“Muromo hauzarirwi nerwizi!” (There is no flooded river that big mouth cannot cross!) so goes the Shona adage. President Mnangagwa, big mouth, told the nation in his State of Nation Address there is no flooded river he cannot cross.
“The world is in crisis. Borders have been closed, trade has ceased and businesses negatively impacted by the deadly Covid-19 pandemic,” he acknowledged.
“As elected leaders, we have to take the responsibility of providing solutions, ensuring stability and setting direction in the midst of it all.”
Zanu PF has blatantly rigged elections ever since the party got into power in 1980. Mnangagwa disregarded his own promise to hold free, fair and credible elections and, once again, blatantly rigged July 2018 elections.
“The final results as announced by the (Zimbabwe) Electoral Commission (ZEC) contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Zimbabwe Election Mission final report. “As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
ZEC failed to produce something as basic a verified voters’ roll, a common sense and legal requirement, for Pete’s sake!
Zimbabwe’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is a particularly sore point because it is the root cause of the country’s political paralysis and economic meltdown. The country has been stuck for 40 years and counting with this vote rigging, corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF regime and the decades of misrule have left the country is ruins.
But most annoying of all, Mnangagwa’s repeated claim that the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible and this Zanu PF regime is legitimate means the party will resist all calls for the implementation of democratic reforms necessary to end this curse of rigged elections. The prospect of yet another rigged elections in 2023 is simply unthinkable.
After 40 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule, the one thing Zimbabwe needs above all else is free, fair and credible elections, the pre-requisite for good governance. Our task is to make sure the democratic reforms are implemented before the next elections. We must not allow ourselves to be bamboozled by the nonsensical claims of an illegitimate tyrant!
“The New Dispensation came with the clear goal to improve the plight of the majority of our people, through an elaborate agenda to reform, restructure and rebuild, towards the achievement of Vision 2030. Undoubtedly, my administration has faced many hurdles and attacks since its inauguration,” continued Mnangagwa.
“These included the divisive politics of some opposition elements, the illegal economic sanctions, cyclones, droughts and more recently, the deadly Covid19 pandemic. Added to this, is economic aggression, local currency manipulation and detractors who fear the inevitable imminent success of our reforms.”
All nonsense! The one clear and stated goal of the new dispensation was “Restore legacy!”, as the November 2017 coup plotters stated. The wholesale looting of diamonds in Marange and Chiadzwa and other national resources that had flourished during Mugabe’s days took off once again with renewed vigour.
In a very rare moment of honestly, Mugabe admitted the country was “swindled out of US$15 billion in diamonds!” He never arrested one swindler or recover one dollar. Mnangagwa promised “zero tolerance to corruption” when he took over following the November 2017 coup.The only diamond swindler he has dared to go after is former Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, for political and personal reasons. Other than that, nothing has change corruption has continued!
The IMF, WB and many other international financial institution have stopped giving Zimbabwe any financial assistance, some have even cut back on aid donation; they fear the money will be wasted - such is the country’s corruption reputation.
Of course, there is no hope of this corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime reviving the economy, much less attaining the middle income status by 2030. Prosperity is build of sound economic policies and good governance not voodoo-economics and corruption.
Zanu PF has promised mass economic prosperity, “Gutsa ruzhinji” as Mugabe called it in the 1980s, but not now but in the near future. Meanwhile the people were told they had to work hard and endure hardships to earn the prosperity. The ruling elite did not share in the hardship, indeed they have prospered by leaps and bounds.
For 40 years now the people have waited for their day to bask in economic prosperity, they are now to wait until 2030, meanwhile they are to endure even worse economic hardship as the nation sinks deeper and deeper into the abyss.
Of course, vision 2030 is a mirage, the same mirage the nation has been chasing since 1980! And without good governance, economic prosperity will remain a mirage - that is a fact!
Zimbabwe’s economic mess and its collapsed health care service at the outbreak of the corona virus outbreak meant the country was going to be hit hard. Zanu PF’s blundering incompetence has certainly made the situation worse. The regime’s failure to test for the virus aggressively, for example, meant those with the infection have been left in the community to infect others, thus spreading the virus far and wide, when they should have been in isolation.
Mnangagwa, just like President Xi Jinping of China, is obsessed about keeping the confirm covid-19 cases and deaths as low as possible, to hide his blundering incompetence in the handling of the virus. There is evidence to show that China denying the corona virus outbreak and then then for a while under reported corona virus cases and deaths. At least the Chinese government did mobilised the necessary resource to get the virus back under control. The same cannot be said about this Zanu PF government.
Officially, Zimbabwe has 4 221 confirmed covid-19 cases and 81 deaths compared to SA’s 521 318 cases and 8 884 deaths but only because Zimbabwe has not been testing even those with covid-19 symptoms! one expects Zimbabwe, with 1/4 the population of SA, to have 1/4 of SA’s cases and deaths or 130 000 and 2 221 respectively.
So, as of now, there are 40 times as many covid-19 cases and deaths spreading the virus blissfully unaware they have the virus all because, to look good, the regime did not want the truth told. The Zanu PF regime has already passed a law to punish, up to 20 years in jail, anyone reporting anything other than the government vetted covid-19 figures.
“Accountability and transparency will keep on being enforced in every facet of our society. These values are, after all, the DNA of the Second Republic and must permeate all our institutions. Our political reforms have equally been guided by these twin concepts. We repealed and replaced POSA and AIPPA in the spirit of these ideals,” continued Mnangagwa.
Zanu PF’s DNA is that of a corrupt, incompetent murderous and vote rigging dictatorship and, like all dictatorship with knack for saying one thing and doing the opposite. Indeed, Zanu PF has always had the courage to rig elections and claim the elections were free and fair precisely because the regime is not democratically accountable to the people.
Zimbabwe will remain stuck in this political and economic hell-on-earth we find ourselves in until country implements the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF is in denial that the party rigged the last elections, it cannot be trusted to implement any meaningful reforms. The party must step down, this is the only way out and it is not negotiable.
“Although our progress has been slowed down, rest assured that we shall achieve our objectives. We will overcome. We will defeat the attack and stop the bleeding of our economy. We will overcome attempts at destabilisation of our society by a few rogue Zimbabweans acting in league with foreign detractors.”
This is just foolhardy political intransigency of a regime that does not accept its failures and, unforgivable of all, deny the people their fundamental right to have a meaningful say in the governance of country. Zimbabwe is a failed state and the threat of the country descending into instability, violence and chaos is real. And it is you President Mnangagwa and your Zanu PF cronies who have dragged the nation to the edge of the precipice, you must step back. Calling those crying for change and justice rogues and detractors is not going to get the country out of this mess or end the tragic human suffering!
It is for you, Mr Mnangagwa, to step back from the abyss and step down! Step down now before you take us all over the edge!
12 comments:
Mnangagwa can claim that he is the "elected leader" a thousand times a day and thousand times again, that will not change the simple fact that he rigged the July 2018 elections. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters' roll.
The people of Zimbabwe did not elect Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF regime, this government is illegitimate making Zimbabwe a pariah state hence our economic and political mess.
Mnangagwa must step down so we can appoint an interim admin to implement the reforms or we will never break this vicious cycle of rigged elections and pariah state!
@ Hakata
The prospect of Libya type street protests is something we must do all we can to avoid because whilst the violence will achieve the initial objective of ending the dictatorship it does not always bring peace and democracy. Look at the sorry state Libya is in, it is no surprise that many Libyian look back to the Gaddafi years as better than what they have now just as Zimbabweans have looked back to the colonial days as better than these Zanu PF years!
@ Singauke
"Daylight pledges of loyalty is talk, and talk is cheap. Brown envelopes are real currency, and tax free too. The blood of kinsmen folk will not remain thick enough, cursed be the brown envelope. But then again, everyone deserves their reward. Until when, those in barracks are mothers and fathers with working consciences too. They know too well money is tastier with good sleep at night."
Those with ear to hear should hear you and those with the intellectual capacity to comprehend what they hear should do so. The tragedy is Mnangagwa and most of his cronies have ears but they have wax so they cannot hear and the few who can hear, they cannot comprehend anything. Decades of good living of looted wealth has forced their brains to atrophied after decades of idleness.
@ Robert Sigauke
“Ndodana Nleya, the prayer that God will respect is one that seeks the legal and constitutional removal of govt. As far as i know, elections are in 2023, so hence i say years. A prayer that seeks to criminally remove a govt, makes the person praying the same as the govt criminals themselves. Remember its God who allowed them to rule, He will remove them at His time. No prayer should ask God to kill our leaders, but rather to loosen their hearts and show dignity and respect fo elections n rule of law. As for citizens, the only way to remove them is by ballot or if they resign, on their own.”
This would make perfect sense expect for two things:
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies rigged the July 2018 elections and therefore they do not have the democratic mandate to govern the country. It is therefore blasphemous to say that God allows vote rigging and illegitimate thugs to terrorise a nation and rob the poorest of the poor blind! God will be disappointed that we, the people have allowed these thugs to rig elections and deny us our freedoms and hopes and dreams again and again!
It is incumbent on every thinking Zimbabwean to make sure Mnangagwa and his rogue regime step down BEFORE the next elections because if the are still in power until then we can be 100% certain that they will not implement even one meaningful democratic reform, they will go on to rig those elections and thus secure for themselves another 5 years in power.
Well Tagwirei certainly deserve to be on the sanctions list. Can I suggest that others like Minister Mthuli Ncube and Kirsty Coventry must be added on the list. These two knew that Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections landing the country in this mess and yet they still joined the regime for selfish reasons.
The Americans must also add the MDC and other opposition leaders who participated in the flawed and illegal 2018 elections thus giving Zanu PF legitimacy. These individuals will participate in the 2023 elections if we do not do something to expose them for the sell-outs they are! The number one task before us today is to make sure we break the vicious cycle of rigged elections and stopping these sell-out participating will go a long way to achieve that goal!
The DA on its part will partner with all parties in the various SADC countries that have democracy, human rights and prosperity in their manifesto to be more productive and active in the region.
As AU Chair and president of a SADC country, President Ramaphosa cannot turn a blind eye to the atrocities plaguing our neighbouring citizens once again. This situation requires urgent intervention, as is the President’s mandate. The longer the President remains a spectator, the worse the situation will be, and those atrocities will be added to his tally.
This is a welcomed call by the DA.
For the record, SADC leaders made the right call in June 2013 when they asked the Zimbabwe elections to be postponed to allow the meaningful reforms to be implemented to ensure free, fair and credible 2013 elections. One can understand their disappointment at being ignored by both Zanu PF and the MDC.
Still the regional leaders should have maintain their principle position and called for the reforms to be implemented before the 2018 plebiscite. It would have stood them in great light to join the EU and all the other democratic nations and organisations who condemn Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections as a farce.
By rigging the July 2018 elections Mnangagwa confirmed Zimbabwe was still a rogue state governed by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. Mnangagwa has failed to revive the Zimbabwe economy and is resorted to violence to silence dissent - this is to be expected of an illegitimate and tyrannical regime.
TWENTY-SIX ZANU PF employees tested positive to Covid-19 with plans underway to embark on a rigorous programme of testing districts and provincial employees with fumigation of party offices ongoing.
Zanu PF acting secretary for information and Publicity and Spokesperson, Cde Patrick Chinamasa said those who tested positive have been advised to go into self-isolation in line with the normal World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols on COVID-19.
For the last five months Zimbabwe has ignored the repeated call for the country to increase the number of covid-19 tests carried out especially on all those with symptoms. Even as late as last week big hospitals like Parerinyatwa and Mpilo Hospitals were not carrying out the covid-19 testing on new admission. Anyone with high temperature or other symptoms were send away without even alerting the Testing Team to do the follow up.
So many people who would have gone on self-isolation if they had known the had the corona virus continued to spread the virus. The chickens are now coming home to roost.
No doubt Zanu PF staff and visitors to Zanu PF HQ will now be tested regularly because the ruling elite come there and they are scared stiff of catching the virus. There will be no tracing and tracking any of the conducts of the 26 workers who tested positive, they will be luck just to be included in the official list of confirmed covid-19 cases!
Zanu PF knows that Zimbabwe's economy was in shambles and its health care services has all but collapsed and therefore the country was certain to have some of the highest covid-19 cases and deaths. This is a regime with a very large ego that would happily falsify the covid-19 figures to give the impression the country managed the virus very well even if do so resulted in the virus spreading far and wide which is exactly what has happened!
As at August 3 2020, Zimbabwe had 4 075 confirmed cases including 1 057 recoveries and 80 deaths. Today 154 more people tested positive and these are local transmissions who are isolated," read the statement from the ministry.
"Today we regret to report 10 facility deaths which include four males and four females from Harare province, one male from Mashonaland West and one male from Matabeleland South Province."
Bulawayo province has a cumulative total of 996 cases and 20 deaths, Matabeleland South has 430 cases with two deaths while Matabeleland North has 60 cases and two deaths.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya recently said the confirmed Covid-19 cases will continue to rise as long as people do not comply with lockdown regulations. He said people should desist from visiting the city centre and all public places.
"The best way for us to beat this virus is to prevent it. "Our resources are really stretched and we will not be able to cope with huge numbers of Covid-19 cases.
"We will definitely record more cases as long as people violate lockdown regulations," said Prof Ngwenya.
Yes of course, complying with the lockdown regulations will help slow down the spread of the virus but even he cannot deny that by testing all those with covid-19 symptoms and carrying out the tracing and tracking and making sure those with the virus were isolated would have gone a long way in containing the virus. He should know that even big hospitals like Mpilo were not testing, tracing and tracking!
Professor Ngwenya would not even say how many people have covid-19 at the hospital. “I am not at liberty to say!” he commented!
One of the most shameful things to happen in Zimbabwe is that hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans will get the virus because those in positions of power and authority would not even do the most human think and tell those who had the virus they so they could go on isolation. If there is justice, then some of these buffoons must be held to account!
TWENTY nurses at Maphisa District Hospital in Matabeleland South province tested positive for coronavirus this week, sending the settlement, predominantly occupied by civil servants, gold miners and panners into a panic mode as some residents had contact with the affected health workers.
Provincial medical officer Rudo Chikodzore yesterday had not responded to questions sent to her before going to print.
However, a source in the health sector confirmed that 20 nurses tested positive, with one of them infecting her husband who works for a non-governmental organisation in Gwanda.
"Over 20 nurses are in self-isolation after the tests. The district is now a health time bomb because of the presence of a high number of gold panners who patronise the business centre," he said.
No doubt this is the first time that health care workers have been tested and yet government promised to test regularly all frontline workers including health care workers.
None of the patients have yet been tested much less all the other conducts of the 20 nurses. All health care workers should have been testing all those with covid-19 like symptoms.
But when the country is only doing 1 000 or less tests a day it is clear why so many people who should have been tested were not. This Zanu PF government, just like the Chinese government, is super sensitive about being criticised for failing to contain the virus and so one sure way of silencing the critics is to make sure the official covid-19 figures are kept very low - if you do not test the number of cases is certain to remain low.
The price of not testing, tracing and tracking as vigorously as the WHO recommenced and common sense dictated is that many people who should have been in isolation, if they had know, have been out spreading the virus far and wide. There is no doubt that many, many lives will be lost! If this is not criminal negligence; what is!
When it comes to elections, Zanu PF's modus operandi is to do whatever it needed to do to ensure the party won the presidency and 2/3 majority in parliament and senate. Holding free, fair and credible elections was a luxury the party could ill afford and so it never bothered to implement even one token reform. When you know you are going to rig the elections you make sure you and your alone have all the information on the election process hence ZEC never produced something as basic as a verified voters' roll.
As the EU report correctly noted the July 2018 elections were full of errors, it was not transparent, traceable and verifiable. Everything was as clear as mud and deliberately so; Zanu PF rigged the elections and did not want people to know the exact details of how many people had cast multiple votes, etc.
Since the 2008 to 2013 GNU Zanu PF had learned that if the party offered the opposition as few gravy train seats they will participate in the elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process. After the damning reports from EU and many others, the one saving grace for Zanu PF was Chamisa and company. "If the election process was so flawed, then why did everyone in Zimbabwe's opposition camp participate?" Zanu PF has argued!
In the past Zanu PF has always counted on people those condemning the party for rigging the elections coming round and accepting the result as fait accompli. A serious mistake as it only allowed the party to stay in power the full five years, make sure no meaningful reforms are implement, the party then rigs the next elections and thus start a new cycle. If we are to break this vicious cycle of rigged elections, illegitimate government, no reforms and another rigged elections; we must not let Zanu PF off the hook.
Mnangagwa can proclaim himself the "elected leader" from every roof top in the land; we must remind at he is not. Indeed the country's worsening economic meltdown is a daily remind to Zanu and the nation that Zimbabwe is a pariah state. No one wants to do business with a pariah state.
Zimbabwe is in the same situation Lebanon is. Lebanon has been sinking in the abyss for decades because of bad governance and the international community stopped doing business with the country. Many hope that the huge explosion Beirut two days ago that has destroyed many building, killed 137 and left thousands injured is the last straw impetus to force Lebanon’s stubborn ruling elite to finally accept the need for democratic reforms.
One only hopes that Mnangagwa and his cronies are not going to drag the nation down the same disastrous Lebanon path to require a similar dramatic catastrophe to force they to finally accept the need for change! Indeed, we could well be in the midst of one such catastrophe right now - the party’s blundering incompetence in the handling of corona virus is going to cost hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwean lives!
THE Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) has called for multi-stakeholder dialogue to address the country's worsening socio-political and economic crises.
In a pastoral letter, EFZ said failure to engage in multi-sectorial dialogue to bring the country out of the woods would further frustrate the citizens and might lead to an implosion.
Yes we need a multi-stakeholder dialogue, dialogue is far better than violent street protests or military coup, but what kind of dialogue. It is disappointing that even now after all these years of blundering from pillar to post and with the nation now standing on the edge of the precipice the EFZ have no clue what kind of dialogue the nation needs!
Let me say this again, Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections landing us in this economic and political mess; the only dialogue with the party is to make it clear that Mnangagwa and company must step down and stop holding the nation to ransom. Zanu PF cannot be part of the stakeholders charting the way forward because they are the root cause of the country’s problems. They are the problem and therefore cannot be the solution too!
@ Mukwiriwindi
When Ian Smith did not use the word never, he was a bit more modest and said in 1000 years! I think Zanu PF's rule of Zimbabwe is nearly over. Indeed, if it was not for the breath taking incompetence of MDC leaders Zanu PF would not be in power today!
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