"Mbeki brokered stability inducing 2008 GNU, can he repeat" - GNU was a failure and be insane to repeat P Guramatunhu

To herald the 2008 to 2013 GNU as a success is a grotesque misrepresentation of historic facts that will not be allowed to go unchallenged!

“Mbeki - who helped to broker the stability-inducing 2008 government of national unity between opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-president Robert Mugabe, who are both late - was in the country last December to try and nudge Mnangagwa and Chamisa to hold talks,” reported the Daily News.

Rubbish!

The 2008 to 2013 GNU principle purpose was to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 Global Political Agreement, the reforms were designed to ensure future elections in Zimbabwe were free, fair and credible elections and not a repeat of the blatant cheating and wanton violence of 2008! Sadly, not even one of the reforms saw the light of day. Not one!

SADC leaders made one last desperate effort to have the 2013 elections postponed until the reforms are implemented. 

“In 2013 the Maputo Summit, in June 2013, before the elections, the Maputo Summit was all about having the elections postponed – the SADC summit. I went there. I was there at the Summit and Mugabe pretended to agree to a postponement of the elections,” Dr Ibbo Mandaza told Violet Gonda. 

The SADC leaders got Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, away from Mugabe, and warned them “If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!”

As we know MDC leaders ignored the warning for exactly the same reason they had ignored implementing the reforms for the last five years - greed, as David Coltart, MDC minister during the GNU, ready confessed in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe. 

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” confessed Coltart.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

Greed had the better of the MDC again in 2018 as they went on to contest the elections knowing fully well that not even one reforms had been implemented since the rigged elections of 2013 and therefore Zanu PF will rig those elections too. And that is exactly what happened. 

By participating in the flawed and illegal elections MDC has given some modicum of credibility and legality, as Coltart admitted, to the vote rigging and, per se, illegitimate Zanu PF regime. 

The Constitutional Court challenge of the 2018 presidential race result by MDC on the grounds that the vote counting process was flawed was an exercise in futility. The whole process was flawed and illegal and not just the counting. 

”We now have fresh evidence after the Constitutional Court determination of the dispute between us and Mnangagwa, particularly in the ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) report that was tabled in Parliament, wherein the commission is indicating that they flouted the law and the procedures of elections in announcing the elections of 2018,” said Chamisa in a recent SABC interview.

"We don't want to have a recycling of the same old problems. This is a vicious cycle that has to be curbed so that we will have credible elections.” 

ZEC had flouted the law by failing to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, at least a month before nomination day. Chamisa and his MDC friends knew this and ignored this and many other blatant violations in the election process only to pick on the counting of the vote. This is just a time wasting gimmick, bolting the door when the horse has bolted. 

Chamisa is in SA to meet both President Cyril Ramaphosa and former President Thambo Mbeki “in a last ditch effort to foster dialogue between him and President Emmerson Mnangagwa”, according to the Daily News. 

The economic recovery President Mnangagwa had hoped for with his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” mantra has not materialised. The success of his mantra was premised on him keeping his promise to end corruption, to hold free and fair elections, etc., etc. He has failed to honour any of these promises and thus confirming that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state or be it under new management following the November 2017 coup. 

As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs, there will be no meaningful economic recovery. None!

Chamisa is taking advantage of the worsening economic situation to advance a false narrative that the country would be enjoying economic recovery if he had been declared the winner of the July 2018 presidential race. As a way forward, he is proposing a dialogue with Mnangagwa, presided over by a mediator, to negotiate a power sharing arrangement, Nation Transition Authority (NTA).

Since the electoral dispute is over the presidential result, MDC is proposing the party must share cabinet and presidential power with Zanu PF. Zanu PF will keep its parliamentary 2/3 majority since the parliamentary results are not disputed. 

As the main selling pitch, Chamisa insists the NTA will implement “comprehensive democratic reforms and end the curse of disputed elections”. This is nonsense. 

The NTA is a watered down version of the 2008 to 2013 GNU; with the same key players, Zanu PF and MDC, but with Zanu PF, with its 2/3 majority in parliament, holds the trump cards. The GNU failed to get ever one reform implemented in five years it is naive to believe the NTA will do any better.

It is therefore a lie to suggest that the 2008 GNU produced stability and worse still to suggest the NTA with Zanu PF and MDC,  GNU mark 2, will do any better. The way forward is for the vote rigging, and per se, illegitimate Zanu PF regime to step down so we can appoint an independent and competent interim administration to implement the reform leading to free and fair elections.

ARTUZ reject latest pay offer and insist on "US$ index pay" - before US$ first demand good governance N Garikai

"As ARTUZ we are resolute that our members deserve better salaries that are commensurate with their labour. We will not go back on our demand for a US$ indexed salary to the interbank rate,"stated the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) statement in response to the latest government pay offer.

"To save our country from the current economic malaise, we urge the government to urgently restore the purchasing power parity of civil servants to stimulate productivity.

"The genocide in the education sector was brought by the underpayment of teachers. Destroying  our education staggers the developmental plans of our nation. It is imperative that we urgently reverse the erosion of our education system."

The Zimbabwe economy has been shrinking for years now; this is a historic fact. And yet the teachers, doctors, nurses and all the other civil servants have been demanding that government, their employers, must improve their conditions of service. This is just unattainable, whether or not they deserve the improved conditions of service is irrelevant. The employer cannot improve the conditions of service when the source of funds is shrinking. 

What the teachers, doctors, etc. have not asked why is the country performing badly? And, as the follow up question, what can we do bout it? For the last 40 years they have avoided asking themselves these questions and meanwhile the country has sunk deeper and deeper into the morse. 

The answer to the first question is obvious; four decades of corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship has left the country's once upon a time robust and promising economy in ruins.

The answer to the second question is equally obvious, the nation has been stuck with the corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime for the 40 years because the party rigged elections.

Zimbabwe is a pariah state governed by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs. And as long as the country remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic recovery. Period!

The problem of bad governance is one that affects us all and one we have ignored at our own peril. And so if our teachers, doctors, etc. are serious about ever being paid a living wage; they must first demand democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections and only thereafter can they ever hope to get a living wage. 

"Trump to add new names to sanctions list" - splendid, add Chamisa and Mthuli Ncube W Mukori

“Trump to add more names on Zimbabwe sanctions list!” screamed the headlines in Bulawayo 24!

YES! YES! I scream back, static ecstatic with in delight!

The sanctions list needed revisiting for five good reasons:

1. to counter Zanu PF arrogance and misinformation.

"While the United States has been the top provider of humanitarian and development aid to meet the needs of Zimbabwe's people, the government of Zimbabwe has implemented a misinformation campaign blaming the country's woes on targeted sanctions programs implemented by the United States," the two senators said. 

In 2015 the late Robert Mugabe shocked the nation when he admitted the country was being “swindled out of US$15 billion in lost diamond revenue alone”. This after decades of denying corruption was rampant and blaming the country’s economic woes on sanctions. The best the regime has ever done was account for a few million dollars a year lost because of sanctions. Mugabe’s admission forced the regime’s propaganda into silence but not for long.

When it was clear Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” mantra had failed to bring the flood of investors and there was no economic recovery; the regime reverted back to blaming the sanctions. Last year the Zanu PF regime even managed to collar the other SADC countries to join it in blaming the sanctions for the country’s woes. 

No one in there right mind should therefore be surprise that the Americans have decided enough is enough. 

1. To assess the effectiveness of the sanctions and fine tune them

It is no secrete that sanctions have had little effect on the targeted Zanu PF leaders. The leaders have flouted the travel ban by having plane loads of delegates to every UN conference, for example. Another example, it was discovered last year that some banks had been business with the individuals and entities on the sanctions list. 

Sanctions work but only if they are rigorously enforced. 

"Given the developments in Zimbabwe over the last two years, we urge you to consider enhancing the tools at your disposal, including the use of targeted sanctions, to incentivise changes in behaviour by the government of Zimbabwe,” the Senate U.S. Department of the Treasury.

1. The third reason in to add new names to the sanctions list.

"An update to the list of the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list should incorporate a balance of new designations with appropriate removals,” said the senators.

The ongoing factional fighting in Zanu PF has resulted in large numbers of leaders being booted out of the party and replaced by new faces. The new sanctions list must reflect the chaos and musical chairs taking place in the party. 

There are two new groups of individuals that must be added to the sanctions list. First to be added on the list are the MDC opposition leaders. It is a matter of historic record that the MDC have sold out to Zanu PF by failing to implement the democratic reforms and then by participating in flawed and illegal elections and thus giving the illegitimate Zanu PF regime some modicum of credibility. 

Second on the list are the seemingly apolitical individuals like Professor Mthuli Ncube, Minister Coventry, Trevor Ncube and his fellow members on the President Advisory Council. They all know that Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections. They knew that by working for the regime they will undermine the efforts to end the dictatorship; they did this regardless for selfish reasons. 

There is no deny that Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is a lot worse today than it was back in 2003; unemployment has soared to from 50% or so to 90%, poor health and education services then have all but collapsed, etc. The Americans, the EU and the UN have had to step in to feed 8 million Zimbabweans who would otherwise be facing starvation. 

The Zanu PF government of President Mnangagwa has paid lip service to economic and political reforms, to the food shortages, etc. All the regime cares about is how to retain its dictatorial carte blanche political powers so it can remain in office and continue the looting of the nation’s resources. 

The targeted sanctions were necessary to rein in Zanu PF leaders tyrannical rule back in 2003. The economic and political situation in Zimbabwe today is a lot worse than it was back in 2003, Zanu PF leaders’ arrogance and greed has increased in leaps and bounce. Now we need to impose the mother of all sanctions on these Zanu PF thugs before the regime drag the whole nation over the edge into the abyss!

"Lift sanctions and then engage on reform" SADC insist - nonsense, sanctions cannot tramp good governance W Mukori

The Americans continue to exert pressure on SADC leaders to abandon the foolish notion that Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is caused by the sanctions. 

”Zidera and targeted sanctions are different. Zidera aims at restricting debt relief and voting at international financial institutions and provides a roadmap for engagement," Cloud said.

"It is important to note, however, that the US has never invoked Zidera because Zimbabwe does not qualify for new lending consideration because it failed to do necessary economic and political reforms that would allow financial institutions to consider it for debt relief and new lending."

He also told Tax that Zimbabwe was suffering from corruption, mismanagement and looting of government resources, more than the effects of the sanctions.

"Ambassador Cloud and Dr Tax discussed how failed economic policies and corruption have created the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe, it's not sanctions," said US Embassy statement, following USA Ambassador to Botswana’s meeting with SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Tax.

Dr Tax, no doubt fearful of her SADC Head of State bosses, was quick to denounce the statement as false.

"This was not part of what was discussed. Might be the position of the embassy, but definitely not Sadc's position," the SADC Secretariat counter blasted.

"Dr Tax reiterated Sadc's call for the immediate removal of sanctions on #Zimbabwe and the need to further engage on reforms that will see a recovery of country's economy.”

At the heart of the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is the repeated failure by Zanu PF to hold free, fair and credible elections, the essence of good governance. It is not that SADC leaders themselves dispute this fundament political reality that Zanu PF has been rigging elections because the regional body rejected the 2008 elections results because of Zanu PF’s blatantly cheating and use of wanton violence. 

SADC forced Zanu PF to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement agreeing on the need for Zimbabwe to implement a raft of democratic reforms designed to stop the cheating and wanton violence. The 2008 to 2013 GNU was tasked to implement the reforms. Sadly, not even one reform was implemented in the five years. Not one! 

SADC leaders wanted the 2013 Zimbabwe elections postponed until the reforms are implemented. Dr Ibbo Mandaza, who attended the SADC summit in Maputo in June 2013 confirmed this. 

“In 2013 the Maputo Summit, in June 2013, before the elections, the Maputo Summit was all about having the elections postponed – the SADC summit,” Dr Mandaza explained in an interview with Violet Gonda. 

“I was there at the Summit and Mugabe pretended to agree to a postponement of the elections. If you recall, the postponement was based on the need to reform at least electoral laws.

“And after that Summit, Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, all of them were called to a separate meeting by the Heads of State of SADC in the absence of Mugabe, that same evening. And they were told; I was sitting there outside the room with Mac Maharaj; they were told ‘If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!’”

Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends did not listen to the warning and participated in the 2013 elections with no reforms in place. Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the 2013 elections, as SADC leaders had rightly predicted. 

The July 2018 elections were too held with no reforms in place and, again, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa of SA said the July 2018 elections “went well!” Only he can explain what he meant by that pithy and patronising remark when ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll!

SADC leaders must not be allowed to get away with the lie that Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible; that is number one. 

Number two, they must not be allowed to get away with the suggestion that resolving the issue of sanctions is more important than resolving the issued of rigged elections. 

During the 2008 to 2013 GNU the Zimbabwe economy, buoyed by the prospect of the reforms being implemented and thus and end to country’s pariah state curse, register as much as 12% economic growth in 2009, up from - 6% the year before. The recovery occurred regardless of the sanctions which had remained in place throughout the GNU. Proof, if any was required, that restoring good governance will end the country’s economic and political crisis regardless of whether the sanctions are lifted or not. 

Instead of holding firm in demanding reforms before elections and the subsequent rigged elections, SADC leaders are now, not only, endorsing illegal elections but aiding and abetting Zanu PF’s propaganda of falsely blaming sanctions for all the country’s ill! 

There is overwhelming evidence that the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is a result of four decades of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and tyrannical rule by this Zanu PF government. The economic and humanitarian consequences of the misrule have been widespread and tragic for the people of Zimbabwe and the whole SADC region. 

It is most dishearten that SADC leaders should, by mudding the issue of rigged elections with side issues like sanctions, stopping the search for good governance and stability in Zimbabwe. Shame on you! 

Sanctions is "anti vote rigging" measure USA reminds SADC - closed their eyes to truth P Guramatunhu

The Americans continue to exert maximum pressure on SADC leaders to abandon their folly of supporting the Zanu PF anti-sanctions propaganda and embrace the drive for democratic reforms in Zimbabwe. 

“The United States Ambassador to Botswana Craig Lewis Cloud has defended sanctions against Zimbabwe saying they were targeted at officials abusing human rights and the rule of law,” reported Byo24News.

“In a meeting with SADC executive secretary Dr Stergomena Tax on Tuesday to discuss the sanctions against Zimbabwe, Cloud said his country is one of the biggest supporters of Zimbabwe in terms of aid, contributing well over US$2 billion, since its Independence.

"Today Ambassador Cloud and Dr Tax discussed the root causes of U.S. sanctions in Zimbabwe, namely human rights abuses and anti-democratic efforts," said the US Embassy in Botswana.

It is bad enough that we are having to deal with this Zanu PF government that has no respect for the truth, reality and reason and instead, uses its absolute power, to corrupt and distort the truth, reason and reality and impose them on everyone. 

There is a mountain of evidence, for example, to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that corruption and mismanagement are the root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. Whatever economic hardships are caused by sanctions, they are a tiny fraction compared to those caused by the mismanagement and corruptions. 

Zanu PF has blown the effects of sanctions out of all proportion for it selfish propaganda purposes. It is disappointing that outsiders like SA President Cyril Ramaphosa and other SADC leaders have been conned into believing Zanu PF propaganda and lies. 

President Mnangagwa blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. He denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora a vote (he claimed victory with 2.4 million votes) only to assure them they will vote next time. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, a legal and common sense require. 

The whole election process lacked transparency, could not be traced and verified, etc. And yet Mnangagwa maintained the elections were “free, fair and credible”! Sadly, SADC leaders, once again, believed the Zanu PF lies. 

Zimbabwe’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is at the very heart of the country’s worsening economic meltdown because the nation was stuck with the corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF. 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruptions have destroyed the country’s once upon a time robust and vibrant economy. 

Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs who have rigged elections to secure their long stay in power. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, ravished by mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness, there will be no meaningful economic recovery. None!

Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has pushed unemployment rate into the nauseating heights of 90%, a recent WB report revealed that 90% of the population now live in poverty and 34% in abject poverty. The World Food Programme, USA and EU have stepped in to source food to feed 8 million Zimbabweans who would be starving, otherwise. 

After decades of neglect, Zimbabwe’s public education and health care have all but collapsed. Teachers, doctors and nurses have stopped going to work because their wages do not cover their transport costs let alone food, accommodation, etc. 

There is no denying that Zimbabwe is a failed state and, more pointedly, in serious, serious economic trouble and the danger of social and political instability is real and immediate. 

Zimbabwe’s economic and political mess is a man-made problem - chronic bad governance born out of the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The solution is self-evident - hold free, fair and credible elections. 

Zanu PF has usurped the people’s democratic freedoms and rights to impose the de facto one-party dictatorship complete with its carte blanche powers to rig elections. It is sad that even now with Zimbabwe’s very survival at stake, SADC leaders should continue to believe Zanu PF lies and propaganda at the expense of truth, reason and reality. 

The solution is for the illegitimate Zanu PF regime to step down so the people of Zimbabwe can implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF cannot be trust to implement the reforms because no tyrannical regime will ever reform itself out of office. 

Besides, SADC made that mistake of entrusting Zanu PF to implement the reforms, or be it together with MDC, during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and not even one reform was implemented. Not one!

"Thank you, Your Excellency Ambassador Cloud, for visiting the Secretariat and for the extensive discussion on impacts of sanction on the economy of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans; and the need to walk the talk in supporting the ongoing political and economic reforms in Zimbabwe," SADC executive secretary, Dr Stergomena Tax answered. 

This is so infuriating! What “ongoing political and economic reforms”  is she wittering about when Mnangagwa has said the last elections were free, fair and credible and SADC itself agreed with him!

The sanctions are helping to highlight Zanu PF’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections and hence the reason they must stay. 

Indeed, after nearly two decades of the sanctions, the Americans must review the sanctions to make them tougher and far reaching. People like Professor Mthuli Ncube, Minister Kirsty Coventry and opposition leaders like Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti must be added to the sanctions list for working with Zanu PF knowing fully well the regime rigged elections. 

The West must seriously consider imposing sanctions on some of the SADC leaders. By believing Mnangagwa’s lies and propaganda, these leaders are closing their eyes to the truth, reason and reality and it is the ordinary people of Zimbabwe and of the whole SADC region who are paying dearly for the folly. Something to force these leaders to open their eyes will not be amiss!

"Zimbabwe is a banana republic!" says Chamisa - true, you are Mnangagwa's surreptitious junior partner P Guramatunhu

Two weeks ago the British government hosted a UK - Africa Investment conference. 21 African countries attended the conference and Zimbabwe was not invited, according to Chamisa.

“Zimbabwe was not invited. Why? Because we have become a pariah state. We have become a banana republic,” Chamisa told the world during his State of Nation Address last Tuesday.

“We are a ‘don’t touch’!

“People do not want to do business with us. We don’t commit to our commitments. We indicate left and turn right. We are so inconsistent. We promise reforms but then we give people hell.”

Zimbabwe is indeed a pariah state, a banana republic. Not only do we have a corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and tyrannical ruling party, Zanu PF; but worse still, we also have a corrupt and incompetent opposition. MDC, just like Zanu PF, has indicated left and tuned right again and again and thus undermining all efforts to bring about meaningful change. 

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends into power on the understanding the party will bring about the democratic changes, as its name implied, the nation was dying for. After 20 years, five of which MDC was in the GNU, the party has failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one!

Worse still, MDC has continued to participate in flawed and illegal elections knowing fully well that doing so would give the illegitimate Zanu PF regime some modicum of credibility. They have participate in elections even when ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll; a legal and common sense requirement, for Pete’s sake. 

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” confessed David Coltart, MDC Treasurer, in his book The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

The Americans, Canadians, the Commonwealth, the EU and every other country, organisation and individual with common sense, condemned Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections as a farce. 

“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Mission final report. 

“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

An election process that failed to meet international standards because it contained numerous errors, was not transparent, etc., etc. CANNOT produce a legitimate presidential and parliamentary result and, per se, a legitimate government and opposition. 

Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies blatantly rigged the elections to hang on to power. After decades of misrule they knew the people would jump at the opportunity to finally remove them from office. And so holding free, fair and credible elections was simply a luxury Mnangagwa and company could ill afford. 

As explained above, Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends participated in the flawed and illegal elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats they knew Zanu PF was giving away as bait. Unlike the other opposition parties, Nelson Chamisa and his MDC have withheld endorsing Mnangagwa as the winner of the presidential race to pressure the latter to concede a few cabinet position to MDC. 

So MDC does not care that Zanu PF has been rigging elections and turning Zimbabwe into a Banana Republic as long as Chamisa and friends get a share of the spoils of power!

The real losers in the Banana Republic of Zimbabwe are the ordinary people who have been stuck with the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship for 40 years and counting. Four decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have destroyed the country’s, once upon a time, promising economy. Unemployment has soared to nauseating heights of 90%, basic services such as health care and education have all but collapsed, etc. 

As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and murderous thugs backed by equally corrupt and sell-out opposition there will be no meaningful economic recovery. None! 

The people of Zimbabwe have known, to end the curse of rigged elections and pariah state, the  the country must implement the democratic reforms designed to stop the vote rigging. For the last 20 years the nation has risked life and limb to elect MDC politicians into power on the understanding they will deliver the reforms. After 20 years it is now clear that Chamisa and company have sold-out on reforms and the people must accept this political reality as a matter of common cause.

Yes, Nelson Chamisa promised to fight for comprehensive democratic reforms. But the National Transition Authority (NTA), he is calling for, will have less political power than the SADC sponsored 2008 to 2013 GNU. For one thing, by signing the 2008 Global Political Agreement, Zanu PF committed itself to reforms. The NTA is not calling on Zanu PF to make any such commitment.  

If the 2008 GNU failed to get even one reform implemented it is naive to believe the NTA will do any better.

 “We have become a Banana Republic!” This is the beguiling and exasperating duplicity of MDC, the party publicly denounce the Zanu PF dictatorship and yet it is none other than Chamisa et al who are keeping Mnangagwa and company is power - for thirty pieces of silver, of course! 

Whilst Zanu PF remains the major partner in Banana Republic of Zimbabwe, the party has since the 2008 GNU surreptitiously acquired a junior partner, MDC! MDC has long stopped fighting for free, fair and credible elections, this is the political reality Zimbabweans cannot afford to ignore for one more day longer!

"MDC's 2020 AGENDA failed to address sanctions" - what matters, is failure to end curse of rigged elections N Garikai

There is a mountain of evidence proving that the root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown are 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption. The reason why the nation has been stuck with this corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime for all these years is because the party rigged elections. 

MDC has had many golden opportunities to implement the democratic reforms which would have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship. Sadly, MDC leaders has proven to be breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. 

Zanu PF has always wanted absolute power and has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans to secure the de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship. And it was and still remains the only chief beneficiary of MDC’s failure to implement the reforms; but would not think so given the torrent of abuses from Zanu PF leaders and its apologists have been heaping on the MDC leaders. 

Zanu PF leaders have dismissed MDC leaders as puppets of the West, amount the many other derogatory things. 

But Zanu PF is not averse to doing a volte-face; make the MDC puppets their masters of their western puppeteer masters; just to suit the party’s irrational narrative. 

“In his (2020) state of the nation address (SONA) the MDC A leader shocked the nation by his loud silence on sanctions,” wrote Dr Masimba Mavasa wrote. 

“ZANU PF has always said the opposition is after destroying the gains of independence and hurt the citizens of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is now groaning under the heavy yoke of the Economic down turn. The person who is causing this lunacy is among us and is Nelson Chamisa.

“Do economic sanctions destabilize the governments they target? A form of foreign pressure, sanctions are typically meant to alter the policies of other countries. There is much pessimism on whether they ever work. Economic pressure works in at least one respect: it destabilizes the leaders it targets and it destroys the citizens of such a country.” 

The real tragedy of Chamisa’s 2020 Agenda is that it is not offering a roadmap on how the democratic reforms necessary to end the curse of rigged elections will finally be implemented.

As for the Western imposed sanctions, they are helping putting the pressure on Zanu PF to implement meaningful reforms; hence the reason they must stay. Whatever economic damage they have caused is nothing compared to the damage brought about by corruption and misrule. 

Indeed, the sanctions must be extended to include even more Zanu PF leaders and political collaborators such as the Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, and opposition leaders like Nelson CHamisa and Tendai Biti. The MDC leaders will never implement any meaningful reforms without a kick in the back side!

MDC "Jekesa" vs Zanu PF cleaning programme - rubbish; repair broken political system, have cleaners galore N Garikai

The sight of Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies kitted out with brooms and mops sweeping and mopping hospital grounds and wards provides the lazy reporter with a story. But in a country where unemployment has soared to nauseating heights of 90% the really story is why are the hospital wards and ground in such filthy conditions except for the odd occasion, the photo opportunity, when these politicians visit? Hundreds of thousands of University Graduates will happily take up the job as cleaners if only the regime would pay them a living wage!

In other words these public cleaning projects by our leaders are just gimmicks. If these men and women were spending their time and energy is solving the country’s worsening economic meltdown, which is their number one task, then our hospitals, schools, etc. would not be in such a deplorable state! 

Worse still, our political system is broken so we, the people, have no meaningful say in the governance of the country. And so find ourselves stuck with leaders who rigged elections to stay in power but have no clue what to do to fix the country’s mounting problems! 

Instead of finding solutions to the nation’s problems they are now competing in gimmick projections. 

“We have not been participating in the national cleaning programme. Beginning this year, we are going to be part of government’s clean-up campaign. We are coming up with what is called Jekesa Zimbabwe.

“We are also going to launch the smart villages policy that will entail our model smart homesteads smart sources of energy solar for each rural home borehole per village infrastructure for villages, schools, bridges, etc.”

Zimbabwe is in this political and economic mess because the country’s political system is broken; we are stuck for 40 years and counting with an incompetent, corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime. Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt and incompetent murderous tyrants and as long as it remains a pariah state there will be no hope of any meaningful economic recovery. None!

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect Chamisa and his MDC friends into power on the understanding they will bring about the democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship, the nation has been dying for all these years. 

It is truly disheartening that not only has MDC failed to bring about even one democratic change in 20 years of the party’s existence but worse still it has now abandoned the cause of democratic change in favour of gimmick projects. 

Zimbabwe does not need leaders to show them how to do something as basic as sweeping the floor; pay them and they will do it. What the country needs above all else is leaders who will repair the country’s broken political system, who will restore the people’s freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country!

"In 2020 MDC will fight legitimacy" says Chamisa - you ARE giving illegitimate Zanu PF legitimacy, idiot! P Guramatunhu

“So the ridiculous slogans about a ‘new dispensation', ‘open for business' and ‘second republic' this and that have been shown to be superficial rhetoric and delusions of a clueless regime now muddling through on the basis of directionless experimentalism hoping that somewhere along the way it will stumble on solutions to our problem. That's not how things work. We need serious and competent leadership with a clear vision and pathway forward through structured reform, re-engagement and talks,” you said. 

And you are 100% correct Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF regime are have no clues what they are doing; they are just muddling and dragging the nation deeper and deeper into this political and economic crisis. But if the truth is told; you, Nelson Chamisa, and your MDC friends are equally clueless and you too are blundering from pillar to post. 

“We have heard you ask time and time again. What are you doing to provide an alternative, and I say to you again, we are the people's leadership? We hold within us your deep desire for change. We are the unfulfilled expression of the people's true will. We are you. It is you who voted for us. You, whose vote was stolen in 2018. You who we will continue to fight with, side by side,” you said.

MDC had the golden opportunity, especially during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF stealing the elections. You failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one. 

You and your MDC friends knew that Zanu PF was going to steal the July 2018 elections and you lied that you would stop Zanu PF stealing the elections. “MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections,” you said. 

You lied for the same reason why you failed to implement even one reforms during the GNU - greed. 

Worse still, you and your MDC friends knew that by participating in the flawed and illegal elections you would be giving credibility to the stolen elections and thus modicum of legitimacy to the illegitimate Zanu PF regime. We have proof written proof that MDC leaders knew this! 

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” confessed David Coltart, MDC A Treasurer, in his 2016 Book The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

 Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the country has been stuck with this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical regime for 40 years and counting. The nation has failed to remove the regime from office because it rigged the elections. And, this is where you, Mr Nelson Chamisa and your MDC friends come in, you, not only, failed to implement the reforms to end the curse of rigged elections but gave the illegitimate Zanu PF regime some democratic credibility by participating in the flawed and illegal elections.

“We will act,” you now promise. “We will lead and represent. We will speak up in parliament. We will challenge unlawfulness. We will work in every community. We will not betray the people's vote, nor let their voice be silenced. This is our Agenda in 2020.

“We will walk the path of resistance. We are emboldened and resolved. Come what may. We will not be intimidated.

“It is time to fight for the Zimbabwe we want and have so rightly dreamed of and worked for. In 2020, we will focus our efforts on the people's fight:

“The fight for a people's government, reforms and return to legitimacy.”

For the umpteenth time; Mr Chamisa this Zanu PF regime is illegitimate because the July 2018 election process was flawed and illegal. 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote, compared with the 2.4 million Mnangagwa says he got to win. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s sake! 

MDC’s participation in this illegitimate government will not return it to legitimacy. Just as participating in the flawed and illegal elections gave the process some modicum of credibility the continued participation in this regime will too give the illegitimate government some modicum of credibility. 

In short MDC is not helping Zimbabwe end the curse of rigged elections and pariah state but rather helping to perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship. 

“In 2020, we will fight for a people's government, reforms and return to legitimacy!” 

Well, MDC has certainly not been fighting for any of these things for the last 20 years. The party has failed to bring about even one democratic change since its formation in 1999. It is only the politically naive and gullible who will believe MDC will finally delivery the reforms and good governance especially when the party stubbornly continues to give credibility to flawed and illegal election process and illegitimate government out of selfishness and greed.

Chamisa's "Nation's Agenda: 2020" - a fuzzy and confused plan blundering from pillar to post W Mukori

Nelson Chamisa's Harare 21st January 2020 address was dubbed "Nation's Agenda 2020" or "Nation's Plan of Action: 2020" As much as the nation is desperate for change it is as day this so called MDC's plan is not going to bring about any change. Zimbabwe has blundered from pillar to post, these last 40 years; the blundering has not stopped.

Chamisa did not say anything new in his two hours or so long address. He has repeated the same  confused demands MDC has made soon after the 2018 elections. No one supported MDC's demands then, because they did not make sense, and no one will support them now, because they still do not make any sense and, rightly so too, have given up hope on getting anything sensible from MDC.

“This is a year of demonstration and action,“ said Nelson Chamisa and went on to list the five “fights”:

1. Fight for a people’s government, reforms and legitimacy. We do not have a people’s government, we have a government that was declared by ConCourt.

1. Fight for a better life and livelihood, fight for dignity 

1. fight against corruption Zanu PF is paying lip service to corruption 

1. fight for people’s rights and freedoms, security of person and rule of law.

1. fight for the constitution and constitutionalism, we are going to stop Zanu PF amending the constitution. 

All five items are fuzzy and confused. MDC has been fighting for democratic change to secure the people’s freedoms and rights for the last 20 years and counting but has failed to bring about even one meaningful democratic change in all those years. Even when the party had the golden opportunity to implement the deliver the changes by implementing the democratic reforms during the 2008 GNU, the party failed to get even one reforms implemented. Not one! 

Chamisa and his MDC friends have never been unfazed by the party’s pathetic record failure and it is easy to see why. MDC leaders have never understood what the democratic reforms were; it was all fuzzy and confused. 

Even if one was to give Chamisa and company the benefit of the doubt and assumed they have learned from their past mistakes; they now know the democratic reforms the nation has been dying for and are committed to having them implemented. Even if there was increased pressure on Zanu PF forcing the party to go into the power sharing arrangement, the National Transition Authority (NTA), MDC is calling for. It is clear that the NTA will be a waste of time because it will NEVER implement the democratic reforms. Never ever!

MDC’s 2018 election legitimacy challenge is premised on the claim that ZEC tempered with the vote count of the presidential race and thus making declaration of Mnangagwa as the winner null and void. The MDC has no quarrel with the parliamentary result and Zanu PF’s 2/3 majority in parliament and in the senate.

In other words the proposed NTA will be composed of Zanu PF and MDC cabinet members plus parliament and senate as it is presently constituted. Any democratic reforms will have to be proposed and/or passed by parliament and the senate. Any one who believes that Zanu PF will never implement any meaningful democratic reforms, necessary for free, fair and credible elections, is naive.

Zanu PF will never ever reform itself out of office. Never ever!

"No one will die of hunger and ask for help, if need be" said Mohadi - liar, many have died and WFP is feeding 8m N Garikai

“It is not the first time that we are having a drought in Zimbabwe and we have always said in government that nobody will die of hunger and still no one is going to die of hunger in Zimbabwe,” said VP Mohadi after receiving newly appointed UN residence coordinator Maria Ribeiro.

“We are going to marshal all the resources that we have towards the provision of food for our people and if need be, then we will call other people like the World Food Programme (WFP) to assist us but definitely we are on top of the situation,” said Mohadi.

This is the arrogant defiance of a regime that knows it is not accountable to anyone. The WFP people are already in the country and have been feeding millions of Zimbabweans for a long time. 

A few weeks ago the WFP was appealing for US$200 million to source food for 8 million Zimbabweans are otherwise facing starvation. 

Of course, many Zimbabweans have died of starvation in the past and many more will died. 

The WB reported that 90% of Zimbabweans are poor and 34% of them live in extreme poverty. It is common knowledge that many poor families have one meal a day comprising of maize meal porridge and vegetables. It is no surprise that many Zimbabweans are malnourished and many children have died of marasmus (a lack of protein and calories) and kwashiorkor (a lack of just protein).

Zimbabwe has very few reported cases of marasmus, kwashiorkor or other malnutrition related deaths not because there are none; every health worker, especially the foreign ones, know they will be in deep trouble if they reported the truth. Like so many other tyrannical regime, Zimbabwe has perfected the art of denying the truth even when it is staring them in the face!

“We are going to marshal all the resources to food for our people and if need be, then we will call other people like the World Food Programme (WFP)!” As if he does not know the WFP is already in Zimbabwe feeding 8 millions, half the country’s population, facing starvation. 

"Teachers need new empowering skill to defy Zanu PF enslavement" - name 1 profession with 0% unemployment W Mukori

Once upon a time, 40 years ago but it might as well be 400 years ago for we have regressed so quickly we are now back in the dark ages, Zimbabwe used to produce enough food to not only feed all her people but had plenty left over to be the breadbasket of the region. Today the nation is starving.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is frantically trying to raise US$ 200 million to feed 8 million Zimbabweans who are facing starvation. To blame the food shortage on drought alone is to miss the point. 

Ever since 2000 when Mugabe undertook his chaotic and violent seizure of white owned farms to give to his Zanu PF cronies mostly, the country has lost its breadbasket laurel as agricultural production collapsed and with it the nation’s economy. So when the recent drought and Cyclone Idai struck the region, not only Zimbabwe, it hit us the hardest because we had no grain in the solo and were so impoverished we had to rely on food aid!

Unemployment has soared to 90% as the country’s economic meltdown has got worse and worse. 90% of our people are classified as poor with 34% of them living in extreme poverty, according to a recent World Bank report. 

Who is to blame for Zimbabwe’s economic rapid descend into this economic hell-on-earth? Have to blame the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship, the regime that has ruled the country with an iron fist for all the last 40 years. But when all is said, it is us the people of Zimbabwe who are ultimately to blame for letting the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF destroyed the country’s once upon a time prosperous economy and, with it, our hopes and dreams!

For the last 40 years we, Zimbabweans, have buried our heads in the sand so we pretended not to see or hear the corruption and tyranny of the Zanu PF dictatorship and so we said and did nothing to stop it. It is shocking that even today with the nation dragged to the very edge of the precipitous abyss some people still continue to bury their heads in the sand!

“A few days ago I was talking to my neighbour - who is a teacher - on the collective job action proposed by the two main teachers' unions in the country - who have called upon their members not to turn up for work when schools open for the first term of the year, as long as the government (their employer) persists with its arrogant and stubborn refusal to honour its contractual obligation to pay its employees their United States Dollar-pegged salaries in local currency at the prevailing interbank exchange rate.” wrote Tendai Ruben Mbofana.

How is it possible that there can still be one single Zimbabwean out there who is not aware that Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous tyrants. And that as long as the country remains a pariah state, there will be no hope of any meaningful economic recovery. None! 

So all these teachers, nurses, doctors, etc. who are demanding a living wage are the ones who are being arrogant, stubborn and, most important of all, down right stupid. The Zimbabwe economic has all but totally collapsed; where do they expect government to get the money to pay them? You do not harvest mangoes from a thorn tree! 

Mbofana accepted the economic reality that the teachers, etc. were not going to get a living wage from the government and proffered a solution!

“It is, therefore, without any doubt that the only way teachers, and other civil servants, can successfully break themselves from these shackles of enslavement by their employer, would be for genuine economic empowerment - such that, not only would they have other ready alternatives for sustaining a livelihood, but prove an indispensable asset, which the government would not be able to kick in the teeth whenever it felt like,” he suggested.

“Teachers, and all other civil servants, now need to sharpen their skills in so many other trades that they may have a passion for, or are gifted at.

“Such magnificent and essential skills need to be further meticulously sharpened in the teacher - coupled by business management training - so that they go beyond the boundaries of the classroom, but translate into meaningful, productive, and income-generating ventures that would catapult him or her out of the dungeons of poverty, and vile enslavement by their employer.

“Armed with these skills, there would be nothing to hold them back. There would be nothing standing in their way to a dignified livelihood that is worthy of a creation wonderfully and fearfully made, just below the angels of the heavens, by our loving God - as no human being was ever meant to be a slave of another.”

This is sentimental nonsense at its worst!

Mbofana failed to name even one profession which the teachers can retrain in and afterward find a job that will pay them a living wage. He did not name one such profession because there is not one profession in Zimbabwe where there are no hundreds of thousands qualified and experiences professionals on the Mount Everest unemployment mountain already!

Zimbabwe is not going to get out of the economic and political mess the country is stuck in without addressing the problem of bad governance. 

Zimbabwe is not a healthy and functioning democratic nation in which normal market forces such as collective bargaining, economic laws of supply and demand, the laws of thermodynamics, etc. count. Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt and murderous thugs in which chaos, voodoo economic and the criminal waste of human and material resources to feed the insatiable appetites for power and wealth are the norm. 

It is therefore shocking that even after 40 years of the Zanu PF dictatorship, with the national economy in the gutter, millions living in abject poverty and despair, etc.; that anyone would still fail to see Zimbabwe for what she is - a dysfunctional banana republic. When you live in a banana republic you do not expect to be paid a living wage! 

When Mnangagwa rigged the July 2018 elections, there was a deafening silence from many Zimbabweans; they did not see or hear what happened and, as usual, they said and did nothing to stop him getting into power. He rigged the elections and has since discovered he cannot rig the economy to pay Zimbabweans a living wage. 

It is not for a living wage Zimbabweans should be demanding but an end to the curse of rigged elections and of pariah state! 

“Seek ye first the political kingdom and all else shall be added unto you,” said Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah. We, in Zimbabwe, have ignored the advice these last 40 years and have paid dearly for it!

"Chamisa's rejection of Mnangagwa victory triggered ED's illegitimacy" - rubbish, it's the rigging, rejection is inconsequential N Garikai

Dear Gideon Chitanga

“The consequent illegitimacy facing President Mnangagwa after the rejection of his election victory by Chamisa has triggered political and economic uncertainty which has blighted his government’s efforts of reengagement with the international community and prospects of financial support from International Financial Institutions(IFIs), multilateral and bilateral aid from Western countries, which imposed sanctions on ZANU PF elites, resulting in concerning socio-economic meltdown, nudging sub-regional leaders to push for dialogue," you said in Zimeye.

"The United Nations has already indicated that Zimbabwe is at the mercy of a disastrous man-made disaster as the country faces drought which may worsen emigration into already economically pressed neighbours, especially South Africa."

This is just nonsense devoid of logic! 

President Mnangagwa is not illegitimate because Chamisa “rejected his election victory”. Mnagagwa is illegitimate because the July 2018 elections were flawed and illegal and therefore null and void. A null and void elections process cannot produce a legitimate result and government. What Chamisa said and did is as inconsequential as me commanding the sun to rise tomorrow - it will rise regardless. 

The Americans, the EU, the Commonwealth and many other international nations and organisations were in Zimbabwe and had first hand witness accounts of how Zanu PF had blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. 

“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Mission final report.

“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

So you think the EU, the Americans, etc. were going to rewrite their reports just because Chamisa accept the flawed and illegal process. 

Indeed, Chamisa is the one taking advantage of the West’s condemnation of the elections to push his own selfish agenda. He claim to have the key to unlock the economy; it is just grandstanding, he has no keys to change the reality of Zimbabwe being a pariah state.  

Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs. No investors wants to do business with these crooks! As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic recovery. 

The UN is spot on, Zimbabwe's seemingly intractable economic and political crisis is "a man-made disaster". The root cause of the crisis is the failure to hold free, fair and democratic elections - Zanu PF is responsible for that bit. The second bit, is allowing Zanu PF to get away with rigged elections - MDC leaders, the ordinary Zimbabweans and, to a lesser extend, SADC leaders are responsible for this. 

The key, the only key, to end Zimbabwe’s pariah state is for everyone to acknowledge the July 2018 elections were flawed and illegal and the country has no legitimate government. We need an interim government to implement the reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections! Nothing else will suffice!

Best regards

Nomusa

"SADC leaders have dumped sanctions, they sent Mbeki to demand political reforms" - back with ultimatum W Mukori

The follow report, just before the Christmas break, in The Zimbabwe Independent must have caused a sharp intake of air by all Zanu PF leaders across the land. Former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki’s flying visit was NOT at the pleasure of President Mnangagwa, the paper revealed!  

“SADC leaders have been talking among themselves. They are basically admitting that sanctions have an effect on the economy, but problems in Zimbabwe are not limited to sanctions and are largely of a political nature, hence their decision to nudge parties into negotiations,” a well-placed official said.

“They (SADC leaders) realised that after the (25 October) anti-sanctions march, Zimbabwe’s relations with the West had worsened, particularly with the US. During the march, US officials were constantly in touch with the SADC leaders and regional diplomats accredited to Washington telling them that despite the march, they will not lift the sanctions unless human rights violations are stopped.”

The claim that sanctions was the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown was just a mythical five-legged hare Zanu PF created to draw attention away from the real causes; the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the lawlessness coming from the country being a pariah state. 

It was a great surprise that Mnangagwa had even managed to talk his fellow SADC leaders into believing into this five legged creature. It is nice to know that the regional leaders have come to their senses and will not waste any more time on the sanctions nonsense! 

“They (Americans) encouraged SADC leaders to encourage Harare to implement proper political and economic reforms as necessary preconditions for the removal of sanctions,” continued the SADC official.

“So it is in that context that Mbeki, who is considered an elder statesman, was in the country.”

“Hold free, fair and credible elections and Zimbabwe will be free of the pariah state curse and welcomed in the commune of nations and open to do business!” the American have told Mnangagwa before July 2018 election. They have gone the extra mile to explain what would constitute free, fair and credible elections. 

Old habit die hard! Mnangagwa did not even implement one token democratic reform to ensure the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible. He did not even produce something as basic and fundamental to democratic elections as a verified voters’ roll!

The Americans, EU, Commonwealth and all the other nations, organisation and individuals with democratic credential have all dismissed the July 2018 elections as a farce. The whole process was so flawed and illegal it is nonsense that such a process can produce a legitimate result and therefore legitimate government. 

This is not the first time Zimbabwe has found itself without a legitimate government after an election. This happened in 2008 after yet another flawed and illegal election process. President Mbeki and SADC leaders step in then and told Mugabe and Zanu PF the region will not recognise the regime as the legitimate government. 

SADC forced Mugabe to agree to the implementation of a raft of democratic designed to stop the blatant cheating and wanton violence that had marred the 2008 elections. It is deeply regrettable that not even one of the reforms were implemented by the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Not one! And hence the reason Zanu PF was able to once again blatantly rig the 2013 and 2018 elections. 

SADC leaders know that it was MDC leaders who sold-out during the GNU and failed to get even one reform implemented. 

Still, if President Mbeki and SADC are serious about ending Zimbabwe’s curse of rigged elections and pariah state then they must go back to the raft of democratic reforms agreed in 2008 are make sure they are implemented. 

And to be absolutely certain the reforms are implemented they have to get Zanu PF to accept that it is illegitimate and that it cannot be in the interim administration that will be tasked to implement the reforms. It was in the 2008 to 2013 GNU that failed to implement even one reform and it is naive to expect the party to do any better this time! 

In Zimbabwe unemployment has soared to 90% plus, hyperinflation must be 1 000% by now, the country’s health care has all but collapsed, etc. The WFP has just stepped to feed 8 million Zimbabweans, half the population, facing starvation in a country that used to be the breadbasket of the region. 

The Zanu PF government of President Mnangagwa is in denial of the economic meltdown and the tragic human suffering and deaths the country is facing. 

“ED’S DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE 1. Budget deficit down 90% 2. Trade deficit down 70% 3. De-dollarisation completed, new currency introduced & stabilized. 4. Ease of doing business – Zim is up 15 positions 5. Mass Public Transport System (More will be shared)” boasted Nick Mangwana, a Zanu PF apologist.

How can Zimbabwe’s trade deficit be down 70% when the few companies still operating have just been hit hard by the country’s six months plus blanket electricity power cuts lasting 18 hours a day, for example!

Preside Thabo Mbeki is expected back in Zimbabwe before the end of January 2020. One only hopes that he now fully appreciates the seriousness of Zimbabwe’s economic situation and therefore the urgency of coming up with clear roadmap out of the mess. The economic and political stability of Zimbabwe and that of SADC is on the line. There is no time to be wasted messaging misplaced egos and appeasing vote rigging parties and their sell-out opposition acolytes! 

"Chamisa must apologise for disputing election" Zanu PF demanding - why, rigged 2/3 majority, can't rig economy N Garikai

“The President is first and foremost a citizen who can communicate anything with fellow citizens, including cracking jokes with Zimbabweans,” Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi told NewsDay.

“Chamisa is the one with a lot to apologise to Zimbabweans for calling for sanctions, disputing election results where he was clearly defeated and even giving false hope to his supporters,” said Mutodi.

If Zimbabweans have heard Zanu PF leaders dismiss MDC leaders as “the west’s puppets” once they have heard it a thousand times! 

The west has supported MDC in the past but the sheer incompetence of the MDC leaders have left most people speechless. When MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU most MDC supporters and donors, including SADC and western nations, deserted the party in droves. 

So the suggestion by Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi that MDC leaders, the puppets, are now dictating the foreign policy of the West, the puppeteers, is an oxymoron. Zanu PF is under so much pressure to find a scapegoat for the country’s worsening economic situation; the party’s propagandists and apologists are now peddling the tale of Pinocchio, remaining a helpless puppet and yet the one pulling the strings.

There is no denying Zimbabwe's economic meltdown has entered its terminal phase, the economy has crashed; inflation is out of control, there are shortages in everything, public health care has all but collapsed, etc.

There is a mountain of evidence to prove the two major causes of the economic crash are corruption and the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible election and thus shake-off its pariah state status. The economic crash has been long in coming, 40 years to be exact, and Zanu PF has been in power for all these years; trying to blame someone else is just a futile exercise.

Zanu PF has tried to blame the sanctions for the economic crash but, given the extend of the rampant corruption, failed to get very far. In 2016 the then President Mugabe admitted the country was being “swindled” out of US$15 billion in diamond revenue alone. He never arrested even one diamond swindler nor has his successor, President Mnangagwa, done any better.

A country like Zimbabwe, with a GPD of US$10 billion, economy GPD, could survive a US$ 15 billion wholesale looting; a jugular artery haemorrhaging! 

The drought, Cyclone Idai and other natural disasters have only compounded Zimbabwe’s man-made economic crisis of 40 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and political lawlessness. The economic crash was telegraphed decades ago and now the chickens have come home to roost, like red-billed quelea, in their millions!

“Chamisa must apologise to Zimbabweans for disputing election results!” How has that stopped Zanu PF implementing its economic policies (assuming it had any) to revive the comatose economy; given the party claimed the presidency and 2/3 parliamentary majority regardless what Chamisa said! 

Chamisa and his MDC friends have proven beyond all reasonable doubt that they are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. MDC sold-out big time by failing to implement even one democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, wasting the country best opportunity ever to end the curse of rigged elections.

Chamisa and his MDC friends are the ones giving this vote rigging Zanu PF regime some modicum of political credibility by their participating in flawed and illegal July 2018 elections. 

If MDC has ever fought for free, fair and credible elections, then they stopped during the 2008 GNU and have since been fighting to keep Zanu PF dictatorship in return for a share of the spoils of power. MDC are beyond the democratic pale! 

If MDC were ever puppets of the West, then the West lost their puppets to Zanu PF control in 2008 with the formation of the GNU. Therefore for Zanu PF to now try to blame MDC for the country’s economic meltdown is as outrageous a puppeteer blaming a lifeless puppet for his own failures! 

Zanu PF must:

1. own up that it is responsible for Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. 

1. accept the July 2018 elections were not free, fair and credible and so failed to produce a legitimate result and, per se, legitimate government. 

1. step down to allow the nation to appoint an interim administration that will implement the democratic reforms, a pre-requisite for free, fair and credible elections, leading the holding of fresh elections and restoration of democratic rule and good governance. 

1. stop holding the nation to ransom by rigging elections and using violence as it has done these last 40 years. Enough is enough!