One says this, another says that and a third says something else that is neither this nor that. Indeed, in Zimbabwe politics the same individual will say one thing now and say the exact opposite in the next breath. There is confusion galore and hence the reason the country is in a serious mess!
The people of Zimbabwe have risked everything to elect
Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends into power to bring democratic changes,
as the party’s name implied, and end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Simple enough.
Yeah, but not to MDC leaders, they have a knack for turning molehills into
mountains so high no mortal can surmount!
Tsvangirai and company failed to implement even one
meaningful reform in five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU because of greed, yes;
but most important of all because of ignorance and confusion. Most of the MDC
leaders did not know what the democratic reforms were much less how they would
be implemented.
Even today, with the benefit of hindsight, Chamisa and his
cronies still have no clue what the democratic reforms are and how they should
be implemented. Hence the reason why they talking of political dialogue to implement
reforms with only a year and half before the 2023 elections.
Last week Nelson Chamisa, leader of Citizens Coalition for
Change (CCC) called for political dialogue “about reforms & the road to
2023 not a GNU”.
“As Zimbabweans, we must find each other to avoid a yet
another disputed election and all it's undesired consequences. We need a
Pre-Elections Pact on Reforms (PREPARE),” he argued.
So, the pact going to implement reforms or was it a
pre-election agreement on the need to implement reforms after the elections? If
the 2023 elections went ahead with no reforms implemented then how will the
nation avoid the disputed results since Zanu PF will rig the plebiscite, as
usually, which is the root cause of the disputations?
Nelson Chamisa and the party’s deputy spokesperson had
another bite of the cherry to clarify the purpose of the proposed dialogue and
pact.
"We need a national dialogue with political parties on
the pre-election pact and electoral reforms so that we put an end to the past
of contested elections. We don't want violence in the next elections, and
we don't need the abuse of State institutions at all," said Siziba, the
deputy spokesperson.
Well, everything is now as clear as mud!
Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said there was need for
Chamisa and Mnangagwa to engage in dialogue to end socio-economic problems
bedevilling the country.
"The socio-economic and political challenges facing the country cannot be
unlocked by political science. After every war, people engage in dialogue. Even
after independence, we engaged in dialogue. Zimbabwe needs dialogue," chipped
in Maxwell Saungweme, a political analyst.
Zimbabwe’s war of independence ended back in 1980 for Pete’s
sake! Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the country has
failed to hold free, fair and credible elections. The nation has been stuck
with this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship for the last
42 years because Zanu PF rigged elections.
The country had the golden opportunity during the 2008 to
2013 GNU to implement the democratic reforms and end the curse of rigged
elections and MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform. Worse still, MDC
leaders have participating in these flawed elections for the same selfish
reasons they failed to implement reforms – greed and incompetence – only to
give Zanu PF legitimacy.
So, MDC have failed to implement even one reforms all these
years so they can have dialogue with Zanu PF? How absurd!
"Chamisa is not refusing to engage in dialogue, but he
is refusing the terms of reference for the dialogue. He is simply saying that
President Mnangagwa is part of the problem and cannot be part of the solution,
and cannot be the convenor of the dialogue. That is the major reason he
is refusing to talk to Mnangagwa. If there is no dialogue, we are going to
continue to see the same problems," argued another News Day political analyst,
Sydicks Muradzikwa.
News Day is supposed to play its part of informing the
public and not brainwash them! Why does the paper keep digging up these dug
political analysts!
Of course, both Mnangagwa and Chamisa are happy to see the 2023
elections go ahead without a single reform implemented. Zanu PF will rig
elections secure the usual 2/3 majority and the presidency and secure political
legitimacy, by virtue of CCC participating. Chamisa will win the 1/3 so gravy
train seats Zanu PF gives away as bait and the corresponding share of annual
Political Party Finance Act budgetary allocation.
Chamisa will make a big song and dance about Zanu PF rigging
the elections, to justify why he lost. He will renew his call for reforms; just
paying lip service to the issue to plicate his naïve and gullible followers. He
knows that MDC wasted its golden opportunity to implement reforms and has long since
given up on reforms and free elections.
11 comments:
@ Mbofana
“When I was meticulously studying these young men and women - I could not help thinking, "This is a clear case of, 'till death do us apart'" - as they commit themselves to ZANU PF, as if bound by some solemn covenant of marriage.”
In a country where elections are routinely rigged, through vote buying, voter intimidation, multiple voting, etc., etc. it erroneous to attribute Zanu PF’s election victory to real people voting freely for the party.
Frankly, I blame the corrupt and incompetent MDC/CCC for the country’s political mess; they not only failed to implement any meaningful democratic reforms these last 22 years but worse still they have stubbornly participated in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy.
It is naïve to expect my poor auntie in the rural back waters to stand up to the Zanu PF thugs and the proxies and vote freely. Of course, her vote is not secret especially if the Zanu PF candidate should lose!
If any Zimbabwean voter is married to Zanu PF then it must be a gun-marriage!
@ Mbofana
“Who are we waiting for to come and save us?
Who is this “knight in shining armour”, or “Prince Charming” we are expecting to ride gracefully and valiantly into our seemingly god-forsaken country, scaling the tall walls of unbelievably horrendous economic challenges, and whisking us away to live happily ever after?”
Thank you very much for giving Zimbabweans a kick in the backside to force them to do something to end the economic and political rot that has turned the country into a textbook failed state.
The only time Zimbabweans have got off their backside is in risking all to vote for the MDC/CCC in the hope the party will deliver the democratic changes the nation was dying for. As we know MDC leaders sold out and failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU.
“MDC died in 2008!” said Brett in a video that has gone viral on social media. He is right. The tragedy is that many Zimbabweans have yet to see that reality! You should kick them harder!
Zanu PF was not under any pressure to perform well during the recent 26 March 2022 by elections as the overwhelming majority of the seats available were former opposition held seats. Still the party decided to give its vote rigging juggernaut a test run.
No one, not even Chamisa and his cronies, were left in any doubt that Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections. Chamisa’s call for this pre-election pact is a tacit acknowledgement of the basic truth – Zanu PF is set to rig these 2023 elections.
Mnangagwa is not in any great hurry to talk to Chamisa because he knows that as long as CCC is assured of winning a few gravy train seats the party will participate in these elections regardless all the evidence Zanu PF is rigging the elections. The call for a pre-election pact is just Chamisa posturing, pretending he holds the trump cards when everyone knows he has nothing!
Given the country’s worsening economic situation Mnangagwa may end up offering Chamisa some ministerial position in some POLAD arrangement, Chamisa will publicly endorse the elections were free and fair and that Mnangagwa is legitimate; just to shut CCC up.
As for the economic recovery Chamisa is promising, that will never happen. The world knows that whatever arrangement Zanu PF and CCC come up with, Zanu PF will be the sovereign power and CCC just a subservient sidekick! Zimbabwe will remain a pariah state that no one would want to invest in.
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and by participating CCC is giving Zanu PF legitimacy. It is tragic that there are many Zimbabweans out there who are foolish enough not to see what is going on here even after 42 years of rigged elections!
Part 1 of 2
Oates told the British Parliament that the March 26 by-elections were held in an unlevel electoral field against Chamisa's CCC with Douglas Mwonzora's MDC Alliance, which he described as a Zanu-PF project, having it easy.
"In those elections, the main opposition party was denied the right even to use its own name in these elections or to access the public funds it was entitled to," Oates said.
However, Mutsvangwa said Oates had no business "poking his nose" into the country's affairs.
"For a British Lord to have the temerity that we don't like Douglas Mwonzora (MDC Alliance leader) because he is not opposed to Zanu-PF the way we like Chamisa, that is the height of imperial arrogance and that is unacceptable.
"We appeal to the opposition and in particular Chamisa. This is the occasion the CCC must make a decision. There is a duty to choose the flag or the country over anything else," Mutsvangwa said.
However, CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba said the opposition party was not interested in having any talks with Zanu-PF, saying: "We have never pushed for dialogue with Zanu-PF, but for a national dialogue including the churches. The Zanu-PF government is not legitimate. It has been rejected by the Western community. Mnangagwa is not legitimate, and no one wants to be associated with Mnangagwa's government."
Chamisa insists that Mnangagwa rigged the 2018 elections in his favour, and has refused to recognise his legitimacy even after the Constitutional Court dismissed his court challenge.
"Zanu-PF must make sure to resolve legitimate issues and they should stop the abuse of citizens and they are the perpetrators of violence," Siziba added.
Meanwhile, Mutsvangwa said Zanu-PF will use its parliamentary majority soon to railroad the controversial Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill which seeks to regulate civic society organisations and non-governmental organisations including independent trusts.
Part 2 of 2
Oates told the British Parliament that the March 26 by-elections were held in an unlevel electoral field against Chamisa's CCC with Douglas Mwonzora's MDC Alliance, which he described as a Zanu-PF project, having it easy.
"In those elections, the main opposition party was denied the right even to use its own name in these elections or to access the public funds it was entitled to," Oates said.
However, Mutsvangwa said Oates had no business "poking his nose" into the country's affairs.
"For a British Lord to have the temerity that we don't like Douglas Mwonzora (MDC Alliance leader) because he is not opposed to Zanu-PF the way we like Chamisa, that is the height of imperial arrogance and that is unacceptable.
"We appeal to the opposition and in particular Chamisa. This is the occasion the CCC must make a decision. There is a duty to choose the flag or the country over anything else," Mutsvangwa said.
However, CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba said the opposition party was not interested in having any talks with Zanu-PF, saying: "We have never pushed for dialogue with Zanu-PF, but for a national dialogue including the churches. The Zanu-PF government is not legitimate. It has been rejected by the Western community. Mnangagwa is not legitimate, and no one wants to be associated with Mnangagwa's government."
Chamisa insists that Mnangagwa rigged the 2018 elections in his favour, and has refused to recognise his legitimacy even after the Constitutional Court dismissed his court challenge.
"Zanu-PF must make sure to resolve legitimate issues and they should stop the abuse of citizens and they are the perpetrators of violence," Siziba added.
Meanwhile, Mutsvangwa said Zanu-PF will use its parliamentary majority soon to railroad the controversial Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill which seeks to regulate civic society organisations and non-governmental organisations including independent trusts.
Zanu-PF often accuses NGOs and civic society organisations of being foreign funded to push a regime change agenda.
Critics have dismissed the PVO Bill as an attempt by Mnangagwa to silence critics, civic groups and NGOs which have exposed corruption, misgovernance and spoken out against human rights abuses.
By participating in these flawed elections MDC/CCC is giving legitimacy to Zanu PF, a fact acknowledge by David Coltart in his book The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“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 elections,” wrote Senator Coltart.
“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.”
Chamisa in his infantile mental thinks he can have his cake and eat it too. He has been insisting on participating in these flawed elections giving Zanu PF legitimacy and each time he has lost he thinks he can withhold legitimacy. He has often dangled legitimacy to bargain for cabinet positions for himself and other MDC/CCC leaders.
Such is Zimbabwe’s misfortune free and fair elections and political legitimacy is now being bargain for a share of tyrannical political power like mangoes at the market!
Our members, mostly young entrepreneurs, vendors, young women and persons with disabilities have proposed that we file an urgent court application seeking to hold responsible
Wes Beal
Tafadzwa Sambiri
William du Plooy
Runyararo Mherekurombe
and other Team Pachedu members personally liable for the shutdown Zimbabwe protest they have initiated, they should also be held liable for any loss or damage of property because most insurance does not cover protests and shutdowns.
This is just another way of giving the right to demonstrate with one hand and then taking it all away with the other hand! Team Pachedu has called for powerful demonstrations and it is for the Police to maintain law and order and to arrest those who break the law.
WATCH: “Dira Rizare!,” Hopewell Chin’ono Gives Linda Masarira A Bath Tub
The opposition's pathetic track record of failing to implement even one meaningful reform in 22 years has been attributed to greed and incompetence. These are very valid reasons but clearly there is a lot more. One is that the opposition is corrupt to the core they are Zanu PF in all but name and hence the reason why the opposition has failed to implement reforms and thus make the ruling party accountable.
The opposition have been ineffective because they are infiltrated by Zanu PF, this is the issue Zimeye is raising here. And the opposition and the nation at large must sit up and listen.
@ Faith Zaba
The CCC leader, for now, has not convinced me as a genuine democrat. He has not imbued the CCC with the basic tenets of democracy, judging by the raging debate about his plans to duck a congress.
CCC supporters do not tolerate opposing voices. But the authoritarian leadership style adopted by Chamisa is a threat to democracy, especially by someone whose persona has been propped up as liberal. This deserves scrutiny.
Prominent human rights lawyer Musa Kika recently wrote extensively about the need to guard democracy, in an article titled, Guarding democracy jealously – institutions and people power published in the Zimbabwe Independent.
"Democracy is hard work. It works and manifests for the vigilant. To those who slumber, they realise how soon and fast it can slither, for autocracy comes much more naturally to humans than democracy," Kika argued.
"That is the danger of slumber in democracy. Humans, so long as they are human, will always be self-serving, will always be intoxicated with power, and will always pursue self over collective."
We hope the goings on at the CCC are not an ugly manifestation of authoritarianism. We hope it's not the dearth of democracy and a deadly threat to constitutionalism."
For the ordinary member of the political party, congress is the one opportunity they have to listen and influence party policy and, if it is an elective one, to have a meaningful say in who leads the party. Why anyone with a working brain will, willingly give up their one and only golden opportunity to contribute beggars belief.
Of course, if you are one of those members whose understanding of any issues is potato skin deep and are therefore comfortable following leaders blindly like sheep, giving up your right to a meaningful say comes naturally. These blind followers who are a curse to democracy! And if truth be told MDC/CCC followers are good at repeating empty slogans and are a curse to democracy.
“The clear message has been that CCC is a movement that puts the citizens at the centre of all decision-making and all matters of governance, leadership selection, budgetary priorities, and policy-making.” This is just empty rhetoric!
Nelson Chamisa and his fellow MDC/CCC friends have failed to implement even one token reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. They have never explained nor apologised for their failure. You can apologise for making a mistake their failures were born out of corruption and breath-taking incompetence; there is no apologising for that!
The truth is Chamisa and company have nothing to offer the nation. They are promising the nation change but cannot say what that change is because they do not know what it is much less how to bring about. They are just relying on povo’s ignorance and desperation for their popularity.
CCC is a citizen driven party! Yeah right! All decision the party has made since its launch were made by one man, Nelson Chamisa, and not even the so-called interim leadership much less the membership. Chamisa is being forced to hold this elective congress, there is no deny that. Not that the congress will cure the party of corruption and incompetence – these are in the DNA of the party.
Hon Chibaya also praised the CCC external Assemblies that financially supported the 8 wards . UK, North America, Germany, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand were all twinned with contesting wards and they provided t/shirts, fliers, posters, food, fuel and airtime for campaign staff and election agents. Hon Amos Chibaya thanked the Diaspora assemblies and all Citizens for providing resources to the contesting candidates.
Clr Ian Makone, the CCC Elections secretary also thanked Citizens for speaking out through the ballot box and also for the overwhelming support the Diaspora community gave to the 7th May bi elections campaigns.
The number one question one must ask is: Is this evidence that the 2023 elections are going to be free, fair and credible?
The honest answer is a big NO!
Most if not all the seats CCC has just won in these by elections were a result a result of recalls; seats MDC A under Chamisa had won in 2018 and, in many cases, the same individuals had contested now under the CCC ticket. We all know that Zanu PF had rigged the 2018 elections and would rig the 2023 elections too because not even one token reform has been implemented to stop the rigging. Not a sausage!
Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections. And by participating CCC is, once again, giving Zanu PF legitimacy and thus help perpetuate the dictatorship. After 42 years of rigged elections, this madness must now be stop!
"Attempted murder of CCC Polling Agent Justin Pitikanyi at Tangenhamo Primary School Ward 7 Command Centre (Zengeza, Harare). ZANU-PF Youths come armed with Irons Bars, Caterpuls, stones and bricks. Polling agents were temporarily dispursed at the Command Centre. Despite the attack we are winning." reported Denford Ngadziore on twitter.
Zanu PF is using wanton violence, among many other barbaric tactics, to rig the 2023 elections. It is shocking that many of our people are being conned by Chamisa and company into participating in these flawed elections under the pretext CCC will win the rigged elections. Winning rigged elections, especially after 42 years of Zanu PF rigged elections, is an oxymoron. It is tragic that the people have yet to open their eyes and minds and stop this madness.
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