Some of us castigated
Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa, Welshmen Ncube, David Coltart
and the rest of the MDC leaders as “breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent” as
far back as 2010; when it was already clear they were not going to implement
any of the democratic reforms. For that we were roasted alive by the myopic MDC
supporters who only saw everything in the narrow context of party politics and would
not see the issue of implementing the reforms to ensure free, fair and credible
elections as a national issue.
Just to prove me right, MDC
leaders are advocating doing the same stupid things they did during the 2008 to
2013 GNU, even with the benefit of hindsight, proving beyond all doubt just how
breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent they are.
In an article entitle “History
repeats itself in Zimbabwe”, fortuitously, Tendai Biti explained the events
leading to Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, the formation of MDC, Zanu PF’s
blatant cheating and wanton violence in the 2008 elections and how SADC stepped
in to force the formation of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. He explained how hyperinflation
had soared to 500 billion percent in December 2008 and how he, as Minister of
Finance had “tamed” the economy.
“Regrettably, ZANU–PF
seemed to forget the lessons of the unity government as soon as it regained
power in 2013. After winning an election marred by intimidation and
manipulation of the voter rolls, among other electoral swindles,” he continued.
Biti is writing today 2019,
with all the benefit of hindsight, and still he failed to grasp the reality
that it was him and his MDC friends who had learned nothing from the GNU years.
The question he should have asked himself is why was Zanu PF able to rig the
2013 elections with easy? After all the primary purpose of the GNU was to
implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the Global Political
Agreement of which Tendai Biti was the principle negotiator for the MDC-T
party.
And it was not as if MDC
leaders were not warned of the need to implement the reforms; they were warned
repeatedly but chose to ignore the warnings.
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza
kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have learnt to enjoy the trappings of high office;
they will not rock the boat!) Zanu PF cronies boasted, when asked why MDC
leaders were not implementing the reforms.
“The 2018 general election
offered a golden opportunity to reverse course. But instead of the free and
fair election that Mnangagwa promised, Zimbabweans got one that international
observers called “deeply flawed” and that was followed by a brutal crackdown on
opposition politicians and their supporters,” commented Tendai Biti.
How ironic that MDC has
failed to come up with a definitive position of its own on the elections in
which they were the main challenger! Worse still, even after the international observers
told MDC leaders the elections were “deeply flawed”, the party is at sixes and
sevens as what to do. MDC has accepted the results of the parliamentary races
regardless of the flaws and illegalities.
However, the party claims
Chamisa is the winner of the presidential race although neither ZEC nor MDC’s
figures could be traced and verified. ZEC did not produce verified voters’ roll
although this is a legal requirement. And about 10% of the V11 forms, the
polling station summary of vote count for each candidate, were never released;
this too is a legal requirement.
“Ten years ago, forming a
unity government offered a political solution, albeit a temporary one, to the
crisis of hyperinflation. A solution to today’s economic crisis must be
similarly political. More precisely, it must address the legitimacy deficit of
the current administration, which stems from the military coup that brought it
to power and the disputed election that kept it there,” Tendai Biti explained
MDC’s proposed way forward.
“A political deal must
also provide a framework for the reforms needed to right the economy. Most
urgently, it must offer a path away from the multiple quasi-currency regime and
back to the U.S. dollar.
“A transitional government
arrangement, akin to the unity government of 2009–13, has to lead the reform
effort. To bring one about, the IMF and other major multilateral organizations
should offer ZANU–PF incentives to come to the negotiating table—not reward it
prematurely as the IMF did with the staff-monitored program. Zimbabwe needs
help from its international partners, as well as from neighbouring countries
and regional blocs, to stave of total economic collapse.”
For the umpteenth time Mr
Tendai Biti; Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF regime’s (not just Mnangagwa)
illegitimacy arise from the very fact that last year’s elections were “deeply
flawed”. It is very presumptuous of the MDC to believe it can “address the
legitimacy deficit” in return for the spoils of the rigged elections.
You are proposing the
formation of new GNU, whose powers are weak and objective are vague, in which
the same players who failed to implement even one reform are one again the key
players and you expect the new GNU to take Zimbabwe out of this mess! How naïve!
The old GNU achieved nothing and so will the new GNU of recycled rubbish. History
will indeed be repeating itself!
What Zimbabwe needs is a
clean break with the failed past. Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections the regime
is illegal and this time it must step down. We need an interim administration manned
by competent men and women we can trust to implement the reforms and finally
put an end to this curse of rigged elections.
If the breathtakingly
corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders had implemented the democratic reforms when
they had the chance during the last GNU Zimbabwe would not be in this mess still.
It is MDC’s failure to condemn last year’s elections that is helping keep Zanu
PF in power. MDC leaders have lost all political credibility was it not for the
myopic party supporters who refuse to see the leaders for the breathtakingly
corrupt and incompetent individuals they are.
3 comments:
The 2008 GNU was formed because that year’s elections were marred by the blatant cheating and the use of wanton violence by Zanu PF. The elections were so flawed and illegal the failed to produce a legitimate result. The GNU was tasked to implement the raft of reforms designed to dismantle Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers and thus ensure future elections were free, fair and credible.
When Zanu PF went on to rigged the 2013 elections anyone with half a working brain should have asked MDC leaders for an explanation. The very fact that leaders like Tendai Biti have never asked themselves why MDC had failed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections underlines the cold reality that MDC leaders are indeed breathtakingly lazy, incompetent and corrupt.
“A couper le souffle paresseux, incompetent et corrompu!” as the French would say!
If Zimbabweans are serious about restoring our freedoms and human rights then we must make sure we appoint competent and focused leaders to implement the reforms. These are common sense reforms and not rocket science; we just need people with common sense and the political will to implement the reforms.
@ heeee
“I think we must learn the art of civil disagreements in opinions, which is all we have, even in hindsight! I do not agree on the "breathtakingly incompetent" part, in my opinion, judging from the activities being carried out under the most horrific environment that no one in history has ever experienced outside a war zone,” you said.
Very few people would deny that this Zanu PF regime is evil but that is not what is at issue here. What is at issue are two points:
a) Did MDC have the golden opportunity to implement the reforms which would have stopped Zanu PF rigging elections.
The historic facts clearly prove that MDC did have many golden opportunities to implement the reforms especially during the GNU but wasted them all. “We sat, ate and did nothing for five years” Chamisa admitted
b) The second issue is; will the new GNU do any better than the old one and implement the reforms?
All the signs are the MDC leaders are only interested in getting back on the gravy train so they can sit, eat and do nothing.
The economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is serious and must be treated as such. If Zimbabwe was a healthy and functioning democracy, I believe some of these MDC leaders would be facing treason charges and not just being called “breathtakingly lazy, incompetent and corrupt”!
@DM
“Do not mislead people Mukonori. It was not up to MDC to get reforms done. They didn’t have the majority to be able to change laws. They needed some people from Zanu pf to vote with them and you know how Zanu operates. This article is meant to exonerate Zanu and blame MDC. Unfortunately there are so many fools that will buy your nonsensical view of blaming MDC for failed reforms. Unfortunately u can’t take it away from MDC the fact that the best time for Zimbabwe people in the last 20 years was when MDC was sharing power with Zanu and Biti did wonders to our finances,” you say.
No wonder Zimbabwe is in a real mess, with totally blind citizens like you it is no surprise we are in a mess. But worse still, we have no hope of ever getting out of the mess; for there is no one more blind than one who chose to close their eye, ears and mind!
It was up to MDC to implement the reforms and the MDC had the majority in parliament, Senate and cabinet. In any case the process of implementing the reforms needed only one MP to submit the proposed reforms. MDC failed to submit even one meaningful reform in five years. If you still cannot grasp these simple arguments even now with the benefit of hindsight and detailed explanations it can only be because you are simpleton and thus incapable of grasping even these simple arguments. Or you have switch-off!
Yes, the economy did improve after the formation of the GNU but it is also a historic fact that the GNU failed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. The GNU could have improved the economy and stopped Zanu PF rigging elections. The two goals were possible; that is the argument here!
As much as the world would like to help get out of this mess it cannot force us to do what we want. If we cannot see that the last GNU was a waste of time and opportunity and thus want to try yet another GNU with no hope of that doing any better; the world has no choice but let us blunder on!
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