The British government’s approach on Zimbabwe continues to be out of synch with the rest of the international community and, most worryingly, contrary to what is in the best interest of the people of Zimbabwe!
“The International Monetary Fund continues to take a firm line, insisting that new loans be contingent on settling $9.4 billion in arrears and on deep cuts to government salaries, perks and agricultural subsidies,” reported Spotlight Zimbabwe.
“The UK is, however, promoting debt write-offs in exchange for a commitment to – not necessarily delivery of – reform.
“Prime Minister Theresa May’s government has been sending economists to Harare in an effort to persuade other donors of the merits of a debt relief programme, we hear.”
The reason why the British government has moved the goal post from “debt write-offs in exchange for delivery of reforms” to “in exchange for commitment to reform” is because they accept that time has run out to deliver the former. For all their talk of holding free, fair and credible elections, President Mnangagwa and coup Junta, have stubbornly resisted all demands for them to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free elections.
The roll-call of those who staged the November 2017 coup is, except for a few individuals from the top brass in the Police and CIO and Robert Mugabe himself, the list of the individuals who have rigged Zimbabwe’s elections in the past 37 years. The November coup was their most audacious and dare-devil act yet, they all knew that if their plot failed they would all hang! Having risked all to get absolute power the coup posse was not going to risk losing it six months later in a free, fair and credible election!
So, it came as no surprise that the coup Junta paid lip service to holding free and fair elections.
If one was to ask the British, as the ones making the proposal: If the democratic reforms are not implemented this time, when, in their view, do they believed they will be implemented?
For the sake of political expedience, they will argue that the reforms should be implemented before the next elections. Everyone knows that Zanu PF regime with a comfortable two thirds majority in both houses will never implement any meaningful reforms. The regime will be facing the same self-interest challenge that has stop it implementing the reforms since the golden opportunity to do so was lost during the GNU.
“Both approaches are risky. A lack of access to finance will consign the best-intentioned reforms to failure, while too ‘soft’ a line will leave the government with no incentive to change,” noted Spotlight Zimbabwe.
If the truth be said, Zanu PF has enjoyed absolute power for the last 38 years giving it up in simply not any option.
“You can’t expect us to reform ourselves out of power,” as Professor Jonathan Moyo had aptly put.
“The UK’s proposal is not motivated solely by altruism,” continue the report.
“London would like to include Zimbabwe in its plans to broker post-Brexit trade deals with African members of the Commonwealth, which Zimbabwe left in 2003.
“It may suit UK economic interest to trade with a Zimbabwe ruled by a Zanu PF dictatorship but there is no doubt that not everyone, particularly the private investors, will share the British’s confidence. Zimbabwe’s economic recovery will depend on restoring investor confidence as soon as possible and that demands a clearly defined political roadmap starting with Zimbabwe holding her first ever free, fair and credible elections.”
The option of demanding democratic reforms, holds free and fair elections, etc. ahead of re-engagement is the sound, logical and only workable solution here.
We must not forget here the international community has cut a lot of slack for President Mnangagwa and his coup Junta regime already by turning a blind eye to the fact the regime is in fact illegitimate as it was born from military coup. The regime has promised to hold free, fair and credible elections just to correct its legal status.
As a Zimbabwean, I and my fellow country men and women are asking the international community to hold President Mnangagwa and his Junta to their promise to hold free and fair elections. If they fail to deliver on their promise then the international community must declare the elections null and void and open the way for the appointment of an interim administration whose primary task will be to implement the democratic reforms followed by the holding of free, fair and credible elections.
The people of Zimbabwe are in this economic mess which has forced unemployment to soar to 90%, millions of Zimbabweans have been forced to leave the country as economic and/or political refugees, ¾ of the population live on US$1.00 or less a day, etc., etc. This has all happened because for the last 38 years the nation was stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime that rigged elections to stay in power. After all the sacrifice and suffering and deaths it would be an act of unimaginable folly and betrayal if the nation was to emerge out of this with the Zanu PF dictatorship complete with all its vote rigging powers intact!
With all due respect to Prime Minister Theresa May and her government, what is to happen in Zimbabwe must be decided on what the people of Zimbabwe want and what is in the country’s long-term interest and NOT what the British want.
A free, just, democratic Zimbabwe is in the short, medium and long-term interest of Zimbabwe, the South Africa region, Africa and, I dare say, the international community. If President Mnangagwa and his Junta are allowed to get away with another rigged election, then the country must expect yet another military coup – this time, it may well be bloody!
6 comments:
It is disappointing that the British are once again propping up Zanu PF at the expense of the ordinary people. The British made the same mistake during the dark years of Gukurahundi and they are at it again.
Making sure that we implement the democratic reforms to ensure we have free, fair and credible elections from now on, it the single most important task for the country. Nothing of value will ever be accomplished until we get this job done. Nothing!
It is very disappointing that, Britain, a nation that considers itself to be the cradle of modern day democracy and good governance; should now be the one bending over backwards to protect a corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship. The Zanu PF junta's number one priority is to defend its dictatorial powers at all cost. If the regime is let off the hook on reforms on the basis of a commitment to implement the reforms in future, we can be certain the reforms will never see the light of day!
The sheer foolishness of the British's position in her continued support of President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF Junta has left many people confounded!
If the Zanu PF junta is let off the hook and fails to implement the reforms, it will leave the British with a lot of egg on their faces but it will be the ordinary people of Zimbabwe who will come off a lot worse - they will once again be stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging regime! It is therefore incumbent on Zimbabweans to make sure this foolish British proposal does not go through!
FORMER Vice-President Joice Mujuru has accused the Zanu-PF government of being reluctant to implement electoral reforms to ensure credible elections this year.
Mujuru, who is the presidential candidate for the People's Rainbow Coalition (PRC), told the visiting United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's speeches on free and fair elections were mere rhetoric and not translating into any changes on the ground.
Without reforms, it is impossible to have free and fair elections; it is pleasing to note that the penny has finally dropped in Mai Mujuru's empty head. Sadly, she has yet to accept that taking part in elections which she readily admits are being rigged is insane; that is proving to be a bridge too far for a simpleton like her!
There is no excuse for this Zanu PF failing to keep its promise to the international community and the people of Zimbabwe that the regime that emerged from the November 2017 military coup is different from the Mugabe dictatorship. What better way of settling this than by holding free, fair and credible elections.
If this Junta regime fails to implement the reforms and thus fail to deliver free and fair elections then these elections must be condemned and declared null and void! The people of Zimbabwe have waited for 38 years for free and fair elections and they must not be cheated ever again.
Nations, just like individuals, suffer because the leaders cannot see the wood from the trees and keep blundering from pillar to post. Zimbabwe's immediate problem is and has been for the last 20 years at least, one of ending the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.
Chamisa and his MDC friends had the golden opportunity to end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the GNU and they wasted it. There is no point in talking about bullet trains and God knows what other pie-in-the-sky project the MDC government will undertake when MDC will never form the next government. Zanu PF is rigging the elections right now and that is the urgent matter the nation should be concerned with!
It is insane to take part in elections one can see are being rigged and yet that is exactly what Chamisa and his corrupt and incompetent opposition friends are asking the people to do. We need a thinking electorate and not one who just follow blindly like sheep to the slaughter.
With no democratic reforms in place, Zanu PF will rig these elections. Mliswa is doing what Zanu PF has always done - mislead the opposition. It is in Zanu PF's interest to make the opposition believe they are winning the elections regardless of all Zanu PF' vote shenanigans. What is disappointing here is that the opposition always swallows the hook, line and sinker!
The people of Zimbabwe are slowly waking up to the reality that the opposition are not interested in free, fair and credible elections as long as they win the few seats Zanu PF has been giving away as bait. The calls for the elections to be declared null and void are growing loud and the international community especially the Americans, Canadians and SADC are listening and are going to act decisively.
The Americans have spelt out to ED and his junta that they are NOT going to accept another rigged elections, period!
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