Thursday 13 January 2022

"Africans manage poverty while others manage wealth!" complain Sisulu - SA has hope Zimbabwe has none N Garikai

 

Dear Lindiwe Sisulu

Your article in Bulawayo 24 “Hi Mzansi, have we seen justice?” was a good read. It raised many important questions that demand serious debate, even if there are no ease answers. Thank you!

As a black Zimbabwean, I would say Robert Mugabe, if he was alive today, would have taken great comfort from this article because he has taken back the land from the whites and did a number of things you are arguing black ruled South Africa must do.

 “Their (white colonialists) purpose was rooted in the philosophy of white supremacy and entitlement to everything, including the bodies of those they falsely believed to be inferior. It was simply to take and colonise and defend, for kith and kin. It was about power. Economic power, political power, military power, and social power.”

The purpose of Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies was to seize political power and to loot the nation’s wealth.

Nelson Mandela has been heavily criticised for failing to give back the land to blacks and end black poverty; the criticism is founded if one considers that these economic realities are true. I would argue that Mandela did not end black poverty but he did the next best thing- he created democratic South Africa in which every black have a voice.

As long as SA remains a healthy and functioning democracy, in which people like Ms Sisulu has the opportunity to express their views and there is open and vigorous debate, the country has the opportunity to address its problems in a rational and systematic way. A luxury a country like Zimbabwe was denied by Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies.

Nelson Mandela’s legacy for SA was to make sure the country had a democracy constitution and strong and independent democratic institutions. The same solid democratic foundation that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others gifted America.

“In our beloved South Africa, a new constitution in 1994 and the rule of law took on a new lofty meaning after the deck had been heavily stacked against the victims of the "rule of law." It was a new dispensation of justice after centuries of a vicious oppression of the indigenous of the land by invaders. But what has this beautiful constitution done for the victims except as a palliative (Panadol)?” argued Ms Sisulu.

“But it seems today we have legitimised wrongdoing under the umbrella of the rule of law. Many years down the line, Africans manage poverty while others manage wealth.”

America started a half free and half slave but the country’s democratic constitution has served them well. SA has started half rich and half poor, one hopes its democratic constitution will serve it well too. As for Zimbabwe we started with no democratic constitution, we are a house without a foundation, are in deep, deep trouble.

Once again, thank you my sister for the thought-provoking article.

Nomusa.

13 comments:

Zimbabwe Light said...

Sources said Mudha, at Moyo's behest, deployed dozens of Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives to help certain candidates win despite having been unpopular with voters.

Sources further said following Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meetings held across the country on Saturday, Mnangagwa summoned some nine ministers and senior politburo members seconded to supervise proceedings in the provinces to two meetings on Monday, where Moyo's name feature prominently "in very bad light".

I will bet my bottom dollar July Moyo is using the same dirty tactics to climb the greasy pole than Mugabe and Mnangagwa themselves have used. Indeed, as Mnangagwa’s righthand man, Moyo would have used the same tricks to help ED not so many moons ago. Moyo is therefore being punished for no other reason than that he is guilty of using the dirty tricks to advance his own interest and not those of Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa just like Mugabe before him is seemingly obsessed about country and party’s rules, vague party resolutions and instructions, leadership code, assets declaration register leaders were forced to submit to the President, etc. It is a forest of trip-lines that no Zanu PF thug out there can say they have not fallen foul of especially when that it the only way to make any headway up the greasy pole.

So, the President has something on each one of his Zanu PF cronies. It is then up to haul in any one of them as and when it suits him. The lot has fallen on Mudha Ncube and possibly July Moyo just as the lot fall on Joice Mujuru and her supporters in 2014!

In September 2017, Grace Mugabe complained her husband was sleeping with “one-eye open” because he was fearful of his fellow Zanu PF mates. On 15 November 2017, he was rudely woken up with a gun up his backside; he must have had the lazy-eye open!

There are no permanent friends in politics only permanent selfish interests especially in a party of ruthless thugs like Zanu PF whose only ideology is to gratify one’s insatiable appetite for absolute power and looted wealth. The country’s economic meltdown is fuelling their panic as the reality dawns that with the shrinking cake, many will go hungry.

The Zanu-PF leader also met with some losing candidates he has a soft spot for and told them to calm down since he has plans for them in the not-so-distant future, according to government sources.

Mnangagwa has already kept the whole of Mugabe’s cabinet and other cronies with their full cabinet benefits and allowance. Mugabe’s government was bloated and Mnangagwa’s new dispensation is even more bloated. And so, after the 2023 elections he will be adding yet another lot of cronies to be put out to pasture at taxpayers’ expense.

With no reforms in place Zanu PF will rig the 2023 elections; the pariah state is going no way but instead grow bigger.

“Kugocha kunoda kwamai, komwana kuno.dzima moto!”

Zimbabwe Light said...

“Get ready for victory. We have heard you. We listened and it shall be done as per your command and demand,” Chamisa posted on twitter Friday morning.

“Timing and strategy is everything. The new way, the new wave, it is time for change. Let us teach them a lesson. You are the game changers and we are unstoppable #choosethenew,” Chamisa said.

When NewZimbabwe.com contacted him subsequent to the tweet, Chamisa said: “Takachinja kudhara. (We have already rebranded).”

This is just a reap of Tsvangirai’s “Final push!” and Chamisa’s “MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging 2018 elections!” They were all hot air, mumbo-jumbo, based on nothing. This is just another one, it will come to nothing!

Zimbabwe Light said...

@ Lindiwe Sisulu

Let ANC members and South Africans continue conversing less in a muzzled and forced-fed sense by those who arrogate a right of self-appointed custodianship of the protection of the Constitution and the judiciary when we all are entitled to our opinions. Let a thousand flowers bloom.

Thank you very much for been a trail blazer for democracy. Yes may a thousand flowers bloom!

Zimbabwe Light said...

"We will participate because as a movement that believes in democratic change, we know and understand the power of the ballot, the collective power of the citizens," party spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said.

"It's only when president Chamisa says there is cause to worry that we should then start to worry, so far there isn't anything of that sort. We are constantly making sure that our eye is on the ball.

"They (Zec) know who the MDC Alliance is. There will be no confusion, remember when (MDC-T vice-president Thokozani) Khupe purported to run away with the name MDC just before the 2018 election, was anybody confused when it came to voting?"

Party vice-president Tendai Biti added: "Those who are pushing us are desperate, but of course, we will consult our people in due course and we will make the right decisions in the best interest of the people of Zimbabwe.

"The MDC is a brand that was built over 20 years. We can't be forced into a script that we have not written. We can't be forced to have a dinner that we don't know who has cooked it.

USA ambassador to Zimbabwe 2004 to 2007, Chris Dell, said in a leaked cable back to base that Morgan Tsvangirai was “a flawed and indecisive character”. Chris could have said the same other the entire MDC leadership. God Chamisa and company are really a hopeless lot!

The decision as to whom the name MDC A belongs to was settled by the Supreme Court in March 2020 when it confirmed the High Court ruling that Nelson Chamisa’s take over of the party following Tsvangirai’s death in 2018 had been unlawful. Since the judgement all we have seen is the consequence of that judgement. Chamisa said he would not be driven out of the Party HQ; he was booted out! Many of his elected loyalists were recalled and Chamisa challenged the recalls and lost. Government paid Mwonzora the MDC A share of the Political Party Finance Act and Chamisa tried to stop that and failed.

For the last two years Chamisa has vowed he would not give up the name MDC A and now it is crunch time. He will have to eat humble pie and change the name if he wants to contest the by elections.

The irony is the decision was taken out of Chamisa’s hands in March 2020 and so has been agonising over nothing!

Ambassador Dell also predicted that “if Tsvangirai should ever get into power, he would be the albatross round the nation’s neck!” Tsvangirai and company did get into 2008 to 2013 GNU and they failed to implement even one reform in five years. And since, they have been participating in flawed elections giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy!

So instead of implementing the reforms and help end the Zanu PF dictatorship the MDC are now the ones frustrating efforts to end it by giving it legitimacy! What a nightmare!

Zimbabwe Light said...

@ Reginald Murendo is a political analyst and lawyer.

“Those who claim to be friendly advisers have also taken to social media to campaign that the MDC Alliance must change its name, and do so before March 26, 2022. In a strange way, the enemies of the MDC Alliance sing in concert with its so-called friends. It must dawn on everyone that the same strategy cannot serve two conflicting ends. Zanu-PF cannot push the MDC Alliance to change its name, and at the same time the MDC Alliance cannot use the same strategy handed to it by Zanu-PF through its able string puppet, Mwonzora.

Why is Zanu-PF, through captured institutions, seeking to push Chamisa to drop the MDC Alliance name? How does Zanu-PF benefit from a change of name if its effect is to clear any confusion on who the true opposition is? Those of the "friends" who are pushing this agenda seem to suffer from the usual error that Zimbabweans make. We seem to think that Zanu-PF is stupid, and that it has moments of lucidity where it actually takes action for the greater good. Those who think that Mnangagwa proclaimed elections 24 months after the fact because he suddenly realised that he has a constitutional duty to do so, are lost. I will demonstrate why this is so, by tracking through the strategy as it unfolded.”

When Chamisa took over from Tsvangirai in 2018 many of those around him reportedly warned him that what he was doing was irregular, to say the least. The High Court and then the Supreme Court have since weighed in and said the take over was unconstitutional. Why Chamisa and company should still be blubbering about this only goes to show just how indecisive they are.

This is not the first time that MDC leaders have show how breathtakingly incompetent and indecisive they are; they failure to implement even one reform in the five years of the GNU was one other example.

Zimbabwe is stuck in this economic and political mess because of not only Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical rule but else because of MDC’s corrupt and incompetence in failing to end the dictatorship even when they had the golden opportunity to do so. What we are witnessing here is MDC leaders blundering from pillar to post! And they even have the arrogance to call their foolishness "strategic thinking!" Cry the beloved country!

Zimbabwe Light said...

@ Arthur Mutambara

“Another point. Don't tell us: "Criticism is fine but insults, no."

Who are you to distinguish an insult from criticism? Under what authority do you make that distinction? Is that not a subjective exercise?

Just take the message from the minister without labelling it. Is the idea to label the remarks as insults so that you can dismiss them without the thorough reflection that they deserve? Of course, only children will allow you to get away with that strategy.”

Good points Arthur! It is a great pity that you did not show any of this rational thinking during the 2008 to 2013 GNU because you and your fellow MDC friends failed to implement even one democratic reform to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship.

“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders are enjoying the trappings of power they will never rock the boat!) boasted one Zanu PF crony when asked why MDC leaders were not implementing even one reform. Of course, the crony was right, you would not dare deny it!

Nomusa Garikai said...

LITTLE-KNOWN opposition Zimbabwe Socio-Economic Democrats party (ZSD) yesterday called on all political parties to boycott the March by-elections saying they were poorly planned and costly.

The country will hold by-elections for over 100 parliamentary and council seats left vacant after the recall of MDC Alliance legislator and councillors.

But ZSD president Nkosikhona Ndlovu said the by-elections were too costly for the country.

"ZSD is calling on all political parties to boycott the costly $1,5 billion and poorly planned March 26 by-elections. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has deprived thousands of prospective voters an opportunity to participate in the upcoming by-election," Ndlovu said.

Zimbabwe has never ever produced something as basic as a verified voters' roll, how anyone can have free, fair and credible elections without one beggars belief. Sadly, that has never stopped our corrupt and opportunistic opposition participating after all the don't give a damn the elections are rigged. They are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is offering to entice their participation.

By participating in these flawed elections the opposition are giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. Our people deserve better and this culture of selling out must be stopped

Zimbabwe Light said...

@ Nedson Shumba

“Wilbert this is tired song with no takers. I really don't know what you want achieve with your idea of always blaming Chamisa of illegal taking over power and this confirmed by the courts. Are in support of these captured institutions or not. You just there to confuse people nothing else.”

The trouble with narrow minded people like you who have no notion of what constitutes a healthy and functioning democracy notably the critical importance of holding those in power to democratic account.

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC into power for the important purpose of implementing the democratic reforms to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship. MDC has failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. Surely it is right and proper that Chamisa must answer why MDC has betrayed the people and why the people should entrust MDC with their vote ever again.

But sadly, you think asking him that constitutes “blaming” MDC. Of course, that is a nonsensical position that must be slammed down with the contempt it rightly deserves.

Zimbabwe is going to be a healthy democracy and that includes embracing the democratic values and principles.

Zimbabwe Light said...

@ Givemore Memory Madzudzo

“Mkori is of very questionable mindset & agenda.”

One of the reasons why we are in this political and economic mess is the lack of meaningful debate and political discourse. Whilst you have a right to your opinion however a sweeping statement like X has “very questionable mindset & agenda” without giving any details is just another way of stifling debate!

Nomusa Garikai said...

@ Chamisa

“WE WILL FLOURISH. Then they dug another well, but they quarrelled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. He moved on from there &dug another well, & no one quarrelled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, "Now the LORD has given us room & we will flourish in the land."Genesis:26.20-22Yeah right!”

He has wasted two years agonising over a name for Pete's sake! No wonder MDC failed to implement even one reform during the GNU.”

This is really a circus. The party name was decided and settled by the Supreme Court judgement of March 2020. It has taken Chamisa and company two years of grandstanding and postering claiming they will never give up the name only to do so now.

Meanwhile the party has taken its eyes off what really matters. MDC A set itself a target of registering 6 million voters; no doubt, a pillar of its "winning in rigged elections strategies". The party only managed to register 3 000 in the whole of 2021 or 0.05% of its set target.

Zanu PF is blatantly rigging these elections and MDC’s insisting on participating in the flawed elections with no reforms in place is giving the regime the smoke screen cover. All these “winning in rigged elections strategies” are just hot air! MDC is giving Zanu PF legitimacy and this insanity must be challenged and stopped.

Zimbabwe Light said...

Zimbabwe started its independence with the few ruling elite who had absolute power by virtue they fought in the liberation war whilst the rest had no political power. The promise of "One man, one vote!" was thrown out of the window when Mugabe and his cronies announced that the bush war would continue if Zanu PF did not win the 1980 elections. The people voted to end the war.

Some people have argued that the 1980 elections were free, fair and credible and the Zanu PF threat of the bush war was just political banter. These doubting Thomases were silence by the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi events; Zanu PF's war-monger disposition was not in any doubt then.

Once in power Zanu PF systematically eroded the individual freedoms and rights of the citizens and undermined the country's democratic public institution to create a de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship. There is no rule of law in Zimbabwe it is the whim of the Zanu PF dictator and his cronies that rule the root.

Gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have turned Zimbabwe's robust and promising economy into ruins and millions now live in abject poverty. The nation is helpless to end the rot because Zanu PF blatantly rigs elections to stay in power. We are well and truly stuck because without rule of law we cannot end the curse of dictatorship, rigged elections and bad governance!

Patrick said...

MDC leaders are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent, after two years of grandstanding and posturing that they will not give up the MDC A name, they are now doing it.

Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Nelson Chamisa party spokesperson, vowed last week the party would not participate in the by-elections or the 2023 elections without electoral reforms being implemented first. "Reforms are not negotiable," sh said. No doubt, this will be forgotten too!

the people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power with the number one task of bringing about the democratic changes the nation has been dying for. It is tragic that the party leaders have turned out to be utterly useless and even a burden weighing the nation down. By participating in flawed elections MDC are giving Zanu PF legitimacy.

Zimbabwe Light said...

ZIMBABWE has the highest road crash mortality rate among its neighbours averaging 35 per 100 000. This was highlighted in a recently released “World Health Organisation (WHO) Road Safety Performance Review”.
The report reveals that at least five people die in road traffic accidents every 24-hours in Zimbabwe, giving the country the worst mortality rate in the SADC region.

Some of the factors contributing to these high figures include bad road infrastructure, unroadworthy vehicles, and unlicensed drivers.
The recently released Road Safety Performance Review report found that Zimbabwe recorded a 77% increase in the use of secondhand vehicles on public roads between 2011 and 2019.

Yet, the Zanu PF regime insists the country is set to achieve upper middle income (SA is only a middle income nation) status by 2030, vision 2030. This vision 2030 is a mirage and many people have started voting with their feet, there are deserting the upper middle income Zimbabwe in droves.