“Electoral watchdog, the Election Resource Centre says Zimbabwe's total eligible voters should hover around eight million, meaning that nearly three million people are not interested to vote,” reported News Day.
“A graphic report produced by ERC this week revealed that opposition
strongholds such as Harare and Bulawayo have the least number of potential
voters registered to vote in the 2023 elections compared to rural
constituencies.
“According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), only 5 804 975 people
are on the 2023 voters roll, a 2% increase from the 2018 figure of 5 695 706
registered voters.
“Zec has promised to introduce more voter registration blitzes.”
There are four key points to be noted from the News Day
report:
1)
There are three million plus Zimbabweans in the
diaspora that Zanu PF has denied the vote because “the West imposed sanctions
on Zanu PF leaders” explained Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu PF acting spokesperson last
June. Of course, it is a feeble excuse; why should the Zimbabweans in the diaspora
be denied their fundamental right to a meaning full vote over something nothing
to do with them. How can these elections be anything but a farce, if three out
of eight voters are denied the vote?
2)
Past experience teaches us that the voter
registration blitz ZEC will carry out in the coming months will just be mudding
the waters, all the new registrants will be duplicates, fictious voters, etc.
to benefit Zanu PF. ZEC will never produce a verified voters roll, if you are
going to use the voters’ roll as one of your key tool to rig elections, of
course, you do not realise a voters’ roll. ZEC has never ever produced a
verified voters’ roll although this is a legal requirement. How can these elections
be anything but a farce, if there is no something as basic as a verified voters’
roll?
3)
Come rain come high waters there is one thing
one can say with 100% certainty – Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends will participate
in these farcical elections. Ever since the 2008 to 2013 GNU it has become clear
that MDC leaders do not real care about implementing the democratic reforms and
end the nation’s curse of rigged elections and bad governance. All they real care
about is participate in these farcical elections, give Zanu PF legitimacy for a
share in the spoils of power. Why?
The answer to all the three questions above is any open
book, one has only to open their eyes and read it for oneself!
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have
learned to enjoy the trappings of power and will never rock the boat!) boasted
Zanu PF cronies when asked why Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were not
implementing the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.
Of course, the Zanu PF cronies were right and, most
importantly of all, time has proven them right! MDC failed to implement even
one democratic reform in five years; not even the relentless nagging by Sadc leaders
to implement reforms was able to get MDC to budge and implement even one token
reform.
Sadc leaders told Tsvangirai and company to their faces “If
you go into the elections next month (July 2013), you will lose. The elections are
done!” in a last-minute desperate attempt to get the 2013 elections postponed
until the reforms are implemented. MDC leaders ignored the stain warning; they
were not going to rock the boat – period!
Sadc leaders finally got the message and thrown in the
towel. They reverted to their default position of supporting Zanu PF by
endorsing the rigged elections giving the regime legitimacy!
10 comments:
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will embark on a 10-day voters' roll inspection ahead of the delimitation exercise which shall be conducted in terms of Sections 160 and 161 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The exercise will run from July 17-26 with the Commission setting up 11 107 inspection centres in the 210 constituencies.
This is just a gimmick! Whatever voters’ roll will be available during these ten days will not necessarily be the voters’ roll to be used on the day of voting. It is on pubic record that ZEC will have another voter registration blitz between now and the elections resulting in a new voters’ roll. ZEC has never ever produced a verified voters before the elections or after; there will be no verified voters’ roll for 2023 either!
Of course, CCC know this is a gimmick and yet will participate in these flawed elections as usual. Chamisa and company know the elections are being rigged and that participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy and still they participate because they also know that Zanu PF will give away the few urban gravy seats. CCC have given up on reforms and free and fair elections and are now giving Zanu PF legitimacy for a share of the spoils of power!
In her defendant's plea submitted on June 6, Mahere denied Advocate Chinyoka's assertion that she "has/runs/controls" the @advocatemahere account.
Although she denies being the face behind @advocatemahere handle, she vehemently defend the tweet in the same plea, saying "the contents of the tweet were true".
Mr Chinyoka responded to Mahere's plea in replication papers filed Friday (July 8), describing Mahere as dishonest.
"And, as the Defendant goes on to admit publishing the statements complained about, the denial that the Twitter handle ‘@advocatemahere' belongs to her and the sanctimonious demand for Plaintiff to prove the fact is, in these unfortunate circumstances, facetious," Advocate Chinyoka claims in a blistering response.
"Demonstrating her propensity and propinquity for mendacity and perfidy, the Defendant confuses herself by claiming that a verified (Twitter) account requires further proof that it is hers."
Nelson Chamisa and the minions around him have vehemently defended the position CCC will not have a constitution, party structures and, most important of all, have party congress or any such activities to give the people a meaningful say in the party for fear of infiltration. The assumption was CCC was pure and those already in the party were pure and beyond blemish and, more significantly, the public should trust Nelson Chamisa’s judgement in selecting the party’s office bearers.
Well, all these stories of advocate Fadzayi Mahere calls into question the purity of those in leadership position and, more pointedly, Chamisa’s assession he is an impeccable judge of character so impeccable he reversed unto himself the absolute power to make all appointments!
CCC’s excuses for democratic accountability were feeble and the chicken are coming home to roost!
VETERANS of the Liberations Struggle League (VLSL) in Mashonaland Central have pledged to put Zanu-PF first and ensure that President Mnangagwa, who has given them a special place in the ruling party, wins by a landslide in next year's harmonised elections.
This follows the establishment of the VLSL which is set to have its maiden elective conference next month.
War veterans' provincial chairperson Sam Parerenyatwa said the acceptance of war veterans into the party is an indication of the trust that President Mnangagwa has in people with whom he fought arm-in-arm during the liberation struggle.
The war veterans and the Zanu PF youths were the foot-soldiers during the now infamous 2008 Operation Mavhotera papi in which ordinary Zimbabweans were punished for rejecting Zanu PF in the March 2008 vote. Mnangagwa knows this and is recruiting the war veterans to remind the people of 2008 wanton violence.
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and what is more the opposition knows this and yet CCC will still participate regardless.
Mutsvangwa told a Zanu PF press briefing in Harare Tuesday that his party and soldiers are solidly related.
He said:
We are delighted as war veterans; we are going to make sure that we support you (ZANU PF). We also know that we have a very proud umbilical connection to our friends in the armed forces. We have the best army in the world. We have remained there to make sure that we have the best army in the world. We are always conscious of the role they are playing in defending our nation and making sure that we keep the enemies at bay.
We will not brook those who say there must be security sector reforms, our army is the best. We want to send a very strong warning to the opposition that the boys and girls are back in town.
Zimbabwe National Army spokesperson Colonel Alphios Makotore yesterday refused to comment on Mutsvangwa’s claims.
We all know that Mutsvangwa’s claim of Zanu PF and ZNA have umbilical connection is not an empty claim. The 2008 elections have shown beyond all doubt that the country securocrats play a key role in our political system particularly in the elections. The only sure way to cut this umbilical cord between Zanu PF and ZNA is by implementing the democratic reforms.
@ Jukwa
“If your kind was "doing something for the nation at large", you would have been constructive .... a lot more constructive.
As things stand, you are trashing everyone 'friend' ("sell-out MDC/CCC) and foe (Zim Patriots) alike.
If you are to be seen as "doing something for the nation at large", either do something constructive on your own.
Or join/support those Zim Patriots who have INVESTED THEIR ALL to give us "the nation" in the first place.
Please pay attention: Unlike an individual who takes only a few decades to grow and mature, a "nation" REQUIRES GENERATIONS to mature and fully validate its existence.
Expecting this relatively new Zimbabwe to be up and running, like nations that have been around for centuries, is to be very ignorant of what it takes to grow and mature ANY nation.
Zimbabwe needs constructive contributors.
Zimbabwe does not need those who would stand with racist white supremacists in keeping African peoples from laying down good foundation and progressing into a great nation.
Criticizing Zanu PF and CCC and holding them to account for their shortcoming is an important and critical duty that must be taken seriously. There is no rule that says one must criticize one and support the other.
Is rigging elections and looting the nation blind part and parcel of growing and maturing. How naïve!
"The demand for dialogue is what we are pushing for and the envelope of conversation. We are pushing the envelope of peace and stability because if there is no conversation of what must happen, it has a bearing on the future stability of this country. It's not about them being politically interested, it's about the people of Zimbabwe. This is what the people of Zimbabwe want.
"People of Zimbabwe want a genuine and authentic leadership that must take this country forward. We believe that for the purposes of stability in this country there must be conversation. That is why we are obviously engaging with our partners in this region and, of course, other progressive Africans so that they help us with this particular process.”
The real tragedy here is the MDC/CCC are a sick joke in Africa and in Sadc in particular. The average Jokonia or Chimbido in Zimbabwe has no clue what the 2008 to 2013 GNU was about and therefore does not know that MDC leaders sold out big time. The same cannot be said about the Sadc leaders. After all it was the regional leaders, led by SA, who had engineered the 2008 Global Political Agreement with its raft of democratic reforms and arm twisted Robert Mugabe to sign the agreement.
None of the Sadc leader never thought they would have an impossible job to get Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to implement even one reform in five years! But that is exactly what happened.
MDC leaders have pointedly refused to admit they sold out by failing to implement even one reform. Indeed, they have even had the chutzpah to blame Sadc leaders for GNU’s failure to end the Zanu PF dictatorship.
Sadc leaders have ignored MDC/CCC leaders and reverted to endorsing rigged Zimbabwe elections giving Zanu PF legitimacy. There is no doubt that Sadc leaders, especially S A, Botswana and Zambia must know endorsing the rigged election and giving Zanu PF legitimacy is counter productive as this only extend the Zanu PF dictatorship’s stay in power and dragging the whole region deeper and deeper into the economic and political abyss.
Still no Sadc leader would consider the corrupt and utterly useless MDC/CCC as political partners they can work with. The MDC betrayal during the GNU was so outrageous there is real no comeback. No Sadc leader will want to have anything to do with MDC leaders.
The only realistic solution for Zimbabwe is for Sadc to stop endorsing Zanu PF rigged elections this would create the same political crisis as in 2008. This time the GNU will new and competent men and women who will implement all the reforms. It is not rocket science, for Pete’s sake!
The very fact that even now with the benefit of hindsight many Zimbabweans still have no clue what the 2008 to 2013 GNU was about is proof the nation is not ready for a healthy and functioning democracy. Even if one was given to us in a silver platter in the morning before sunset the dictatorship will have taken root!
Why we have failed to grasp what constitute free and fair elections, in this day and age, beggars belief. It is not rocket science, for Pete’s sake. And yet we have clearly failed. Since 2013 we have been trying our luck “winning (Zanu PF supper) rigged elections”. We have again and again learned first-hand Zanu PF’s carte blanche powers to rig elections are, literally limitless, and yet we still continue in this madness.
Nations get the government they deserve, we have not even bothered to learn such basic requirements as a verified voters’ roll, and we certainly deserve this Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its 130 opposition political parties all corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless!
@ Pat Maseko
“Why apportion the blame of not implementing the electoral reforms to MDC/CCC alone? The ruling party also has to agree to the implementation, it's unfair to blame the opposition alone, knowing fully well the type of regime we dealing with.”
The people of Zimbabwe have risked all to elect MDC leaders these last 22 years for the express purpose the party will bring about the democratic changes to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. Why bother elect MDC if they knew Zanu PF would implement the reforms and reform themselves out of office?
The very fact that you are still asking such naïve question only goes to show how little you understand, even now with the benefit of hindsight! And, typical of one who has yet to learn that MDC leader are corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless, you are trusting Chamisa to deliver democratic change – the very thing he has failed to do these last 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU! Of course, he will never deliver any meaningful change nor do people like you deserve change!
@ Silungisani Ndlovu
“At this juncture come 2023 Harmonized General Elections. .ZANU -PF Party is a clear Winner. .Contesting against these Structureless Opposition Parties. ..ZANU-PF WILL go it alone. .No challenges. .We are talking Politics not eating Pap. .”
It was Professor Jonathan Moyo who said if the choice in 2008 was between a donkey and Mugabe people will vote for a donkey. Tsvangirai went on to win 73% of the vote in the March vote, proving the Professor was right if the vote is free. Mnangagwa stopped the results being announced and change it to force a runoff. The runoff was an orgy of violence Mugabe won with 84%.
Chamisa would win the 2023 election with a landslide regardless of the fact CCC is just a one-man band – Nelson Chamisa. This is way Zanu PF is mobilising the Army, war veterans, etc. to repeat the orgy of violence.
The Nelson Chamisa led opposition said government's continued reluctance to implement electoral reforms recommended by local, regional and international observers in previous polls has resulted in voter apathy with citizens continuing to lose faith in the country's electoral system.
If there is anyone who has encouraged Zanu PF to ignore calls to implement democratic reforms then it is MDC/CCC. Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms themselves – not ask Zanu PF to do it – during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to implement even one token reform.
The party has paid lip service to reforms we all know that but particularly Zanu PF hence the reason the regime as ignored calls to implement reforms. MDC has participated in elections knowing fully well that with no reforms Zanu PF will rig the process and that participating will only give Zanu PF legitimacy. Still MDC has participated out of greed. Zanu PF has given away a few urban gravy train seats and MDC has food the bait irresistible!
Chamisa and company will participate in these elections no matter how flawed and illegal the process gets for the sake of 30 pieces of silver! And so the party must stop insulting our intelligence by wittering about increasing violence or rigging because we know CCC will participate in these elections no matter what as long as the bait gravy train seats are offered!
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