USA think tank warns of "political instability" in Zimbabwe - rigged 2018 will trigger it. N Garikai

“The US’s Centre for Preventive Action (CPA) warned that political instability, violence, and further economic decline in Zimbabwe could see xenophobic violence directed against the country’s migrants in South Africa becoming worse if large numbers of refugees began fleeing the country,” reported Daily News.

This is the kind of report that should set church bell size alarm bells ringing nonstop in every thinking Zimbabwean out there.

If we have yet another rigged election, it is easy to see how the prospect of yet another five years of economic and politics chaos under this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship can easily be the last straw to trig the instability.

What makes this tragic situation even worse is that we have seen it coming but have done nothing to stop it. SADC leaders tried they best to get MDC leaders to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop the vote rigging and for five year they were ignored. They warned Tsvangirai and company not to contest the 2013 elections with no reforms but again they were ignored.

“This also comes as the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) — the opposition umbrella group formed out of an uneasy alliance between former vice president Joice Mujuru and perennial opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai — is failing to gain traction,” commented the Daily News.

It is true that the opposition camp has lost political credibility, there is no rational reason – discounting greed – why they are contesting next year’s election when it is clear they will be rigged. NERA has failed to get even one token reform implemented.

Tsvangirai, with the clandestine help from Zanu PF agents, has been trying to sell the notion that a united opposition will defeat Zanu PF, even with no reforms in place. No one has ever explained how because there is no logical explanation to a piece of wishful nonsense. The fact that no opposition coalition has materialised after four years has only made the opposition look really weak and stupid.   

There is absolutely no excuse for contesting next year’s flawed election and send the nation over the edge. It is madness.

CPA’s report is based on facts and its predictions are backed by historic events. CAP is a think tank worthy of the name unlike some dodgy ones like Afribarometer.

There are individuals, independent media houses, NGOs and civic societies, especially those housing the ringing bells, who have supported the erroneous notion that next year’s elections can go ahead by supporting various voter mobilisations, election monitoring and some such activities. It is imperative that they all abandon their stance and join those calling for the implementation of the democratic reforms before it is too late. For Pete’s sake do not be counted amongst those who failed to hear the church alarm bell ringing warning of the folly of contesting yet another flawed election.

We can prevent the nation being plunged into a political and economic nightmare by demanding the implementation of the reforms BEFORE the 2018 election.