Ten years ago, SADC leaders condemned the 2008 Zimbabwe elections because Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs had blatantly cheated in the March vote count and used wanton violence in the run-off. Mugabe was told in no uncertain terms that SADC will not recognise his government as a product of the democratic wishes of the people of Zimbabwe and thus legitimate.
In other words Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections were so flawed and illegal the process failed to produce a legitimate government.
As a way forward, SADC leaders proposed the Global Political Agreement (GPA) in which the core requirement of a government elected by people was to be suspended. Zimbabwe would be ruled by a Government of National Unity (GNU) whose principle task was to implement a raft of democratic reforms and write a new democratic constitution so ensure the debacle of the 2008 elections will never ever be repeated.
Sadly not even one reform was ever implemented in the five years of the GNU. Not one.
Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, who were entrusted to implement the reforms, with the trappings of high office and, with their snouts in the feeding trough, they forgot about the reforms.
“MDC leaders were busy enjoying themselves during the GNU, they forgot what they were there for!” complained one SADC diplomat after Zanu PF, once again, blatantly rigged the 2013 elections.
Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections after the 2017 military coup. Sadly, he was conning the naive and gullible because he did not implement even one reform. Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections as the facts on the ground proved.
He denied 3 million Zimbabwean in the diaspora the vote; a very significant number since he was declared the winner with 2.4 million votes. The regime failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s sake!
It therefore beggared belief why SADC leaders endorse Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF as the legitimate government regardless of all the flaws and illegalities in last year’s election process. But worse still, having endorsed this Zanu PF regime as legitimate SADC cannot force Mnangagwa to agree to anything near the 2008 GPA.
Unlike in 2008, SADC leaders have no political leverage to force Zanu PF to agree to the need for democratic reforms much less force the party to get the reforms implemented. SADC leaders shot themselves in the foot by endorse last year’s elections as legitimate.
Those asking SADC to play a role in ending the Zimbabwe crisis have no clue what they are talking about; they are just dogs howling at the full moon!
What Zimbabwe needs to move forward, is to implement the democratic reforms; nothing, absolutely nothing of substance will ever be accomplished until we cure ourselves of this curse of rigged elections, the mother of bad governance.
5 comments:
President Mnangagwa rigged last year's elections, that is historic fact. Why President Ramaphosa decide to endorse the elections with his "they went well" remark beggars belief!
Why President Ramaphosa further shamed himself by endorsing the nonsense that sanctions were the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown is yet another mystery.
Having endorse Mnangagwa's illegitimate regime to the halt President Ramaphosa cannot be seen to change his mind and undermining by calling for democratic reforms. Why would Zimbabwe need to implement reforms if the last elections were free, fair and credible? And yet without implementing reforms nothing will change. Nothing!
I totally agree, President Ramaphosa and his fellow SADC leaders have ruled themselves out of playing any meaningful role in this Zimbabwe crisis!
The article is about implementing reforms so that elections are free, fair and credible and the winning party has political legitimacy. Zanu PF can be the one in government but it must first win free, fair and credible elections!
@ Konde
This article is obtained from the Southern Africa Litigation Centre www.southernafricalitigatio...
"The problem with SADC they shut down the SADC Tribunal only to amend it with"Following the suspension of the Tribunal, The SADC Summitt ADOPTED A NEW PROTOCOL to the tribunal which was signed a the SADC Summit by 8 SADC member states in Augus2014. The new protocol AMENDED THE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OF THE TRIBUNAL by TAKING AWAY ITS MANDATE TO HEAR CASES FILED BY INDIVIDUALS AGAINST MEMBER STATES AND ONLY ALLOWING IT TO HEAR CASES BROUGHT BY SADC MEMBE STATES AGAINST EACH OTHER,ALSO KOWN AS INTER-STATE DISPUTES. The Adoption of the new protocol in effect took away the possiblity of individuals to approach the tribunal to vindicate their rights . The revision of the Protocol to remove the human rights jurisdiction and individual access to the Tribunal remains a concern for a number of reasons . It is a retrogressive step in the promotion and protection of the right of access to justice for individuals in the SADC region.
To those who have little, even the little they have will, more often than not, be taken away! We in Zimbabwe have been systematically denied our basic freedoms and human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections; SADC leaders turned a blind eye to the blatant rigging of last year's elections by Zanu PF!
Parliamentarians Clash Over Mnangagwa Scarf…
The country’s public hospitals and clinic have all but closed their doors because they have no doctors, no nurses, no equipment and no medicines. The situation is so dire that hundreds of thousands people are suffering and hundreds are dying every day for lack of the most health care and curable diseases! Instead of our MPs talking about these teething problems they spend the time talking about three course meals for MPs, increased MP allowances and salaries, what scarf someone is wearing, etc.
It is little wonder the country is in a real mess.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections. The opposition knew the elections would be rigged but participated regardless out of greed. The seating government is illegitimate and the sooner we give it the marching orders the sooner the nation can attend to the important task of reforms and making sure the next elections are free, fair and credible.
“Parliamentarians Clash Over Mnangagwa Scarf!” The sheer mediocracy of these MPs leaves one speechless!
Speaking to a local publication on Monday, Sibanda urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to “swallow his bride” and negotiate with the MDC.
We already know that MDC wants to negotiate a power sharing arrangement with Zanu PF, a National Transition Authority (NTA). It is as clear as day that this NTA is nothing but a watered down version of the 2008 GNU which failed to get even one meaningful reform implemented. Not one!
If the GNU failed to get even one reform implemented this NTA will not do any better. Zimbabweans will be very foolish to be dragged into this NTA knowing nothing of substance will come of it.
The only reason MDC want the NTA is that it will allow Chamisa, Biti and a few other to be appointed ministers and a seat on the gravy train!
Zanu PF rigged last year's elections the regime is illegitimate and must step down so that we can appoint a body that can be trusted to implement the reforms. Neither Zanu Pf nor MDC can be in this body because they failed to implement any reforms in the last GNU and we are not going to allow them to waste this chance to get this key task done!
Dr Sibanda it is not only Zanu PF leaders but MDC leaders too who must "swallow their pride" and admit they are corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless! Both Zanu PF and MDC leaders have held this nation to ransom for decades now, that is totally unacceptable!
Post a Comment