We can blame Mugabe and his Zanu PF
thugs for a host of things but blaming them for the fact that not even one
democratic reform was implemented during the five years of the GNU is a clear
sign of political immaturity, to say the least.
“Sadc
ordered media and security sector reforms in order to ensure free and fair
polls. But Mugabe pressed ahead without them. The outcome of the poll remains
questionable owing to several irregularities,” wrote Jera in his/her article “Democratic
ouster of Mugabe unlikely”, Bulawayo Opinion column.
It is not true that “Mugabe pressed
ahead without” the reforms; he took full advantage of the fact that not even
one reforms had been implemented after five years of the GNU. The reforms
should have been implemented in 18 months of the proposed GNU in the end its
life was extended to five years and yet still no reforms were implemented. Not
even one reform!
The GNU was never meant to last
forever and five years was over three times the original life and it was
therefore not a matter of Mugabe pressing ahead holding elections without the reforms
but more of those responsible for getting the reforms implemented having failed
to do so although they had five years instead of 18 months to complete the
task!
It was for Tsvangirai and MDC to implement the
reforms; SADC reminded them of this throughout the GNU but were ignored. SADC
literally begged the MDC leaders not to take part in the July 2013 elections
without the reforms but again their warning fell on deaf ears.
Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were
not just corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent but, more significantly, they
sold out. It is no secret that Mugabe bribed MDC leaders to do nothing about
the reforms. As SADC heads accused MDC leaders of “enjoying themselves whilst
in the GNU and forgot why they were there”!
Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have
lost political credibility because they failed to get even one reform implemented
after five years in the GNU, even after being warned repeatedly about their importance.
Only the politically naïve and gullible
would take Tsvangirai’s “no reform no elections” call seriously because anyone
who understands what happened during the GNU knows that it MDC that failed to
implement the reforms and so blaming Zanu PF for no reforms is political cynicism
at its worst.
It makes sense for Zimbabwe’s opposition
parties to boycott elections until the democratic reforms are implemented, a
pre-requisite for free, fair and credible elections; that is all opposition parties
except the MDC factions. Tsvangirai and his MDC friends are the ones who landed
the nation into this mess of having not even one reform implemented; they
refusal to acknowledge that they are corrupt, incompetent and they sol-out big
time during the GNU, does not change the fact that they are corrupt, etc.
Tsvangirai’s “no reform no election”
call is tantamount to “no elections because MDC’s corrupt and incompetent!” It
is not surprising that Mugabe and Zanu PF are taking full advantage of this
confusion. Everyone knows that Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs would never win
free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. People can blame Mugabe for a multitude of
things but no one worth his/her salt can blame him for the failure to have even
one reform implemented during the GNU. Of course Zanu PF will never ever
implement any meaningful reforms since they are not to blame for none being
implemented during the GNU but will take full advantage of the confusion MDC is
creating by falsely blaming Zanu PF for their own failures.
Indeed President Mugabe would want
attention to remain focused on blaming game and away away from the key point
that these reforms are still important and must be implemented. The sooner
Tsvangirai acknowledged he and his MDC friends are corrupt and incompetent the
sooner the nation will move on to the important issue of getting the reforms
implemented!
'Let those who are boycotting
elections continue to do so and we will continue to rule, we will increase our
MPs in parliament,' remarked VP Mnangagwa.
Tsvangirai’s denial that MDC leaders are corrupt,
incompetent and are responsible for the failure to get even one reform
implemented is what helped Mugabe and Zanu PF “win” the July 2013 elections and
will help them keep them in power for years to come. The first step in ending
the Zanu PF dictatorial rule is accepting the reality that MDC leaders are
corrupt and incompetent and have lost political credibility and not to sweep all
this under the carpet!