“Way back in the year Before Christ, the famous
Roman General Julius Caesar decided to divorce his second wife Pompeia on the
basis of suspicion,” Bulawayo 24 reminded us.
“Caesar famously said any wife of his must be above suspicion.
“Caesar famously said any wife of his must be above suspicion.
“The new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)
chairperson Priscilla Chigumba is being haunted by suspicion over an unproven
allegation raised by former Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku in 2016. At
the time, Chidyausiku claimed Chigumba had a case to answer on allegations that
she tried to solicit a $20 000 bribe to throw out a civil case that was before
her in 2013.”
It is not a matter of digging out some old
alleged case of corruption against Justice Chugumba to help us doubt her
ability to deliver her duty of ensuring free, fair and credible elections. We
KNOW she will never delivery free and fair elections because it is IMPOSSIBLE
to have free and fair elections without first implementing the democratic
reforms. She knows that Zanu PF has not implemented even one reform and why she
is promising free and fair elections beggars belief! She is either incompetent
and/or corrupt not to know that without reforms there can never be free and
fair elections.
Zimbabwe will never ever have free, fair and
credible elections as long as Zanu PF continues to enjoy its carte blanche
powers to rig the vote, use violence to intimidate the voters, use bribed
Chiefs to frog march voters to vote for the party, have unfettered access to
billions of dollars of looted diamond cash to bankroll its vote rigging
schemes, etc., etc. Never ever!
“My mandate is just to be an umpire and to
ensure that there is fairness in the process of Zimbabweans electing their
leaders so it's a very clear mandate and I intend to discharge it fully,"
said the ZEC chairperson, Justice Chigumba, after her swearing in ceremony.
The democratic reforms include ending Zanu PF’s
carte blanche to bribe public officials such as Chiefs, Police Officers, Army personal
and, in this case, ZEC chairperson to pretend to discharge their respective
duties and when it matters hear-nothing, see-nothing and do-nothing. What is
the point of having an umpire when she pretends not to see the many wrong
things already there which will make the process totally meaningless.
“It is a great honour and privilege to be asked
to serve one's country in this capacity as the chairperson of ZEC and I promise
the Zimbabwean people that I will deliver a free, fair and credible election,"
said Chigumba.
It is not a matter of “suspecting” that ZEC
will not deliver free and fair elections; we KNOW they will not! One does not
need to be a formula one driver to know a tractor cannot out race a car!
Justice Chigumba KNOWS that ZEC will NOT
deliver free and fair elections; she is saying the opposite because she is paid
to say that!
If Zimbabweans are serious about having free,
fair and credible elections then they should know that is not enough to remove
one incompetent and/or corrupt ZEC official in the present set up because
he/she will only be replaced by another incompetent and/or corrupt official. We
must first end Zanu PF’s excessive powers, carte blanche power to appoint
incompetent and/or corrupt officials. What is the point of Caesar divorcing his
wife if he is going to pick the next one from a brothel!
16 comments:
"These must be demanded as they will never be given on a silver platter. We are supposed to push and engage ED government to reform. Ngarivhume demanded that ZBC must give all political players equal media coverage and stop being a ZANU PF mouthpiece. He stated that as opposition they acknowledge the strides made now in electoral reforms as witnessed by introduction of BVR," said the report.
How many years now have we been talking about these reforms? The demand to implement reforms started with the signing of the GNU in 2008.
How many reforms have been implemented? Not one.
SADC leaders advised MDC leaders not to contest the 2013 elections without reforms. We know the advice was ignored.
It was only after the rigged 2014 elections that MDC parties resolved "No reform, no elections!" The people of Zimbabwe have a right to know, what the MDC Alliance is going to listen to SADC's advice, honour their own party resolution and not participate in elections without reforms?
There is only five months left to the next elections and MDC leaders must stop dithering on what they will do if no reforms are implemented. There is no point in contesting flawed and illegal elections!
"The vibrant youthful leader (Chamisa) said that the Alliance has made stringent measures in place that will block the ruling ZANU PF party from rigging this year's elections."
This is what is so disappointing about these MDC politicians, they love drumming their chests like silver back gorillas, posturing and making grand standing speeches full of sound and fury but devoid of substance. Stopping Zanu PF rigging the next elections is clearly the single most important challenge before this nation and has been for decades now.
MDC had the golden opportunities to implement the democratic reforms that would have stopped Zanu PF rigging elections once and once for all. They failed to get even one reform implemented in five years. Not one!
SADC leaders advised MDC leaders not to contest the 2013 elections without first implementing the reforms, they ignored the advice because they were cocksure of winning the elections with no reforms. We know that did not happen as Zanu PF rigged the elections as usual.
The people of Zimbabwe must now accept that MDC leaders have no plans, "stringent" or otherwise, that will stop Zanu PF rigging elections. None! It is for the people themselves to now take the initiative and public denounce these MDC opportunists who are lying to them and demand that reforms must be implemented BEFORE the elections.
It is for the people to heed SADC leaders' advice and stop participating in these flawed and illegal elections. People must show the world that they have lost confidence in MDC by boycotting opposition rallies and having nothing to do with the whole flawed electoral process. People do not need to wait for the election results to KNOW MDC had no stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging this year's elections!
Does anyone believe that President Mnangagwa would have appointed Justice Chigumba ZEC chairperson if she had told him he needed to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections? She knew he did not want to hear that and so she pretended Zimbabwe can have free and fair elections without implemented any reforms.
Zimbabwe's political system is rotten to the core if we want ZEC officials who will deliver free and fair elections then we must implement the democratic reforms necessary to stop Zanu PF appointing incompetent and/or corrupt officials. Of course, we know Justice Chigumba is incompetent and/or corrupt, she would have never been appointed by the regime nor would she be pretending she can deliver free and fair elections. At least, the great Julius Caesar did not go to a brothel to look for a woman "above suspicion"!
There is no way anyone, anyone at all, can be appointed ZEC chairperson and expect to deliver free, fair and verified elections in Zimbabwe without implementing the raft of democratic reforms because delivering free and fair elections is not up to one person in ZEC or the commission alone. ZEC is important but so too is the Police, Public media, Judiciary, etc. in guaranteeing free and fair elections.
Even within ZEC itself, it is naïve to think that the departure of Makarau alone would cure all ZEC's problems because all the other ZEC officials are equally corrupt and incompetent, the commission has chronic funding problems, etc. (It was the same thing with Mugabe, his removal from power alone was not enough to change Zanu PF; it is still a vote rigging, corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship.) It was therefore very naïve and concerted of Justice Chigumba to promise to deliver free and fair elections regardless of all these problems.
"One does not need to be a formula one driver to know a tractor cannot out race a car!" you said.
In this case is more like the someone boosting of her racing experience and claiming that she would win a Formula One race in the tractor!
Justice Chigumba is not being paid to deliver free and fair elections. She is being paid and paid very well indeed to pretend she will delivery free and fair elections. Of course, she is incompetent and corrupt.
Mugabe and Zanu PF have corrupted the country's democratic institution and the nation to create a new culture of greedy and selfish people. The removal of a ZEC chairperson or even the tyrant himself will not be enough to end Zimbabwe's entrenched autocratic dictatorship. To uproot and destroy the dictatorship, we need to implement all the democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 Global Political Agreement. The sooner we get on with the reforms the sooner we can turn our attention on to the important task of rebuilding the nation from the ashes Zanu PF has left.
It a nonsensical argument to even suggest that Zanu PF was somehow transformed from the corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs by the simple act of jettisoning Robert Mugabe and a few G40 elements. If people choose to believe this nonsense, many clearly to, it is their own funeral!
"At least 51% Zimbabweans have so far voiced that they will vote for President Emmerson Mnangagwa if he heals the economy and stops political violence in the country," Zimeye reported.
These people are misguided, the number one criteria for any Zimbabwean supporting Zanu PF is that the party implemented all the democratic reforms designed to end its carte blanche powers to rig elections. We are in this political and economic hell-hole today because for the last 38 years we were stuck with this corrupt, vote rigging and tyrannical regime.
If Zanu PF does not implement the reforms to end its carte blanche powers to rig elections it means the nation is still stuck with the regime. Whether Mnangagwa has delivered some economic recovery now or promise to do so is irrelevant because even if the regime fails the people will not be able to remove it from office.
So far, President Mnangagwa has promised free, fair and credible elections but has pointed refused the democratic reforms agreed with SADC in the 2008 Global Political Agreement. With no reforms, the elections will not be free and fair. If people take part in the elections, voting for someone else and not Zanu PF will not stop Zanu PF "winning" because the regime has the means to generate additional vote - that is what vote rigging means! By participating, people give the flawed and illegal process credibility.
The only thing to do then is to refuse to participate in the elections, as SADC leaders advised before the 2013 elections, and publicly and tirelessly demand the elections be declared null and void.
@everfaithful
Well the State President can appoint the ZEC officials, Police officers, etc. and ZEC, ZRP, etc. will still carry out their constitutional duties and deliver free and fair elections if the State President does not have the overarching dictatorial power and controls over these institution as is the case in Zimbabwe. The raft of democratic reforms proposed by SADC leaders in the Global Political Agreement of 2008 are designed to remove the dictatorial powers.
To expect Justice Chigumba to deliver free and fair elections in the present situation is naive, I agree.
"Taranhike is jointly charged with four other Zinara top executives, who are facing allegations of criminal abuse of office, involving $2 940 588, which they sourced on the parallel market through bogus companies," Zimeye reported.
Corruption in Zimbabwe has become so rampant, what is emerging now is the ears of the hippo the rest of the beast is still hiding in the muddy waters.
Yes everyone must be involved in Zimbabwe but not because of the new dispensation - Zimbabwe is still ruled by corrupt and heartless thugs. People must be involved in cleaning up our dirty political system. Everyone must join in the demand for all reforms to be implemented before the next elections!
A country with 90% unemployed and 3/4 of the people living on US$1.00 has no future and that affects us all. By saving Zimbabwe from this hell we will be saving ourselves from this hell! The time for going along to get along is over, this time everyone must play their part to save Zimbabwe.
Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday fired 17 top State security operatives believed to have facilitated the meeting between former President Robert Mugabe and opposition National People’s Party leader Joice Mujuru in Harare last week.
The decisive move to end the factional war in Zanu PF was the 15 November 2017 coup, but anyone who thinks the fighting is over is a fool. G40 members are still out there in large numbers and they intend to fight back, if not to regain power then to make it as difficult as they can for Lacoste to govern the country.
Lacoste members for their part will be spending a lot of time and energy hunting G40 members in every bush, house and everyone - their failure to deliver any meaningful economic recovery will only make them paranoid.
The 15 November 2017 coup did not bring about any change to the nation, all this talk of a new dispensation is just wishful thinking. Zanu PF is still a party of corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs. Indeed those responsible for the corruption, vote rigging and murders are still in government today or be it with new job descriptions.
If the people of Zimbabwe are serious about getting out of the hell-hole Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs landed the nation in, then they must demand the implementation of all the democratic reforms agree in the 2008 Global Political Agreement Mugabe signed with SADC leaders.
The exiled former ZANU PF Secretary for Science and Education, Jonathan Moyo has offloaded documents he claims are part of Retired General Constantino Chiwenga reasons for the military intervention in November.
There is nothing new or of any substance to what Jonso had said here and yet President Mnangagwa and his Lacoste team know they cannot ignore it. Jonso, Zhuwao and the other G40 members will never get back into power but they will sure as hell make life for the Lacoste thugs as difficult as possible. Jonso and others know so much dirty about Mnangagwa and company and they will be leaking it like a bull elephant on musk! Their message is a simple one; Mnangagwa and company are thugs and here is the evidence – Mnangagwa has such a dirty past and is so incompetent and corrupt there will be plenty of material for Jonso and company to work with.
Under the Lome Declaration of 2000, unconstitutional change of government is defined as i) military coup d ‘état against a democratically elected government; ii) intervention by mercenaries to replace a democratically elected government; iii) replacement of a democratically elected Government by armed dissident groups and rebel movements; and iv) the refusal by an incumbent government to relinquish power to the winning party after free, fair and regular elections.
So, under the Lome Declaration of 2000, President Mugabe and his cronies stage an unconstitutional change of government by refusing to relinquish power after the March 2008 defeat!
“Thus, Zimbabwe became the trailblazer for the new norm in coup d’etats – as long as they are bloodless and peaceful, then they will be acceptable, and even welcome, to the world,” you said.
Well, not quite; according to the Lome Declaration of 2000, a coup is “unconstitutional change of democratically elected government”; Mugabe was not democratically elected in 2013! AU election observer team was very careful to the July 2013 elections were “free of violence” and were marred by such irregularities as the failure to produce a verifiable voters’ roll.
Mugabe’s reputation of rigging elections was not a secret and only five years before, 2008, the AU had censored the Zimbabwe tyrant for failing to hold free and fair elections. The country was send into the sin-bin in the hope that the GNU would implement the reforms necessary to stop the vote rigging. Not even one reform was implemented and the AU was at a loss what else to do. The very fact that Zimbabwe’s 2013 election was relatively peaceful compared to the wanton violence of 2008 was marked as a significant improvement but clearly not enough to warrant “free, fair and verifiable election” stamp of approval.
Mugabe was a tyrant not even the AU could pretend they were not pleased to see booted out even in a coup!
Working weekends is one thing but before we praise his hard work we must ask what he has been doing! Here is the man who has carried out all Mugabe's dirty work of vote rigging, use violence and has even staged coups. No doubt he worked day and night, week days and weekends planning and executing his dirty work and it seems he is still at it. President Mnangagwa has not implemented even one reform to stop the vote rigging and political violence. All the signs are that this year's elections will not be free and fair. The signs are that Mnangagwa is working week days and weekends to rig the elections - what is there for the nation to praise in that!
When it comes to be shrewd, the business people are as shrewd as any other group in society. Zimbabwe has lagged behind its competitors in the region in terms of attracting direct foreign investment for decades because businessmen and women considered the country a high risk for investors. The business people can see that nothing has change in the country, the country is still ruled by thugs - indeed the same thugs except for the figure head and one or two others.
It does not matter how many layers of whitewash President Mnangagwa applies on Zanu PF to give the impression it is a new dispensation, he will not fool the would-be investor. Investors can see the country is still a lawless nation that is not going to hold free and fair elections. The new dispensation Zanu PF is nothing more than a skunk soaked in Chanel No 5, everyone who knows a skunk will know immediately they are being deceived.
"A free and fair election is non-negotiable. The must be a clean BVR audited and signed on to by all political stakeholders, election monitors including international observers must be allowed unfettered access, a military statement guaranteeing that they will salute whoever wins the election, printing of ballot papers must be done transparently with stakeholders having access to observe the process, the electoral body must be independent, intimidation must end and equal access to the media must be guaranteed," you said.
Could not agree with you more, free, fair and verifiable elections are a key requirement for Zimbabwe getting out of this mess. What the nation wants to know from the PDP is what if Zanu PF fails to implement any reforms necessary for free and fair elections? Will PDP contest the elections regardless (it did in 2013)?
PDP leaders like Tendai Biti were senior MDC leaders during the GNU who sold-out on implementing the reforms. There is no reason to believe they will not sell-out again and contest the elections with no reforms in place!
Zanu PF has not changed, like the Zanu PF of yesterday Mnangagwa is dictating to everyone who they can meet and when. Zimbabwe is a multi-party state and not the de facto one-party state Zanu PF wants it to be and all freedom loving Zimbabweans must condemn these Zanu PF dictates!
G40 faction is the greatest threat to Mnangagwa and his coup cabal's ambition of ruling the country until the donkeys have horns because Jonathan Moyo and his group know a lot of dirty things the coup cabal have done, are doing and will do tomorrow. So the cabal have labelled G40 members enemies of the state, "mhandu", and are hunting them down. The charges of corruption and misuse of power proferred against G40 members are all a smoke screen - Mnangagwa and his coup cabal are themselves equally guilty of these things, everyone in Zanu PF was corrupt and misused power.
Having declared G40 enemies of the State, Zanu PF is now extending the net to catch every other opposition party they do not want by claiming these politicians are working in cahoots with G40. All those political parties who attended the conference in Cape Town, will now have an impossible task to prove they are not working with G40 directly or indirectly.
"Pasi nemhandu!" (Death to state enemies!) came the fatwa from President Mnangagwa himself. We can forget all his talk of having free, fair and credible election; this is not an election as far as Mnangagwa and his coup cabal are concerned, this is about stopping mhandu getting into power. You do not rig vote or use violence to win elections if you have confidence the challenger are worthy opponents. When you KNOW the opponents are enemies of the people and nation then you use all means at your disposal to ensure they do not win the elections. Never ever!
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