Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends are hell bent on
participating in these 2023 elections just as they have done in 2013 and 2018.
They are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away as bait, they
have very rarely admitted it offering all manner of feeble excuses to hide
their greed.
David Coltart, Treasurer General of CCC and a senior MDC
member ever since the party’s formation in 1999 and Minister of Education in
the 2008 GNU, is one of the few who have admitted that the two MDC factions
participated in the 2013 elections out of greed, pure and simple! Here is what
he said:
“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
Senator Coltart in 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.”
There are ten key points we can pick and/or infer from this
quotation:
1)
That electoral process was not just flawed and
illegal, but “so illegal, that the only logical, obvious, step was to withdraw”
2)
That withdrawing from the election (which is
what SADC itself had argued MDC leaders to do at the SADC Summit in Maputo in
June 2013) would have “compelled SADC to hold Zanu PF to account”. In other
words SADC would have denied Zanu PF legitimacy.
3)
Neither MDC – T nor MDC N would do the logical
and obvious thing because of greed “neither could withdraw for fear that the
other would remain in the elections, winning seats”. Zanu PF needed the opposition
to participate to get legitimacy and was giving away the few gravy train seats
to entice them to participate.
4)
The argument that Zanu PF would have got
legitimacy regardless if one had participated is frivolous, to say the least,
particularly since neither MDC – T nor MDC -N leaders had submitted even one
reform proposal during the five years on which the justification to postpone
the elections was based.
5)
Indeed, even after failing to submit even one
reform during the GNU either MDC faction should have seen boycott the election
as their chance to redeem themselves by doing the obvious and logical thing!
6)
SADC would have denied Zanu PF legitimacy even
if only one MDC faction had boycotted the 2013 elections because the is
historic precedence in this – Smith failed to get legitimacy from the 1978
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia internal settlement because only Muzorewa and Sithole had
participated. Zanu and Zapu did the obvious thing and boycotted.
7)
Denouncing these flawed and illegal elections
and CCC’s selling out has put SADC under increased pressure to deny Zanu PF
legitimacy.
8)
If the flawed 2023 election fail to produce a
legitimate government then Zimbabwe will be compelled once again to find a
transition arrangement similar to the 2008 GNU. This time competent men and
women will be appointed to implement all the democratic reforms.
9) Just
because the Zanu PF and MDC GNU failed to implement even one reform does not
mean we don’t need the reforms. Ordinary men and women can and will implement
the reforms – it is not rocket science!
10) It
is insane to keep participating in an election process so flawed and illegal
not even getting 73% of the vote was good enough to secure regime change! And
the nation is being dragged into this madness by the very men and women povo
risked life and limb to end the Zanu PF dictatorship – Chamisa and company!
8 comments:
Sacked judge Erica Ndewere's spirited bid to keep her Mercedes Benz has suffered a setback after the High Court has confirmed her employer, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)'s authority to recover the vehicle from her.
Ndewere, a High Court judge, was fired from the bench by President Emmerson Mnangagwa after a Tribunal that had been set to look into her suitability to continue holding the esteemed office found her guilty of misconduct.
Her sacking was followed by an ignominious asset stripping that saw her launch a spirited bid to keep her Mercedes Benz.
As long as you remain you trade carefully and never ever displease the top dog life is sweet for the ruling elite. The higher you are the greater the distance you will fall if you are cast out!
One thing is clear thou, the difference between the lavish lifestyle of the few ruling elite and their cronies and the grinding poverty of the majority is as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon. This is socially, economically and politically unsustainable! Zimbabwe society is now more and more like a pyramid upside down! The country’s worsening economic meltdown is forcing the ruling elite to shrink pushing more and more people into poverty – the pyramid’s pointed base is getting narrower and thus more unstable.
GOVERNMENT extended its waiver on re-appointment of health workers who retired or were fired for various misdemeanors to March 31, 2023 from September 30 this year, documents in NewZimbabwe.com's possession have revealed.
The extension is in response to continued shortages in public hospitals and clinics caused by an exodus of health workers fleeing poor working conditions and poor remuneration to better paying countries in Europe, Namibia and America especially.
Nurses in Zimbabwe earn less than US$100 per month in comparison to US$1,472 in Namibia, US$1,887 in South Africa and US$3,472 in the United Kingdom.
Attempts to stifle nurses and doctors' flight by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who doubles up as Health Minister have been in vain, with his decision to stop issuance of verification documents, necessary for them to be employed outside the country, having been challenged.
Chiwenga went as far as pushing the Health Services Bill to bar health workers from going on industrial action, further worsening the volatile situation.
Government later revealed it was engaging the United Nations (UN) to recoup expenses it incurred in training nurses and doctors that have ‘fled.'
VP Chiwenga, just like many in Zanu PF, is just a buffoon who has promoted way above the level of his competency and has thrown his weight around, as buffoons usually do, with disastrous consequences. Zimbabwe’s health care has all but completely collapsed contrary to his boast to built a five star service!
MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora has taken delivery of a brand new Mercedes-Benz from President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government, adding to a farm he was also given for free early this year in what is seen as a reward for his role in the grand political plot to decimate the real opposition.
Mwonzora last year helped Mnangagwa consolidate power by supporting the passing of the controversial Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 1) Bill and Constitution of Zimbabwe Ammendment (No.2) Bill, which allowed the Zanu-PF strongman to concentrate power in his hands while undermining other arms of the state, notably the judiciary and the legislature.
In an i8nterview with Trevor Ncube, Dr Simba Makoni revealed how then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe bought Mercedes Benz for all his ministers within a few weeks of taking office in 1980. The limos were to replace the Peugeot 406 Ian Smith had issued to his ministers. The new limos were not in the budget nor was the purchase approved by cabinet. It was Mugabe firing the start gun on what has now become the hallmark of Zanu PF rule – pampering the ruling elite.
During the 2008 to 2013 GNU, Mugabe pampered the MDC leaders with the ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, farms, etc., etc. In return, the MDC leaders throw the democratic reforms out of the window!
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have learned to enjoy the gravy train good life, they will never rock the boat!) boasted the Zanu PF cronies, when asked why MDC leaders were not implementing any reforms.
Mnangagwa is just a buffoon who was promoted way above his level of competency; still, he is smart enough to know that Zanu PF’s continued iron grip on power depends on the party bribing the opposition to keep up the political façade Zimbabwe is a healthy and functioning democracy! He need Chamisa and company to participate in the flawed 2023 elections and pampering Mwonzora will only make CCC leaders green with envy and harden their resolve to participate in the elections regardless of the growing difficult they are participating out of greed – pure and simple!
Former G40 Kingpin Walter has vowed that he stands to fight another day against the President Emmerson Mnangagwa led government after failing take over power in November 2017.
Mzembi who was commenting on former ZANU PF Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere Twitter post that he lost his job in November 2017, Mzembi said, "I love November I think carrying on beyond it would have certainly meant death given the intrigue that was at play and how badly the current team wanted " chinhu " .In hindsight God saved us to fight another day . We could be 6 feet under! (sic)"
The statement prompted one @IsraelNcube16 to ask if Mzembi would dare fight for it again to which he replied, "Definitely WHY not? We live to fight another day, to the third generation… that office is the right of every Zimbabwean it's not an entitlement of a few."
The truth is G40 wanted “chinhu” (absolute power) just as badly as Mnangagwa and company did. If G40 had prevailed, they too would have been just as corrupt and tyrannical as this lot. It is laughable that Mzembi should be acknowledging “that office is the right of every Zimbabwean it's not an entitlement of a few"; now that he is no longer in power. It never ever occurred to him whilst he was in office. If he was ever to get back in power he will be too busy consolidating his grip on power all meanings fair or foul to even remember he said this!
As the nation fights to end the Mnangagwa dictatorship, we must never forget that the G40 is around keen as mustard to relaunch the Zanu PF dictatorship in their own image. People like Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Mzembi, etc. will use their looted wealth to bribe their way back into power. After four decades of corruption, uprooting is will not be a walk in the park, especially when there are many with an invested interest and resources to maintaining the status quo. Watch out!
@ Liberty
“If CCC were to boycott, what will happen after elections. Its a given that other political parties will contest eg Mwonzora and team.”
So, you would participate and perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship just because you cannot bear the thought of Mwonzora alone enjoying the gravy train good life! That could well be the price we have to pay for change just as Muzorewa sold out and participated in the 1978 Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Settlement.
The truth is you will not accept what Mwonzora is doing now is no different from what he, Chamisa, Biti, Coltart, etc. did during the GNU. We cannot accept that MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform during the GNU because they were enjoying the gravy train good life. They all participated in the 2013 elections because MDC-T could not trust MDC N to boycott the elections if they did, as Coltart confessed. In 2018 the four main MDC factions did come together to form the MDC Alliance; they did not even talk of boycotting the elections.
You, like many others who are insane, stupid, naïve, etc. are refusing to think and reason. You will not accept that MDC/CCC leaders are corrupt and incompetent. The reality is they are indeed corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent and your refusal to acknowledge this reality will not change the reality.
Worst of all, refusing to accept the reality that Zanu PF is rigging these elections and that CCC is giving the regime legitimacy and perpetuating the dictatorship is not stopping the nation sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. That is the true price this nation is paying for refusing to think!
@ Liberty
“My point is you seem to suggest that CCC participation is the one that will give Zanu legitimacy!”
Muzorewa and Sithole participated in the 1978 Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Internal Settlement and failed to give Smith legitimacy for two reasons:
1) Zanu and Zapu, equally important stakeholders, did not participate
2) More significantly, anyone with half a brain could see that the Internal Settlement promoted blacks from being third class citizens to second class, at the very best. Only sell outs like Muzorewa who cared more about the spoils of power than the rights, freedoms and human dignity of the blacks participated.
The 2008 elections showed that the ordinary Zimbabweans’ vote counted for nothing. It is nonsensical to participate in an election process so flawed and illegal that winning 73% of the vote is not good enough!
SADC leaders turned a blind eye to the blatant Zanu PF rigging of the elections and granted the regime legitimacy for two reasons;
1) MDC had not only failed to implement even one reform in 5 years of the GNU but failed to take advantage of the last-minute opportunity to redeem themselves by boycotting the 2013 elections.
2) Zimbabweans, in the opposition camp and ordinary people, said nothing about MDC leaders selling out on reforms and participating in flawed elections. SADC leaders took the silence to mean Zimbabweans are happy that Zanu PF retained its dictatorial powers to rig elections and use wanton violence to retain its iron grip on power. The nation welcomed the challenge of winning rigged elections. And so the regional body took the opportunity to wash its hands of Zimbabwe.
However, SADC is not going to grant vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy next year for two reasons:
1) The worsening economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is spilling over into the rest of the region, notably SA, Zambia and Botswana. It is one thing propping up a dictatorship next door but when the racket next door is keeping you awake night after night, you know it is partly your fault!
2) There is a growing number of Zimbabweans who readily acknowledge MDC sold out big time during the GNU and they are ready to implement reforms and get Zimbabwe out of this mess.
RENOWNED economist, Dr Godfrey Kanyenze has blamed disunity among the country's opposition political parties for propping up President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ascendancy and leaving foreign allies with no option except to support him.
The excerpts captured in the economist's latest irresistible book titled, "Leaving So Many Behind: The Link between Politics and the Economy" recalls that the country's opposition movement has sustained traversing a path separating it from its founding social base.
"A major development that signified the separation of the MDC-T from its social base was the decision by the National Constitutional Assembly, which had been part of the vibrant social movement of the late 1990s and played a role in the formation of the MDC, to transform itself into a political party on 28 September 2013.
"Meanwhile, the post-election self-introspection within the main opposition party MDC-T created disunity within the party," says the book in part.
"The thinking that then-vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, working with the opposition and civil society, offered the best prospects for a stable transition out of the economic crisis was propagated by the influential British think-tank, Chatham House in its report entitled; 'The Domestic and External Implications of Zimbabwe's Economic Reform and Re-engagement Agenda', released in September 2016," the book observes.
Morgan Tsvangirai and company’s greatest opportunity bring about meaningful political change in Zimbabwe was during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. MDC leaders’ blundering incompetence and greed were exposed in these five years and everything they had done until then and afterwards are nothing in comparison.
Therefore to write about the 2013 MDC infighting and say nothing about the GNU is as foolish as describing the majesty of an anthill at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro!
Chamisa said despite everything, he will never give up to Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe will be a multiparty.
"Zimbabwe shall not be a one party state. We will unite all Zimbabweans and build a formidable team ‘Team New Great Zimbabwe' of the able and competent from across all parties.
"We will be a happy and flourishing multiparty democracy. Zimbabwe, let us win big!" Chamisa posted on twitter.
Last week CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere was trying by all means to make Zimbabwe a one party state.
"We know that is what Zanu-PF was budgeting for at this stage was that Zimbabwe will be a one party state. They tried all sorts of shenanigans, but we remain steadfast, we are going to continue to march in the fight to win Zimbabwe for change," Mahere said.
Meanwhile, close to 2000 politically motivated cases of violence have been recorded so far and there are fears of a bloody 2023 general election.
Mugabe learned a great deal from the 2008 elections and the 2008 to 2013 GNU that followed. He lost political legitimacy because of the blatant cheating and wanton violence, he knew that for Zanu PF to retain its iron grip on power, the party must retain its dictatorial power to rig elections. The compromise position was for Zanu PF to give up the de facto one-party state in favour of the more acceptable multiparty state façade.
Mugabe knew that as long as he allowed the opposition to win 1/3 or so of the gravy train seats they will always participate regardless how flawed and illegal the process got. And so he had managed to keep his carte blanche powers to rig elections and even use wanton violence knowing the opposition will participate no matter what and thus give Zanu PF political legitimacy.
Chamisa and his opposition friends know they will never win elections in which Zanu PF has carte blanche powers to rig. They are fighting over the 1/3 or so gravy train seats plus the consolation POLAD handout for all the losers who publicly proclaim that the rigged elections were free, fair and credible.
Of course, Chamisa has to tell his followers CCC will “win big” now to keep them motivated. The morning after the voting day, he will be telling the world “Zanu PF stole the elections!” Some of his supporters will stage street protests and the soldiers with instructions to shoot to kill will be waiting for them.
After 42 years or rigged elections how anyone would believe Chamisa’s oxymoronic nonsense of “winning in rigged election (WIRE)” strategies beggars belief. If the people of Zimbabwe are stupid enough to accept rigged elections then them must accept the consequences of their stupidity – another five more years of this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule!
Zimbabweans have yet to learn what constitute free and fair elections; grade one stuff by all accounts. Those who will not learn from past mistakes will be forced to repeat the mistake and pay the dues again and again until they learn!
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