The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. For 40 years the nation has beeb stuck with corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship and it shows.
40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the country’s, once robust and promising, economy in ruins. Unemployment has soared to nauseating heights of 90%, basic services such as education and health care have all but collapsed and over 34% of the population now live in extreme poverty.
The de facto Zanu PF one-party dictatorship has stifled public debate and democratic competition making politic such a dirty and dangerous game only corrupt and incompetent thugs seek public office. It is this death of quality leaders in both the ruling party and the multitude of opposition parties, 130 at the last count, that explains the political paralysis in Zimbabwe.
The economic meltdown has pushed the nation to the very edge of the precipitous abyss, the economic hardships have made the country politically and socially unstable. There is only so much suffering and deaths human beings can tolerate before the rebel, we are not that far from reaching that limit in Zimbabwe.
It is not too late to stop and turn back from the abyss. All we need to do is implement the democratic reforms to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible elections. A very tall order but not mission impossible!
If we are ever going to have free, fair and credible elections, we need to understand why the country has failed to have such elections so far.
During the fight for independence there was never any doubt in the blacks’ mind that they were fighting to end white colonial exploitation and oppression and replace it with black majority rule where all will enjoy freedom, justice, peace, liberty and economic prosperity. “One man! One vote!” was the rallying cry.
The black nationalists who took up arms to fight to end white colonial rule were called “freedom fighters” and “liberators”. There was never an qualms they could be anything else much less the corrupt and murderous tyrants many have turned out to be. Of course, we were being naive and have paid dearly for our naivety.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14
In 1980, Robert Mugabe and his fellow Zanu PF nationalists did not withdraw all the party’s freedom fighters into Assembly Points as agreed in the Lancaster House Talks. The fighters campaign message to the populous was that the civil war would continue if Zanu PF did not win the elections.
Some people have tried to dismiss Zanu PF’s threat to make the country ungovernable as just an electioneering gambit that had very little effect in the electoral outcome. The 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi massacre in which over 20 000 innocent Zimbabweans were murdered in cold blood has settled the question of what Zanu PF would do to secure absolute power.
The primary purpose of the Gukurahundi massacre was to force the late Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu to sign the 1987 Unity Accord merging the two party into Zanu PF and paving the way for the imposing of the de facto one party dictatorship. Ever since, Zanu PF has blatantly rigged the elections under the pretext those calling for free and fair elections were threatening unity and peace. A feeble excuse for denying the people their basic freedoms and rights and to justify abandoning the straight and narrow path.
By the late 1990s many Zimbabweans had finally come to the conclusion that Mugabe and many his Zanu PF cronies were corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs and not the liberation heroes and heroines who cared about the freedoms and rights of all Zimbabweans. It was a bitter pill to swallow but many did swallow it. There was a national consensus that the nation will need to carryout democratic changes designed to end Zanu PF’s carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig elections.
In 1999 Morgan Tsvangirai and his friends launched their party, November for Democratic Change (MDC), promising to deliver the democratic changes, as their party name implied, the nation was dying for. Sadly, after 21 years on the political stage, 5 of which in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, MDC has failed to implement even one token reform.
By continuing to participate in flawed and illegal elections the MDC have given credibility to the process and, by extension, given some modicum of legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF regime.
To avoid taking the final steps over the edge of the precipitous abyss, Zimbabwe must ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible. There are two courses of action:
Plan A
Must implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. Since any Zanu PF led government, on its own or in a GNU arrangement, will not implement the reforms, the party will never reform itself out of office; Zanu PF must step down to allow the appointment of a body that will implement he reforms.
The opportunity to pressure Zanu PF to step down was lost because the opposition participated in the July 2018 elections. Still the worsening economic meltdown is putting the regime under great pressure as this is unsustainable.
Plan B
If the 2023 elections go ahead with no reforms in place; this time, no stone must be left unturned to ensure the outcome is declare null and void and Zanu PF regime declared illegitimate. The world must be left in no doubt that the Zimbabwe opposition participating in these flawed elections are sell-out with no political credibility.
The people of Zimbabwe must wake up to the political reality that the opposition are running with the povo hare and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds.
The very fact that Zanu PF thugs have blatantly rigged the elections again and again for the last 40 years and we, the people, have allowed the regime to get away with it speaks volumes of our own political naivety.
Freedoms and rights including the right to a free vote and even the right to life are God given and every man and woman’s birth right. But like everything else in this world, these freedoms and rights will only be enjoyed by those who take their responsibility to claim them as their own and, if need be, defend them with their very lives.
If we are ever going to have free, fair and credible elections and the enjoy the fruits of good governance then we must earn it by demanding reforms. Like it or not, we are our own master our own liberators.
15 comments:
@ Bigboy Sibanda
Zimbabweans stop barking and start biting. This rogue regime openly breaks the international laws, who holds them to account? They continue pushing the boundaries and no one fights back. They should be removed if they're not prepared to operate within the law. They cannot continue to impinge on people's constitutional rights. Regardless of threats and intimidation tactics by the State, Zimbabweans must arise and stop barking and start biting, make this regime uncomfortable.
Years of oppression have socialised people into accepting the abnormal, that its ok to be abused in silence, no it's not. We cannot continue treading the same trail and expect a different outcome from a dictatorship whose only language is relentless state-sponsored terrorism. Zimbabwe stop barking and start biting.
Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections and the only reason they are in power is because MDC participated in the elections giving the process some credibility and, by extension, the vote rigging Zanu PF regime some legitimacy. What is the point of complaining after the elections of Zanu PF being a rogue regime we should hold to account when, come the elections, we participate out of selfish greed and give it legitimacy.
Mark my words, Chamisa and company will participate in the 2023 elections even with no verified voters’ roll! The opposition are sell-out, it is a great pity that Zimbabweans have to open their eyes and see it.
Mr Kadzere urged those who were graduating to believe in themselves.
"The biggest difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is not intelligence, opportunity or resources but a belief that they can achieve their goals," he said.
"Life does not usually follow the plans we lay out for ourselves. There are ups and downs in life. True success will be defined by how one responds to these circumstances," he said.
As few as 2% of Zimbabwe graduates have gone on find a job, such is the economic reality in the country. It is irresponsible to even suggest that the 98% who were forced to sell trinkets by the street corners did not dare dream.
What Zimbabwe needs is to bite the bullet and address the root cause of the country’s economic meltdown - decades of bad governance.
On Tuesday, the ministry of information secretary, Nick Mangwana announced the government would start paying, as funeral cover, an equivalent of US$500 for every civil servant who passed away.
“Starting immediately, government will pay an equivalent US$500 in funeral assistance for any civil servant who passes away. This is regardless of any funeral policy the member may have. The money is paid to a surviving spouse, adult children, or agreed dependent,” he said.
This is very generous especially to those getting as little as US$30 pm. Is the regime being cynical in saying it going to be stingy and stubbornly refuse to pay the workers a living wage only to be generous when the die!
POLITICS HAS BECOME A PERMANENT TOOL FOR THE PRIMITIVE ACCUMULATION OF STATE RESOURCES IN ZANUPF, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA ASSERTS.
At a juncture of widespread poverty and extreme economic woes, Zanupf politicians are not ashamed to choose conspicuous extravagance and barefaced corruption manifesting through some greedy ministers who continue to loot with impunity. Mdc Alliance Namibia is cobra-headed to witness stomach politicians of plunder and self-enrichment forging ahead eating on behalf of the masses who continue to gnash their teeth in abject poverty.
This is very true that Zanu PF has been looting with impunity! But what must be said here is that MDC leaders have repeatedly failed to hold Zanu PF to account and, worst of all, MDC leaders are they ones participating in flawed elections giving the illegitimate regime legitimacy.
MDC keeps saying they want reforms implemented to ensure free, fair and credible elections and yet, come elections, they participate with no reform. Indeed MDC failed to implement even one reforms when they had the chance to do so.
It is infuriating that MDC members have never lifted a finger to hold their party leaders to democratic account all these years.
@ Fanual
The denial of freedom of the masses by Zanu pf led government has gone too far. What the Zanu pf led government is forgetting is that its party is a minority which survives and rule through force . But no one has monopoly over that forever.
The scientific concept of dictatorship, relying on the force supplied by the army, police and secret services is uncalled for.
It is on record that Mnangagwa had been and is still an overzealous agent of the purges since Mugabe error. He presided over the purges of the Ndebele people in the 1980s , killing about 20 000 people. All this was done to remain on power.
Zanu PF would no longer be in power today if MDC had implemented the democratic reforms when they had the opportunity to do so during 2008 to 2013 GNU. It is insane to keep complaining about Zanu PF oppression and yet say nothing about MDC selling out.
@ Prisca Ncube
“I do not understand you plan A and plan B. In plan A you know that Zanu will not reform itself out of power, why is that in plan A category? You complain again of opposition that took part in the elections. Is that still in your plan A solutions?
“Your plan B is to let the international community know that zanu rigged the 2023 elections once more: Can that be classified as a genuine plan B mr Mukori. Are we bereft of ideas? Read your plan A and plan B once more!”
There are two historic realities that must be acknowledged and appreciated here:
that Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections and all the nations and organisations with any democratic credibility condemned the elections as a farce. Nonetheless Zanu PF is in office thanks to Zimbabwe’s opposition who sold-out and participated in the flawed elections giving the process credibility and, by extension, giving the vote rigging Zanu PF some modicum of legitimacy.
the key to ending Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is implementing the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections.
Plan A in about getting the reforms implemented before the 2023 elections. The plan acknowledges that Zanu PF will never implement the democratic reforms and hence the need to demand that the regime steps down. The regime must step down because it is illegitimate, the modicum of legitimacy derived from the sell-outs counts for nothing.
The second reason Zanu PF must step down is that the party has failed to rig economic recovery and as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state the situation is only going to get worse. 8 million Zimbabweans are facing starvation and the world is not going to help because Zanu PF has earned the reputation of looting the nation’s resources and foreign aid!
Zanu PF is holding the nation to ransom and has done so for the last 40 years. Enough is enough!
Plan B is the answer to; what if Zanu PF refuse to step down and 2023 elections go ahead with no reforms? What then? Zanu PF is counting on the opposition to, once again, sell-out and participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms. It is incumbent on every thinking Zimbabwean out there to make it clear to the sell-out opposition that they want free and fair elections and stop supporting the sell-outs. By starving the sell-out opposition of public support we will starve them of political credibility and thus starve Zanu PF the modicum of legitimacy.
If the 2023 elections went ahead with no reforms then the elections must be declared null and void and Zanu PF’s illegitimacy must be established there and then, as happened in 2008.
@ Nomazulu
If its not tribal, then the gender aspect comes centre-stage. Thokozani Khuphe suffers both, where she comes from first and a woman as such. All fingers are pointing at Thokozani who sold out.
However, I personally am not happy with Thoko’s politics of working together with Zanu government to crush Chamisa. Do not insult her please.
We seem not to understand the pain Thokozani Khuphe is going through. We have overlooked serious timelines, beginning with the time the late Morgen Richard Tsvangirai appointed two VPs, openly disregarding Khuphe to take over as the interim leader: apparently Tsvangirai’s instinct told him that he was not surviving the terminal cancer.
Zimbabwe's politics is politics of slogans and personality and not of ideas and ideology. The reason for it is as plain to see as one's nose; Zimbabweans' understanding of issues is very shallow and superficial.
What Chamisa did in seizing power following Tsvangirai's death was unconstitutional and the very fact that some people still refuse to accept this historic fact only goes to show just how shallow they are.
Both Chamisa and Khupe have refused to accept the historic fact that, by failing to implement even one reform, MDC sold-out during the 2008 to 2013 GNU showing just how shallow they are too. Khupe has made her situation even worse by joining Mnangagwa's POLAD.
The problem in Zimbabwe is the people themselves, they are refusing to accept that MDC leaders are corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs even in the face of the mountain of evidence to prove it. Democracy demands an informed and vigilant electorate not a naive and gullible one whose political thinking is rooted in personalities.
Zimbabweans should stop complaining about the impact of Western sanctions on the country and instead focus on creatively leveraging on available human and natural resources to steer growth and development, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
The President said this in his address to the country’s 286 traditional chiefs in Gweru.
Western nations imposed economic and other sanctions on Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium after Harare embarked on the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme that resulted in tens of thousands of indigenes being allocated farms previously held by around 6 000 white farmers.
Yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the embargo had negatively impacted on development, but it was time the nation stopped whining about this reality and instead turned its attentions to factors that it had control over.
“Takaita masanctions edu atidzorera shure, asi ikozvino hatichafaniri kuramba tichichema namasanctions. Nezvatinazvo, tikabatana tinosimuka. Nyika yedu inosimuka. Matoona kuti tava nesolution in the area of agriculture and the area of food security. Tava nesolution nemasolutions in manufacturing.”
The white regime of Ian Smith had to deal with more stringent UN sanctions and yet the economic never collapse to the same degree the economy has down under the targeted sanction. Gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the lawlessness that have earned Zimbabwe the pariah state label are the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. Zanu PF did not want to admit the real causes and so has been arguing that sanctions are the cause, just to hide behind a finger.
SADC countries has designated 25 October as “Anti-Sanctions Day!” under pressure from Zimbabwe. So now SADC countries are being told Zimbabwe has solutions to spur the country’s economic recovery regardless of the sanctions. It was a stupid cause and all SADC leaders must be relieved they do not need to sing this sanction nonsense ever again.
The immediate question one has to ask is; why now? The targeted sanctions were imposed 20 years ago and why has it taken Zanu PF all these years to come up with the antidote to sanction.
Since Zanu PF has done nothing to end the mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness it is clear there will be no meaningful economic recovery. Mnangagwa will be back to blaming Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown to sanctions, hiding behind his little finger.
@ Sir Alan Duncan
Right hon. and hon. Members will be well aware of the importance of sanctions, which are a key element of our approach to our most important international priorities. They help to defend our national interests, support our foreign policy and protect our national security. They also demonstrate our support for the rules-based international order.
The UK has been a leading contributor to the development of multilateral sanctions in recent years. We have been particularly influential in guiding the EU’s approach, which is why, when we transpose the EU sanctions regimes to the UK, we intend to carry over its policy effect. I will say more about that in a moment.
We are committed to maintaining our sanctions capabilities and leadership role after we leave the EU. Colleagues will recall that the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 provides the UK with the legal powers to impose, update and lift sanctions after we leave the EU. This was the first major legislative step in creating an independent UK sanctions framework.
However, although the Act sets out the framework needed to impose our own independent sanctions, we need statutory instruments to set out the detail of each sanctions regime within that framework. Such statutory instruments set out the purposes of our sanctions regimes, the criteria under which the Secretary of State may designate individuals and entities and the types of restrictive measures imposed. They do not specify which individuals or entities will be sanctioned. The Government will publish the list of those we are sanctioning under UK legislation when the prohibitions come into force. We will seek to transfer EU designations in each case, but those decisions will be subject to the legal tests set out in the Act. Any EU listings that do not meet the tests will not be implemented.
To the British and many others it was as clear as day that Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. There is total confusion in many Zimbabweans’ mind. They have no idea what constitutes free, fair and credible elections; even when presented with such evidence as 3 million in the diaspora denied the vote, ZEC’s failure to produce a verified voters’ roll, etc. No wonder the country is in a real mess with such a naive and gullible electorate, what else!
A healthy and functioning democracy demands an informed and diligent electorate. Most Zimbabweans' understanding of even as basic issues as free and fair elections is very superficial, at best. 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied a vote and ZEC failed to produce a verified voters' roll; this was enough to render the elections null and void. The 3 million should have taken MDC to task for participating in such flawed elections. They did not and remain to this day the most faithful supporters of the opposition.
Zanu PF is counting of the opposition to participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms just as the opposition politicians are counting on the naive and gullible electorate to support them regardless of the fact the opposition are selling out.
Zanu PF would have been declared illegitimate and forced to step down following the July 2018 elections if MDC and the rest of the opposition had not sold out and participated in the flawed elections. Plan A would have worked.
Plan B depends on the Zimbabwe electorate finally realising that MDC leaders are now running with the povo hare and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds. This is a very tall order given we are talking about an extremely naive and gullible electorate!
@ Mukwirivindi
“Wilbert, there are facts I fail to logically link in the premise of your arguments you often repeat more often than what the Pope does to the lord's prayer. You argue that "failure to hold free and fair elections is the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic woos". How are free and fair elections capable of managing Zimbabwe's economy??
“You also talk of 40 years poor economic mismanagement by Zanu. One then tends to sceptically conclude that you are of the view that elections are capable of selecting people who are very very good in economic management of the country. This is a great fallacy of composition my dear countryman.
“Look at Chamisa, he was elected to be leader of the MDC A, and even got some commendable votes on presidential elections, but from his manifestations ever since, does he strike you as someone who is capable of managing the economy of Zimbabwe if he were to be elected in a free and fair election.
“A free and fair election has a huge risk that there is a very good chance of heralding a second Idi Amin into power, or a second Nkrunziza who will end up saying his word is the law (thank God an unexplained sickness forced him to pass on power).
“What will you then do if the free and fair elections bring a president who will declare himself a life president. I am not far-fatching these examples, because Chamisa has all the traits of such a person. Then if it happens, how will Zimbabweans rescue themselves from such a person who will be having guns on his side. Remember not all those who preach the Bible are Christians, as some just use the Bible as a ladder to their intended mission. Thus, it is not necessarily correct for you to say free and fair elections result in good economic management. Political rhetoric and expertise in economic management do not necessarily co-exist, and one is never a sequel of the other.”
Are you arguing for the sake of arguing because a nation is less likely to have a dictator in power if the elections are free, fair and credible then if elections are rigged. And, again, if elections are free and fair then the people will choose to remove the tyrant and if elections are rigged they are stuck with the tyrant.
40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption under Zanu PF have destroyed the country’s economy; surely you are not disputing that!
"As of 20 October 2020, Zimbabwe has recorded 8 187 confirmed cases including 7 692 recoveries and 233 deaths. Twenty-eight new cases and one death were reported in the last 24 hours and the seven-day rolling average for new cases rose to 22 from 20 the previous day," read the statement from the Ministry.
The national recovery rate stands at 94 percent while active cases went up to 262.
About 791 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests were done while positivity rate was 3.5 percent.
Zimbabwe has managed to keep its corona virus figures very low by the simple act of not testing. Ever since the corona virus outbreak, the country has failed to carry out more than 1 000 tests per day. Frontline workers like health care workers are supposed to be tested at least once a very weeks but will bet many have been tested only once in 8 months, with some yet to be tested!
Zimbabwe has been lucky that corona virus has not been as deadly as ebola!
MINING sector workers have been awarded a 22 percent wage increase, which will see the lowest paid employee for the period October to December 2020, earning a basic salary of ZWL$18 000.
Previously, the lowest paid was earning a basic of ZWL$14 750 as at September 30,2020. The increase follows a recent agreement between the Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (AMWUZ) and the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe.
A 22% pay rise when month to month inflation is 35% is tantamount to getting a pay cut of 13%.
This agreement is only for three months and salary negotiation are due to start all over again in a few weeks time! What a nightmare!
Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown will remain as long as nothing is done to end the gross mismanagement, the rampant corruption and the lawlessness making Zimbabwe a pariah state. The cure of a pariah state is holding free, fair and credible elections.
The right to a meaningful vote is the key to fixing Zimbabwe; it is sad and tragic that many Zimbabweans out there have yet to see this. Zimbabweans have paid dearly for the 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption; they have done little, if anything at all, to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. They have to learn that change will never come without them working for it.
It is shocking that many Zimbabweans still have no clue what constitute free, fair and credible elections much less stand up and be counted when elections are rigged!
FOLLOWING A JOC MEETING HELD ON THE 1OTH OF AUGUST 2020 ON THE BACKDROP OF ONGOING INCESSANT ATTACKS ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE CMM HIS EXCELLENCY CMM CDE EMMERSON MNANGAGWA CMM THE RULING PARTY ZANU PF AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE BY MALCONTENTS IN ZIMBABWE AND IN THE DIASPORA WHO ARE WORKING IN CAHOOTS WITH OUR ERSTWHILE COLONISERS TO DESTABILISE ZIMBABWE AND PAVE WAY FOR AN ILLEGAL REGIME CHANGE CMM IT IS HEREBY DIRECTED THAT ALL SECURITY SERVICES BE ON HIGH ALERT AND REINVIGORATE EFFORTS TO STOP THIS GROWING ANTI- GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN.
Zanu PF has failed to rig economic recovery and instead of acknowledging its failures the regime is stepping up measures to silence dissent and retain its iron grip on power. This is all what the regime cares about!
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