The British people have a new Prime Minister, the 8th
one since 1980!
Liz Truss 2022 – present Conservative
Boris Johnson 2019 – 2022 Conservative
Theresa May 2016 – 2019 Conservative
David Cameron 2010 – 2016 Conservative
Gordon Brown 2007 – 2010 Labour
Tony Blair 1997 – 2007 Labour
John Major 1990 – 1997 Conservative
Margaret Thatcher 1979
– 1990 Conservative
In the same 42 years period, Zimbabwe had just two
Presidents.
Emmerson Mnangagwa 2017 (coup) – present Zanu PF
Robert Mugabe 1980
– 2017 (coup) Zanu PF
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF apologists will attribute the
stack reality of 2 leaders vs 8 to Zanu PF’s enduring “popularity with the
Zimbabwean electorate” and the fear of change, metathesiophobia. A phobia,
extreme fear, of the unknown that makes one avoid change at all costs!
The more rational and, indeed, obvious explanation is that
Zanu PF has blatantly rigged elections to deny the people of Zimbabwe their
fundamental right to a meaningful say in who ruled the country. Mugabe was not
removed from office because he had lost his “popularity” with the electorate;
he was booted out of office by the same Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut that had
rigged elections and kept him in power.
It was no surprise at all that Mnangagwa and his fellow November
2017 military coup plotters named the coup “Operation restore legacy!” The coup
was the climax of a factional struggle pitting Robert Mugabe and his G40 against
then VP Mnangagwa and his Lactose including the top brass in Army, Police, CIO
and Prison Services constituting Joint Operation Command (JOC), the junta
behind the vote rigging and looting. When Robert Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from
his post as VP it was clear his supporters in JOC were next. The putsch was to
restore power back in the hands of the junta.
The only time Zimbabwe has ever come close to holding free,
fair and credible elections was in March 2008. SADC leaders had forced Zanu PF to
accept many electoral reforms rendering the party’s vote rigging machine
ineffective.
It so happened that the elections took place at the time
when the Zimbabwe economy was in total meltdown; inflation had soared to the dizzying
height of 500 billion percent, the economy had shrunk by over 50% in the last
decade alone, many companies had closed, shops were empty, etc. Metathesiophobia!
What metathesiophobia! The people knew what they had in Zanu PF and they were desperate
for regime change.
Zimbabweans were so desperate for regime change someone remarked
that “if the choice was between Mugabe (Zanu PF presidential candidate) and the
donkey, people will vote for the donkey!”
Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC presidential candidate) got 73% of
the vote, according to Mugabe’s Freudian slip. But before the result was announced
the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut was switched back on and it took six weeks to
recount five million votes. Or rather, to whittle down 73% to 47%, enough to
force a runoff.
During the runoff Zanu PF used the junta to punish the
voters for having reject the party in the March 2008 vote. The nation was
subjected to some of the worst politically motivated violence the country has
even seen, millions were beaten and/or raped and over 500 were murdered.
“What was accomplished by the bullet, cannot be changed by
the ballot!” thundered Mugabe as the wanton violence spread like a forest fire.
“Zanu PF has declared war on the people!” complained
Tsvangirai as he dropped out of the race.
Mugabe “won” the one-horse race by 84%.
Ever since the party has reminded the people of 2008 wanton
violence each time the party’s grip on power has been threatened. However, the
threat to use violence has not been enough to subdue the populous particularly
in the face of the country’s worsening economic situation. There have been many
violent clashes, instigated by Zanu PF supporters mainly, already. Signs are,
things are going to get worse as the nation gears for the 2023 elections.
Things are not any better in the opposition camp. MDC
rebranded as CCC, had only two leaders in the last 22 years.
Nelson Chamisa 2018
(palace coup) to present
Morgan Tsvangirai 1999
to 2018 (death)
When the MDC was launched it had a constitution stating the party
president could serve a maximum of two five-year terms. Tsvangirai had the constitution
amended to allow him to stay in power beyond the ten years. Chamisa has
resisted calls for CCC to have a constitution and party structures. He insists
the party belongs to the people for the people and all decisions are by the
people. All nonsense of course, CCC is no more a democratic party than the
Democratic Republic of North Korea is a democratic country!
If the 2023 elections were free, fair and credible, Nelson
Chamisa would defeat the Zanu PF candidate hands down for no other reason than
that the nation is desperate for change. By failing to implement even one
meaningful reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to guarantee free elections Chamisa
and company shot themselves in the foot because they will never win blatantly
rigged elections.
In a healthy and fully functioning democracy with a well
informed and diligent electorate, such as the UK, all those who hold public
office compete amongst themselves and are accountable to the people who wield
the vote to decide who governs. In a dysfunctional autocratic Zimbabwe all political
power is in the hands of the few ruling elite and the powerless masses do as
they are told, the tail wags the dog.
The new UK Prime Minister will have to hit the ground
running because her in-tray is full and overflowing. The price of fuel has just
doubled in the last six months; caused, largely, by Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine; and the price of everything else is going up. Inflation is now at 13%
and the UK economy is predicted to go into recession by the end of the year. The
whole nation is look up to her to provide the leadership, vision and solutions
to all the nation’s teething problems.
“I will deliver!” promised Prime Minister Liz Truss, then
entered the famous 10 Downing Street. She knows that if she fails to deliver
her own Conservative party will boot her out before the next general elections
in two years’ time or else the British people will boot her and many of her
fellow party leaders out.
If you fail to deliver as a leader then you must go, no
messing around; that is what has given democratic nations the competitive edge.
Keeping leaders way past their used-by dates is has made countries like
Zimbabwe textbook case failed states. Zanu PF has ruled Zimbabwe for 42 years
and counting. Hell!!!!
3 comments:
The people of Zimbabwe have had Mugabe then Mnangagwa as their leader in 42 years, with UK having 8 PMs in the same period, because they were not allowed a meaningful say in who ruled the country. And so the nation has found itself stuck with fossils; “way, way past their use-by date” as you said; who have dragged the nation deeper into this man-made hell-on-earth.
The right to a meaningful say in the governance of one’s country is the king of all rights and freedoms. Even the right to life bows down low to the right to free, fair and credible elections. Over 35 000 innocent Zimbabweans have been murdered by this Zanu PF dictatorship and we have wringed our fingers helpless to stop it because the party control all the state institutions.
The right to free and fair elections is the king of all rights and freedoms because it alone guarantees good governance without which all the other rights and freedoms cannot be secured.
Zanu PF has denied the ordinary Zimbabweans the fundamental right to free, fair and credible elections ever since the country’s independence in 1980 on the grounds that they liberated the nation from white colonial rule and thus have the divine right to rule. It is the curse that has befallen our beloved Zimbabwe that each generation must fight the generation before it to be heard. This is no time to build or think!
Zimbabwe had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and end restore the people’s rights and freedoms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were entrusted the task of implementing the reforms failed to implement even one reform.
The need to implement the reforms is more urgent now than ever; the whole world is facing many challenges due to covid 19, war in Ukraine, climate change, etc. Those nations with good governance will fair a lot better than those with fossils for leaders – it is that simple!
We really need to implement the democratic reforms and stop this CCC nonsense of "battle it out without reforms"! Even if CCC was to win rigged 2023 elections, they will not implement the reforms and so the defeated Zanu PF will regroup to fight another day! In 2028 the nation will once again face the same challenges of captured ZEC, Police, wanton violence, etc., etc.
The only sure way to get all the reforms implemented is during a GNU period.
Getting the reforms implemented is the holy grail challenge of this generation because nothing of substance will ever be accomplished until this is done! For Pete’s sake, let’s do it!
@ Mbofana
“It is always important for our opposition to pay more attention to these behavioral attributes by the ruling establishment, and what motivates them - if there is ever to be real change in the country.
In times of conflict, one of the most important departments in any military force is 'psychological warfare and strategy' - whereby, the meticulous study of the 'enemy' and his psychology are centre-stage, as deeply understanding how the mind of those whom you are fighting is key to winning.”
I totally agree with you that Zanu PF has failed to govern the country and if the elections were free, fair and credible, the party would have been booted out a long time ago. The question you should be answering is why the opposition has failed to implement any reforms these last 22 years especially when the MDC was elected to deliver democratic changes as the party’s name implies.
Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and they failed to implement even one reform. Not one!
MDC/CCC has been repeatedly advised not to participate in these flawed elections because that only allows Zanu PF to blatantly rig the elections and get away with it. They have ignored the advice because they are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away as bait!
We are stuck with this Zanu PF dictatorship not so much because the regime is rigging elections but because MDC/CCC has allowed the regime to rig elections in return for a share of the spoils of power. Since the 2008 GNU the elephant in the room is not Zanu PF but MDC/CCC, let’s talk about the elephant in the room!
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