The images of the
brutal violence at the CCC rally in Kwe Kwe over the weekend is a reminder of
the wanton violence of the 2008 elections. The nation had the golden
opportunity to deal with this problem during the 2008 to 2013 Government of
National Unity (GNU). Sadly, the problem was never dealt with, and hence the
deja vu!
Two CCC supporters
were killed and 17 others serious injured in the Kwe Kwe violence.
“The violence was
allegedly instigated by a Zanu-PF gang wielding machetes. This behaviour is
synonymous with a local Zanu-PF aligned terror gang monikered Al-Shabab, after
the Somali-based terrorist group,” reported Bulawayo 24.
"And this is what Zanu-PF intruders did to us. They were so angry because
of the huge turnout at our rally. They unleashed violence using stones machetes
and iron bars," commented CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa on twitter.
The four most
important questions that must be asked and answered are:
1)
Could the barbarism inflicted by Zanu PF thugs on CCC supporters
have been avoided? The answer to that is yes, we could have ended this curse of
political violence once and once for all if the 2008 to 2013 GNU had
implemented the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 Global Political
Agreement (GPA).
2)
Why did the GNU fail to implement the democratic reforms and end
the curse of rigged elections and wanton violence? The MDC leaders who were
tasked to implement the reforms turned out to be corrupt and breathtakingly
incompetent; Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office, and they
forgot about implementing the reforms.
3)
Where do we go from here? The barbarism will continue, as long as
Zanu PF retains the carte blanche powers to rig elections and resort to the
wanton violence to guarantee the party’s 2/3 majority and presidency and
continue to get political legitimacy from MDC/CCC continued participation in
the flawed elections. Of course, MDC/CCC leaders have always known that Zanu PF
is rigging these elections and will not hesitate to use violence to secure victory.
They have also known that Zanu PF is offering the 1/3 or so parliamentary seats
as bait; this they have found irresistible.
4)
Can this cycle of rigged elections and bad governance be broken?
Yes, it can be broken. Deny Zanu PF legitimacy by either stopping MDC/CCC
participating in the flawed elections or show MDC/CCC for the political
sell-outs they are for insisting in participating in flawed elections. By
condemning the 2023 elections as a farce you deny Zanu PF political legitimacy,
which is exactly what happened in 2008 and forced the regime to sign the 2008
GPA in 1) above. This time measures will be taken to ensure competent leaders
are tasked to implement all the reforms.
It is all very well
for Chamisa and his MDC/CCC friends to pontificate endlessly about Zanu PF
barbarism; the truth is the regime would not still be riding roughshod over the
people if MDC leaders had not sold out. The 2008 to 2013 GNU was Zimbabwe’s get
out of jail card and why MDC/CCC leaders have not played this card all these
years beggars belief. Chamisa et al must explain why they have not played get
out of jail card and not waste time wittering about the jail’s thick walls, the
razor-fence and all the other top-notch security measures.
As
much as it is Zanu PF thugs who are established, retained the de facto
one-party dictatorship and are still in power today, it is nonetheless
important to note that it is the corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent MDC/CCC
who have been helping Zanu PF stay in power since the 2008 GNU. Without
political legitimacy from MDC/CCC Zanu PF will be forced to sign another Global
Political Agreement agreeing to the implementation of democratic reforms as
happened in 2008!
The idea Zanu PF will give up its dictatorial powers to rig elections to allow peaceful democratic change is naïve to say the least. By failing to force the opportunistic opposition participating in these flawed elections and thus giving Zanu PF legitimacy Zimbabwe is closing the door to peaceful democratic change and be left with no other option other than violent street protests and/or another military coup.
4 comments:
The 2008 Zimbabwe elections were a watershed in that Zanu PF showed the shocking extend in blatant cheating and wanton violence the regime would go to retain power. Not even SADC and AU, who had turned a blind eye to rigged Zimbabwean elections in the past, could pretend the 2008 elections were a free, fair and credible elections. It was SADC and AU’s refusal to grant Zanu PF legitimacy in 2008 that forced Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies to accept and sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The GPA was first and foremost about implementing the democratic reforms designed to stop a repeat of 2008 Zanu PF blatant cheating and wanton violence. The blatant cheating did not stop as the 2013 and 2018 elections showed. The killing of Nyasha Zhambe, in Gutu last year and the barbarism in Kwe Kwe are proof the wanton violence is back too.
Faced with the blatant cheating in the 2013 elections David Coltart admitted the “obvious” thing to have done was boycott the elections. What stopped Coltart and company boycotting the elections was greed, as he readily confessed.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” wrote Coltart. his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
If boycotting elections was “obvious” is 2013 because the process flawed, it was insane to participate in the 2018 elections knowing fully well the process was still flawed and that participating gave Zanu PF legitimacy. MDC leaders did the insane thing and participated in 2018 elections for the same reason as in 2013 – greed.
In their desperate bid to hang on to power, Zanu PF thugs have escalated the situation, the blatant cheating is back and so is the wanton violence. Boycotting these elections until the reforms are implemented was the obvious thing to do in 2013, it was the sane thing to do in 2018 but all these were overridden by MDC greed! Are we going to allow greed to prevail over reason in 2023?
@ Prisca Ncube
“Blaming the wrong person for ages. CCC is on the receiving side permanent blaming CCC will bring nothing. Permanent noise without value-adding to the cause.”
I beg to differ. Nelson Chamisa and his fellow MDC/CCC leaders are not as innocent as you think!
It is a historic fact that the 2008 to 2013 GNU was Zimbabwe’s golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to end Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers and restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections.
It is also a historic fact that no meaningful reforms were implemented during the GNU hence the reason the country is still stuck in this hell-hole!
Robert Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends with the trappings of high office and they, in return, forgot about implemented the reforms. “Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have learned to enjoy the gravy train good-life, they will not rock the boat!)
Some Zimbabweans love burying their heads in the sand hence the reason why they failed to know what the GNU was about much less understand that MDC leaders sold out. It is very disappointing that even now, with the benefit of hindsight, there are many who still have no clue Chamisa and company sold out then and are selling out now.
Chamisa and company are participating in these flawed elections for the same reason they failed to implement even one meaningful reform during the GNU – greed. Your refusal to accept that fact does not change it one bit.
Most important of all, you, CCC and many others’ failure to realise that Zimbabwe is not getting out of this mess without reforms is insane and is what is keeping us stuck in the mess. The 2023 elections should not be going ahead without first implementing the democratic reforms. The idea that we can win elections in which Zanu PF has carte blanche powers to cheat and use wanton violence must be denounced as an oxymoron and dangerous!
THE proposal by electoral watchdog, Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn), for the under-fire Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to consider engaging independent auditors to scrutinise the voters' roll as a way of restoring confidence in the electoral process, is noble and worth considering.
The electoral body has of late been criticised for several irregularities picked up in its latest voters' roll by opposition political parties and activist groups such as Team Pachedu.
Some of the discrepancies unearthed by activist groups include changes to 156 polling stations, movement of 177 000 voters and registration of voters with unknown or unnamed residential addresses
ZEC is required by law to produce a verified voters’ roll at least one calendar month before nomination day for the nationwide elections. It is interesting to note that ZEC has never ever produced a verified voters’ roll. It is also interesting to note that the MDC/CCC have participated in past elections knowing fully well there was no verified voters’ roll.
There really has not been any motive for Zanu PF and ZEC to produce a verified voters’ roll or to end many of the documented flaws and irregularities. Why bother if the opposition will participate and give the regime legitimacy!
Robert Mugabe learned during the 2008 to 2013 GNU that as long as Zanu PF allowed MDC/CCC to win a few gravy train seat and have a share of the spoils of power the opposition will participated in the country’s flawed electoral process no matter what and give Zanu PF legitimacy. As far as Zanu PF is concerned letting MDC/CCC win a few gravy train seats is a small price to pay for political legitimacy.
MDC/CCC have played a key role in keeping Zanu PF in power since the 2008 watershed elections and failure to recognise this reality has only worked in Zanu PF’s favour!
@ Arthur Mntungwa
“Wena Patrick Guramatunu, go ahead and implement those reforms yourself. All Zim citizens can participate in politics. Should you feel others are falling short of your expectations, Shona Khona nawe. Throw yourself into the ring and let's see what you can do!”
I think forming one’s own political party or rebranding and call oneself “Second Republic” or “CCC” and change the party colours to complete the deceit; is the ease bit, any village idiot can do that. The real challenge is educating the masses and holding those in public office to democratic account; that takes intelligence, courage and resolve – qualities as rare and precious as gold!
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