“Rinemanyanga hariputirwi!” (No matter how seemingly clever the deception, the truth will always come out in the end!) so goes the Shona adage.
The Kim dynasty has ruled North Korea since 1948 for three generations. Kim Jong-un, the current Supreme Leader’s, grandfather Kim Il-sung made himself the Supreme Leader with all the absolute power of an autocratic and tyrannical ruler. And yet, he named the country The Democratic Republic Of North Korea. His son and now his grandson have all kept the country’s name for the same purpose - to deceive!
“It has been painful to watch over the past few days the desperation with which the small cast of know-it-alls, that is contributing so much to the country's toxic politics, has been attacking talk about the urgent need for national dialogue in the country,” reported Daily News.
“Our hope, in this regard, is that the intended beneficiaries of the regular poisonous epistles will continue to see them for what they are - disastrous "advice" that is guaranteed to end otherwise promising careers in the fast-changing local political terrain.”
Cut!
As one of those “small cast of know-it-alls” who have dismissed the Daily News’ proposed Mnangagwa, Chamisa and Mwonzora, “The big three”, political dialogue as a total waste of time. I will state why it is a waste of time; the three are the ones who got us into this mess; they are the problem and cannot be, can never be, the solution to the problem too!
Zanu PF leaders created and have ruthless retained this de facto one party dictatorship for selfish political gain. 40 years corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical rule have left the country in economic ruins and political paralysis, stuck as we with corrupt and incompetent politicians on both sides of the political divide.
MDC leaders had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to end the dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to get even one reform implemented. To make matters worse, the MDC leaders completely abandon the fight for free and fair elections and participated in flawed and illegal elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats Zanu PF offered as bait. By participating in the flawed elections MDC gave Zanu PF legitimacy.
What the country has needed to get us out of the hell-on-earth, Zanu PF landed us into and MDC has done its bit to keep us stuck there, is to implement the democratic reforms. The challenge has to been finding the competent men and women to carry out this important task.
Let’s return to Daily News.
“What these Smart Alecs seem oblivious to, or is it that they conveniently choose to ignore this reality, is that Zanu PF actually doesn't care much about the mooted national dialogue, as the ruling party believes - rightly or wrongly - that it won squarely the 2018 parliamentary and presidential elections, and thus does not really need to talk to anyone.”
The country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis and therefore whether or not the July 2018 elections were rigged too have huge implications to our efforts to end the crisis. We cannot seek a way out of this mess without first answering the question; was the July 2018 election free, fair and credible?
We know 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote and Mnangagwa reportedly got 2.4 million to win the presidency. Many election observers reported that the election process lacked transparency, traceability and verifiability. ZEC failed to produce a verified voters’ roll.
In the light of the above the only reason why Zanu PF would still “believes that it won squarely the 2018 elections” for the same reason Kim Jong-un believes North Korea is a democratic republic - to deceive.
As for the Daily News, the paper claiming “Tells it like it is!”, it is shocking that even now with all the benefit of hindsight it cannot make up its mind whether the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible. Instead of giving a clear cut answer on this, the big issue of our generation the paper merely restating Zanu PF’s position and hide behind cowardly caveat of “rightly and wrongly”.
The truth is the cowardly Daily News answer did not fool anyone, certainly not the investors who have stayed away from investing in Zimbabwe because the country is, rightly, viewed as a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs.
By blatantly rigging the 2018 elections, Mnangagwa confirmed Zimbabwe was still a pariah state as during Mugabe’s days, the November 2017 military coup had changed nothing. Investor have shied away from Zimbabwe because they do not do business with thugs.
The purpose of proposed political dialogue is have a new GNU, Zanu PF in all but name, in the hope investors will be fooled into believe Zimbabwe had finally cast off its pariah state characteristic. Zanu PF will never implement the reforms and so nothing will change. Absolutely nothing!
“Our pledge to our readers is that we will never yield to dubious agendas nor abdicate our key watchdog role, as well as our truthful, non-partisan approach to news - even if this may displease some misguided people,” concluded Daily News.
Well then the Daily News must give a truthful answer to the question; Were the 2018 elections free, fair and credible?
The Daily News will not accept that Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections just as the party has rigged many other elections in the past. Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” call has failed to attract the investors because no one wants to do business in a pariah state.
All this talk of a new GNU is to give Zanu PF a new name and, hopefully new legitimacy. No one will be fooled; it will take a lot more than a few MDC manikins in the Zanu PF cabinet to transform a pariah state into a democracy!
Of course, it is insane to still be trying to dig ourselves out of this economic and political crisis by appeasing the vote rigging Zanu PF; repeating, 40 years and counting, the same foolishness behind the crisis. It does not help when the institutions, the media, the intelligentsia, etc. who should be warning society against foolish behaviour are the ones cheering and applauding the madness!
7 comments:
This is laughable coming from the paper claiming to telling the truth, "Telling like it is!" and have no partisan ax to grind and yet would not tell as it is whether the 2018 elections were rigged or not! The paper is careful to tell the readers what Zanu PF believes "rightly or wrongly" on the matter but will not say what it believes!
Of course, it is foolish to think one can come up with a sensible solution to what to do next in this case when one has failed to articulate what happened in the July 2018 elections.
Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections and to propose a way forward giving Zanu PF a major role is nothing but rewarding the party for rigging the elections. After 40 years of appeasing Zanu PF this is the most foolish thing to do!
@ Zinyama
The question that you should ask yourself is were the July 2018 elections free, fair and credible? Just because MDC leaders were foolish enough to participate in the elections does not meaning the elections were free, fair and credible.
Just because Chamisa said "MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!" Does not mean MDC stopped Zanu PF rigging the elections.
We cannot keep on repeating the same foolish mistake of participating in a flawed and illegal process and then complain afterwards! And all because the opposition lack the competence to implement the reforms when they had the chance to do so and lack the discipline not to participating in flawed elections for the sake of a few gravy train seats on offer as bait.
It is bad enough to have incompetent and sell-out opposition at least we the voters must be smart enough to see we are the ones being taken for a ride by both Zanu PF and MDC!
Well then the Daily News must give a truthful answer to the question; Were the 2018 elections free, fair and credible?
Asking is one thing and getting an answer is another; at least not a truthful answer, not from these hypocrites.
Of course, all our friends in Daily News KNOW Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections. However, they also know that if they were to admit that Zanu PF rigged the elections they cannot, they can never ever, justify the political dialogue and the new GNU in which Zanu PF plays a role without also admitting to appeasing Zanu PF. After 40 years of appeasing Zanu PF, it is indeed insane that should carry on!
Still the evidence that Zanu PF rigged the election is overwhelming every in the Daily News will appear like idiots if they were to publicly endorse that the elections were free, fair and credible.
So the Daily News has picked the cowardly option of reporting what others say on the elections and qualify it with “rightly and wrongly” just to make it clear they are neither endorsing nor condemning either position on the matter.
When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?” 24“ I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “ and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
Let us just say times may change but some things never change, the pompous hypocrites will live on generation after generation to the end of time!
Major-General Nyikayaramba was once upon a time a fierce defender of Mugabe's rule. In 2002 he was the chief executive officer of the Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC), the predecessor of the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC).
Nyikayaramba is credited with playing an important role in ensuring a win for Mugabe in the disputed 2002 elections, the first time he faced off with the late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Nyikayaramba was one of those who believed that because he fought in the liberation war he was special and treated the rest in society as second class citizens. He was one of those whose intellect was impermeable to reason and logic. He was involved in the wholesale looting in Marange and other places.
In short, Nyikayaramba was a thugs through and through and not a national hero by any stretch of imagination!
Norton legislator Temba Mliswa said he is gutted by the death of Nyikayaramba whom he said deserves a place at the National Heroes Acre. Mliswa has no clue what constitutes free, fair and credible elections, justice and right and wrong and his view on Nyikayaramba is therefore foolish, as one would expect!
However, Shava's appointment, who is a former Labour Minister during the era of the now late President Robert Mugabe, has been met with disparaging remarks by ordinary Zimbabweans.
In the early 1980s, Shava was one of government ministers who were implicated of corruptly buying vehicles from the state-owned Willowvale Motor Industries before reselling them at double the market value in a scandal named Willowgate.
He was convicted and sentenced to nine months in prison but was acquitted by Mugabe after spending only one night in jail.
He was then posted as a top diplomat to China and the UN.
However, Zimbabweans feel it was improper for Mnangagwa to appoint Shava as minister in his Cabinet.
The tragedy with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime is that most of those appointed into top position are corrupt, incompetent and Zanu PF thugs from the top of the head right to the sole of their feet. The regime has appointed a few outsiders like Professor Mthuli Ncube and Kirsty Coventry but only for window dressing purposes, the manikins have done nothing of note - not that they are ever given any space to do anything.
Many Zimbabweans are outraged with the appointment of Shava because it confirms something they already knew - that Zanu PF is set in its bad ways like concrete, it is not going to change. Never!
If Zimbabweans are serious about ending this nightmare of hell-on-earth then we must stand up and demand the full implementation of democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. Free elections are not a privilege but a right and right now our only key out of this hell!
This is just another talk-shop! How can we become prosperous when corruption remains rampant, when corruption is not even acknowledged because the Godfathers of corruption are the ones in power and will never allow any regime change!
We conclude that Mnangagwa’s hopes of reorienting Zimbabwe’s foreign policy have been confounded by his government’s own actions. Its repressive response to mounting economic and political crisis increased rather than diminished its isolation. The more the Mnangagwa government fails to engage democratically with its own citizens, the more it will negate any prospect of re-engagement.
Sadly this is true!
What some people have failed to comprehend is that Mnangagwa and his fellow Zanu PF thugs view holding on to power at all cost as their number one, so far ahead of everything else, it is no exaggeration to say one and only priority. Re-engagement, economic recovery, political stability, etc.; these are bonus objectives easily thrown out of the window if they ever get in the way of securing power.
Any one banking of Zanu PF embracing the need for change much less do anything to allow change, is naive to say the least. All pressure must be brought to bear on the regime to force it to step down.
It is ironic and very frustrating that, for the last 20 years, it is MDC leaders not Zanu PF who have been undermining all efforts to bring about change in Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans have been slow to wake-up to the reality of MDC running with the povo hare by day and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds by night!
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