Democracy is the greatest gift the Greeks gave to mankind. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people,” as US President Abraham Lincoln defined democracy in his famous Gettysburg speech in 1863.
The Greeks realised, all those 2 500 years ago, that democracy will only work if the people are educated and are allowed to think for themselves freely. They embraced freedom of expression so whole heartedly they named their battle ships Freedom and Freedom of Expression.
Democracy has failed to take root in Zimbabwe for many reasons, one of which is that those brandishing the banner of democracy and claiming to champion it cause have been undermining democracy. Instead of educating the populous they have misinformed and confused them.
“This time last year, Excelgate was about to be published, in the expectation, inter alia, that the MDC Alliance, in particular, would capitalise on the revelations therein, to both fuel their legal challenge against the Constitutional Court's ruling on the disputed 2018 presidential election; and mount a concerted political campaign that would include the exposure to the Zimbabwean population in general and, in particular, the millions whose votes were stolen of an electoral system so rotten that it has reduced elections in Zimbabwe to a mockery of democracy,” wrote Dr Ibbo Mandaza.
“Such a legal and political campaign might have at least contained or even pre-empted the impunity with which the Zanu-PF/State has now staged the most blatant assault on the electorate, the voter and democracy itself. Namely, the recall of democratically elected parliamentarians, to be replaced undemocratically, illegally and unconstitutionally by appointment to Parliament of persons who had performed dismally in the 2018 elections. Add to that the cynical act of declaring a loser as the "Leader of the Opposition" in Parliament. The Khupe Coup! A tragicomedy that includes the summary cancellation of by-elections in which the voters hoped, albeit naively given the history of elections in Zimbabwe, to re-affirm the choice they had made in 2018, and thereby have their recalled legislators returned to Parliament in December 2020.”
What a mouthful! Spit it out and thoroughly rinse your mouth because it is worse than nonsense.
I confess that I have not read Excelgate but from the extracts and synopsis it is clear the book deals with the irregularities in the counting of the votes in the July 2018 elections, the compilation of the results in the V11 at Polling Station, V23A and B at counting centres and the Excel Spreed sheet at ZEC command centre.
Excelgate did not mention at 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote (more than 2.3 million votes Mnangagwa claimed to win), ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, etc., etc.
The July 2018 elections were a mockery of democracy because it denied millions of voters their right to vote, failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, etc. Even is the counting of the votes had gone ahead without a single mistake, deliberate or otherwise, the elections would still be condemned.
The July 2018 elections should have never gone ahead without first implementing the democratic reforms to ensure all those eligible to vote are given the opportunity to do so, ZEC produces a verified voters’ roll, etc.
The truth is Dr Ibbo Mandaza does not know what constitutes free, fair and credible elections. So is given to condemning an election process today and praising the same process to the high heaven tomorrow depending on result, who is the winner, and not the process.
When Tendai Biti and a few others broke away from MDC in 2014, Morgan Tsvangirai recalled the lot. Dr Khupe has used the same constitutional provision to recall MPs and councillors and we are now told this “undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional”. Was the recall democratic, legal and constitutional in 2014?
“A tragicomedy that includes the summary cancellation of by-elections!” The real tragedy, and it is no laughing matter, is the voters are being encourage to believe the cancelled by-elections was an attack on democracy when there is no democracy.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections to secure a 2/3 parliamentary majority and the presidency. The party has allowed the opposition to win a few gravy train seats, bait to entice them to participate in the elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process got.
All opposition candidates, including those from Khupe’s faction, Chamisa factions and the multitude of other parties and independent candidates, who participated in the July 2018 elections are sell-outs. They knew, by participating, they were undermining the fight for free, fair and credible elections.
Mnangagwa and Zanu PF know as long as they are able to attract the opposition to participate in the flawed elections they will derive some legitimacy and will not need to implement any reforms.
Zanu PF has not implemented even one meaningful democratic reform since the July 2018 election. Mnangagwa promised to allow the 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora to vote next time but has done nothing about it. Come 2023, the situation will not have changed much and, mark my words, Zanu PF will blatantly rig those elections.
The December 2020 by-elections will be conducted under exactly the same flawed and illegal conditions as the July 2018 elections. Right on clue, our cheer leaders of democracy are hoping mad that by-elections are being cancelled. No doubt the same cheer leaders and the populous will go berserk if the 2023 elections were to be delayed to allow meaningful reforms to be implemented.
In short, the foolish hysteria in defence of recalled MDC A sell-outs and cancelled by-elections, by the demagogues and ignoramus masquerading as champions of democracy, is helping to perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship by portraying the status quo as the epoch of democracy. There should be no elections, national or by-elections, in Zimbabwe until all the reforms are implemented to ensure the elections are free, fair and credible.
We must not give up the moral high ground; the demand for free, fair and credible elections; for the sake of fighting the by-election skirmish. The 2023 elections, the decisive battle, must be free, fair and credible or else be declared null and void and to be absolutely certain of that we must have and held the moral high ground at all times.
17 comments:
This is nonsense! Tsvangirai recalled Biti and company in 2014 and you did not denounce it as "undemocratic and illegal". What has changed?
Zimbabwe is not a democracy and to defend this rubbish as if it was the very epoch of democracy is counter productive because it will only encourage the status quo!
This is an opinion concerning the illegality of a government decree suspending by-elections on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 Regulations
We have already seen that elections in Zimbabwe are a mockery. We know that Zanu PF has reduced the poor in society who are dependent on food aid into medieval serfs who will not dare defy the overbearing Zanu PF landlords. Holding elections under these conditions is just an exercise in futility especially with the worsening economic situation in the country.
Does the Election Resource Centre accept the national elections in July 2018 were NOT free, fair and credible?
To keep insisting that elections must go on without looking at just how flawed, illegal and meaningless the process has become is not only stupid but a serious deserve to the nation.
Zimbabwe does not only have the problem of corrupt and incompetent political leaders, the problem permeates to all other sections of society. In ERC we have just one example of a rogue civic society the nation would be better off if is was not there.
"The key conditions the United States require Zimbabwe to satisfy remain the same - the restoration of the rule of law, free and fair elections, equitable, legal and transparent land reform … military and national police subordinate to a civilian-led government.
"If Zimbabwe were to fully align its laws to the 2013 Constitution and follow through on President Mnangagwa's own promises of reform, it would meet these requirements," Nichols further told the Daily News On Sunday.
Zanu PF is never going to reform itself out of office and with the nation now on the very edge of the abyss and time for change fast running out; the people of Zimbabwe must grasp the nettle and demand that Zanu PF steps down now before it is too late. Zanu PF has held this nation to ransom for the last 40 years, it was foolish to have allowed this all these years.
Of course, the people had the power and many opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship but failed to do so because they had taken leave of their senses and refused to think. They are now facing a simple choice think or perish!
We are going to deploy outreach vans to all the provinces to sensitise people about the anti-sanctions drive.
We will reach out to regional SADC partners and the international community to join Zimbabwe in condemning the heinous sanctions.
We want to demonstrate that Government is doing a lot to circumvent the illegal sanctions and develop the country using locally mobilised resources. It is time to prove to Zimbabwe's detractors that we can do it on our own as their unrelenting kicks will spur us forward.
The people of Zimbabwe have heard this nonsense before; Zanu PF keeps promising to coming up with measures to boost the economy regardless of the sanctions and yet the economic meltdown has got progressively worse and worse. Sanctions are not the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, corruption and mismanagement are and as long as nothing is done to address the real causes the economic meltdown will continue!
I will be surprised if many SADC countries, especially SA after all the humiliation President Ramaphosa has got from Zanu PF, will take part in any 25 October Anti-Sanctions this year or in the future. They are smart enough to know this is just a farce.
SA has woken up to the reality of how just how serious the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe has become and how quickly the crisis can spill over into SA and the rest of SADC. President Ramaphosa and the rest of the SADC leaders will look very foolish to have to finally admit that Zanu PF tyranny, the driving force behind mismanagement and corruption, was the root cause of the Zimbabwe tragedy; sanctions was just a decoy.
@ S Ncube
"People like us who want Zanu pf to go should at the very least make the regime feel uncomfortable and ensure that they are always looking over their shoulder.
Everyday that we don’t do something that has the potential to weaken Zanu pf, is a day of failure. Complaining and just watching events as they unfold while doing nothing is not good enough.
What we need are ideas and action. We need to be doing things which make Zanu pf uncomfortable. Things that will make them look over their shoulders."
There were a number of well known and many not so well known MDC supporters who tried to voice their concern with the appointment of Chamisa and Mudzuri as VPs and then with the way Chamisa seized power following the death of Tsvangirai. They tried to voice their concerns and were silenced. The High Court ruling has since confirmed who was right.
MDC leaders and members alike can bury their heads in the sand and blame Zanu PF and Khupe and the rest for the dog-eat-dog fighting that has torn MDC apart, the bottom line this was a problem of the party’s own making. If the MDC had been a more democratic party with democratic credentials worth a spit then the blatant constitutional violations would have been dealt with and not allowed to fester and destroy the party.
MDC could not have picked a worse time to push the self-destruct button - during a corona virus pandemic with the country’s economy in ruins.
There are two fundamental questions which Zimbabweans must answer before they do anything else.
1) Was the July 2018 elections free, fair and credible?
2) What is the point of participating in elections knowing they flawed and illegal?
The answer to the first question will settle the issue of whether one is a democrat and knows what constitute free, fair and credible elections. So yes, will confirm one is dealing with a fool and there really is little point in arguing with a fool.
The second question will elicit a no there is no point in participating in flawed and illegal elections especially when it is clear Zanu PF will never ever give in on this point as long as the party is assured of legitimacy from the opposition's continued participation. If pressure is going to be brought to bear on the opposition to stop participating then it must be consistent; no participation in national or by elections with out reforms, period.
Those who agree the July 2018 elections were rigged and yet are sorry for the recalled sell-out MPs and councillors and went the by-elections to go ahead are a confused lot.
They are those who want the by elections to go ahead so the world can see whether Chamisa is as popular as he says he is. The chances are Zanu PF will use its overwhelming vote rigging capacity to either win or help Khupe win some of the seats. But even if Chamisa was to win back all the by elections Zanu PF will use the result as "proof" that elections in Zimbabwe are free, fair and credible. Zanu PF has already got its 2/3 majority it can afford to give away all these by elections seats away.
With no reforms in place, Zanu PF will go on to rig the 2023 elections.
It is down right foolish to let Zanu PF steal the thunder on implementing the reforms for the sake of a few meaningless by election seats which the party gave way as bait in the July 2018 elections.
Mnangagwa can do as he please with the sell-out MDC A MPs and councillors, they are sell-outs and their remaining in office was window dressing to Zanu PF and an insult to all those who tried to stop the July 2018 elections going ahead with no reforms. The people of Zimbabwe must now focus on making sure the reforms are implemented before the 2023 elections or have those elections declare null and void. Keep your eyes fixed on the prize - Zimbabwe's first ever free, fair and credible elections!
However, Zanu PF primary elections in some areas have been marred by violence.
Last week, police officers in Kwekwe Central had to fire warning shots and teargas to disperse hundreds of Zanu PF supporters who had turned violent during primary elections in the constituency.
“This is something you cannot control in a political campaign because you are basically opening up to the whole population to come forward for rallies.”
If anyone thought the country’s worsening economic meltdown would in any way dampen Zanu PF leaders’ desire to hold public office; they have been answered. Zanu PF members are fighting each other over position as fiercely as hungry hyenas. Having secured the party’s blessing the winner will fight the opposition with everything they have!
Mnangagwa will have to deploy the Police, Army and CIO to stop some of these party thugs tearing the opposition supporters to pieces. He still needs to make the opposition believe Zanu PF will always let them win a few gravy train seats. He instituted POLAD just to make those contesting the presidential race fell their participation was appreciated and valued.
@ 263
Khupe would not lose sleep even if she lost all the by elections to Chamisa much less to Zanu P. She has already got 15 MPs including herself and senators plus the fat Political Party Finance Act payout out of this fiasco.
In a joint statement on Saturday, the CSOs working on democracy and human rights said the suspension of the polls was undemocratic.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is constitutionally charged to be an independent institution supporting democracy, accordingly, in our view, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has overreached and has unduly limited fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the constitution,” reads the statement.
“We believe that the suspension of by-elections should have been a result of transparent multi-stakeholder consultations inclusive of voices from citizens, parliament, political parties, the academia, civil society, the private sector, trade unions, youths and persons with disabilities to ensure the fostering of trust in electoral processes so as not to further curtail the upholding of democracy in Zimbabwe.”
If these CSO have been doing their job properly then they should know that Zimbabwe has yet to hold free, fair and credible elections. They would know that the ordinary Zimbabwean, especially those in the rural areas at the coal face of political intimidation and worse, have long stopped considering elections as an opportunity to exercise their right to vote but as a chore to be dreaded.
Why these CSO busy bodies have never ever put their considerable (physical if nothing else) weight behind reforms to restore the people’s basic freedoms and rights beggars belief. What is the point fighting for elections to go ahead when the whole election process is flawed, illegal and the result meaningless and void?
There is no one out there with a single drop of democratic blood in his/her veins who can ever dispute that Zimbabwe's 2018 elections were rigged, one. Two, that the opposition candidates in all their colours of the rainbow knew the elections would be rigged but participated regardless because they were after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF was giving away as bait. Three, last but most important all, these opposition sell-out knew that by participating they would give credibility to the flawed and illegal election process and, by extension, legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF.
Since the 2008 to 2013 GNU Zanu PF has figured it out that the party can continue rigging the elections and get away with it as long as the opposition participate in the flawed elections. The party had the bait for the opposition, the gravy train lifestyle that MDC leaders had tasted during the GNU and found totally irresistible.
The 2013 elections should have never gone ahead without first implementing the reforms. MDC and all the other opposition parties agreed the reforms were important and even promised there would be no elections without reforms. But greed got the better of them and they all participated in the 2018 elections.
Of course, MDC MPs and councillors sold-out in participating in the 2018 elections why anyone claiming to fight for democracy cannot see this beggars belief.
If the July 2018 elections should never have gone ahead without reforms, why should that position change regarding by elections? I totally agree, we do have too many demagogues masquerading as democrats and typical of demagogues their position swears in all directions with willow tree branches in the breeze. What Zimbabwe needs is educated citizens whose views will not be so easily sweared one way today and the the opposite tomorrow.
Nichols said Washington wanted to see a prosperous Zimbabwe, contrary to the views held by some Zanu-PF supporters.
“The United States shares the desires of the people of Zimbabwe who want to see a peaceful, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe that provides for its people and contributes to regional stability.
“To realise these goals, we strongly believe it is important that government and non-governmental entities alike promote our shared values and work in areas of common concern.
“Whenever we may differ on the best means of achieving these goals, we will seek to engage in a dialogue that is respectful and that seeks to uphold the universal values and rights that Zimbabweans fought so hard to gain 40 years ago,” Nichols told the Daily News On Sunday.
Zimbabwe will never revive its economy under Zanu PF, the party is corrupt, incompetent and set in its way; after 40 years in power it is cannot change. If people of Zimbabwe are serious about getting out of the hell-on-earth Zanu PF has landed the nation into then they must now accept that Zanu PF will never change; if they want change then they must remove the regime.
The country had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU which would have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship. The opportunity was wasted as Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC fiends failed to implement even one reform. The nation must now demand that the vote rigging Zanu PF regime steps down and, this time, the nation must implement the reforms without failure!
We are worried that His Excellency, President ED Mnangagwa, made remarks threatening teachers on industrial action before seeking engagement and remaining indifferent to the plight of the teachers.
Teachers are not for charity, but professionals who are only crying for dignified treatment, reasonable salaries and befitting conditions of service.
We are shocked by some acts of ‘benevolence’ in the form of food handouts by some misguided elements who want to hijack the teachers’ incapacitation for personal aggrandisement.
The teachers’ wages have now fallen so low that it is not enough to cover food and transport for a month, let alone all the other basic necessities of life. Mnangagwa can threaten the teachers all he wants the reality is there will be no teachers turning up for work.
Zimbabwe was not the only country that closed its education institutions during the early days of the corona virus outbreak, many other nations did the same. Many countries have since reopened and have pulled all the stops to help student catchup for the lost time. It is clear in Zimbabwe the corona virus disruption was just one more strain to an education system that was all but dead.
Chiredzi South constituency grade seven, form 2, form 4 and form 6 for the 2019 academic year posted 3% highest pass rate. Only student in private institutions did well. This year even the private institution will take a serious knock and for the government run school in rural areas like Chiredzi South schooling is now a waste of money and time!
Zimbabwe’s failed education system has failed to educate many of our people letting down one generations after another for decades now.
The big question is: What kind of future does this nation have with an ill educated populous? It is criminal to let this madness continue, we will all pay dearly for our folly!
“Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa Pushes Extradition of South Africa-Based G40 Members. Politics! Fix the economy chief,” said Kasukuwere.
Pursuing G40 looters makes a lot of sense. Yes of course the nation would want to pursue all the Zanu PF looters, G40 and Lacoste. Still half a loaf is better than nothing especial when we can still have the other half tomorrow.
Besides the G40 looters have been abusing their ill-got wealth to corrupt our easily corruptible opposition. Project democratic reform has all but stalled even since Morgan Tsvangirai and company ended into the GNU and were bribed by the gravy train trappings of power. It is no exaggeration that MDC leaders are now either Zanu PF Lacoste, Khupe is in Mnangagwa’s POLAD, or Zanu PF G40, Chamisa is in Professor Moyo’s pocket, in all but name.
Zimbabwe will never end the dictatorship as long as Zanu PF thugs are allowed to bankroll the corrupt political system.
“Fix the economy chief!” is no defence for abuse of power.
Here is my two cents advice :
You need Strategic Thinkers around you, to strategise on how to turn around the economy using best business class model to run the country.
After 40 years of blundering from pillar to post, it is time to tell Mnangagwa and his cronies some home truths. You have failed and must step down. You have rigged the elections and imposed your rule on the nation for 40 years. Enough is enough!
@ Ambassador Nichols
Since Zimbabwe's independence, the United States has invested US$3,2 billion in Zimbabwe through multiple development and humanitarian projects, including initiatives to increase food security, support economic resilience, improve health outcomes, and promote democratic governance.
We want the government and people of Zimbabwe to succeed in building a democratic and prosperous nation.
The United States deeply respects the people of Zimbabwe and values its partnerships with them.
We remain committed to working together with Zimbabweans to realise the promise of a more peaceful, more productive, and more prosperous 21st century Africa.
We have a long history of working with Zimbabwe to improve its healthcare system and have provided over US$1 billion in health assistance, focused largely on addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. After 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption the country is in total economic ruins, basic services such as education and health care have completely collapsed and millions are living in abject poverty. The situation is desperate and urgent and decisive action is now called for.
Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections, the party is illegitimate and it must step down to allow the nation to appoint a body that will implement the reforms leading to the holding of free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF has held the nation to ransom the last 40 years this cannot be allowed to continue.
Zimbabweans are thankful to the Americans, the EU and other western nations for condemning the July 2018 election and thus making it clear that the Zanu PF regime is illegitimate. Two years since the rigged elections, it is now clear that Zanu PF is not going to implement any political reforms and therefore political pressure must now be brought to bear for the regime to step down.
If Zanu PF is allowed to remain in office until 2023, the party will rig those elections just as readily as it rigged past elections. The prospect of three years of this Zanu PF misrule is unthinkable much less adding another five year term.
Chamisa is corrupt, incompetent and a sell-out. He does not only want to be seen as a holy man, holier than the Pope, he claims to be so by referring himself as the “anointed” and that everything he does, “God is in it!”
It is a common weakness amongst our Zimbabwean leaders, they are fallible mortals but once the get into a position of power they not only claim they are infallible but that whatever they do has divine inspiration. Chamisa does not accept that he and his MDC friends sold-out in failing to implement even one reform during the GNU. Zanu PF has all but destroyed Zimbabwe’s economy and murdered over 30 000 innocent people and yet Mnangagwa claims he is doing God’s work!
Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of the vain emperor strutting around naked is a recurring pantomime in Zimbabwe expected that our infallible leaders never admit to their failures and so drag the nation deeper and deeper into the abyss.
“Zundu kugara mudanga hanzi ndiri mombe!” (Dung beetle grub living in a cattle enclosure, does not make it a cow!” so goes the Shona adage. We, the people, have yet to muster the courage to remind our leaders that they are fallible mortals and not infallible much less divine!
Zimbabwe is a nation that has been ruled by ignorance and fear and as Zanu PF's chief strategist and propagandist Professor Jonathan Moyo understood the importance of both. It is no surprise that Mugabe appointed Professor Moyo Minister of Information for the purpose of making sure the public print and electronic media did a thorough job of misinforming and brainwashing the public. The private media were ineffective because they were small and the state machinery was mobilized to harass and hurry them at every turn.
By stifling debate and democracy Zanu PF was incapable of correcting its own mistakes much less come up with fresh invigorating ideas and thus the party was doomed to stifle itself to death. Propaganda is designed to gloss over the party's blundering mistakes and failures to produce a rosy picture of success and progress. Professor Moyo's Achilles heel, like Nazi's Joseph Goebbels and all the other propagandists, was that he believed his own lies. He believed Mugabe and Zanu PF were invincible and not doomed to imploded. The November 2017 military coup of was a rude wake up call for both Professor Moyo and his senile boss Robert Mugabe.
Professor Moyo was convinced Zanu PF had brainwashed the people of Zimbabwe so thoroughly they loved Mugabe with the blind loyalty regardless of all the suffering and tyranny the regime had brought on the nation. Again, Moyo and his senile boss expected Zimbabweans to confront the coup plotters and to die in their hundreds of thousands if need be. Moyo is clearly still frothing the people did not risk all to end the coup.
If the military coup had not been an internal Zanu PF dog fight and a genuine end to the Zanu PF dictatorship then a hell lot more Zimbabweans would have been out to celebrate. When Zimbabwe is finally free from the Zanu PF tyranny, the country must bring key players like Professor Jonathan Moyo and Emmerson Mnangagwa to face justice. Zimbabwe is in the abyss and sinking deeper and deeper and all because of them!
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