A few days ago the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, announced that Tendai Biti and four other legislators elected under the MDC Alliance (MDC A) but from the People Democratic Party (PDP) had been recalled by the PDP.
The recall itself came as no surprise to anyone who has followed the mud-crab dance of Zimbabwe opposition politics.
MDC A is a coalition of six or so political parties including PDP, MDC-Ncube and MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai whose primary purpose was for the partners to maximise on the opposition vote by fielding one candidate in all the 2018 electoral races. For convenience, the candidates called themselves MDC A although they each belonged to their individual party, MDC A was not a political party.
To muddy the waters, MDC-T led by Nelson Chamisa following Tsvangirai death in February 2018 started calling itself MDC A whilst a break-away faction led by Thokozani Khupe retained the MDC-T name.
Chamisa called an MDC A congress in Gweru in May 2019 to which all MDC A members from other partners attended and were elected to key positions in the MDC A - the coalition had morphed into a political party.
One would have thought that Tendai Biti and his PDP crowd and Welshman Ncube and David Coltart and their MDC-Ncube, the three are all lawyers, would have had the common sense to convene their own party congress to formally dissolve the party or transplant it lock, stock and barrel to be MDC A. They did no such thing.
Tendai Biti was elected MDC A VP with Welshman Ncube as the other VP. David Coltart was elected MDC A Treasurer General. Other PDP and MDC-Ncube members were elected into key position in the MDC A party.
So Tendai Biti and all the other former PDP members who joined the MDC A after the May 2019 congress crossed the floor and could no longer call themselves PDP members and therefore were subject to recall by PDP. David Coltart and all the other MDC-Ncube legislators, can too be recalled by the old MDC-Ncube, if it still exists.
Tendai Biti’s reaction to the recall is to blame Zanu PF! Biti was the chair person of the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and he is adamant the recall was a calculated move by Zanu PF to stop the corruption undercover by the committee coming out.
"We had those (PAC) reports ready and my recall is to make sure these issues to do with corruption are not brought before Parliament. We will convene as a party and make sure we come up with a collective decision. Remember, we contested elections not under the PDP, but under the MDC Alliance," Biti said.
"Yesterday (Tuesday), they prevented me from moving a motion on Chilonga displacements in Parliament. Tomorrow (today), I was supposed to present a report on Zinara (Zimbabwe National Road Administration), and on Monday, we were supposed to cross-examine ZESA on (Kudakwashe) Tagwirei's Dema deal and Wicknell Chivhayo's Gwanda solar project. In a few weeks' time, we were going to table the issue of land barons in Harare. So the cartels and Mnangagwa are responsible for this recall.”
An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb; so goes the old adage.
Yes the PAC reports Biti’s committee was going to release were going to embarrass Mnangagwa and company, old woman and dry bones, but we should not go over board on this. Zanu PF has a thick skin!
Over the years there have been numerous stories and reports from the Willowgate scandal, to Mugabe’s admission the country was being swindled out of US$ 15 billion dollars in diamond revenue, etc. Zanu PF has used its political dominance to take the sting out of all these adverse reports. No doubt it would have done the same in this case.
The bottom line is Zanu PF did not engineer the recall of these MDC A legislators. The sheer incompetence with which Tendai Biti and his fellow MDC A leaders have handled the transition from MDC A coalition to MDC A political party has created a lot of chaos and confusion. It is former colleagues in the old parties who are recalling the MDC A legislators. Zanu PF has taken advantage of the situation.
Tendai Biti is nothing but a noisy Chihuahua barking at a marauding elephant, to hear the bark one would think the Chihuahua going to eat the the elephant alive! Zanu PF is not going change because of what Biti says no more than the marauding elephant is going away because it fears being eaten alive with the Chihuahua.
If Zimbabweans are serious about ending corruption, we must demand democratic reforms leading to the holding of free, fair and credible elections. Free, fair and credible elections is more than just a basic human right; it is the alpha, omega and everything in between of good governance.
Tendai Biti and his MDC friends sold out on the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. And since the GNU debacle they have participated in flawed elections giving legitimacy to Zanu PF for the sake of a few gravy train seats Zanu PF offered as bait. MDC leaders are hoping the nation will never notice the barking Chihuahua will never end the Zanu PF dictatorship, corruption and povo’s long suffering!
“Mnangagwa is responsible for my recall to stop PAC corruption reports coming out!” Yeah right! How about admitting, you shoot yourself in the foot!
17 comments:
Former Cabinet Minister Walter Mzembi said Gutu does not owe anyone an explanation since it is his choice.
"Chitova it's your choice, you do not owe anyone an explanation,just like the beard you are grooming is a personal choice! tweeted Mzembi.
Alouis Zananhwe said Gutu is bothering himself in trying to explain himself.
"Akungozvinetsawo nekuda kutipa explanation uyo.”
Those who think Obert Gutu is “troubling himself” explaining why he joined Zanu PF are the ones who are missing the point! Gutu loves the lime-light, he is the incarnate of the mythical Greek hunter Narcissus, whilst the latter fall in love with his own reflection Gutu cannot get enough publicity. He craves it so much he is advertising of his coming article in the Sunday Mail, just to make sure as many people as possible read it.
Gutu had to advertise his coming article on twitter; Sunday Mail agreed to publish his article but must have refused to advertise it in the sister papers, The Herald and Chronicles, much less in the private papers!
@ Mwembe
“They is no proof that mdc alliance is weakened by recalls nothing at all.Recalls have no effect on mdc alliance strength and the party has the mojo lets have political gatherings ban lifted and everyone will see that recalls are just useless and failed to fulfil its motives.”
The trouble with you my fellow countryman is that you are shallow, thick and slow and tyrannical regime thrive on such as you.
Most people remember MDC-T’s last rally on the eve of the 2013 elections, there was a sea of red, MDC-T regalia. Morgan Tsvangirai and everyone in the MDC went to bed that night confident of a landslide MDC victory. By lunch time the following day Tsvangirai looked as deflated as toad run-over by a car!
Zanu PF had increased the number of polling station from 2 000 in 2008 to 9 000 in the 2013 elections, for example. MDC candidates did not know about the additional polling station until 2 days before voting and so found themselves running around like headless chickens to trying to get an agent to represent them. A futile exercise as we know. Zanu PF won the 2013 with a land slide!
So what is the point of MDC A have huge rallies when the election process is so flawed and illegal that Zanu PF is guaranteed to win regardless?
Of course, MDC A leaders know Zanu PF will rig the election and they participating because they are after the few gravy train seat Zanu PF is giving away as bait.
It is the idiotic MDC supporters like you who must wake-up to the reality the MDC leaders sold out by failing to implement reforms during the GNU and are selling-out now by participating in these pointless elections. MDC A supporters, “mojo”, are braindead and a curse to the nation!
And what has MDC A done ensure "rigging is not tolerated". It is not enough to say it without doing anything about it.
MDC A will participate in the 2023 elections with not even one token reform in place and Chamisa and company will complain of stolen elections. This is a vicious cycle!
MDC leaders had the chance to implement the reforms and break the curse of rigged elections; they failed to implement even one reform and hence the reason we are in this mess. What will it take for you to wake-up to that reality?
Obert Gutu's true colours as a corrupt and incompetent politician came out as glaringly obvious during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. As MDC-T's Deputy Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, he would have know that the process of implementing the democratic reforms started with the submission of reform proposal in parliament. Why he failed to remind his fellow MDC ministers and MPs that they must submit the reform proposals beggars belief!
MDC supporters are outraged that Gutu has crossed the floor to join Zanu PF but in the scheme of things that is nothing compared with the MDC leaders' betrayal in failing to implement reforms. The fact that some people have come out with guns blazing because Gutu cross the floor but said nothing about the blatant betrayal of reforms goes to show just how penny wise and pound foolish they are!
It is little wonder the country is in a real mess, penny wise pound foolish citizens are a curse to democracy!
However, he also said while Chamisa appeared weakened at the moment, he could still salvage his political fortunes - riding on the fact that a genuine opposition to Zanu-PF remained an aspiration of a significant number of Zimbabweans.
"It is not yet game over for Chamisa and Tendai Biti. Even Zanu-PF has senior members who recognise Biti's skills and experience in economic planning.
"The opposition needs to speak for the poor in the streets. So it is important that someone with the verve and voice of Chamisa should retain a parliamentary base.
"Having said that, we shall see what electoral strength he (Chamisa) still has as at some stage, by-elections should be held," Chan further told the Daily News.
"There is still a need for him (Chamisa), together with a parliamentary support base of his own - to be a meaningful actor in Zimbabwean politics.
Many Zimbabweans are waking up to the political reality that MDC leaders sold out on reforms during the GNU and are now running with the povo hare by day and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds by night.
The MDC keeps talking about the need for comprehensive reforms to end disputed elections and yet the party keeps participating in elections they know are going to be rigging and giving legitimacy to Zanu PF. They are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away but do not want to admit it and so keep coming up with contradicting and feeble excuses for participating.
MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent and have proven this beyond doubt when they failed to implement even one reform during the GNU. The only reasons MDC leaders have continued to have any public support until now is because the Zimbabwe electorate is naive and gullible.
Still, one can fool everyone some times, fool some people every time but cannot fool everyone all the time. It is clear MDC leaders’ luck is running out!
What is really surprising here is that up to now Tendai Biti and his fellow MDC leaders do not accept that they sold out big time during the GNU by failing to implement the democratic reforms. What they have done ever since has been as irrelevant as bolting the stable door when the horse has already bolted out!
What makes this tragic betrayal even worse is that the ordinary Zimbabweans themselves have failed to comprehend the sheer enormity of this historic failure. Even now, with all the benefit of hindsight and countless articles explaining what happened, many Zimbabweans do not have a clue what the GNU was about much less that MDC leaders sold out.
Tendai Bitit and his fellow MDC leaders have taken full advantage of the naive and gullible electorate to ditch the demand for democratic change and allow Zanu PF to retain its dictatorial powers in return for a share of the spoils. Biti and his fellow opposition MPs are a tiny minority in parliament and will never stop Zanu PF doing as it pleases, Biti and company are nothing but a Chihuahua barking at a marauding elephant.
The real surprise is that there are many Zimbabweans out there naive and gullible enough to believe the Chihuahua will be feasting on the marauding elephant before sunset!
"That 48 members of parliament from the opposition have been recalled to date speaks for itself."
The former legislator also vowed to continue representing the people of Nkulumane at various levels.
"I would like to thank the people of Nkulumane for electing me to be their voice in Parliament. I will continue to be that voice until the term for which they elected me expires.
"Meanwhile, I will continue with my duties as the Secretary for the Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs in the MDC Alliance," added the Bulawayo politician.
The people of Zimbabwe must open their eyes and minds to what is going here. MDC leaders sold-out by failing to implement the democratic reforms and thus end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.
Kucaca Phulu, Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa and the rest of the MDC A are making a big song and dance about their recall to create the impression that their presence in parliament was making a difference to the quality of government in the country. It is all nonsense! Zanu PF has 2/3 majority in parliament and has been able to do as it pleased.
And as long as nothing is done to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections, the party will continue to enjoy absolute power and Zimbabwe will remain a pariah state. There will be no meaningful economic recovery as long as we remain a pariah state.
By participating in flawed and illegal elections these MDC leaders are giving legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF. Zanu PF is rewarding the MDC leaders by letting them win a few gravy train seats.
MDC leaders sold-out by failing to implement reforms during the GNU and are now doing the same by participating in flawed elections. The MDC A opposition, even before the recalls, was as toothless as Muzorewa’s UANC in Zimbabwe – Rhodesia Settlement!
THE Zimbabwe Christian Council (ZCC) says it is not moved by allegations made by Zanu-PF that the grouping is working to dislodge President Emmerson Mnangagwa from government in the name of dialogue.
In a development that has dampened hopes of talks between Mnangagwa and the opposition, Zanu-PF secretary for security in the politburo, Lovemore Matuke, accused the ZCC of allegedly working against the ruling party.
However, ZCC secretary-general Kenneth Mtata yesterday denied the accusation, insisting the church's efforts were following ecumenical dictates in pursuit of a "regime of peace and justice".
"The church is pursuing a REGIME of peace, justice and prosperity for all Zimbabweans. This mandate derives from the scriptures, the liberation struggle, & the Zimbabwean constitution. If this makes us ‘Regime Change Agents', let it be," Mtata wrote on Twitter
The tragedy here is ZCC have their hearts in the right places but sadly they lack the intellectual capacity to make a constructive contribution in the search for a way out of this economic and political mess we are in.
ZCC have been calling for a dialogue that will result in the formation of yet another Zanu PF and MDC GNU. The last GNU failed to deliver any meaningful political change and it is obvious the new GNU will do no better.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions and, sometimes, it is none other than church leaders who will do the paving!
MDC Alliance Senator David Coltart told DM168 that the move to recall Biti and the other former PDP MPs “is partly part of Mnangagwa’s agenda to obliterate the genuine opposition – he has always desired a Chinese model of governance – and partly the need to shut Biti up. With parliamentary immunity, he was able to reveal all sorts of corruption others haven’t been able to.”
Zanu PF used a similar ruse last year to expel several MDC Alliance MPs from parliament on the grounds that they had been elected to represent a rival MDC faction, MDC-T, and so could not remain in Parliament as MDC Alliance representatives
The big lie here is by Tendai Biti and company who want people to believe he and his few MDC A friends were doing a great job stopping Zanu PF corruption. They are nothing but noisy Chihuahua barking at a marauding herd of elephants. We all know what Chihuahua lacks in size more than makes up for in being ballsy and feisty.
Translated into human language the Chihuahua’s bark is saying “Big ears, I will have you for dinner!”
Zimbabwe is fearing a serious existential crisis and the need for an end to this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship has never been more urgent than it is today. MDC leaders wasted the golden opportunity to bring about the democratic change the nation was dying for during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. And to add insult to injury they are the ones now keeping Zanu PF in power by participating in flawed and illegal elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away as bait.
We desperately need to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. Tendai Biti and company want us to believe, was it not for the recalls, they were doing an effective job of holding Zanu PF with its 2/3 majority to account. To believe that nonsense is to believe the Chihuahua would have the marauding elephant herd for dinner!
The recalls are a result of the sheer incompetence with which MDC leaders have managed the transition from MDC-T and PDP to MDC A. But even if we accept the MDC leaders’ own explanation that it is Zanu PF’s doing; it is proof of the fragility of the opposition since they are totally at the mercy of Zanu PF.
The nation must focus on implementing the democratic reforms to end the curse of rigged elections and the creation of strong political parties.
The PME deal for the supply of transformers to Zesa by the Indian company also came under scrutiny.
"Our nation will need to revisit the subject of ministerial directives to public enterprises. When we consider the number of cases that lead to white elephant projects that lead to failure to observe the provisions of the procurement Act, the Public Management Act, Corporate Management Act and others, it is this issue of directives," Gata said.
"In most of the cases, what appears to have been happening was that there would be a businessman or business interest which is blocked politically for a particular project and then they bypass Zesa, they bypass a number of institutions and they make it to the minister.
Well, Gata is right there. But someone should have asked him if this only applied to projects or to the appointment of staff too!
Rukanda wrote a letter to Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda purporting to recall Biti and other senior MDC Alliance MPs linked to PDP even though he has no political, hierarchical or legal basis to do.
"I don't really know much about Rukanda. He was at provincial level before the party split ahead of the 2018 elections; with Lucia Matibenga and Gorden Moyo supporting Joice Mujuru and us going back to back Morgan Tsvangirai," said Biti.
"He is not PDP secretary-general. We don't know him. He is fake. So how can he recall MPs from other parties? In any case, this issue is still before the courts. So it's not possible to recall anyone when you are not a member of a party and while the issue is still in the courts. So obviously, this fraud will be challenged."
Why did Tendai Biti dissolve PDP properly as Welshman Ncube did with his MDC – Ncube before joining MDC A!
My beef with Biti and company is that MDC sold out by failing to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. And, to make matters worse, they have been participated in flawed and illegal elections knowing that doing so will give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuate the dictatorship. They could not resist the few gravy train seats Zanu PF offers to entice the opposition.
Of course, MDC leaders are corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs. The sooner some of these naïve and gullible MDC supporters accept this reality the sooner the nation can hope to get the reforms finally implemented, free and fair elections held and restore good governance.
@ Dr Masimba Mavaza
Of course, the Americans are wrong in blaming Zanu PF for Tendai Biti and many other MDC A elected officials' recall. Tendai Biti and Nelson Chamisa are corrupt and incompetent and it is no surprise they shot themselves in the foot, again it must be said.
The Americans are also wrong in adding their voice to calls for the by-elections to go ahead. They know as well as everybody that without first implementing the democratic reforms elections are a waste of time and resources and certainly not worth risking people's health and live during these corona virus times.
“Surely America must be ashamed. United States involvement in regime change describes United States government participation or interference, both overt and covert, in the replacement of foreign governments,” you said.
Zanu PF has pretended the only people calling for free elections are the Americans and their allies and their Zimbabweans puppets for the sole purpose of regime change.
The truth is Zanu PF has rigged elections to falsify it has the people’s mandate to rule. It has ignored the voices of ordinary Zimbabweans demanding the implementation of the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
Why is it inconceivable to you and your Zanu PF masters that ordinary Zimbabweans would too want to enjoy the basic human right to have a meaningful say in the governance of Zimbabwe?
In the 1980 elections, Zanu PF made it clear the bush war would continue if the party lost the elections. And ever since the party has used all manner of dirty tricks including blatant cheating and use of wanton violence to make sure there is no regime change.
Actually, it is you and your Zanu PF masters who should be ashamed of riding roughshod over your fellow Zimbabweans denying them their freedoms, rights and human dignity to feed your insatiable greed for power and looted wealth! One of these fine days you will be held to democratic account; I will see to that myself!
For the record, Tendai Biti is no longer the American’s “blue eyed boy” he was once upon a time! Many Americans know MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent, especially after they failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU!
@ Abednico Mwembe Mwembe
“You see wena masipa Biti was not recalled by pple who elected him if you doubt it lets have by elections and see if those zanu puppets who recalled him will win that parliament seat. You cannot call zanu assisted recalls democratic. No way in the world has the national securities been used to settle opposition parties internal disagreements only in zim. why? But zanu is going like it or not mdc alliance will have the last laugh.”
It is dimwits like you would are perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship!
Zanu PF has been rigging elections for the last 41 years and you complain about it and yet lack the common sense to demand the reforms to stop the rigging. Zanu PF has been offering a few gravy train seats to entice the greed opportunists to participate in flawed and illegal elections; when are you ever going to open your eyes and see it!
Tendai Biti and company participated in the 2018 elections knowing that Zanu PF would rig the elections but will also give away a few seats! We forfeited the nation project of free, fair and credible elections because Biti and company could not resist the bait!
You want to go into the by-elections; what guarantees do you have that Zanu PF will not rig? None!
You MDC sell-outs and dimwits are now as much a threat to democratic change in Zimbabwe as Zanu PF and its apologists!
If we agree the 2018 elections were rigged and the opposition should not have participated in these elections and that by participating they gave legitimacy to the Zanu PF regime. Then clearly Tendai Biti and all those opposition politicians who participated sold out. We have better things to do than sympathise with these seasoned sell-outs!
Lest people should forget, we are in this mess because Biti and his MDC friends failed to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 GNU that would have stopped Zanu PF rigging elections once and once for all!
This was revealed by the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) in its latest report.
Most of the returnees were drawn from South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and Europe.
"Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 174 291 migrants have returned to Zimbabwe... With Zimbabwe's COVID-19 restrictions gradually relaxed, IOM continues to promote safe and orderly migration as well as to protect the rights and dignity of migrants in Zimbabwe," the United Nations agency said.
Many of these migrants were economic refugees and they are returning to a country is an even worse economic mess than when they left! And the corona virus storm is still raging on and its ill effect on the national economy is too raging on. The economic meltdown is set to drag the nation into new depths of economic despair and of human misery and deaths!
What makes Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown hard to bear is that it is a man-made crisis. 41 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness that have earned the country the pariah state label are the root causes of the country’s mess. Zimbabweans have not taken their duty and responsibility of making sure the country has a competent government with the seriousness the matter demanded and the nation is paying dearly for it!
Zimbabweans must wake up and demand good governance or they will continue to suffer and die – it is that simple!
He did not know who Rukanda was before the recall but now he know who Rukanda is! He has lost the US$50 000 car, the generous salary and perks and may never ever be elected back into public office ever again.
Kucaca Phulu participated in the 2018 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and that doing so would give legitimacy to Zanu PF. He, like the rest, participated regardless because he was after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF was giving away to entice the opposition. Of course, Phulu and the rest of the opposition politicians sold-out!
MDC A MP, Chikudo, switch and join MDC-T led by Mwonzora!
MDC A leaders who contested the July 2018 elections, just like the rest in the opposition camp, did so out of greed. They all knew that Zanu PF was rigging the elections but also knew that the party was giving away a few seats to enice the opposition. They did not care the elections were not free and fair as long as they win the few bait seats. It is therefore sheer hypocrisy to expect the same individual to become principled now.
The choice was to switch from MDC A to MDC-T or lose the gravy train seat and it is no surprise many switched. They are those who had nailed their colours with Chamisa, they could not switch and knew the fate was sealed!
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