“Zimbabwe democratic space narrows ahead of 2023 polls” screamed the
Bulawayo 24 article!
“In December alone, critical developments that undermine democracy have
unfolded. Most notably, the draconian
Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Bill was passed by Parliament,” read the
report.
“The discredited law will give the government unfettered discretionary power to
over-regulate and interfere in non-government organisations' operations.”
Zimbabwe is a de facto one-party dictatorship, a failed pariah state,
masquerading as a multi-party democracy. Why we continue participating these flawed
and utterly meaningless elections after 42 years of rigged elections is a mystery!
In 1983 to 1987 Zanu PF instituted the Gukuhandi Massacre for the sole
purpose of forcing its main political rival, PF Zapu, to capitulate and join
Zanu PF. The late Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu friends did capitulate and
signed the Unity Accord and paving the way for the imposition of the de facto
one party state. And ever since, Zanu PF has ridden roughshod over the people
denying them their freedoms and rights. And the party has been ruthless in its
dealings with anyone or organisation that threatened in any way its strangle
hold on power.
One of the ways Zanu PF has retain absolute power was by making the people
powerless, the more vulnerable and helpless the people have become the more
effective the party’s carrot and stick tactics have worked.
Zanu PF has always viewed Voluntary Organisation as a threat to the party’s
strangle hold on power for two reasons:
1)
VO like ZLHR have directly challenge the party’s human
rights abuses by challenging the regime’s excesses and defending victims of abuse
2)
Even when the VO has confined themselves to helping the
poor with food and medicine; the regime has stepped in demanding that the assistance
must be given out by Zanu PF officials or not at all. Zanu PF would rather see
the poor starve to death then let them receive help from someone else. The
party would rather see Zimbabwe in ruins than let anyone else rule it!
Like it or not, Zanu PF is once again blatantly rigging the 2023 elections.
The election process is so flawed and so illegal the “obvious” thing is to
boycott the elections until reforms are implemented. Sadly, the country’s
corrupt and incompetent opposition will, as usual, participate in the elections
regardless out of greed as David Coltart confessed.
In, David Coltart, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in
the 2008 GNU, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in
the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear the elections would not be free, fair
and credible.
“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 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.”
The MDC has gone on to participate in the 2018 elections although four of
the main MDC factions, joined by three other opposition parties, had formed the
MDC Alliance. There was no talk of boycotting the elections then, greed had once
again prevailed.
"Mr Mnangagwa knows the real threat that lies ahead if Chamisa wins the
elections such as exposure of their human rights abuses going back to 1980 and
so they are prepared to do anything to stranglehold on power. As we go towards
the next elections, I see more efforts being done to prevent the will of the
people triumphing," commented Coltart on the passing of the PVO bill.
Chamisa, Coltart and the rest of CCC (MDC rebranded) leaders are all hell
bent on participating in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that the democratic
space in Zimbabwe has shrunk to a singularity point a long time ago. Zanu PF is
rigging these elections and participating will only give SADC the excuse to
grant Zanu PF legitimacy.
The nation’s hopes and dreams to end the curse of rigged elections and bad
governance are, once again, being sacrificed to gratify the insatiable greed of
the few. It is for the people to open their eyes and minds to the political
reality that there will be no free elections as long as Zanu PF and CCC remain in power. The two
cooperating to maintain the status quo and sharing the spoils of rigged
elections.
5 comments:
“We conversed with women, the elderly and the deserving in this part of rural Midlands to extent our gesture.
From us in CCC with love and solidarity Always.- Gift Ostallos Siziba.”
The starting gun has been fired and the rat race is off! Chamisa and company love accusing Zanu PF of vote buying but they are all in it. What Chamisa should complain about is that Zanu PF is better resourced given the party has access to state resources plus all the generous donations from those benefiting from the wholesale looting! Zanu PF has the added advantage of wielding the big stick with which to whip the people into submission.
It is sickening that these politicians have abandoned the more important task of creating an economic environment in which all citizens can prosper from their own hard work. The rat race is about making everyone helpless and dependent on aid. The nation’s economy is in total meltdown and 49% of our people now live in abject poverty all because of decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruptions.
The people know the root cause of the mismanagement and corruption are corrupt and incompetent leaders and the nation has been stuck with these corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF thugs because the party rigs the elections.
The people elected MDC leaders on the understanding the party would implement the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. The party has failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU.
Mugabe bribe the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office and they forgot about the reforms. And ever since the GNU debacle, MDC/CCC have participated in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy in return for a few gravy train seats!
So instead of doing something to end the gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and to end the lawlessness that have made Zimbabwe a pariah state, a failed state; both Zanu PF and CCC are now in the business of vote buying disguised as charity. The competition is heating up as the 2023 elections D-day approach!
Chibaya urged party supporters in the Diaspora to press family members Zimbabwe by withholding remittances if they do not show proof of registering to vote in the crunch 2023 ballot.
This is rich given that Amos Chibaya was a senior MDC leader in the GNU years who failed to submit even one reform proposal and CCC is participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy out of greed. He and his sell-out friends have never apologised for the betrayal of the people and now he has the chutzpah to ask Zimbabweans in the diaspora to not only bankroll the sell-outs participation in these flawed elections but not punish their relatives who dare demand an end to this insanity!
There's something very sad and tragic in your presentation which is taken out of Wilbert Mukori's book of crying and wingeing about spilt GNU milk.
We were let down but let's move on and work out strategies of how to dislodge the ruling party in 2023! Otherwise you start living in the past just like uncle Bob and his ilk.
Right now, CCC faces a dilemma in that if it boycotts the election, uncle ED will balloon numbers for Mwonzora and legitimise the election. It's a catch-22 situation.
Let's start applying our minds and present strategies and solutions that overwhelmingly defeat the status quo to ensure the change we desire.
I used to enjoy Wilbert's presentations but he keeps repeating the same old matra about Chamisa, his friends and the GNU.
Come on guys, you can do better than that. Go back into your old youthful selves and reignite that spark that excites the whole nation...
@ Godfrey
“How does one wrestle power from one using the power of the gun and supported by the judiciary plus many other. How can you be civil with such a person can only agree to discuss only when his power is being out powered. Its a battle of wills not wits - so the one supporting their WILL with MIGHT is usually the winner.”
Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, which implemented would have ended Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers. They failed to implement even one reform. Not even one!
It was not the men carrying guns nor the judiciary who stop MDC implementing even one reform during the GNU. And it is not anyone with guns who will force Chamisa to participate in the 2023 elections knowing fully well Zanu is rigging and that participating will only give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu legitimacy.
@ Collen Riva
“You miss the point mukuru. You might have enjoyed those fake golden days, I wonder how while under such segregation. The article points to support to burst sanctions. None of those countries were penalised. The sanctions were tokenistic. Zim is under draconian sanctions. No comparison.”
In your opinion what would you say is the percent contribution on draconian sanctions, corruption and mismanagement to Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown?
I would say 5% sanctions, 60% corruption, 30% mismanagement and 5% other factors!
Zanu PF is blaming sanctions for the country's economic meltdown because it does not want to admit corruption and mismanagement are the real causes. Zimbabwe's economy was already in trouble hence the need for the ESAP of 1990 to 1999 long before the sanctions were imposed in 2001!
What is particularly disappointing here is that there is a mountain of evidence to prove that corruption and mismanagement are the root causes of the economic meltdown and yet there are some individuals who continue to blame sanctions. This only shows the individuals are incapable of evaluating facts and so will believe Zanu PF hogwash. Sad really that we have some people who have been brainwashed by Zanu PF they are now incapable of thinking for themselves.
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