"We are confronted by wars which are sure to remake the global order as we have known it until now. Africa must jealously guard against her interests and position in the unfolding global drama. We are no one's underdog and we should not be drawn into foreign wars as proxies of any power or combatant," said VP Constantino Chiwenga at the official opening of Connect Africa Symposium.
"Gone are the days when foreign powers come to our meetings and try to override our own agendas. No. The agenda must be written by Africans for Africans. We see repeated attempts of (forcing) Africa into answering to issues that are peripheral to its interests.
"That must end. We also see attempts by bigger powers to fight over our resources which they want to control and to detect partnerships for us. We know our interests. We do not need to be lectured through hypocrisy.
"We must put our foot down as a continent, look to ourselves and assess partnerships for how well they serve us now and in future. That is the Africa we want and seek to build.”
We know what Zanu PF’s agenda is, it has not change ever since the country gained her independence in 1980 - to establish a de facto one-party dictatorship and retain absolute power at all costs.
President Mnangagwa has mounted a protracted campaign portraying his regime as the victim of the British and her fellow western allies’ white colonial empiricism ambitions. The accusation that the sanctions impose on the country was the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown was gaining traction. Many African leaders had called for the lifting of the sanctions against Zimbabwe at UN General Assembly last September. SADC leaders had gone as far declaring 25 October as anti-sanctions day.
In November last year South Africa’s ruling ANC made a party resolution “never to allow regime change in Zimbabwe”. As far as President Cyril Ramaphosa and his party were concerned the any regime change in Zimbabwe was being initiated by the sanctions and nothing else.
The four part Zimbabwe: Gold Mafia documentary on Al Jazeera has reveal how Zimbabwe was losing US$ 1.6 billion or 80% of her US$2 billion gold per year to gold smuggling. This constitutes nearly 6% of the country’s US$28 billion GPD. Corruption is rampant in diamonds, lithium, platinum and in other areas such as procurement of fuel and medicine.
Even the most optimistic guesstimate of the losses brought by sanctions have put the figure at a few million dollars per year nowhere near the US$1.6 billion per year in gold smuggling alone! Mnangagwa knows the Al Jazeera documentary has just shot down his sanctions balloon.
President Cyril Ramaphosa may still try to endorse rigged 2023 elections and grant Zanu PF legitimacy, as before, but even he knows he will be helping to prop up a corrupt, tyrannical and vote rigging regime. No one will buy the sanctions hen’s teeth excuse.
What is more, the people of South Africa will be forced to sit up and take note: if ANC is condoning vote rigging in Zimbabwe, what is there to stop the party rigging SA elections?
President Mnangagwa is concerned about rigging the 2023 elections but being denied political legitimacy because the process is judged to be flawed and illegal. He is so concerned about that, he is seriously considering denying the EU, Commonwealth, Americans and all certain to condemn the flawed process, election observer status.
All this anti-foreign powers interfering in Africa’s affair, we are “no one’s underdog” rhetoric, etc. is preemptive strike to justify the decision to deny the western nation election observer status and reports condemn the election as a farce.
Anyone who has been paying attentions to Zimbabwe these last 43 years will tell you they saw this coming! Zanu PF is a party of ruthless thugs who would rather burn down the house than give up power particularly now they are addicted to absolute power and all the influence and wealth it has brought.
During India’s struggle for home rule, Mahatma Gandhi and his fellow Indian nationalist leaders resisted the temptation to wage an armed struggle. “What kind of leaders will an armed struggle throw up?” they asked. “Will those be men and women we would want to rule India?”
In Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies Zimbabwe’s armed struggle has provided the world with the answers to worse case scenario of what Gandhi and company feared! It is fair to say Zimbabwe end white colonial rule in 1980 only to replace the white oppressor with the black ones.
Blacks did not have a meaningful vote before independence, now they are frogmarched to vote. Any whites who point out the meaningless change are dismissed as hypocrites. And any blacks who demand free and fair elections are ruthless silenced under the pretext they are puppets promoting their white masters' regime change agenda.
Zanu PF turned the guns used to defeat the white colonial government on the people they were supposed to liberate to impose themselves as the new rulers. They had the means, the guns, to make the country ungovernable if they did not get what they wanted and they have held the nation to ransom ever since. Of course, we are tuck!
34 comments:
OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has embarked on a diplomatic offensive to court the support of regional leaders in his party's push for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he will announce election dates next month.
CCC has raised concern that the electoral field is not level, but skewed to produce a disputed election.
Chamisa yesterday could not immediately reveal more details about his foreign meetings citing diplomatic protocols, but said the reception he received abroad was convincing.
"We are on diplomatic offensive each day as we have been reaching out to the hearts of all Zimbabwe for change in Zimbabwe," Chamisa told The Standard.
"We want to make sure that Zimbabwe is friends with all and we are not a pariah state or a Banana Republic.
This is the now all too familiar political posturing, “the full of sound and fury signifying nothing” as Shakespeare would put it. What can SADC do to level the political playfield now, four month before voting day?
Chamisa and hi MDC friends were given the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and level the playing field. They failed to implement even one reform in five years. Worse still, MDC/CCC are the ones who have insisted on participating in these flawed election out of greed knowing fully well that they will only give Zanu PF legitimacy.
The so-called diplomatic offensive is just a waste of time, SADC leaders know it and so does everyone except the naive and gullible CCC supporters! Of course, CCC are sell-outs and many Zimbabweans are now realising it and denouncing them. It is nonsensical to use the participation of discredited CCC as the excuse for granting vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.
@ Hopewell Chin’ono
“I was NOT referring to you Advocate Thabani Mpofo
@adv_fulcrum, I was referring to politicians.
You went to court to defend the legality of the coup and got it legalized as a lawyer, and not as a politician.
The people that should speak out against corruption as a matter of practice are the opposition.
So I was not referring to you!
I too like millions of Zimbabweans thought that it would bring change.
So I won’t attack you for getting the coup legalized, you were doing your work as a lawyer and not as a politician!”
One does not need a degree in law to know there was nothing “legal, justified and constitutional” about the November 2017 military coup. Justice George Chiweshe judged this was indeed so. But when you are paid and paid very well there is simply nothing some people would not say paid to say it!
Zimbabwe’s greatest curse is the countless men and women who have willingly sold their own mothers for a price and boasted of having a mother to sell!
@ Zanda
“Simply put, he was involved in the laundry - sanitizing the illegal removal of an elected government. Folks want to hide behind the legal profession as if they become a different person.”
The threats were totally uncalled for. Lawyers and judges are not demigods whom we ordinary mortals dare not criticise!
@ Seke Mutema
“We don't need Europeans to observe our elections.”
The EU had a 246 strong election observer team for the 2018 elections and the produced a detailed report.
“Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party,” stated the EU final report.
“Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. ……. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
Any level headed Zimbabwean out there would be concerned that the 2018 election were not free, fair and credible because the people being denied this fundamental right are ZIMBABWEANS. This is not just right, it is also the foundation of good governance - the number one reason we are in this economic and political mess.
So, why would you not want the EU to observe our 2023 elections particularly when we failed to hold free elections in past and should be keen to do better?
There is already growing evidence these elections are being rigged, ZEC has failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. Could it be that Zanu PF does not want the EU to observe the elections because the party does not want the world to know it is short changing its own people once again?
Zanu PF is rigging these elections but getting political legitimacy will be another matter. Mark my words and mark them well!
Lithium has been Zimbabwe's biggest discovery in the past five years and multinationals have been pouring millions of United States dollars to exploit the resource, a crucial input into the production of electric car batteries in advanced economies.
Some reports say up to US$650 million has been injected into Zimbabwe's lithium mining sub-sector in the past two years, as global giants troop to prepare facilities for mining and processing the mineral.
In December, the ministry of mines and mining Development banned the exportation of raw lithium, in line with the beneficiation policy. The ban was effected through Statutory instrument (Si) 213 of 2022 gazette titled Base minerals Export Control (Unbeneficiated lithium Bearing ores) order, 2022.
But in its report, Zela said lithium was still illegally finding its way out of Zimbabwe.
"Most players in the sector sell it unprocessed and as a raw material," Zela said this week.
"From a marketing and trade perspective, it is alleged that the key players in the trading of unprocessed lithium include the Chinese, Indians, South africans and mozambicans," the report noted.
"These players are allegedly fuelling the illicit trade and smuggling of lithium, draining the country's fiscal potential from lithium production.”
Until Zimbabwe implement democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections and good governance the problems of mismanagement, corruption and the chronic economic meltdown and tyrannical oppression will remain. As long as Zanu PF remains in power nothing will change.
Indeed, Zanu PF is using some of the looted wealth to bankroll its vote rigging political activities including bribing the opposition to participate in the flawed elections. Like it or not Mnangagwa is out spending many presidential candidate in such countries as the USA; his opponents are broke!
The tragedy is the US$ 54m jet is one of the many times when this Zanu PF has plashed millions if not billion of dollars on what is clearly the wrong priority. The regime's apologists and propagandists have been burning the midnight oil trying to dismiss the jet story; there are at least ten other story of similar waste in the last month alone if anyone cared to dig for them!
The truth the criminal waste of the nation’s human and material resources will continue as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs who have rigged elections these last 43 years to impose themselves on the nation. Ever since the country’ independence in 1980 Zanu PF leaders have made it clear they alone must rule or they will made the country ungovernable.
Zimbabwe is not the only country born out of a bitter armed struggle, many others did and they became healthy and functioning democracies after independence. It was not so for Zimbabwe because we had the misfortune of the armed struggle by dominated by hardcore thugs!
The country had many chances to end the Zanu PF dictatorship with the best chances coming during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Alas! We had the big misfortune of having some of the most corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent leaders in the form of Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, they have not only wasted the GNU chances but are the ones keeping Zanu PF in power by participating in these flawed elections.
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and CCC are hell bent on participating no matter what. We cannot reason with these murderous thugs and sell-outs, their brains have ossified into fat if they had any brain cells at all. The only hope of ending this insanity is by making sure Zanu PF is denied political legitimacy - that is easier said than done given we have ANC buffoons across the Limpopo River hell bent on keeping Zanu PF in power!
@ Boston
“Mr Mukori, I'm a typical rural boy from the very same village where that same video was recorded, we are the most democratic people in the country, we leave side by side and we don't see this kind of hatred we see here on social media. I challenge you to personal go to that village and find out for yourself. But what I can promise you is if go off TV and switch off your phone you will see how everything is quite fine in rural areas.”
Give a fool enough rope and he will hang himself with it!
If you come from the same village where that video was recorded then are you saying it did not happen because if it did happen then it is nonsense still claim “we don’t see this kind of hatred”!
Even if there is no political intimidation and thuggery in your area, what makes you sure it is true the rest of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has had a history of political violence starting with the Gukurahundi massacre and the 2008 wanton violence in which over 40 000 innocent Zimbabweans have lost their lives. And yet we have some village idiot arguing there is no politically motivated violence!
We have should be focusing on implementing the democratic reform to end the violence but are instead wasting time because some VIs are denying there is violence! No wonder the country is in a mess!
Am I insulting you when I tell you the truth? If you are an idiot and I tell you so and explain why I said so then I am not insulting you. If you are not an idiot and I call you an idiot but fail to prove it then I am insulting you.
Mature discourse is only possible when we all respect facts, reality and the truth. How do you have mature discourse with someone who denies that Zanu PF is rigging these elections or that CCC are participating out of greed? After 43 years of rigged elections it is insane to let this madness continue unchecked under the guess of "People should be free to participate and share their views with fear of insults!”
We are going to have a mature discourse and put an end to the curse of rigged elections and those who dare disrupt this by denying facts must and will be held to account. Of course, if you are denying facts you are, per se, being foolish. We should say so without fear or favour - that is not negotiable.
Idiot is a word in the English language that aptly describe the fools denying facts. And it is important to use it to make sure we have a mature discourse because there are many who have the dirty habit of denying facts just to be disruptive!
In my village fools with the knack of denying facts are told to shut up. “Enda inovhiya mbudzi!” they will told in Shona. Here the fools will be called fools and told why they are being called fools.
Let me say it again, we are going to stop the insanity of rigged elections and bad governance. We are not going to be side tracked just to message some village idiots’ misplaced egos. They have the right to shut up or they will be held to account for what they say. That is not negotiable!
@ Chickenbreast
I will never lose sleep because you called "down syndrome". I know you have failed to understand that the primary purpose of the 2008 to 2013 GNU was to implement the democratic reforms, even now with the benefit of hindsight. Indeed, if a VI called you a genius then you must be doing something wrong!
@ Remington
If you are not one of those denying the truth and historic facts, then I apologize unreserved for calling you a village idiot. But I am sure you would agree with me that we do have many VIs out there from both Zanu PF and CCC; the former denying rigged elections and wanton violence and the latter denying MDC sold out by failing to implement even one reform during the GNU.
Zimbabwe cannot afford to waste time and resources going over the same ground, we need to end the insanity of rigged elections a.s.a.p. The only sure way to shut up these VIs is to take them by the scuff of the neck and give them an intellectual shakeup by showing them for whom they really are - village idiots! I make no apology for shaking up VIs. Never!
@ Son of Isaac
“I hate people who keep talking about implement reforms. Zvakatopfuura you keep shouting about it. Saka moda kudini. That shows you dont think. We need new strategies. Matakadya Kate anobatsirei. IMPLEMENT. IMPLEMENT CHII CHACHO.”
Would you agree with me that Zanu PF rigged elections in the past and is set to rig 2023 elections?
I believe the only sure way to stop the rigging is by implementing the democratic reforms but stand to be corrected. Please tell me how we are going to have free elections without implementing reforms?
Just because MDC sold out on reforms does not mean we do not need them. Just because MDC failed to implement even one reform does not mean no one else can. So, please stop talking nonsense. You are just a village idiot with no clue what the reforms are much less how they are implemented.
Do not meddle in matters you know nothing about!
@ Chickenbreast
“I understood everything you said but you are failing to give special advise that can convince us not to vote because no reforms has been made.A lot of us asked you whether Zanu PF will not hold elections because CCC did not participate, will SADC and AU not endorse Zanu PF to have been voted for another 5year term.Tell us what is the best to do not only saying Zanu PF is rigging.”
You have failed to grasp the folly of participating in an election process so flawed your vote does not count however by participating you are giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. This is grade one stuff. How do you expect to understand what SADC may or may not do, University level stuff?
@ Tapiwa
“So what do you propose should be done? Tombomira ma elections here toita zvema reforms?”
The question has been answered 1001 times in the last month alone. So, it is either you did not hear it because you did not want to hear it - it was not what you wanted to hear. Or you heard it but failed to comprehend - it is not every who hears who understands.
Either way, it would be a waste of time answering the same question for the 1002 time. What is there to suggest you are now willing to hear and/or understand?
@ SaMuchuwe
“History yenyu appears to just talk about zanu pf. Do you know that more people died under white minority than black majority. I’m not trivializing the deaths but munokanganwa kuti the white farmers got land through violence. Those who live by the gun die by the gun. It wasn’t going to last kungobira vanhu their land.
I wish I could take you kumusha kwedu. And you will understand why some of us supported land reform.”
The land issue was used as cover to deny ordinary black Zimbabweans their right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country. Of course, this was a deliberate and calculated move by Mugabe knowing fully well that there will be many out there who will be fooled. And many were fooled.
The land issue is still unfinished business. Many rural areas are still over crowded and the people MUST be given title deeds for the land they are living on. Of all the rights, the right to own land means the most to many Zimbabweans. Why they continue to be denied this right beggars belief!
@ Tapiwa
“2013 is 10 years ago. I thought you had your own solution for today not Coltart's solutions of 10 years ago. Anyway if I hear you correctly you are saying all political parties should boycott the elections. My question is the what if you boycott?”
I told you, you see but do not perceive. You hear but do not understand.
Moses brought down the two tablets with the ten commandments over 3 000 years ago and yet the commandments remain the centre piece of Christianity and Judaism to this day. Why? Because man’s propensity to sin is just as insatiable today as it was 3 000 years ago. The 10 Commandments are therefore as relevant today as they were 3 000 years ago.
The Zimbabwe elections are as flawed and illegal today as they were in 2013, not even one meaningful democratic reform has been implemented since then, and if the rational
solution was to boycott elections then it is still the rational solutions today.
You want to participate in these elections so please spare me your idiotic excuses for doing so! I am not interested!
@ Godfrey
“True - Then what if they or we all boycott … is the question
We note SADC is unashamedly okaying the current flawed election process - meaning they will not be any different offering LEGITIMACY to the winner of the election
They are HELL BENT on supporting their ally.”
If you know the process is “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw” and that your participation “will give the process credibility and thus political legitimacy to Zanu PF” then the only rational thing to do is NOT to participate.
Yes we have the village idiot across the Limpopo River who is HELL BENT on stopping regime change in Zimbabwe. By refusing to participate and thus starve the process of credibility you will be making the buffoon’s task that much harder. So, once again, the rational decision is NOT to participate.
The real big surprise here is how some people are struggling to do what is obvious and rational. They are more inclined to do the irrational than the rational. Instead of fighting for reforms and free and fair elections, they want elections with no reforms because some upstart told them he has “winning in rigged elections strategies!” Even after 43 years of Mafiosi Zanu PF rigged elections they still believe they will win big! Of course, they are insane and to crown it all we gave them the vote!
@ City Hardware
“But seriously how do became hell bent on trying to give zpf a white wash on election day by telling ccc supporters to boycotting e elections seriously.
It’s too late to talk about reforms now it’s time to encourage those who are eligible to vote to make sure they vote.”
You were told by Chamisa that participating is the right thing to do and CCC will “win big!” Reality, logic and truth only count with those willing and able to think and not those whose brain has ossified into fat tissue.
So you thought quoting Mark Twain will fool me into believing you are as smart as Mark Twain and should follow your example “encourage those who are eligible to vote to make sure they vote”. Their vote has never counted and, without reforms, never will.
Participating in these flawed elections without reforms will only give Zanu PF legitimacy. After 43 years the penny should have dropped but clearly it has not, we still have some village idiots masquerading as Mark Twain who are still encouraging people to vote. Well we must stop this insanity and this includes putting the village idiots in their place by proving to them their shocking stupidity!
@ Muzembe
“Now that everyone who differs from you is an idiot and opposition has failed to bring the reforms how will boycotting help us. Remember we are dealing with a dictatorship that doesn’t care what we say or what the international community says.”
Now that everyone differs with me and have made it clear that boycotting is out of the question, it is clear who is the idiot! You have stated your case and I mine let time be the judge. CCC is set for a big win and finally confirm Wilbert Mukori was the village idiot after all!
Let’s be clear here, the evidence before us is so powerful that only a village idiot to get it so hopelessly wrong!
How many of the CCC mob know, even now with the benefit of hindsight, that Chamisa and company failed to implement even one reform and hence the reason why we are still in this mess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoNjR_IuZl0
We all know why President Mnangagwa is now as keen as mustard to invite only African nations to observe Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections; he knows that the African nations will use a foot-long yard stick to measure the elections and not the three foot-long internationally accepted standard.
“Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party. Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner,” stated the EU 2018 Election Observer team final report.
“The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
SADC Observer team said the same elections were “substantially free and fair”. They were clearly not using the same international standards.
As black Africans, we were treated as third class citizens by the white colonial regime. Well here is the evidence that we are still being treated as subhumans only this time, it is our own fellows blacks who are conspiring to do so, our own black government conspiring with the regional body to short change us.
Zanu PF rig the 2018 elections and is doing so again. SADC endorsed the rigged 2018 elections as acceptable and they are conspiring to do so again. We have let Zanu PF and SADC got away with rigged elections and falsely granting legitimacy in the past. We MUST not allow this insulting behaviour to continue. Enough is enough!
@ Son of Isaac
Given the consequences of MDC leaders are the nation being stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship post 2013 and all that entails, I find it hard to see how that can be a laughing matter! But then I am the village idiot living in my own cloud cuckoo land with a rotten sense of humour!
Having 50% of the population living in abject poverty, dragging the nation into yet another rigged elections, etc., etc. are considered a hilariously funny practical joke. Thank God I am an idiot!
President Emmerson Mnangagwa's biographer Eddie Cross says the Zimbabwean leader is plotting revenge against name-dropping Zimbabwe Ambassador-at-large Eubert Angel for embarrassing him through incriminating comments contained in an Al Jazeera documentary aired recently.
Angel told undercover journalists who filmed the corruption busting documentary that he could use his diplomatic status and links to the First Family to, among other clandestine services, launder over US$1,2 billion on behalf of the journalists who posed as criminals.
In the documentary, Angel also told the Al Jazeera journalists Mnangagwa has stashed US$240 million in personal funds for general elections expected not later than August this year.
Government said recently it has frozen the assets of those implicated in the documentary pending an investigation into their illegal dealings.
But Zimbabweans view this with skepticism after many connected individuals implicated in past acts of corruption still walk free.
Cross, who recently featured in a local podcast interview, claimed government was still to take sterner action against the United Kingdom based preacher.
"Eubert Angel embarrassed the government of Zimbabwe; worse than that, he embarrassed the President and I want to tell you, when that happens there are consequences.
"A small cabinet committee has been informed and they have reviewed the programmes; all four and appropriate action has been taken and if I was Eubert, I would stay in the UK, look after his British passport and burn his Zimbabwean passport.
The documentary showed just how rotten to the core this Zanu PF government is and why. When you have such a buffoon as president, what do you expect!
There are many leaders, especially in Africa, who have been bending over backwards to give this Zanu PF government the benefit of the doubt. They have ignored all the evidence that Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown was caused by corruption and mismanagement and were blaming the sanctions instead. After the Al Jazeera documentary, they have rotten eggs on their faces!
There is precious little Mnangagwa can do to Uebert Angel that will change the reality - everyone sees him as the buffoon he is! The only way any nation can have such a buffoon as president is because elections are rigged and so rigging 2023 will be one thing and getting away with it another!
Like it or not Mnangagwa is finished!
@ Son of Isaac
“We know all that, but bring something vibrant. Something new and constructive. Since last year people have been talking about the failure to implement reforms do you want it done now. Positive thinking is what we want not these feebles. Stop talking about implementing anything because zvakatopfuura we have to wait for another opportunity.
Talk about something else.”
Remember I am the village idiot and you are the smart Mark Twains. You bring the new and constructive stuff. I am sticking with the boring reforms before the elections stuff. I hold the idiots who sold out on reforms and are selling out right now by participating in flawed elections out of greed to account.
You, smart Mark Twain, can talk about the something else. If you don’t like the sell-outs held to account then tough s****t because that is what I intend to do and that is not negotiable!
SADC leaders gave Zimbabwe a golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and when Morgan Tsvangirai and company wasted it the regional leaders not only washed their hands but reverted to the default setting of propping the Zanu PF dictatorship.
Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections and by participating in these flawed elections the sell out CCC and their blind-as a mole followers are making it easy for SADC leaders to endorse the rigged elections and grant Zanu PF legitimacy. It is therefore it is important to expose these elections as a farce but also to expose CCC as discredited opposition.
It is a great pity that so many Zimbabwe still do not understand that MDC sold out and continue to support the sell outs. Democracy demands an informed and diligent electorate and not a naive and gullible one! Of course, MDC/CCC are sell out!
@ Mabhena
“How did the Mugabe got to be so rich?”
You have raise many pertinent issues and not least of which is how the ruling elite have become filthy rich whilst we, the masses have become filthy poor. Thank you.
Where you got it wrong is to argue that come elections, we, the masses have voted for the corrupt ruling elite. That is a lie and I am disappointed the penny has not dropped.
In 43 years of our independence Zimbabwe is yet to hold free, fair and credible elections. The nearest we ever got to free elections was the March 2008 vote but before the results were announce Mnangagwa, by his own admission, stepped in and Tsvangirai’s 73% of the votes was whittled down to 47% to force a runoff. And the rest is history.
SADC gave Zimbabwe its best chance ever to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Mugabe had other ideas; he bribed Tsvangirai and his MDC friends and they failed to implement even one reform. Not even one!
SADC leaders warned that without reforms Zimbabwe will never have free and fair elections and they wanted 2013 elections postponed. MDC and the rest of the Zimbabwe opposition camp, including you and your Communist party, have ignored the warning and have been participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy out of greed.
You are hell bent on participating in these 2023 elections because you are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is offering as bait. Go ahead but please do not insult the masses by accusing them of voting for Zanu PF when we all know these elections are rigged!
The opposition are participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy in return for the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away as bait. Of course, the opposition politicians are selling out the masses and it is sickening to hear the sell outs accuse the people of voting for Zanu PF just to cover their greed. Stop it!
It is the MDC/CCC and the rest of the opposition’s insatiable greed and breath-taking incompetence that are perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship and the looting. Not the masses!
Part 1 of 2
The legal proceedings over the divorce of Bona Nyepudzai Ouma Mugabe, daughter of former President Robert Mugabe, and Simbarashe Mutsahuni Chikore are likely to involve complex disputes over how assets they hold individually and jointly, as Chikore has listed 21 farms, more than 25 upmarket residential properties, cash, plus companies and movable properties worth millions of US dollars.
While Bona Mugabe in her original divorce petition sees the marriage as irretrievably broken down, Chikore thinks in his response that the couple’s marriage is capable of restoration provided they get genuine counselling and family support, although he qualified this by suggesting there is interference from third parties and personal agendas.
Since Zimbabwe adopted the no-fault civil divorce in the early 1980s, for all practical purposes if one person in a couple sees no hope of reconciliation then the divorce goes through. The courts in recognising or organising the subsequent settlement start off with the minor children, with custody, visiting rights and the like being set according to the best interests of the children, and as they get older taking ever more account of their own wishes.
Since there can be no punishment of either partner in awarding custody or ensuring children are supported, the rules are fairly simple.
The division of income needed for the support of each child, and in many cases for the adults, also follows well-laid down precedents, with complexities like the use, or even division of income-producing assets, coming into play at this point.
While Bona Mugabe wanted the asset division issues postponed, with the divorce, child support and custody issues sorted out first, Chikore, who is being represented by Mr Rogers Matsikidze, has drawn up a long list of properties in his counter claim, and wants this untangled so the two are not stuck together in property issues as if they are in a joint venture.
As can be common with couples where there could be a lot of assets, Chikore accuses Bona of “unreasonably” refusing to settle, and lots of falsehoods have been channelled insinuating that he is after her property, yet he is claiming what the couple acquired during the subsistence of their union. The property claimed is just a drop in the ocean, according to Chikore, if it is to be compared with what is certainly Ms Mugabe’s.
“Defendant (Chikore) is not claiming even a thread thereof. Defendant contributed to acquiring the properties acquired through his savings from his former jobs as a pilot and the farming venture,” read Chikore’s plea.
In addition, Chikore says he contributed through earnings and donations from his father-in-law for work, jobs and special assignments done on behalf of his father-in-law.
“There is much input through direct and indirect contribution wherein the defendant contributed to the assets, both movable and immovable, acquired during the subsistence of his marriage.”
Bona Mugabe filed for divorce from Chikore in March this year, on the grounds that there was a total breakdown with no prospects for restoring the union. She is seeking an order for a decree of divorce.
Part 1 of 2
The legal proceedings over the divorce of Bona Nyepudzai Ouma Mugabe, daughter of former President Robert Mugabe, and Simbarashe Mutsahuni Chikore are likely to involve complex disputes over how assets they hold individually and jointly, as Chikore has listed 21 farms, more than 25 upmarket residential properties, cash, plus companies and movable properties worth millions of US dollars.
While Bona Mugabe in her original divorce petition sees the marriage as irretrievably broken down, Chikore thinks in his response that the couple’s marriage is capable of restoration provided they get genuine counselling and family support, although he qualified this by suggesting there is interference from third parties and personal agendas.
Since Zimbabwe adopted the no-fault civil divorce in the early 1980s, for all practical purposes if one person in a couple sees no hope of reconciliation then the divorce goes through. The courts in recognising or organising the subsequent settlement start off with the minor children, with custody, visiting rights and the like being set according to the best interests of the children, and as they get older taking ever more account of their own wishes.
Since there can be no punishment of either partner in awarding custody or ensuring children are supported, the rules are fairly simple.
The division of income needed for the support of each child, and in many cases for the adults, also follows well-laid down precedents, with complexities like the use, or even division of income-producing assets, coming into play at this point.
While Bona Mugabe wanted the asset division issues postponed, with the divorce, child support and custody issues sorted out first, Chikore, who is being represented by Mr Rogers Matsikidze, has drawn up a long list of properties in his counter claim, and wants this untangled so the two are not stuck together in property issues as if they are in a joint venture.
As can be common with couples where there could be a lot of assets, Chikore accuses Bona of “unreasonably” refusing to settle, and lots of falsehoods have been channelled insinuating that he is after her property, yet he is claiming what the couple acquired during the subsistence of their union. The property claimed is just a drop in the ocean, according to Chikore, if it is to be compared with what is certainly Ms Mugabe’s.
“Defendant (Chikore) is not claiming even a thread thereof. Defendant contributed to acquiring the properties acquired through his savings from his former jobs as a pilot and the farming venture,” read Chikore’s plea.
In addition, Chikore says he contributed through earnings and donations from his father-in-law for work, jobs and special assignments done on behalf of his father-in-law.
“There is much input through direct and indirect contribution wherein the defendant contributed to the assets, both movable and immovable, acquired during the subsistence of his marriage.”
Bona Mugabe filed for divorce from Chikore in March this year, on the grounds that there was a total breakdown with no prospects for restoring the union. She is seeking an order for a decree of divorce.
Part 2 of 2
The couple tied the knot on March 1, 2014, in a lavish ceremony at her father’s private home in Harare’s plush Borrowdale suburb. Thousands of people attended the no-expense-spared family event broadcast live by the ZBC-TV.
The wedding also drew the attention of the world after it was attended by African heads of State and government and other high level dignitaries.
According to the court papers, the parties have lost all love and affection for each other and have been living apart for more than nine months. Bona Mugabe cited Mr Chikore’s activities outside marriage as one reason for the breakdown.
The ruling elite have become filthy rich and at the expense of the masses who have become filthy poor. It is clear to see why Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends forgot about the democratic reforms when they received their ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, the US$ 4m mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. There is nothing wrong with being the corrupt and filthy rich ruling elite if there is the prospect of being one.
MDC leaders had seats on the gravy train during the GNU and the world looks just fine through the rose tinted glass of an E-class Mercedes Benz!
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” boasted the Zanu PF cronies when asked why MDC leaders were not implementing the reforms during the GNU.
The big surprise is how some people are refusing to accept the historic fact that MDC leaders sold out during the GNU; even now with the benefit of hindsight! The worst thing is in their ignorance they have continued to give their blind allegiance to the sell-out who are participating in these flawed elections out of greed!
@ C Mavheko
As the elections get closer and closer, Zimbabweans are, as usual, gripped by a mixture of excitement and fear. This is so because Zimbabwean elections have traditionally been scary and violent.
But this time things are certainly different. President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, whether you like him or not, has created a real environment of peace and stability in the country — an environment conducive to the holding of free, fair and credible elections.
Mnangagwa does not just preach love, peace and unity among the people of Zimbabwe; he actually walks his talk. With hindsight, it can be seen that even after escaping death by a whisker in a bomb attack at a rally in Bulawayo in 2018, he did not seek revenge and retribution. Instead, he chose to fight hate with love by extending an olive branch to his political opponents. To me, this is the hallmark of true statesmanship.
It is vital to bear in mind that when the new administration came to power, it inherited a battered and bruised economy. Getting that economy back on track for prosperity is going to take time as the road ahead is rugged and bumpy.
The nearest Zimbabwe has ever come to free and fair elections was the March 2008 vote but before the results were announced Mnangagwa, by his own admission, intervened. After six weeks of recounting 5 million votes, Tsvangirai’s 73% was whittled down to 47%, enough to force a runoff. And during the runoff the nation witnessed the worst election related wanton violence. Mnangagwa was in charge of Operation Mavhotera papi!
So to therefore suggest that the man at the heart of Zimbabwe’s culture of political violence from 1980 to November 2017 when Mugabe was booted out in the military coup was some how transformed to the Mnangagwa who “does not just preach love, peace and unity among the people of Zimbabwe; he actually walks his talk” is just nonsense.
He has been bribing village heads and Chiefs to make sure they frogmarch rural voters to vote for Zanu PF. ZEC has failed to produce a verified voters roll, etc. Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections just as it has rigged past elections.
Mnangagwa has “created a real environment of peace and stability in the country — an environment conducive to the holding of free, fair and credible elections!” Yeah right!
Mavheko, you must be paid to talk nonsense! Zimbabweans are renowned for selling their own mothers for a price and boast they had a mother to sell!
In his counter claim, Chikore wants all properties acquired during the subsistence of their marriage or donated to them as a couple to be shared equally.
According to Chikore before and during the marriage, he claims to have acquired or was given shares or owns solely or jointly, through donations and or in inheritance, the following residential properties:
Stand 287 Helensvale of 3,497ha valued at US$314 730.
Stand 288 Helensvale of 1,4207ha valued at US$305 000.
Stand 268 Helensvale of 1,3226ha valued at US$284 000.
Stand 306 Carrick Creagh of 1,8034ha valued at US$386 500.
Stand 307 Carrick Creagh of 2,5133ha valued at US$539 000.
Stand 308 Carrick Creagh of 1,3733ha valued at US$294 000.
Stand 309 Carrick Creagh of 1,6775ha valued at US$359 464
Stand 312 Carrick Creagh of 2.3311ha valued at US$499 500
Stand 313 Carrick Creagh of 2.6676ha valued at US$571 628.
Stand 347 Carrick Creagh of 1.3733ha valued at US$294 000.
Stand 348 Carrick Creagh of 0,712ha valued at US$152 571.
Stand 349 Carrick Creagh of 1.4407ha valued at US$308 721.
Stand 99 Carrick Creagh valued at US$180 000.
Stand 61 Helensvale valued at US$4 300 000.
Stand 40 Helensvale of 8,6257ha valued at US$1 848 364.29.
The remainder of Helensvale of 73.3819ha valued at US$40 000 000.
Stand 466 Carrick Creagh called Teede Land of 54,8726ha valued at US$11 758 414,29
Stand 27 Quorn Avenue valued at US$550 000.
Stand in Milton Park valued at US$330 000.
Lot 5 Helensvale of 2.4019ha valued at US$514 692.86.
The Mansion 657 Dubai has an estimated value of AED 30 million.
Chikore in his counter-claim also says he acquired or was given shares or owns solely or jointly, through donations and or in inheritance, the following twenty-one (21) farms and properties:
Rosam farm of 104.2335ha.
Smithfield Farm of 3280.5898ha.
Gushungo Estate/remainder of Foyle 1200ha.
Iron Mask farm 207,8205ha.
Cressy Dale 945,037ha.
Cressy Dale Lot Two 184,534ha.
Tankantara 659,98ha.
John O'Groats 669,5ha.
Lot 1 Swan dale 155,482ha.
Lot 2 Swan dale 101,84ha.
Swandale 106,361ha.
Clifford 1426ha
Vusumuzi Banket farm 3182ha
Teviotdale Kaseplan farm 310,6189ha.
• Remainder of Teviotdale 186,46ha.
Buckland Estate 280ha.
Yarrow Dale Farm 2516,3358ha.
Lemon Pool 102,5766ha.
Lot B of Greater B 404,6744ha.
Benissa Farming Company 1248,8033ha.
Surtic 6385,3470ha.
Chikore further claims that before and during the marriage he acquired or was given shares or owns solely or jointly, through donations and or in inheritance, a Rolls Royce car with a value of AED 2 900 000.
He then lists immovable properties which he says are owned jointly with the shareholding registered in both names:
Stand 152 Lunar Road of 12.0748ha valued at US$8.5 million.
Stand Number 153 Lunar Road of 12,509ha valued at US$5.1 million.
Stand 1820 Chishawasha valued at US$50 000.
Stand 1837 Chishawasha valued at US$87 000.
Mwenewazvo/Sigaro farm of 873 hectares plus cash of US$760 000 in a bag removed by Ms Mugabe from their residence. In addition, the sum of US$129 000 that Chikore says he gave to Ms Mugabe for farm sales.
The parties also acquired the following vehicles jointly:
Range Rover Autobiography $140 000
Nissan NP300 AES 7205 $10 000
Nissan NP300 AES 7177 $10 000
NP300 AES 7203 $10 000
Nissan El Grand AFM 8548 $7000
Dodge Nitro ADI 6535 $7000
Toyota Landcruiser AFM 8549 $27 000
Range Rover Sport AEF 5922 (accident damaged) $30 000
Range Rover Sport AEC 6243 (2009) $10 000
Toyota Landcruiser AFM8550 $25 000
Mercedes S500 AEN 0355 $12 000
Mercedes S430 ADV7053 $8000
Bentley 101 (non-runner) $15 000
Mercedes GL 320 (non-runner) $7000
Yamaha motorbike $6500
Mercedes GL550 Dubai $13 000
Also on the near endless list is the farming equipment and machinery worth millions of United States dollars.
sell-out who are participating in these flawed elections out of greed!
@ Chirume
“Happy Slaves.
It is difficult to control a crowd of slaves in a slave farm but the slave master knows what to do. He targets a few slaves and makes them happy, at least, relatively happier than their counterparts. Make a few slaves happy and they will be loyal to you. They will be happy to defend you with their lives. They will go any length to do so.
Yes! They will defend you at the expense of their own. They will forget that they are slaves too. They will fail to see that they are also having the short end of the stick. They will bring you tales about other slaves. They will snitch on them. They are your loyal foot soldiers and they will help you foil any attempts by other slaves to be free.
Friends, if you are conversant with aspects of the defunct transatlantic and trans-saharan slave trades of yore, you will recall there were such nomenclatures as the "house negro" and the "field negro". The house negro lived in the house, same house with the master, may be in the attic or the basement. Unlike the field negro, he didn't work on the plantation. Neither was he exposed to the full extent of the harsh realities of a slave.”
During the GNU Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and company with the trapping of power and they were "Happy slaves" and they forgot about the reforms. And ever since the GNU debacle Zanu PF has given away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate in the elections no matter how flawed the process gets.
The tragedy for Zimbabwe is that the "field slaves" have been so sleepy they have not notice the "house slaves" have long stopped fighting for reforms and free elections, they are happy with rigged elections as long as they get a share of the spoils of power.
Indeed the field slaves are so naive and gullible the house slaves have conned them into believing they do not need reforms and free elections because CCC have devised winning in rigged election strategies. It has not yet dawned on the field slaves that CCC have failed to win any elections for the last 43 years and counting!
@ Godfrey
“On this issue of missed opportunity during GNU - it is wise to conclude that the opposition strategy of trying to dismantle dictatorship from inside through non confrontational manoeuvres - failed to achieve desired outcomes
To say they deliberately sold out is patronising - they were just outwitted.
Remember - they risked life and limb too.”
MDC failed to implement even one reform in five years of the GNU and ever since the GNU debacle they have participated in elections knowing fully well the process is flawed, that doing so would give Zanu PF legitimacy but have participated regardless “for fear that the other (opposition) would remain in the elections, winning seats.” Where is the evidence MDC/CCC is “trying to dismantle dictatorship from inside”?
Are you saying that you cannot make up your mind whether a golden opportunity to implement reforms was wasted or not?
Are you suggesting that CCC are doing the right thing participating in these 2023 election and are “trying to dismantle dictatorship from inside”?
@ Chickenbreast
“I will be happy If you answer what I asked first and will reply you. Don’t run after chicken with salt in your hands. First come first Save.”
Don’t bother because we all know that all the participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy has accomplished nothing. Just as failing to implement even one meaningful reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU accomplished nothing.
You have no clue what the democratic reforms are, why we need them, how they can be implemented, etc. So it is very difficult to explain why we need to boycott the elections without bring in reforms, etc.
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