Linda
Masarira petition President Mugabe to stay awake; a very tall order!
“My
message and that of the rest of the population is plain and simple. We only
demand good governance, we demand employment, we demand sound policies that
guarantee opportunities for everyone regardless of political affiliations, we
demand to be free. We desire to be able to express ourselves and not be in
hospitals afterwards,” wrote Linda
“Most
importantly we want a President who can be awake long enough to be able to hear
our grievances and address them.”
Good
one Linda. There really is no point of talking to someone who is fast asleep!
We
are in this unenviable position of political paralysis and economic chaos
because President Mugabe has perfected the art of rigging elections and then
claims after the treasonous act that he has the democratic mandate to rule. He
has the easily corruptible and incompetent opposition politicians in his
pocket; his partners in crime.
President
Mugabe bribed Tsvangirai and his MDC friends during the GNU to ensure not even
one democratic reform was implemented in the five years.
The
tyrant has learned that as long as he allows these sell-out opposition politicians
to win a few gravy train seats they will continue to contest elections
regardless of how flawed and blatant he rigs the vote. The act of their
contesting the elections will, in itself, lend a measure of democratic
legitimacy to the electoral process because it raises the question; if the
elections are flawed then why participate!
After
Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2013 elections, people thought that Tsvangirai
and his MDC friends had finally come to their senses because they all vowed not
to contest any future elections until reforms are implemented.
However,
not even one reform has been implemented since July 2013 elections and yet Tsvangirai
& co. are all out on the campaigning trail for the 2018 elections already! Their
beady eyes are once again fixed on winning those few gravy train seats Zanu PF
throws await as bait and nothing; not even the threat of Zanu PF thugs going on
a killing spree, a repeat of the wanton violence of 2008; will stop them
contesting the election.
Tendai
Biti, the leader of the breakaway PDP, had his rural homestead burnt to the
ground a few weeks ago. Many suspect this was the handwork of Zanu PF thugs.
Instead of reminding Biti of the critical need to implement the democratic reforms
before the elections, he is reportedly more determined to contest the elections
regardless of the cheating, lawlessness, “wart and all”!
Participating
in a flawed election process is not just being reckless but is downright
criminal in that it is putting the safety of the public at risk and, worse
still, it is giving an illegal process legitimacy and thus help perpetuate it. Senator
David Coltart acknowledged this and the reason why people like Biti still went
on to contest the 2013 elections.
“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,” acknowledged
Senator Coltart in his book, The Struggle
Continues 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“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.”
The
need for the ordinary Zimbabwean to understand the complexities of the country’s
political situation is now the key to bringing about real democratic change in
Zimbabwe. The simplistic view of seeing President Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs
are the enemies of the people and all those in the opposition camp as the
friends of povo is not helping deliver change because it is irrelevant to the
reality on the ground. There are many in the opposition camp have already
proven beyond all reasonable that that they are corrupt and incompetent and
have already sold-out; that is the political reality we must deal with!
Linda,
it is good that you have noticed that President Mugabe is fast asleep,
especially after all the feasting of the last few weeks, and will never address
any of your and the nation’s heartfelt concerns. Now, address yourself to the
ordinary Zimbabweans – they are too hungry to be asleep.
The
people must know the nation’s precarious position and, most important of all,
their own role in it. We have the vote rigging tyrant with his forged mandate; he
derives his legitimacy from the sell-out opposition politicians who continue to
contest elections in pursuit of the throw away gravy train seat regardless how
flawed and illegitimate the process happens to be. The sell-out opposition
politicians in turn derive their political legitimacy from the ordinary people
who continue to support them blind to the politicians’ treasonous betrayals and
deceit.
Real
political change in Zimbabwe will not come from talking to the dozy Robert
Mugabe, whose only concern now is that he should die in office and hopefully
have his dirty secrets buried with him forever. Real change will come from the
ordinary people demanding the implementation of all the democratic reforms so
that the next elections are free, fair and credible.
It
is high time that the ordinary people realised that it is their sacred duty as
citizens to understand what is going around them and to hold those in positions
of power to account. Right now, it is for the people force the tempestuous sell-out
opposition opportunists to honour their “No reform, no elections!” resolution!
9 comments:
Mugabe has gone to Singapore for a “scheduled” medical a check-up, George Charamba said!
The spirit to hold power is strong but the flesh is weak! The "fit as a fiddle" President is not as fit as he claims to be!
@ Weston Murombo
The only reason opposition politicians continue to contest flawed process is because Zanu PF has been throwing away a few gravy train seats as bait.
“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,” admitted Senator Coltart in his recent book.
“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.”
MDC leaders sold-out during the GNU and have continued to do so ever since; many Zimbabweans have not seen this because they have closed their eyes to reality. Remember what Joice Mujuru said when she was asked why she had never criticised President Mugabe throughout her 34 years at the heart of the Zanu PF government. She did not see anything wrong in that time because her “puppy eyes had not opened!” There millions of Zimbabweans out there whose puppy eyes have yet to open and see Tsvangirai and his MDC friends for the corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs they are!
Pray that they open their eyes before it is too late to save this nation because we are sitting right on the edge of a dangerous precipitous gorge and time is for making the u-turn is running out!
@ Musombodiya
The only way out of this mess is to boycott elections and force the reforms to be implemented. It is not just Zanu PF alone who do not want the reforms, MDC too do not want the reforms, because they are quite contend with the few gravy train seats Zanu PF throws away as bait!
It is not just Zanu PF who are short changing us, the people, MDC leaders are short changing us too! If we want free, fair and credible elections then we must fight both Zanu PF and MDC sell-outs! We can first each one separately or take one at a time; right now, we should take the MDC sell-outs and force them to honour their "No reform, no election!" pledge!
Ex-Chikurumbi inmate talks of the horrors of the life behind bars.
No one should be forced to live an animal, regardless of the crime the individual committed he/she is still a human being! The way Zanu PF is treating prisoners goes to show what kind of thugs we have ruling the country and why we are in such a mess!
@ Ken Mufuka
“My eyes opened to the fact that in fact the Mafioso’ days are numbered. I should rejoice,” you said.
Well that is music to the Mafioso’s ears because it is this type of political naivety that has kept them in power for 37 years and counting. Granted some of the Mafioso are old, one is 93 years old and has problems walking, talking, staying awake; he is on his last legs, that much is clear. But what of it! He has a young wife hungry to take over the day he dies, some would say she has taken over already.
The Mafioso have instituted an electoral system it is guaranteed to deliver a Zanu PF landslide victory without failure every time. Grace Mugabe is so cocksure of a Zanu PF victory even a Robert Mugabe corpse would win the election.
One would expect some one mentally challenged because of generations of malnutrition, no education, etc. to be so naïve and shallow as to think that Zimbabwe’s deep root economic and political problems will all disappear like morning mist the day Mugabe dies. It is sad to note that a professor (of whatever) would too be so naïve to think the Zanu PF Mafioso would die with Mugabe’s death!
Courts find Linda Masarira guilty of July 2016 shutdown and fine her $500 plus 6 months in jail.
The people in Zimbabwe should show their outrage over this by turning up in their hundreds if not thousands at the courts on Monday. Everyone who turns up in support is worth their own weight in gold to the struggle because it is only by people showing their unity of purpose that we can ever put an end to this corrupt and tyrannical charade.
The struggle is also about us the people taking our duties and responsibilities as citizens of elect competent leaders and to hold them to account with the seriousness they demand. Tsvangirai has already proven beyond all doubt that he is a corrupt and blundering fool and yet how many Zimbabweans still continue to follow him blindly like sheep? It took 20 years or so before most people finally admitted that President Mugabe is a corrupt and murderous tyrant.
It is not fresh heroes we need, they are hundreds if not thousands of them in Zimbabwe today, what we need is people who are smart enough to recognize talent and not the present mindless mob who will readily recycle old rubbish with a proven track record of being corrupt and useless.
People get the government they deserve, we certain deserve this Zanu PF dictatorship complete with the useless opposition! If we want a good government we will have to earn it by going out there and seek one and not sit on our backsides hoping for one to come out of the blue!
@ Mufuka
I find it difficult to accept that all our problems will disappear if President Mugabe goes, the Zanu PF dictatorship will survive and thrive even with the tyrant removed. We need to remove the tyrant and dismantle the dictatorship itself which is why we must implement the democratic reforms!
Well other countries like Kenya did renew the leadership of Kenyatta's dictatorship by replacing him with Daniel Arap Moi and that nation has continued to suffer! The temptation to remove one or two leaders and adopt the dictatorship is what we must resist here. A dictatorship will never be turned into a healthy democracy even if we give it several coats of democratic paint.
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