Tendai Biti and his fellow MDC leaders are hypocrites the same Lord Jesus warned against.
"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
“They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” said Jesus. Matthew 23 verse 2 to 4.
Parliament is our Moses’ seat and as MP and former Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti has eulogised his hypocritical nonsense to no end.
"We still have a few and the few are largely people in the military who participated in the liberation struggle, who feel that this is, ‘Us thing!’ and to use local language ‘Chinhu chedu!’,” said Biti.
"We have a group of deranged individuals oblivious to the plight of Zimbabweans who are concerned with two things and two things alone the power retention agenda and two, state capture or corruption under Emmerson Mnangagwa (President).
"This generation is a challenge not only in the military but in the length and breadth of Zimbabwe, it is a generation that is fighting a war that finished 40 years a go."
Biti was co-panellist on Dr Ibbo Mandaza’s SAPES Trust online Policy Dialogue. Ironically, the topic for discussion was "What will it take to reach a Settlement in Zimbabwe".
No one denies that Zanu PF thugs have held the nation to ransom but, more significantly and pertinently to the topic, it cannot be denied that Zimbabwe has had many golden opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and wasted them. During the 2008 to 2013 Government of National Unity (GNU) Zimbabwe had the best of these golden opportunities, it get out of jail card, and it was none other than our hypocrite Tendai Biti and his fellow MDC friends who wasted the chances.
Of course, it is sheer hypocrisy to rant on and on about Zanu PF corruption and greed when the very people ranting failed to remove Zanu PF from power because they too are corrupt and incompetent.
Indeed, Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies will not be in power today was it not for Tendai Biti and his MDC Alliance friends who, by participating in the rigged July 2018 elections, gave credibility to the process and legitimacy to the result. What is more our certified hypocrites knew this too!
In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe, Senator David Coltart, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU and now MDC A Treasurer General, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear Zanu PF was rigging the elections and yet none of the opposition candidates would do the common sense thing and withdraw from the race.
“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,” wrote Senator 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.”
The ordinary Zimbabweans have risked life and limb to elect Tendai Biti and his MDC friends into power on the belief they will deliver the democratic changes the nation has been dying for, metaphorically and literally too. All pretence of MDC leaders fighting for free, fair and credible elections has disappeared after the party failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 GNU.
"It is a generation that is driven by an entitlement, is a generation that is driven by impunity, it is a generation that is driven by destructive mindset, it is a generation driven by a messiah mindset that we liberated you, we are your own Jesus, so there is no Zimbabwe without us,” continued Tendai Biti.
Actions speaks louder than words, especially when it is a two-faced hypocrite like Tendai Biti speaking. What MDC action is saying is: “MDC A is not fighting to end the Zanu PF dictatorship or to end Chinhu chedu! We are fighting to join the ruling elite, Chinhu chedu! and a share of the spoils!”
Mugabe understood what Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti and the rest of the MDC leaders wanted and gave it to them; the ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. etc. With their snouts in the feeding trough, MDC leaders forgot about the reforms for five years of the GNU.
Mnangagwa allowed Tendai Biti, David Coltart and a few others to win 1/3 of the gravy train seats plus a share of annual Political Party Finance (Act) payout. Chamisa feels that his contribution to giving the vote rigging regime “legitimacy” deserves a bigger reward and has been demanding cabinet positions for himself and other MDC A leaders. Tendai Biti has been trawling for the Minister of Finance post, day and night for the two and half years!
There will be no meaningful reforms to ensure free and fair elections implemented before the next elections, not as long as Zanu PF remains in power. However, it is almost certain that Zanu PF will implement reforms to create Leader of Opposition and Shadow Cabinet complete with the ministerial limos, generous salaries, etc.; just to be certain of a full house opposition participation in future elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process happen to be.
It has not yet dawned on many Zimbabweans that Tendai Biti et al have failed to deliver even one democratic change in 20 years, 5 of which they were in power in the GNU. And worst of all, that they will never deliver free, fair and credible elections because they are now cooperating with Zanu PF to keep the status quo, for a share of the spoils of power.
Ever since the 2008 GNU MDC leaders have been running with the povo hare whilst hunting with the Zanu PF hounds.
The only reason sell-out MDC leaders still enjoy significant public support is because the Zimbabwe electorate is ill-informed, naive and gullible. Very few Zimbabweans understand what the 2008 GNU was about, even now with all the benefit of hindsight, for example. And so, they have failed to comprehend MDC leaders’ blatant betrayal in failing to implement the reform and to appreciate the humongous and far reaching consequences of the betrayal.
Zimbabweans have risked life and death for democratic change and all they ever got was two-faced and fasting talking hypocrites like Tendai Biti eulogising against Zanu PF corruption by day and negotiating with Zanu PF for a share of the spoils by night!
15 comments:
No one can ever deny that Zanu PF has held this nation to ransom, the regime has rigged elections denying the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country ever since the first post independence elections in 1980. However, what we cannot deny is that the nation has had many, many golden opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and wasted them. And it was none other than Tendai Biti and his MDC friends who had the best chances to dismantle the Zanu PD dictatorship and wasted them all.
It is therefore nonsense for Tendai Biti to now complain of Zanu PF holding the nation to ransom. You cannot complain of being in prison when you got the get out of jail card and failed to use it!
Zimbabweans must wake up to the political reality that Tendai Biti and company are corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs; they will never delivery any of the democratic changes the nation has been dying for all these years. They will give long speeches full of sound and fury, condemning Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies; knowing fully well that will change nothing. Zanu PF will remain in power and they will share the spoils of power!
PATRICK Chinamasa, acting spokesperson in President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF government, has announced that, through the signing of the government's "Global Compensation Agreement" on July 29, 2020, there is now acceptance from white commercial farmers that there will be no compensation for land from the Zimbabwean government.
Chinamasa emphasised that by agreeing on the amount of compensation for improvements, the timeframe for payment and the modalities for raising the resources, Zanu-PF wished it to be known that it no longer considered the Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU) and the Southern African Commercial Farmers' AllianceZimbabwe (Sacfa-Z) to be anti the land redistribution programme.
Further to these comments published in The Herald on August 5, 2020, Chinamasa stated that white farmer organisations were now no longer against the taking of their members' farms.
He called for the CFU and other farmer organisations to demand the unconditional lifting of sanctions imposed by the United States.
"As we go into the future, Zanu-PF expects the voice of the two organisations in calling for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions to be loud, clear and unambiguous," he said.
Chinamasa noted that the conclusion of the Global Compensation Agreement was "an acceptance by white commercial farmers that with respect to compensation for land, they should look elsewhere and not to the people of Zimbabwe nor to the Zimbabwe government.
"In terms of section 72(7) of our constitution, the obligation to pay compensation for land was placed squarely on the shoulders of the former colonial power, the British," Chinamasa added.
The sanctions were imposed because of Zanu PF’s contempt for other people’s rights and freedoms including the right to property, right to meaningful free vote and even the right to life. To lift the sanctions just because the regime has agreed to pay the white farmers compensation over the seized farms will leave a very bad taste in the mouth.
If those nations who imposed the sanction decide to lift the sanctions then let them. The white farmers must not call for the lifting of the sanctions, they must have nothing to do with that decision.
Zanu PF has been heavily criticised, rightly so too, for failing to hold free, fair and credible elections. During the 2008 to 2013 GNU the nation had the opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and thus stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. The whole world was shocked when at the end of the five years of the GNU, MDC had failed to implement even one token reform. Not one!
It was Tendai Biti and his MDC friends’ turn to be criticised; there was absolutely no excuse why they failed to implement even one reform in five years. The reason was obvious, greed, as Coltart rightly acknowledged.
When Chamisa claimed that “MDC had stringent ways to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!” before the 2018 elections. Everyone in the know knew this was just a feeble excuse why MDC A was participating in a flawed and illegal elections process whose result was a predetermined Zanu PF landslide victory. Chamisa could not admit MDC A was participating out of greed and so had to resort to the feeble excuse.
Zimbabwe has come a full circle; whilst the international community has condemned our elections for “numerous errors, lack of transparency, traceability and verifiability”. ZEC has failed to produce even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. Zimbabwe’s opposition politicians see nothing wrong.
The one thing Chamisa complained about in the July 2018 elections was that he had more votes that ZEC’s vote count for Mnangagwa. Both Chamisa and ZEC’s vote counts could not be verified, traced, etc., etc. as with the whole election process.
It real is rich for Tendai Biti to accuse Zanu PF of holding the nation to ransom when it was Biti and his MDC friends who have helped Zanu PF to stay in power by allowing Zanu PF to rig elections and providing the regime with a convenient democratic smokescreen to hide. Tendai Biti is just taking everyone for a fool!
You may well be right Abednico, this may well be rubbish. But out of respect to Patrick and all the readers out there, you should say why you think is rubbish. Or are you saying it is rubbish because you do not agree with him? (Knowing you as I do, is the right answer!)
@ Wiwa Sikhala
“31st July Movement. | We will never accept elite political pacts for the benefit of few politicians. Any attempt to seek another GNU will be resisted by the citizens. Citizens want their grievances to be attended to, short of it, the season of people’s action is upon us. No one will buy into a pact *yokudya* . Politicians have a tendency of looking at their immediate stomach interests.
“Zimbabwe needs institutional and democratic reforms.
“The 2009 to 2013 GNU taught us a big lesson. It’s only the elite who will be hobnobbing among themselves when we all suffer.
“The 2009 to 2013, did not solve the problems of the citizens. We could have all been happy today but we are still in the struggle to fight for the good of our nation. Even the constitution which is being talked about is being shred into pieces.”
Could not agree with you more Sikhala, the 2008 to 2013 GNU achieved nothing a historic fact that those in positions of power have carefully avoid to acknowledge much less to address. A new GNU with the same corrupt and incompetent individuals in the driving seats is a total waste of time and a betrayal of the masses.
The people themselves must wake-up to the political reality that the last GNU was a failure and to understand why. It is not rocket science to understand the GNU was tasked to implement the reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. It is does not require a genius to understand how Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders to forget about the reforms.
If we are serious about seeking democracy and good governance then lesson number one is that a healthy and functioning democracy demands an informed and diligent electorate. So far we have been a naive and gullible electorate and hence the reason the politicians from both sides of the political divide have ridden roughshod over us and got away with it again and again.
"In 2008 we negotiated a very difficult agreement, the GPA, which focused on stability more than democracy - doing a disservice to the agenda of democracy. It skirted the issue around security sector reforms.
"This time around, anyone who wants to be involved with Zimbabwe must understand that the problems are structural and that they cannot be white-washed," he said further.
"Mufamadi must know that the task ahead is huge because Zimbabweans are not going to take anything short of respecting their will.
"So we emphasise democracy over stability because the former is the guarantor of the latter," Biti added.
Even now with the country in a real mess because of the blatant betrayal of MDC in failing to implement the democratic reforms when they had the golden opportunity to do so; MDC leaders are still refusing to accept they sold out.
Zimbabwe, just like Lebanon, had the grave misfortune of having to grapple with the corona virus pandemic at a time when the country was already down and out after decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption. The massive explosion that destroyed so much of Beirut and claimed over 150 lives have made Lebanon’s situation even worse.
It is pleasing that the international community offering to help push Lebanon out of the man-made, it is indeed man-made, hell-on-earth the country finds itself stuck in; has accepted the need to dismantle country’s political system. Lebanon has been stuck with the same corrupt and incompetent ruling elite because of the political system that has rendered the ordinary people powerless and voiceless.
The 2008 to 2013 GNU has shown just how much Zanu PF and MDC Alliance, Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, have shared the spoils of power and cooperated to keep each other in power at the expense of the common people and good governance.
Tendai Biti and his MDC Alliance gave the vote rigging Zanu PF regime legitimacy by participating in flawed and illegal July 2018 elections. Right now the MDC A is angling for a big share of the political power; they will never implement the democratic reforms to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.
Zimbabwe, just like Lebanon, needs a complete overhaul of its political system and the ruling elite cannot be trusted to reform themselves out of power!
@ Gus Manatsa
“On point @Abednigo. The author pretends to criticise Zanu PF (a party that feels entitled to rule Zimbabwe forever) while his venom is aimed at the opposition. MDC has never been in power and therefore cannot be accused of not implementing any change. GNU was a coalition of 3 political parties, with Zanu PF retaining all influential cabinet posts. The military controlled the narrative behind the scenes...even running a parallel Finance Ministry that captured earnings from major natural resources……”
One of the reasons Zimbabwe is stuck in this man-made hell-on-earth is that the Zimbabwe electorate is naive and gullible with a binary mentality. Where others see all the colours of the rainbow they only see two black or white, right or wrong. Having classified Zanu PF as the bad guys and MDC as the good guys it is simply inconceivable that MDC can do wrong; it is inconceivable that both Zanu PF and MDC can be bad guys.
The task of implementing the democratic reform in the GNU was for MDC to do because Zanu PF would never implement reforms to stop itself rigging elections. Why MDC leaders failed to implement reforms is because they were “too busy enjoying themselves being in the GNU they forgot why they were there!” as one SADC diplomat aptly put it.
Last July Nelson Chamisa admitted to New Zimbabwe that MDC “sat, ate and did nothing during the 2008 GNU!” You, with your binary mentally cannot accept MDC leaders sold-out, we can all see that but you should never think that will ever change the historic facts on the matter.
@ Gus Manatsa
“Nonsensical. 2008/9 was about stabilising a failed economy. The so-called ranting Biti proved to be one of the best Finance Ministers Zim has ever had. The only other was Benard Chidzero. Within 5 years, the economy had started to roar back on, no fuel shortages, supermarkets were fully stocked, etc. Zanu PF still ran a parallel finance ministry from the evil Shake Shake building by diverting earnings from major country resources. The military still called the shots. Zanu PF had over 30 years to loot and capture all state institutions and no one in their right would have expected a forced GNU to effect any meaningful changes. The MDC agreed to the "marriage of convenience" to save the country of total collapse. Fullstop.”
SADC refused to recognised Mugabe and Zanu PF as the legitimate government at the end of the 2008 elections. The regional body proposed the formation of a GNU as a stop gap measure until the country could hold the next elections.
The question is did SADC refuse to recognise Zanu as the legitimate government because the Zimbabwe economy had failed and needed stabilising, as you are suggesting above? Or they refused to recognise Zanu PF’s claim as the winner of 2008 elections because the blatant cheating and wanton violence?
Of course, it was for the latter! The primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the democratic reforms to stop a repeat of the cheating and violence. Stabilising the economy was important but it was not the primary purpose of the GNU.
MDC leaders failed to get even one reform implemented in five years because they are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. The military played no part in that; another figment of your shallow binary mentality!
Abednico Mwembe
I told you before and I will tell you again it does not matter who said what, just focus on what was said. It is the ideas that are important and not the person!
It is the whole Zanu PF regime that is illegitimate and not just Mnangagwa because the whole electoral process was a farce. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters' roll, the process was not transparent, could not be traced and verified, etc., etc. Chamisa wanted the Constitutional Court to declare him the winner although he too failed to produce the V11 forms and other relevant documents so people could verify where he got his 2.6 million votes from. No doubt he does not mind that the whole election process was flawed and illegal as long as he is declared the winner.
"We are of the firm view that any solution to the ongoing socio-economic lies in resolving the political crisis and answering the outstanding legitimacy question."
This is just arrogance! If Mnangagwa shares power with MDC then the legitimacy question will be resolved. It is not for Chamisa to withhold and/or grant legitimacy to anyone, only the people of Zimbabwe through free, fair and credible elections can do that!
@ James Sikayi
“One party clinging to power by whatever means and the other party wants to get into power by all means necessary including foreign intervention . To me, both parties are not interested in the plight of the citizens Full stop.”
You are 100% correct! When MDC got into power in the GNU the forgot about the reforms because they were now busy enjoying themselves.
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidzi kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have learned to enjoy the trappings of power, they will never rock the boat!) Zanu PF cronies boasted when asked why MDC leaders were not implementing the reforms during the GNU.
Chamisa et al participated in the July 2018 elections knowing fully well that Mnangagwa was rigging the elections. By participating MDC gave the flawed and illegal elections credibility and Chamisa was disappointed that Mnangagwa did not reward him and a few MDC leaders with cabinet positions.
The only democratic reforms we are certain to see is the creation of the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Cabinet position complete with the ministerial limos, salaries, etc. to consolidate the Zanu PF and MDC political partnership. The two parties do not care about the plight of the ordinary people or reforms to restore the people’s freedoms and rights.
@ Abednico Mwembe
“What makes you James silly and crazy is you do not even know that for us to remove the Rhodesian govt it was foreigners who helped us by all means including arms of fire . Russian China and Cuba are some of those foreigners . What makes you even more silly is when America Britain ,Germany or France when they pour billions of dollars into the country for food and others things you feel happy . Bcoz you want to be spoon fed . Is that not wrong enough for you?”
Zimbabwe was not the only country to get military and economic aid and other country have not become Banana Republics like Zimbabwe. So military and economic aid has nothing to do with our political leaders being corrupt and incompetent. Have naive, gullible and shallow minded voters like you have certainly contributed to Zimbabwe becoming a failed state!
You may be a Zanu PF double agent pretending to be a MDC supporter or may be a plain MDC supporter either way you are a village idiot! Just as well you do not know just how stupid you are, will never know!
@ Abednico Mwembe
“Wilbert Mukori Well your father and your mother and you joined them when you reached the age of voting to vote Zanu that is a fact your fathers since 1980 were busy singing jongwe rakakunda from morning to sun set you have Zanu blood in you and you have benefited from Zanu your even emulate Satan Mugabe by putting glasses . I started voting in 1980 for zapu then and have never voted for Zanu do you understand .A political thug is you who always attack every one trying to bring Change bcoz you do not want Zanu to be out . You are full of Kak and you never realise how pple always dislike your rubbish . Blood idiot swine.”
MDC has not been “trying to bring change”; they had the golden opportunity to do so and failed to get even one reform implemented even when they had the golden opportunity to do so. They wasted the best opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship in the last 40 years because they are corrupt and incompetent; that is a historic fact.
Zimbabwe is in a serious political and economic mess and millions of our people now live in abject poverty. The country needs to be honest with itself and not bury our heads in the sand and pretend MDC leaders have done nothing wrong when the historic facts says otherwise.
I am stating the facts as I see them and if I have the wrong end of the stick then I rightly deserve to be called a “bloody idiotic swine!” If the facts are correct then those who continue to bury their heads in the sand are the idiots!
@ Abednico Mwembe
“Wilbert Mukori They is no single fact that you have said, you must stop this tendency of boasting about nothing. You are just very bitter MDC alliance nothing else. You have attacked the party more than Zanu has done including baseless blatant childish lies.”
Let me remind you once again what we are talking about here:
Has Zimbabwe had any opportunities to implement the democratic reforms and thus end the curse of Zanu PF rigging the elections and the bad governance?
The answer is yes, with the best chances coming during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.
The next question is: why did the nation fail to get even one reform implemented during the 2008 GNU?
The answer is Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends sold-out.
These are historic facts and your denying these historic facts cannot go unchallenged because it is not only foolish but worse still it is holding the nation back.
By participating in the flawed and illegal 2013 and 2018 elections the corrupt, incompetent and sell-out MDC leaders gave the process credibility and Zanu PF legitimacy. By continuing to support these sell-outs opposition opportunists, Zimbabweans are themselves helping to perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship.
You clearly think Zimbabweans must continue to support MDC A and it drives you nuts to hear these MDC leaders called corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs. I call them that because that is what they are and will not allow a dimwit who refuse to acknowledge historic facts to tell me otherwise.
I am not here to message your and your MDC leaders’ misplaced egos, you all do not want the truth about you told. The destiny of the country is at stake, we need meaningful democratic change and you idiots are standing in the way and must be told in no uncertain terms to fcuk off! That is exactly what I am doing. If MDC leaders do not want to be held to account then they should have never held public office!
@ Abednico Mwembe
“Wilbert Mukori let me remind you again Zanu will never reform itself out of power and that you are just day dreaming and you know and your boss Maduku knows it too. Stop annoying pple with your reforms which will never happen under Zanu.
“Why don't you talk to Zanu PF about reforms.”
Abednico, you are brain dead because you are incapable of discussing the issue without letting you simple and shallow mind wander all over the place. The tragedy for Zimbabwe is there are many brain dead idiots like you and, most important of all, you idiots have the vote! And unless we drill some sense into you lot, the country is not going to get out of this hell-hole!
So here we go again!
We are talking about the 2008 to 2013 GNU and why not even one reform was implemented. Zanu PF was never going to implement the reforms and reform itself out of office and so, of the GNU partners, Zanu PF was not going to implement the reforms. And so the only GNU partners who were expected to implement the reforms was MDC leaders.
MDC had the opportunity to implement the reforms but failed to implement even one reform because the MDC leaders are corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs. MDC went on to sell-out by participating in the 2013 and then 2018 elections giving Zanu PF legitimacy.
What is the point of “talking to Zanu PF about reforms” when we know the party will never implement the reforms. The country must deal with these MDC sell-outs who keep participating in flawed elections and giving Zanu PF legitimacy and thus keeping us stuck in this mess.
Denying that MDC leaders are corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs is not helping us get out of this mess.
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