Some people have called for people like Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, to be added on the targeted sanctions list and I agree with them.
“We are reforming. We have been the fastest reforming economy in the world in my view in 30 years,” said Minister Ncube, according to a New Zimbabwe report.
“I don’t remember any economy that has reformed at the speed which we have reformed under severe pressure from Cyclone Idai and the drought which has not only affected agriculture but also power production.”
The Minister was talking to journalist on the sideline of the 25 October 2019 Zanu PF organised anti-sanctions demos. The Minister, like everyone else in Zanu PF know the sanctions were imposed because last July’s elections were not free, fair and credible.
Following the November 2017 military coup and as proof of the political change, the “new dispensation, the Second Republic”; President Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. However, when push came to shove, he failed to keep his promise; he refused to implement even one token democratic reform and blatantly rigged the 2018 elections.
The EU Election Observer Mission judged the elections as being below “accepted international standards” because the process was not transparent verifiable and traceable.
Last week a video by Edmond Kudzayi, Excelgate, gave graphic details of how ZEC had complied its election results from 10 985 V11 forms (Polling Station summary listing each contestant and the votes received. The law clearly states that the V11 forms were to be send to the Ward Command Centres (WCC) and not to the ZEC Command Centre. All WCC did receive the V11 forms and the counting followed as expected. Why did ZEC the 10 985 V11? Why did ZEC completely ignored the data from the legally stated counting procedure in favour of data obtained from unknown V11 sources?
The EU Mission reported of witnessing one ZEC official completing V11 form two days after the counting was completed and there was no one else to verify the entry!
Of course, Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections. Why Minister Ncube keeps insisting on talking about the economy and even blame Cyclone Idai, that occurred in March 2019 for July 2018 rigged elections beggars belief.
“If we move to the legislative agenda, we have allowed the democratic processes to take place,” Professor Ncube continued.
“And here we are, we have a new designed law coming as a replacement for POSA. Look at AIPPA, the same level of progress I am sure by year end, we will progress to repeal AIPPA with the right legislative measures and the list goes on.
“Look at the citizenship bill, the marriage bill and we are making a lot of progress on the legislative agenda. The President has introduced POLAD which brings all political parties to work together. So, there is space to dialogue.”
The new act to replace POSA still has many of the obnoxious sections up rooted from the old act!
The principle function of the opposition in a healthy and functioning democracy is to hold the party in office to account. So this POLAD idea to corral all the opposition parties to work together is the very antithesis of the democracy the country is fight for.
Of course, Mnangagwa did not rig last year’s elections so that he can then force Nelson Chamisa to join him to form a coalition government. Mnangagwa was cocksure his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was going to open the flood gates to new investors. Minister of Finance, Professor Ncube, was equally cocksure the IMF, WB and the other finance houses bankrolling Zimbabwe’s economic recovery.
We now know that “Zimbabwe is open for business!” is now long dead in the water. None of the financial institutions were ever fooled into believing Professor Ncube’s double dutch that Zimbabwe could be trusted to implement economic reforms when it had failed to implement political reforms.
Mnangagwa, Professor Ncube and the rest of the Zanu PF regime have failed to bring about any meaningful economic recovery; they will never admit they failed, it is not in the DNA of tyrannical regime to ever admit failure. And so the regime is grappling to find others to blame for the country’s economic meltdown.
Blame Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends for inviting the west to impose the sanctions and for refusing to join POLAD!
Blame the west for refusing to lift the sanctions; everyone in Zanu PF, including Professor Ncube, is keeping up the pretence the elections were free, fair and credible!
The Americans has just added Minister Minister of State in the President's Office for National Security Owen Mudha Ncube to the dreaded sanctions list. This is a very appropriate response to the anti-sanctions demos! Well done!
Please add Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, to the sanctions list.
Professor knows that Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections and yet accepted the ministerial appointment regardless for selfish reasons. He is propping up this illegitimate regime and frustrating all those fighting for democratic change.
Of course, he knows the difference between free, fair and credible elections; democratic changes; economic reforms; etc. and is pretending to be confused just to be obnoxious!
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PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe is destined to succeed and attain the objectives of Vision 2030 of an upper middle income society, despite the continued presence of sanctions imposed by the West.
He praised the European Union (EU) for toning down its sanctions regime against Zimbabwe, whose Second Republic has prioritised engagement and re-engagement to restore cordial relations with the rest of the world. President Mnangagwa said this on Friday in his address during the SADC sanctioned day for solidarity against sanctions on Zimbabwe.
"Today we do not mourn, but we renew our resolve to succeed as a nation, despite the odds against us," he said.
"Together, in love, peace, unity and harmony, Vision 2030 shall become a reality.
"My Government will continue to take measures to mitigate against the impact of these illegal sanctions."
President Mnangagwa said so far, Government has maximised revenue collection and ensured efficient utilisation of scarce resources to boost critical areas, for example through programmes such as Command Agriculture, the introduction of a mono-currency regime to boost the country's competitiveness and the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.
Further, Government is deepening the fight against corruption, plugging revenue leakages, dealing with currency manipulation and artificially high prices caused by greedy cartels and businesses, creation and support of vibrant provincial economies and rural industry systems and resuscitation of the public transport sector, he said.
This is simply unbelievable! If the sanctions are forcing the regime to finally deal with such problems corruption then the sanctions must be increase a thousand fold!
The sanctions must stay until the day Zimbabwe holds free, fair and credible elections. Well done to America for adding Minister Owen Ncube on the sanctions list in response to the anti-sanctions demos!
THE European Union (EU) and United States (US) have scoffed at the anti-sanctions march held by government on Friday, saying the restrictive measures would remain in place until President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration has fulfilled its reform pledge.
The sanctions should be increased! Adding Minister Owen Ncube to the sanctions list was a smart move!
Charamba said the US Ambassador had crossed the line of diplomacy.
"Have been reading Ambassador Nichols' interview with Trevor Ncube. He has crossed line of diplomacy and does far better than Nelson Chamisa in playing opposition politics in Zimbabwe, and against President ED. Time may have come to recalibrate status in sync with his preferences," said Charamba.
"Those like us who are able to interpret moves in diplomacy take note of the near-hysterical response by the Americans; and at that very high level. Very consistent with little Zimbabwe "posing a continuing, extraordinary threat to American policy" !!!! Well done Zim, SADC, Africa!”
Corruption is the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, not sanctions. This is a truth that Zanu PF cannot accept and so the party is using its usual dirty tactics to silence everyone else. This is a party that loves a fight and has earned a reputation of taking on the West - all it ever does is shadow box the West to the great amusement of its naive and gullible constituency.
By adding Minister Owen Ncube to the sanctions list, Ambassador Brian Nicholas has delivered yet another punch! Zanu PF is running out of ideas and the worsening economic situation has the regime on the ropes! The anti-sanctions demos were just a gimmick, they have done nothing to ease the economic situations.
Many war veterans have never agreed with Zanu PF's autocratic rule but have never dared to say so for fear of being victimised. Zanu PF has become a party of ruthless thugs and even the former freedom fighters have never dare to speak freely!
These guys have broken rank because they are felling the ill effects of the country's worsening economic situation. It is a great tragedy that they have finally found their voice now after the country have gone to the dogs. Still, let us hope that they have really changed and that it is not too late to save the country!
Another member of the new faction, Karen Kazingizi bemoaned how their reputation as the country’s liberators was now tainted by cases of gross human rights violations committed to please politicians.
“Those who are implicated in 2008 cases where they would cut hands and arms of people should be brought before courts because that is not what we trained for and they know it.
“We did not remove a corrupt and racist regime to place a similar one,” said Kazingizi.
“Some continue to fear party disciplinary actions if they are heard to be expressing sentiments such as the ones I am expressing where they will waste your time deciding whether you are a sell-out or not.”
Well it is no secret that many war veterans are now living in abject poverty just like the overwhelming majority of ordinary Zimbabweans. And it is the grinding poverty that has made many of these war veterans find their voice and courage to criticise the Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical rule!
Zimbabwe is just one more nation out of many in Africa in which yesteryear’s liberators because today’s oppressors.
One can only hope that the penny has really dropped and these war veterans no longer see themselves as special and that it is not too late for the nation to end this Zanu PF dictatorship.
According to the Zimbabwe Cross Border Association, a group that represents the rights and concerns of cross-border traders, since last September — in the wake of July’s general elections — over 460,000 Zimbabweans left the country to neighbouring South Africa and Botswana in search of greener pastures.
In Beitbridge, a Zimbabwean town bordering South Africa, an immigration officer on the South African side said: “The number of Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa has doubled since your country had elections last year.”
The failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is at the very heart of Zimbabwe’s economic mess and political paralysis. It is a great pity that MDC leaders were found wanting when in 2008 to 2013 when SADC leaders had for once dare to stick their heads above the parapet and refused to accept Mugabe and Zanu PF as the winners of yet another rigged elections.
SADC leaders forced Mugabe to accept the need to implement democratic reforms designed to end the vote rigging. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders were not up to the task, they failed to get even one reform implemented in five years.
Ever since the failure of the GNU, SADC leaders have reverted to their default position of endorsing rigged elections.
SADC leaders were warned that the consequences of another rigged Zimbabwe elections will be a new wave of Zimbabweans economic and political refugees. They ignored the warning and endorse last year’s rigged elections; now we can see the consequences.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF is considering enacting a law that will make it criminal for any Zimbabwean to call for sanctions against the country or be found in any suspicious engagement with foreign enemies of the country.
This was revealed by party Chief Whip, Pupurayi Togarepi on the sidelines of a government organised anti-sanctions march in Harare on Friday.
“You will see from now going forward that those who go out looking for sanctions, talking to foreign forces against the people of Zimbabwe, asking for sanctions to be imposed on our people, as parliamentarians we will ensure we take a stance against them.
“It is not going to be business as usual,” he told NewZimbabwe.com.
The sanctions were imposed because Zanu PF failed to hold free, fair and credible elections. This proposed law is not aimed at those supporting sanctions but those who dare criticise the regime for rigging elections and other human rights violations.
Zanu PF rigged last year’s election, the regime is doing everything to silence all descend voices. The only way to stop this regime is to step up the pressure on the regime to step down.
The real story is the failure by Zimbabweans to see the truth, that Zanu PF has no clue what to do to revive the country's economy. What is the point going on strike demanding pay rise when everyone can see the regime has no clue what it is doing and the economic is in total meltdown.
What Zimbabwe's professionals should be doing is leading the nation in demanding good governance. Zanu PF rigged last year's elections and we should all be joining hands in demanding that the regime steps down and not waste time is demanding a miracle!
Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, has said austerity was over although there is nothing to see what the hardship had achieved. The national economy has not recovered in any meaningful way. This government has always spend more than it has collected in revenue. The country's revenue base has not grown; if anything it has shrunk.
In any case, the Minister is saying austerity is over and yet he has done nothing to stop to remove the 2% electronic transaction charge.
This has been austerity pain with no gains! None!
Zimbabwe is stuck in this mess because the country has failed to hold free, fair and credible elections and people like Professor Ncube have again and again turned a blind eye to this national curse for selfish reason. By imposing sanctions on these sell-outs the country will finally send a clear and loud message that free, fair and credible elections are important.
Zimbabwe is desperate to end this curse of rigged elections and bad governance. ABSOLUTELY DESPERATE!
With prices surging, economists examining the official monthly data put inflation in September at 380%.
Hopes that the economy would quickly rebound under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over after the late Robert Mugabe was deposed in a coup in 2017, have dimmed fast as ordinary people grapple with economic hardships.
All the economic indicators show that the Zimbabwe economy is sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss and yet those in power insist recovery is round the corner. Indeed, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube even had the audacity to say "the period of austerity is over!" And yet he offered the Doctors a wage increase of 60% when inflation is 380%. A 320% wage cut and the Doctors are supposed to believe austerity is over!
Zimbabwe's economic decline started in 1980 and has lasted for the last 39 years and counting. Even when the people realised that Zanu PF was corrupt and incompetent and thus the root cause of the economic decline; they have failed to remove the party from power because Zanu PF rigged the elections. It is now crystal clear, to address our economic problems we must first end the curse of rigged elections!
@ MDC
“There is no doubt that Zanupf has failed to put the Zimbabwean economy on a Sounder Footing. The political, social and economic upheavals in the Motherland are as a consequence of Zanupf’s cluelessness, misgovernance, belly politics of plunder and self-aggrandisement, senseless and barefaced corruption, nepotism, graft and lack of patriotism.”
This is all 100% true, Zanu PF leaders are all these things and worse - they vote rigging and murderous thugs. Still, it is rich for MDC leaders and/or supporters to be criticising Zanu PF since the party had many golden opportunities to implement the democratic reforms which would have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship but wasted them all.
The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC into power on the ticket the party will bring about democratic changes, as the party name implies. After 20 years on the political centre stage MDC have not brought about even one change. Not one!
MDC have not only failed to implement the democratic reforms but have been participating in the flawed elections giving the process some modicum of credibility. Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections and the only modicum of legitimacy comes from the opposition’s participation in the elections in such impressive numbers!
The party makes a big song and dance about Zanu PF being clueless, etc., etc. but when push comes to shove MDC will do nothing to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Mnangagwa and company know that MDC will never implement any reforms to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and hence the reason Zanu PF returns the favour by rewarding MDC leaders with a few gravy train seats.
MDC have been running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. If the people of Zimbabwe are serious about democratic change, about free, fair and credible elections; then they must wake up to the reality that MDC will never delivery the changes and must look for new people to deliver that changes!
Zanu PF is denying Glen View South residents access to borehole if they do not have party cards.
This is not news in that we have all known of Zanu PF’s blatant abuse of state resources for political gain. The practice is even worse in the rural areas where the party has reduced the electorate into medieval serfs beholden to the overbearing landlord - Zanu PF.
MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the raft of democratic reforms, agreed in the Global Political Agreement with SADC in 2008, designed to end Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers and restore all the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. MDC sold-out during the GNU and failed to implement even one democratic reform. Not even one!
MDC leaders have participated in these elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was using its dictatorial powers to deny the millions of Zimbabweans their right to free, fair and credible elections. Mugabe and now Mnangagwa has always known that as long as he allowed MDC to win a few gravy train seats, they will participate in elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process happened to be. He was right!
If Zimbabweans are serious about getting the reforms implemented to ensure free, fair and credible elections then they must, first and foremost, accept the political reality that MDC will never implement the reforms. Because it is only after they have accepted this reality that they can move on to the task of getting the right people who will implement the reforms.
MDC have been running with the hare but hunting with the hounds: we can continue to bury our heads in the sand on this matter and pay the price of rigged elections and the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule that ensues!
“Mnangagwa, Professor Ncube and the rest of the Zanu PF regime have failed to bring about any meaningful economic recovery; they will never admit they failed, it is not in the DNA of tyrannical regime to ever admit failure. And so the regime is grappling to find others to blame for the country’s economic meltdown.
“Blame Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends for inviting the west to impose the sanctions and for refusing to join POLAD!”
This is very true, these corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF thugs have no clue what they are doing but they will never admit they have failed. Never! And as long as they retain the carte blanche powers to rig elections they will remain in power and pretend they have the democratic mandate to govern.
Having a corrupt and incompetent opposition is now proving to be a curse second only to having a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical ruling party! The people risked life and limb to elect MDC in the hope they will bring about the democratic reforms the nation was dying for.
Mugabe saw to it that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the ministerial limos, the generous salaries and allowances, a US$ 4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. MDC leaders had their snouts in the feeding trough and completely forgot about implementing reforms! Mugabe set the honey trap and MDC leaders dived in from a great height, head first and have never recovered.
The people of Zimbabwe have to wake-up to the reality that MDC leaders will never implement any meaningful democratic reform, they are now working in cahoots with Zanu PF.
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