It
is not that Zimbabweans do not know that Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections;
they know it. Their biggest problem is knowing what to do about it!
“Moreover,
as we gear up towards the historic elections in 2023, the citizens should be
ready to demand comprehensive political and electoral reforms to jealously
guard against perennial rigging by the stomach politicians in Zanu PF led by Mr
Mnangagwa,” reads a statement from Citizen Coalition For Change (CCC) Namibia.
“We
must stand ready to defend the people’s vote against any shenanigans from the
desperate regime. Zimbabweans should demand the independence of state media, ZBC
must stop operating as an extension of Zanu PF, we need to have real time
announcement of results, Citizens Coalition For Change demands the independence
of chiefs and headmen, they should not be used to intimidate citizens, frog
marching them to Zanu PF rallies on empty stomachs.”
This
is a statement from someone with no clue what they are talking about!
One,
with just over a year to go to the 2023 elections, there is no time to
implement any of the myriad of reforms required to stop Zanu PF rigging these
elections. So take it as read; there will be no reforms implemented before the
elections and therefore all this talk of “demanding comprehensive political and
electoral reforms” is just hot air!
Two,
with no reforms, Zanu PF will have carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig
these elections. The party will frog marching citizens to attend party rallies
and, come voting day, to vote for the party, for example. All the talk “defending
the people’s vote against any shenanigans” is, once again, just hot air!
Three,
by participating in these flawed and illegal elections against the common-sense
position of demanding reforms before elections CCC, the party supporters and all
the ordinary Zimbabweans who continue to do so freely are giving flawed process
credibility and thus give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. After 42 years of
rigged elections, one would think the penny has dropped, no one will still fall
for the oxymoronic nonsense of “winning in rigged elections”. Sadly, there are clearly
many who still do!
Four,
there is nothing to justify CCC supporters’ confidence 2023 elections will deliver
a government representing the democratic wishes of the people of Zimbabwe. This
is just blind faith in the CCC leaders who have already proven beyond all doubt
that they are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent, notably during the 2008
to 2013 GNU. Zimbabweans had the same blind faith in Zanu PF soon after
independence. We have learned nothing from the past!
There
are many Zimbabweans who are hell bent on participating in these elections knowing
fully well that Zanu PF is rigging these elections. They appreciate the
importance of voting but, alas, they have never appreciated the importance of observing
the rules governing elections. Zanu PF’s carte blanche dictatorial powers to
rig elections have rendered Zimbabwean elections a meaningless farce.
Those
insisting on holding elections without reforms have no clue of what constitutes
free, fair and credible elections and that by participating they are giving
vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. They have learned about elections but have
never learned what it takes to ensure free, fair and credible elections. A little
learning is, indeed, a dangerous thing!
|
“A little learning is a
dangerous thing; |
|
Drink deep, or taste not the
Pierian spring: |
|
There shallow draughts
intoxicate the brain, |
|
And drinking largely sobers us
again.” Alexander Pope, English poet and
satirist |
2 comments:
“The country recorded its highest ever foreign currency receipts of US$9,7 billion in 2021, an increase of 53,5% from 2020.This performance, which dwarfs the previous record of US$7.6 billion recorded in 2013, is attributable to increased international commodity prices, increased international remittances and the gold incentives put in place by the government,” the RBZ said.
Out of the total, export remittances topped the list at US$6,1 million recording a 66,6% increase from yesteryear’s levels.
Diaspora remittances topped US$1,4 million, registering a staggering 43% increase, Non-Governmental Organisations brought in US$975 million while loan proceeds raked in US$876 million.
The central bank also notes that international remittances reached US$2,4 billion as at December 2021, an increase of 46% from the recorded 2020 levels.
If Zimbabwe can sort out its bad governance problems there is no reason why the country can reclaim its lofty position as a middle-income nation, the breadbasket of the region, etc. and surpass! We had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. We not only wasted the opportunity to end the dictatorship but are yet to learn this was a big mistake.
By continuing to give our blind loyalty to the MDC/CCC leaders who sold out big time during the GNU it is clear we will not get even one meaningful reform implemented even if we had another GNU and chance to implement the reforms.
It has taken many agonizing years for many of these MDC/CCC supporters to accept the political reality; the need to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. The tragedy is they still have no clue what these reforms are much less how they are to be implemented. They are such a confused lot; they are demanding the implementation of reforms in one breath and in the next they are wittering about participate in the elections without even one token reform in place.
These MDC/CCC leaders and supporters alike do not know the difference between free and fair elections as a right and not a privilege. It is all the same to them!
The same cannot be said about the MDC/CCC leaders themselves; at least leaders like David Coltart have known and understood the sheer folly of participating in flawed and illegal elections was giving Zanu PF legitimacy. They have been participating in the flawed elections regardless out of greed.
The challenge is to educate the Zimbabwe public that Zanu PF is rigging these election, MDC/CCC’s “winning in rigged elections strategies” are hot air and by participating they are giving Zanu PF legitimacy. The solution is to stop participating in the flawed elections, to denounce the process as a farce here and now and to make sure Zanu PF does not get legitimacy.
We can neither stop Zanu PF holding the flawed elections nor CCC participating in the flawed process; both are hell bent on going ahead for their own selfish reasons. What we can do is make sure everyone knows this is a flawed and illegal process and condemn it as such. This will create the same political space for a new GNU as happened in 2008. And this time, we will see to it that all the democratic reforms are implemented without failure
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