Zanu PF take over of BVS procurement "heighten vote rigging fears", says Zimvigil - operative word is heighten

I agree with Zimvigil 100% that moves by the Zanu PF regime to take over the procurement of the BVS kits have heightened fears that the regime is going to rig the elections.

“There are growing fears that Zanu PF is already busy preparing to steal next year’s elections. Suspicions have been heightened by the government’s move to seize control of the new biometric voter registration process,” wrote the UK based pressure group, Zimvigil.

The operative word here heightened the fear of vote rigging. The truth is Zanu PF is set to rig the elections just as the party did in 2013 because not even one meaningful democratic reform has been implemented since the last rigged elections. Not one!

MDC-T promised the people of Zimbabwe that they would force Zanu PF “screaming and kicking to implement the reforms before the end of the year”, said Douglas Mwonzora. That was in 2015 and two years later not even one reform has been implemented.

Whatever working arrangements MDC-T and all the other opposition parties in NERA had made with ZEC, one of which was for UNPD to resource the BVS kits, it must be said that these were not going to stop Zanu PF rigging the next elections. The arrangements were a poor substitute of the democratic reforms, to say the least.

Zanu PF is renowned for making a mountain out of mole hill just to get the sting out of a contentious issue. Yes, by reneging on the original arrangement to let UNPD buy the BVS kit, Zanu PF is “heightened” the certainty it is going to rig the election. The right response is for the nation would be to demand the implementation of all the reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections.

MDC-T’s over the top response of calling for mass demonstrations to demand that UNPD be allowed to buy the BVS kit as if this is the game-changer will be to fall into the Zanu PF trap. There is nothing Mugabe would want more than draw the nation into frenzies and then spring the trap shut! We will have a lot of egg on our faces if Zanu PF gives in and allow UNPD to buy the BVS kits and then still go on to rig the elections regardless!

We must never ever forget that it was the MDC leaders’ breath-taking incompetence that not even one democratic reform was implemented during five years of the GNU, when they had the golden opportunity to do so. It is a great pity that the people of Zimbabwe have yet to see Tsvangirai and company for the corrupt and incompetent individuals that they are, even now with the benefit of hindsight. Following incompetent MDC leaders have undermined our struggle for democratic change and not advance it.

Zimbabwe cannot afford yet another rigged election next year and the only sure way to ensure we have free, fair and credible elections is by implementing all the democratic reforms. We must not allow MDC-T to mislead us into believing that winning the fight for UNPD to buy the BVS kits is, in itself, the guarantee we have been searching for, for free and fair elections!