A healthy and functioning democracy demands an informed and diligent electorate. How else can you have a government of the people, for the people and by the people if the said people cannot hold those in public office to democratic account because they have no clue what in going on.
It is a crying tragedy that many Zimbabweans out there have
no clue the primary purpose of the 2008 to 2013 GNU was to implement the
democratic reforms designed establish the basic human freedoms and rights
including the right to free and fair elections, so ruthlessly denied by the
Zanu PF dictatorship, for example. Even now, with the benefit of hindsight,
many people still have no clue the primary purpose of the GNU was to implement
the democratic reforms.
The dire consequences of this is the people’s failure to
hold Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who sold-out and failed to implement
even one reform in five years to democratic account. Worse still, in their
ignorance and naivety the people have continue to trust and follow the MDC
blindly a situation that has allowed the opposition leaders to continue with
the blatant betrayal by participating in flawed elections knowing fully well
doing so would only give Zanu PF legitimacy.
“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,” confessed David Coltart, CCC Treasurer General, 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.”
CCC leaders are hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections
for the same reasons they did not implement any reforms and participated in
flawed elections during their MDC days – greed and their breath-taking
incompetence. And to hide their greed and incompetence CCC have declared war on
their critics, especially the media!
“You said I have a dirty agenda for reporting the truth.” Responded
Hopewell Chin’ono to the barrage of attacks from Fadzayi Mahere, CCC party
spokesperson, on twitter.
“I have provided evidence from your internal communications
that the wards I mentioned don’t have candidates.
“So, what is the dirty agenda there?
“I have reported on Zanu PF primaries, why should it be
different with CCC?”
Mahere was did not address the specific issues raised i.e. where
is the dirty agenda if the information was indeed the truth sourced from the
party’s own communications.
“Journalism, constructive criticism and freedom of
expression are good. Having a dirty agenda is not!” Fadzayi Mahere fired back.
Typical! They pay lip service to freedom of expression and
constructive criticism and in the next breath they dismiss all criticism as
gutter journalism without even providing the supporting evidence. If you cannot
deal with the message attack the messenger!
“It has become difficult for me to report on anything to do
with CCC without insults,” responded Chin’ono.
“I have therefore taken the decision to STOP reporting on
anything to do with CCC from today throughout the election campaign in order to
have peace of mind.”
For all MDC/CCC’s claim to being a democratic party and the
antithesis of the autocratic and tyrannical Zanu PF; the two parties have a deep-rooted
dislike of all the democratic values when they are asked to walk the talk. It
will be no surprise at all if a CCC government will keep the same control on
the public media and harass the private media just as Zanu PF is doing. There
will still be no freedom of expression and free media.
Like it or not one of the major, if not the number one, contributing
Zimbabwe being the failed, pariah, state we are today is that Zimbabweans are a
naïve and gullible people, a far cry from the informed and diligent electorate
required for a healthy and functioning democracy. We desperately need freedom
of expression and free media and those in the public eye who cannot stand the
scrutiny must get out of the kitchen!
17 comments:
@ Simba
“Before Hopewell Chin'ono comments on a process he has no clue about, what of his own insults and harrassments against journalists, as he works for Auxillia Mnangagwa, disrupting the Gold mafia documentary? (This includes his false claims at SAPES Trust this month that he is mediating for Auxillia Mnangagwa to make Chamisa accept a GNU proposal. This fella appears the filthiest bully to ever exist in Zimbabwe since his senseless demo against his Marborough High School Headmaster Arison Chiware, after sneaking into the school for A Levels on a cold lie that the poor GSCEd fella plays basketball. When you understand that Hopewell's chaotic capacity as a school bully who could successfully harrass his headmaster at 17, in 1989, you can see what how he is poisoning Zimbabweans under the public claim that his bullying is journalism. Chamisa and Zimbabweans need not look anywhere else, just contact Mr Arison Chiware.
Imagine what the Goldmafia documentary would have been if Chin'ono had used his social media influence not to threaten Simba Chikanza, but to force Auxillia Mnangagwa to finish her interview; imagine what the masses would have been having today! But he uses it to bully Nelson Chamisa and say he is a Dodo, and falsehoods that his party isn't taking care of Sikhala's family.”
If Chin’ono has lied or committed a crime, he must be held to account like everyone else. I am not defending what he said or did but what I am defending is his right to be head, freedom of expression. I cannot see anything that he has said or done that would justify he being censored much less silenced!
I am sick and tired of political leaders and their supporters pontificating about freedom of expression and free media and yet will stop at nothing to silence and stifle debate because them think their alone have a right to be heard or worse still, because they do not want they truth to be heard.
How can Zimbabwe be "well prepared for the 2023 elections" when not even one meaningful reform has been implemented since 2013 when SADC leaders themselves wanted the elections postpone to allow for reforms? When MDC leaders paid no heed to the regional body's advice SADC endorsed the 2013 rigged elections giving Zanu PF legitimacy and has done this ever since. This was SADC’s knee jerk reaction to punish MDC for failing to implement reform during the GNU and for ignoring the advice not to participate in the flawed elections.
What SADC leaders cannot deny is that in endorsing the rigged elections they ARE perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship and this is the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and political paralysis. And it is the ordinary Zimbabweans who are suffering the consequences of the 43 years and counting of Zanu PF dictatorship. In punishing the MDC leaders SADC leaders are punishing the ordinary Zimbabweans too. This is some form of collective punishment!
What we are asking the SADC election observer team to do is judge whether the 2023 elections are free, fair and credible on the basis of the evidence obtaining on the ground. Nothing more, nothing less! Surely that is not too much to ask!
@ Kutio
So you are tired of hearing about 43 years of rigged elections but not tired of the act itself? My priority is to stop this curse of rigged elections and if it means saying it 100 000 times a day to get VIs like you to pay attention then I will say it 100 000 000 times a day!
@ City Deep
“I thought it’s me alone the agenda is good but the presentation its exhausting.”
43 years of rigged elections is more than exhausting, it is insane! The prospect of Zanu PF rigging these 2023 elections and getting away with it is real and that is what you should be concerned about!
What contribution have you made to stop Zanu PF rigging the 2023 election s and getting away with it? So you are exhausted sitting there like a cabbage and moaning endlessly about doing nothing. Fcuk me! No wonder the country is a mess!
@ Moyo
“Those are mere illusions. SADDC is comprised of sovereign states. Under international law, no country has the authority to supervise another. This nonsense of SADDC, or any other country from anywhere can tell another country what to do needs to stop. In any case, such countries have no means whatsoever to effect their hegemony over others. Their days are numbered any way. We feel potty for their lapdogs.”
SADC, for once, refused to endorse Zimbabwe's 2008 elections and thus denied Zanu PF legitimacy. If SADC was to do the same again this year, which they should given these elections are a farce, then Zimbabwe will be forced to go into a second GNU just one decade since the end of the first!
Your wittering about national sovereignty and international did not stop the first GNU nor will it stop the second one!
After 43 years of Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship we can no longer pretend this is the Zimbabwe we wanted. The tyrannical oppression we fought to end under the white colonial rule has continued post 1980 so it is laughable why we are being called upon to support Zanu PF regardless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFVST4vkHKo
@ Kutio
“Without a solution?!!!!!! Yes.”
I have offered a solutions, do not participate in a flawed election process to give Zanu PF legitimacy. Denounce CCC for selling out on reform and participating in flawed elections out of greed. And demand from SADC to stop endorsing rigged elections and perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship.
What have you offered other than participating in the elections because Chamisa said you should and thus trying to silence anyone saying otherwise!
@ Moyo
“That’s the narrative you created yourself, for yourself. Enjoy it to the fullest. Then 2013 came. And 2018. Now 2023. 2008 is now very faded history. It has absolutely no relevance, nor connection to what’s currently obtaining. By august you’ll have grown up. No doubt about that.”
First you said SADC has no power to interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs and I told it did interfere and imposed the 2008 to 2013 GNU. And now he say SADC will not interfere because what happened last time is “faded history”. The GNU end only ten years ago for Pete’s sake! This is the trouble with village idiots like you have no respect for facts, truth and reality. You live in your own make-believe cloud cuckoo land.
Like it or not the Zanu PF dictatorship is doomed to collapse. It should have ended by 2013 at the latest if MDC idiots had not sold out. Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections but whether the party will rig legitimacy too is the number one question that is yet to be answered. This is not a narrative I have created, it is the reality. Watch this space!
@ Wezhira Munya
“Today, Masvingo CCC candidates who were nominated on the 5th April 2023 were vetted.
The candidates are being vetted based on integrity, educational qualifications, one's history in the party and struggle among others things.
All parliamentary, senators, Proportional Representatives, councillors , provincial council members among other submitted their papers for vetting.”
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and no matter how flawed the process gets CCC are hell bent on participating in these elections out of greed! Zanu PF is using some of the looted wealth to bribe village heads, chiefs, ZEC officials, war veterans and opposition candidate. CCC winning MP and Senator candidates will get US$ 60 000 for a car US$ 40 000 for a house plus the generous salary and allowances for 5 years. Mnangagwa is even rewarding lose presidential candidates with POLAD freebies!
We all know CCC leaders are participating in these elections no matter what! Zanu PF knows it and hence the reason the party has always ignored all demands for reforms. Why would Zanu PF concede even one token reform when the party knows that CCC will participate even with not even one reform in place!
GOVERNMENT has been frantically charming war veterans, ex-political prisoners, detainees, restrictees, non-combatant cadres and war collaborators by increasing pensions ahead of polls later this year, as the vote-buying spree continues.
The database for those on state monthly payroll has been increased by 120 000 senior citizens. Some of the beneficiaries were aged 16 in December 1979.
In a statement to district and provincial offices of the war veterans, dated 13 April, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri-Kashiri said an arrangement has been made to ensure that the ex-political prisoners, detainees, restrictees, non-combatant cadres and war collaborators get regular pension allowance increases concurrently with pay hikes for Zimbabwe Defences Forces.
"The formula for determining the monthly pension for these categories has now been harmonisd under an indexation framework that was improved by the Second Republic to ensure that whenever salaries and allowances of members of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces are adjusted, the monthly pension for them are automatically increased," she wrote.
Muchinguri-Kashiri also told the liberation war fighters that another special arrangement has been made to separate their monthly pension payment system from that of the rest of pensioners who served in government.
"While all pensions payable from the Consolidated Revenue Fund are administered directly by the pensions office in terms of the provisions of the Pensions Review Act (Chapter 16:03), the Ministry of Defence and War Veterans Affairs is responsible for initiating fundamental changes to pension policy for its client," she wrote.
Statistics seen by The NewsHawks shows that while in 2018 government spent ZW$22.7 million in payments of school fees for dependants of the war veterans, last year the support amounted to ZW$1.7 billion.
There were also war veterans who were flown to South Africa and India for medical treatment under government support.
Muchinguri-Kashiri said this year there are plans to further improve welfare of the war fighters after she created what is known as the Liberation Struggle Fund that will see establishment of a range of private hospitals and medical facilities for them.
Of course, this is a vote buying spree! This is a regime that does not care that the country’s education and health care services have all but collapse because the sectors have been starved of funding. Teachers and nurses have left the country in droves over the last twenty years to escape the slave wages on offer.
The regime does not see votes from teachers and nurses and the fact that they are providing essential services is of no consequence to the regime. The regime is pampering the village heads, chiefs, war veterans, church leaders and anyone willing to do anything to keep the regime in power.
In Zimbabwe the glory of Caesar trumps over the good of Rome. Mnangagwa is selling the nation’s crown jewels to bankroll his re-election. A country that neglects the education of its people and health care needs has no future. Mnangagwa does not care about that as long as he remains in power so he can continue to loot!
If we do not stop the insanity of Mnangagwa and Zanu PF now, there will be nothing to save if he is given another five more years in power. Deny Mnangagwa legitimacy and all this madness can finally be brought to a halt!
Zanu PF's vote buying spree has gone into overdrive, the glory of Caesar trumps the good of Rome. We must deny the regime legitimacy and stop this madness!
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-229774.html
@ City Deep
If ccc doesn't participate in the elections I dnt think that will stop zapu ,mwonzora and others including zanu from participating can u xool me on that and from the way it is blocking of rallies and gatherings zanu doesn't want ccc to participate in the elections so your solution doesn't wek mr Mukori
How does participating in a flawed election to give Zanu PF legitimacy change anything? MDC/CCC have been doing this since 2013 and what change has that brought?
To understand why MDC/CCC will participate in these flawed elections no matter what you have to understand why they failed to implement even one token reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when they had the golden opportunity to do implement the reforms. If they failed to implement even one reform then when they had the majority in the GNU parliament and the solid the support of SADC, it is naïve to expect them to do so now!
David Coltart admitted it is futile participating in these flawed elections but MDC/CCC are doing so out of greed.
“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,” confessed 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.”
You refuse to believe me because I am a Zanu PF project. Are you refusing to believe Coltart too because he is another Zanu PF project?
Democracy for sale: Lebanon. There are many lessons for Zimbabwe to learn from what is happening in Lebanon.
https://listen.aljazeera.com/english/livestream
Suspension of the harmonised elections due later this year would be a violation of Zimbabweans' right to universal suffrage, the Election Resource Centre (ERC) has warned.
In a statement released last week, ERC said suspending the 2023 elections would also dampen the country's democratic aspirations.
The Movement for Democratic Change Alliance and its leader Douglas Mwonzora, have filed an application at the Constitutional Court calling for the suspension of elections until the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission addresses issues raised on its delimitation report published early this year.
"Suspending elections would be a clear violation of the rights of Zimbabweans to participate in the democratic process and would be a step away from democratic accountability and has the potential to lead to political instability," the election watchdog said.
"Elections are central to Zimbabwe's democracy. Through elections, the fundamental right of every citizen to political participation is realised and elections guarantee the philosophical-political principle of democracy (people's power)."
ZEC has failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, not for the first time either. Zanu PF is set to rig the 2023 elections just as readily as it has rigged past elections. Where is the power’s power in an election process that is not free, fair and credible?
Of course, it would be better to postpone the elections to implement the reforms than go ahead with a fraudulent process whose outcome is meaningless and afront to human decency!
Postponing elections when you are the one who failed to do what was necessary to ensure free and fair elections and will benefit in any way from the postponement is sinister and be punished not rewarded.
If one cannot get the elections postponed to iron out the flaws and illegalities then one must not participate in the flawed elections and give the process legitimacy. In our case MDC/CCC leaders not only had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free and fair elections and they wasted it by failing to implement even one reform but worse still they have been participating in these flawed elections for the sake of 30 pieces of silver from Zanu PF.
In Zimbabwe we are dealing with treasonous betrayal of the people by the Zanu PF ruling thugs, the sell-out opposition and the indifferent SADC leaders who have taken it upon themselves to endorse rigged elections!
In his keynote address, Mnangagwa tried to put up a defiant stance, saying the country should guard against the enemy's unrelenting attempts to sow seeds of division in the country ahead of elections due not later than August this year.
"As the harmonised general elections draw nearer, I call on the nation to remain vigilant and protect our hard-won Independence," Mnangagwa said.
"No voices, foreign or local, inclusive of rogue NGOs, should sow seeds of division and disharmony among us.
"Unity and peace should be preached in our families, churches and communities."
Mnangagwa, whose government has often been accused of visiting brutalities against opponents, promised to deliver "free, fair and credible elections".
He added, "We must all say, ‘No to violence', before, during and after elections."
The celebrations, usually held at the giant National Sports Stadium in Harare, were marked by the ritual army and police displays and a parade mounted by uniformed forces.
In remarks apparently aimed at the opposition which enjoys sympathy from the West, Mnangagwa vowed his government shall resist what he described as surrogate entities into the country.
"The Independence we are celebrating today is sealed with blood. None but ourselves can fight back neo-colonialism and those bent on setting up surrogate entities over our land," he said.
Mnangagwa has spent billions of dollars buying the loyalty of key staff in ZEC, Police, Army and Judiciary who will help Zanu PF rig these elections. He has bought off the traditional leaders like village heads and chiefs, war veterans, church leaders and others xxxx4ED groups who are now Zanu PF political commissars in all but name. They are his foot soldiers who will keep the opposition out of the rural areas and will frog march the povo to vote for Zanu PF.
Mnangagwa is a ruthless thug and he has his unleashed his mafia style gangs to make sure he wins these 2023 elections.
Zimbabwe had her golden opportunity to end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends sold-out and failed to implement even one reform. Mnangagwa, just like Mugabe before him, has been careful not to repeat the 2008 mistake of losing political legitimacy by making sure the opposition participates in the elections no matter how flawed the process get. MDC/CCC know Zanu PF is giving away a few gravy train seats to entice them to participate.
“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,” confessed 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.”
Zimbabwe is in deep, deep trouble! We are dealing with treasonous betrayal from all sides; from the Zanu PF Mafiosi thugs, sell-out MDC/CCC and from the indifferent SADC leaders who have been endorsing rigged elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy!
@ Murrehwa
80% of the country's US$2 gold per year is smuggled out of the country according to the Al Jazeera documentary and no wonder 49% of our people are living in abject poverty and millions are economic refugees! And you don't even have the intellect to realise there is something wrong here!
The idiot says Chamisa has a plan and yet he failed to say what that plan is!
CCC’s flagship plan going into these elections was “mass voter registration, mass voting and protect the vote!” That is dead in the water! As of 30 May 2022 only ¼ million had registered to vote according to ZEC, that is 4% of CCC’s own 6 million target!
CCC are participating in these elections knowing fully well that doing so will only give legitimacy to Zanu PF. They are doing so out of greed.
“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,” confessed 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.”
After 43 years of rigged elections it is insane to keep participating expecting a different result, pretending Chamisa has a plan when we already know his plan is dead in the water!
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