A few weeks ago Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube joined
the IMF, WB, Paris Club, ADB, etc. meeting in Bail Indonesia. He told the
nation all the world’s big financial institutions had “responded positively” to
Zimbabwe’s request for financial assistance. Now we hear no such thing
happened, it was just another Cinderella and Pumpkin carriage story!
“Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli
Ncube will soon be headed for the United States of America to engage Washington
on the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act (Zidera) of 2018,
the piece of legislation that appears to be the major hurdle blocking Harare's
efforts to unlock international funding,” reported Business Weekly.
“In as much as Government is leaving no stone unturned in
implementing far reaching reforms to turn around the economy, it emerged the US
law is holding back all the efforts as it directs American officials in key
international financial institutions to block the extension of funding to
Harare.”
If there was ever any confusion and misunderstanding over what
Harare needed to have all ZIDERA sanctions lifted there was no such confusion
run up to the 2018 Zimbabwe elections. Harare must hold free, fair and credible
elections, the Americans explained over and over again. US Officials in Harare
and two US Senators visited Zimbabwe to explain exactly what the Americans
would be looking for; free public media, allow Zimbabweans in the diaspora to
vote, etc.
President Mnangagwa, himself, promised to hold free, fair and
credible elections. Sadly he failed to keep his own promise as he and his Zanu
PF junta went on to blatantly rig the elections. There was no free public
media, the 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied a vote; the regime
failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll!
President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF regime insist the elections
were free, fair and credible; with arrogance and contemptuous indifference of a
school bully crushing his victim’s toes! For 38 years Zanu PF has ridden
roughshod over the people denying them their freedoms and basic rights
including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country and
ever the right to life.
Zanu PF has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans to
establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship we see today.
Zimbabweans are now the poorest nation in Africa. 38 years of Zanu
PF gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have taken their heavy toll on
the nation.
Zimbabwe's economic meltdown started soon after independent in 1980 and the country is in this economic mess because of 38 years of corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF rule. The west imposed sanctions to pressure Zanu PF to hold free and afar elections in 2001 long after the economic meltdown has started.
Zanu PF has often claimed that the sanctions are the root cause of the country's economic meltdown but that is just propaganda. The claim the country can have meaningful economic recovery without addressing the problems of mismanagement and corrupt inherent in a tyrannical dictatorship is another propaganda nonsense.
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because for the
last 38 years Zanu PF has rigged elections and got away with it. The party
rigged the 30 July 2018 elections and, this time, it must not be allowed to get
away with it. All pressure must be brought upon the regime, including keeping
ZIDERA sanctions in place, to force it to step down.
If Zanu PF is still in power come 2023 elections we can all be
certain of one thing – the party will rig those elections too! After 38 years
of rigged elections, of having the school bully’s big foot crushing one’s toes,
the thought of this going on for even another day is unthinkable!
Zanu PF rigged the elections and the party is therefore
illegitimate. The party must be pressured to step down now to allow time for
the preparatory work for free, fair and credible elections in 2023.
Finance Minister is reportedly travelling to Washington in
January to meet US government officials. No doubt, the Minister will make fresh
promises that Zimbabwe’s next elections will be free, fair and credible and, in
return, will be asking the American to lift ZIDERA sanctions. The sanctions
were to be lifted on condition Harare held free, fair and credible elections
and not on condition of yet another empty promise.
The sanctions must stay
until Zimbabwe holds free, fair and credible elections and the Zanu PF bully’s
foot is off povo’s toes! Economic recovery and prosperity come out of good and accountable government and hence the reason we must insist of Zimbabwe holding free elections first before the sanctions are lifted.
3 comments:
Detail matters and nowhere is this more truth and relevant than on deciding seemingly tricky matters such as can we have meaningful economic development without meaningful political reform, can we have one without the other and in the order important. Understanding that the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical dictatorship is the cause of the economic meltdown is important because it is logical that one cannot deal with the effect, the economic meltdown, without dealing with the cause, the bad governance.
To escape blame Zanu PF has deliberately blamed the sanctions for causing the economic meltdown. This does not make any sense because the sanctions were imposed in 2001 long after the country's economic meltdown had already taken root as can be seen from the two five-year Economic Structural Adjustment programmes of 1990 and 1995. The regime has the monopoly on information and thus was able to brainwash most people with its lies and damned lies.
Whilst Zanu PF remains in power economic recovery will remain a pipe dream because the regime is inherently corrupt and incompetent and the political system itself is unstable. There is nothing to be gained from having the ZIDERA sanctions as the renewed funding, it it was to happen, will not lead to any economic recovery given the regime's incompetence and corrupt reputation. There is everything to be lost in lifting the sanctions because it will allow the regime to remain in power until 2023 when it will rig the elections and extend its rule by another five years!
I agree, 100%, ZIDERA must stay until ZAnu PF is forced to step down, after 38 years of this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule we must finally put an end to this circus!
@ Marailas Mechavio
"Wilbert Mukori Ichakutongai ZANU kusvilira matenda.Tinongoivhotera chete imi nevaridzi ve ZIDERA muchida musingade. Kutyei Mugabe akatidzidzisa."
Hello Johnie came late! You and many others in Mujuru and now G40 faction played you part in creating and retaining this Zanu PF dictatorship all these years and now see it as being evil because you were booted out of the party. You have been out in the cold for only a few months and already your teeth are chattering and are shedding off all the blubber.
Look at the likes of Didymus Mutasa he has lost so much blubber from stress and hunger even his head is shrinking! You lot at desperate to see the dictatorship dismantled and are coming to those of us who have been fighting the regime all these years to do it.
I for one, do not need any prompting from an empty head and sell-out like you to fight to this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime.
Besides, there is nothing wrong with dragging the process out a few more months, some of us have waited for 38 years for change, these months are nothing; particularly if that meaning getting all the democratic changes implemented fully. It is the late comers to poverty who desperate for change, they are worried sick they may never see tomorrow.
Zanu PF reign is coming to an end change is as certain as day following night! What we should be concerned about is let it be peaceful and meaningful change and not another bloody and chaotic change in which Zanu PF mark 2 thugs, Johnie came late, seize power!
@ Cde Maone
"Meaning Zanu PF will rig until amen!"
I do not believe anyone can ever put this more beautifully than what you have just done!
Zanu PF has just blatantly rigged this year's elections in contemptuous disregard of all the pressure from within the country and outside to hold free, fair and credible elections. This is not the first time the regime has rigged elections, this has been happening for the last 38 years. If Zanu PF is still in power to manage the 2023 elections then there can only be one result - another rigged election and Zanu PF victory.
We keep demanding free, fair and credible elections; we accept it is absolutely essential for good and accountable government and God knows we are dying for one; and yet when push comes to shove and someone blatant rigs the elections we are the ones eager to move on. We pretend we never demanded free and fair elections and rigging elections is not a big deal!
We have allowed a dangerous precedence, have paid dearly for our folly and now it is time to end this foolishness. We demanded free, fair and credible elections and Zanu PF failed to hold free and fair elections. There is only one verdict the regime is illegitimate and it must step down.
Zanu PF crossed the redline in rigging the elections and now the party must go and go it will! That is no negotiable!
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