan Tsvangirai’s death in February 2018 had violated MDC’s own constitution; MDC leaders have been at each other’s throat. The most important point here is to accept that MDC leaders are their own worst enemy in this mess. It is foolish, to say the least, to blame Mnangagwa and Zanu PF for MDC leaders’ own breath taking incompetence and greed.

The irony is Zanu PF has managed to stay in power post the 2008 to 2013 GNU thanks to the breath taking incompetence and greed of the MDC. And in turn MDC leaders themselves have in power thanks to the breath taking naivety of opposition supporters like Knowledge Hakata who binary mentality will not allow them to see MDC leaders for what they are - sell-outs. 

People like Hakata cannot talk of Chamisa except in conjunction with Mnangagwa. Since he has judged the latter a corrupt, incompetent and murderous tyrant, which many of us would agree with; and compared to Mnangagwa, Chamisa is an angel! This is nothing new. 

Before independence the whites were the devil incarnate and Mugabe and Zanu PF were the angels. It took 20 years for before many Zimbabweans finally accept that Zanu PF was a party of corrupt and murderous thugs. And today, after 21 years of risking life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power and with nothing to show for it; many Zimbabweans are yet to accept that MDC leaders are not the angels they imagined.  

Of course, the mental refusal of seeing and judging Chamisa except in the light of Mnangagwa and no one else is as flawed, limited and foolish as one who will only view the world in black and white when there are are all the colours of the rainbow. 

How tragic that we are living in the age when other have landed on the moon; a carrying out route operation on the most delicate human organ, the brain; and a thousand other things beside. In Zimbabwe we still do not know what constitute free, fair and credible elections; something the Greeks bequeathed mankind 2 500 years ago!

"Stopping by-elections will stifle democracy" - oxymoron, can't stifle what was never there P Guramatunhu

 “Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga's suspension of by-elections cannot be read in isolation as it is part of a well-thought-out strategy to stifle democracy in Zimbabwe,” reported The Standard.

“Chiwenga on Friday amended the Covid-19 regulations to stop the holding of parliamentary and municipal by-elections scheduled for December 5.

“The Covid-19 pandemic was used as a perfect cover for the latest grand scheme to weaken the mainstream opposition party through the misuse of the law and pure political skulduggery.”

Zimbabwe is not a democracy and the real “political skulduggery” is to suggest that suspending a flawed and illegal election process is “a well-thought-out strategy to stifle democracy.” This is an oxymoron, you cannot stifle something that is not there. 

Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections to secure a 2/3 majority in parliament and the presidency. Whether these by-elections go ahead or not that will not change the political arithmetic since the by-elections are for seats of recalled opposition MPs and councillors. 

Nelson Chamisa and his friends in the opposition camp participated in the July 2018 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging those elections. The opposition politicians also knew that Zanu PF was going to allow the opposition to win a few gravy train seats, bait to entice them to participate. And that was what Chamisa et al were after.

By participating in the flawed and illegal elections the opposition have, per se, given credibility to the election process and, by extension, given some modicum of legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF regime.  

Of course, MDC leaders and all the opposition participating in the flawed elections have all sold-out on the cause of implementing the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. 

What Zimbabwe needs is to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. 

Without reforms Zanu PF will continue to blatantly rig the elections and those calling for these flawed and illegal elections to continue, under the pretext they are fighting for democracy, are not doing Zimbabwe any favours.

Zimbabwe is in this economic mess, the economy is in total meltdown and millions are living in heartbreaking abject poverty, and political paralysis, with corrupt and tyrannical ruling party and an equally corrupt and useless opposition, because the country has failed to hold free, fair and credible elections. 

40 years and counting of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the country economic ruins. And 40 years of stifled debate and democratic oppression has forced all competent man and woman out of politics leaving the field open to corrupt and ruthless thugs. 

After 40 years of rigged elections we should be crystal clear what we want: free, fair and credible elections! We should also be crystal clear what we do not want: flawed and illegal elections, including by-elections. 

Banishing West election observers will not stop Zanu PF demise - must rig economic recovery too N Garikai

 President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his fellow coup plotters knew the world at large did not approve of the November 2017 military coup that toppled Mugabe. To earn himself some brownie points, Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. And in addition, he would allow election observers and reporters from West, whom Mugabe  had barred, to cover the elections. 

Mnangagwa did not keep his promise, the July 2018 elections were not free, fair and credible; he failed to implement even one token democratic reform.  The West election observers including the Commonwealth mission condemned the elections as a farce. 

“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Mission final report.

“Many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

The damning reports have left Mnangagwa smarting from a legitimacy problem; one his main political opponent, Nelson Chamisa has taken full advantage of. Mnangagwa is under increasing pressure to implement democratic reforms designed to take away Zanu PF’s carte blanche power to rig elections. 

If the next elections are held with no reforms implemented, the legitimacy problem will not go away. Indeed, given all the other problems of the worsening economic, the all but collapsed health and education service, etc. the legitimacy problem will only amplify all the other problems. 

Zanu PF has no intention of implementing the reforms and so the party is left with only one way of dealing with the illegitimacy problem - making sure they are no observers to condemn the flawed and illegal elections.   

"I should congratulate Malawi, for the first time in our region, possibly on the continent, here is a country which has had the general elections without foreign observers, without the United Nations, African Union, SADC and almost all these civil society organisations observing elections," Mnangagwa addressing President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi. The latter is on a state visit to Zimbabwe. 

“This makes us think whether it’s still necessary in future for SADC countries to look for supervision from across oceans.”

President Mnangagwa has reverted to the old Zanu PF argument that the West has condemned Zimbabwean elections as a farce and imposed the economic sanctions on country as punishment for party’s land reform policy. 

“These sanctions were a direct response by Britain and her allies to Zimbabwe’s land reform programme in 1999/2000,” he explained to his guest.

“We make no apologies for taking back our land and we are happy that the people have been reunited with their land.”

This is an insult to every Zimbabwean out there because Zanu PF has never held free, fair and credible elections, starting with the 1980 elections. It is no secret that Zanu PF did not withdraw many of its Zanla operative to assembly points as agreed in the Lancaster House Agreement. The operatives’ campaign message to the voters was that the civil war would continue, if Zanu PF lost the elections. And so the people voted to end the war. 

Some people argued that the Zanu PF war threat was a bluff. No one has ever doubted Zanu PF’s murderous intend since the party launched the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi massacre. The barbaric violence targeted PF Zapu leaders and supporters to either wipe out party or force the party to join Zanu PF. To stop further bloodshed, the late Dr Joshua Nkomo signed the Unity According paving the way for the imposing of the de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship that has ruled the country with an iron fist to this day.

Zanu PF’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections has everything to do with the establishment and retention of the country’s one-party dictatorship. The 1999 Zanu PF land reform and the sanctions are smoke screens to hide the truth. How did the land reform or sanctions stop ZEC producing verified voters’ roll, for example? 

Besides everyone, including SADC and AU election observers known for endorsing Zimbabwe’s flawed elections until then, condemned Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections for the blatant cheating and wanton violence. What ax did SADC and AU have to grind with Zanu PF then? 

Even if President Mnangagwa was to get his wish and banish all the western nations and organisations from observing Zimbabwe’s elections. And all those who do observe the election rub stamp the flawed and illegal elections as free, fair and credible that will not change the reality on the ground - Zimbabwe will still be a pariah state ruled by corrupt, vote rigging tyrants. 

As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state the country’s economic meltdown will only get worse. Already unemployment has soared to dizzying heights of 90%; basic services like health care and education have all but completely collapsed; as of last year, 2019, 34% of the population were living in abject poverty; etc.; etc. The corona virus outbreak has made the situation even worse. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is unsustainable making the socially and politically unstable. 

Mnangagwa will not need to rig the elections if the economic is booming. He can boot out the foreign election observers to rig legitimacy but, as Mugabe was forced to admit, his days in power are numbered as long as nothing is done to end the worsening economic meltdown. 

Ultimately it is the long suffering Zimbabweans; not the election observers, honest or otherwise; who will decide who rules Zimbabwe. The worsening economic situation will force the people to demand change. 

“It is the economy, stupid!” that is ending the Zanu PF dictatorship! 

Trump conduct puts democracy to shame - borrowed heavily from Zanu PF vote rigging manual W Mukori

 Let’s face it, the Tuesday 29 September 2020 Trump vs Biden presidential debate, first with two more to come, was a melee, chaotic and a total waste of time and missed opportunity. Democracy itself was on the ropes and the pugnacious culprit hell bend on delivering the knock-out punch President Trump - the President of the United States of America, the undisputed leader of the free and democratic world!

The Greeks, the nation that bequeathed democracy to the world 2 500 years ago, accepted that for democracy to work the people must be educated and hence the reason they promoted freedom of expression and freedom of association. No doubt the USA presidential debates were meant to help educate the American electorate so they will make an informed choice of the man/woman to hold the highest office in the land for the next four years. The one thing the Tuesday debacle was not was informative. 

Within a few minutes of the 90 minutes debate, it was clear President Trump’s agenda was not be as disruptive as he could. He constantly interrupted Joe Biden. The listeners wanted to know what each candidate was going to do not end the corona virus in America and in follow up question why their opponent’s plan would not work, for example. 

Chris Wallace, of “Fox News Sunday” who was anchor and  moderator of the debate was forced to intervene. “Please don’t interrupt!”  then “Please obey the rules!” and finally “This isn’t serving the country well!” in sheer exasperation. 

President Trump did not only undermine the very essence of democracy by interrupting the debate but worse still by raising doubt in the validity of the election process itself! Should he lose the election, he has repeatedly refused to accept the results; implying that could only happen because the elections were rigged.

“As you know today, there was a big problem,” said Mr. Trump during Tuesday’s debate. “In Philadelphia, they went in to watch, they were called poll watchers, a very safe, very nice thing. They were thrown out, they weren’t allowed to watch. You know why? Because bad things happen in Philadelphia, bad things.”

As usual, he did not elaborate or provide any evidence. It is all innuendo and suppositions! 

On this occasion, it turns out the officials in Philadelphia were enforcing an existing law designed to stop poll watchers, from all the political parties, observing voter registration activities for fear of “intimidating the voters”.

The Proud Boys, a white supremacist group and ardent Trump supporters, have been involved in disruptive and intimidating activities. When President Trump was asked to publicly denounce the group, all he could master was “stand back and stand by”.

No doubt President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies have watched the Tuesday US debate with renewed interest and will be thrilled to bits to see President Trump back in White House. They will expect him to tear up Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) and lift the sanctions imposed on Zanu PF leaders. It would be very hypocritical of President Trump to do otherwise when, to win the US elections, he borrowed heavily from Zanu PF’s own vote rigging manual! 

“I’ve been involved in a certain amount of soul-searching.” concluded Mr Wallace. “I’m just disappointed with the results. For me, but much more importantly, I’m disappointed for the country, because it could have been a much more useful evening than it turned out to be.” 

The Commission on Presidential Debates, the body tasked to oversight the conduct of these presidential debates is considering changes to the format of this year’s remaining debate, “a clear sign of its frustration with the results of Tuesday evening”, reported the New York Times.