“Hwange Thermal Power Station's Unit 8 is expected to be synchronised with the grid on Tuesday, and will progressively add another 300 megawatts that will boost supplies to both domestic and industrial consumers.” Announced The Herald on Twitter with the usual fanfare, song and dance!
For the record, this Zanu PF regime received the feasibility studies for Hwange Unit 7 and 8 and Batoka Gorge Hydro in 1980! It has taken 43 years to complete Hwange Unit 7 and 8 and God knows how long it is going to take to build the dam.
These projects, like so many other projects up and down the country, should have been completed years ago. Zimbabwe has the resources but has the misfortune of corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical leaders whose priorities is the glory of Caesar at the expense of the good of Rome.
Corruption has been rampant. Grace Mugabe alone has reportedly salted away US$5 billion, enough to pay for the two power projects.
When Mnangagwa took over from the late dictator Mugabe, he promised the Second Republic will stamp out corruption. The country is losing US$1.6 billion to gold smugglers every year and, according to the recent Al Jazeera documentary Gold Mafia, he is the godfather behind the looting.
Hwange Unit 7 and 8 are long overdue and there is precious little to celebrate. The last 43 years since independence have been a disaster for Zimbabwe and there is a crying need to end to this failed system of government.
Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections to extend the regime’s stay in power by another five years. It is too late to get any meaningful reforms implement and too late to stop the regime going ahead with the flawed elections.
CCC and many in opposition camp are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections out of greed as David Coltart, CCC Treasurer General confessed.
“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.”
We cannot stop Zanu PF rigging the 2023 elections nor stop CCC participating out of greed.
However what we can do is to make sure everyone, absolutely everyone, especially SADC leaders know that these elections are flawed. How can the elections be judged free and fair when there is no verified voters’ roll, rural voters are frogmarched to vote, 3 million in the diaspora are denied the vote, etc., etc.?
SADC leaders know that Zimbabwe cannot hold free and fair elections without first implementing the democratic reforms. After all it was the regional body that helped set up the 2008 to 2013 GNU whose primary task was to implement the reforms.
Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were given the responsibility to implement the reforms sold out. Mugabe bribe the MDC leaders with trappings of power and the rest was history.
SADC leaders advised MDC leaders not to participate in the 2013 elections without implementing reforms, a last minute chance for Tsvangirai and company to redeem themselves. They ignored the advice. There is no greater fool than one whose eyes are glazing with greed!
“MDC leaders were busy enjoying themselves during the GNU and the forgot what they were there for!” commented one SADC diplomat in disgust.
SADC leaders have condoned the rigged 2013 and 2018 elections and granted the vote rigging Zanu PF political legitimacy in despair and disgust at MDC leaders’ betrayal.
What the regional leaders have failed to appreciate is in punishing MDC leaders they have punished the ordinary Zimbabweans too who bear the brand of four decades of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. This concept of collective punishment is abhorrent and diabolical!
We are asking SADC leaders to judge whether the 2023 Zimbabwe elections are free, fair and credible on the basis of the evidence on the ground. Nothing more, nothing less. Surely, that is not too much to ask!
56 comments:
@ Nigel
“Let’s say CCC wins then what?
CCC has a chance apa as much as Zanu PF.
No clear winner at the moment.”
Do you know that all Zimbabweans have a right to free, fair and credible elections? This is a right not a privilege.
Are you then saying Chamisa and company have the right to bargain the citizen’s fundamental right to reforms and free elections with Zanu PF for a share of the spoils of power, for a chance to win a few gravy train seats?
Zanu PF is frogmarching rural voters, ZEC will not produce a verified voters’ roll, has denied 3 m in the diaspora the vote, etc., etc. All these do not matter as long as Chamisa wins!
So, just like Zanu PF, CCC does not care how many Zimbabweans are denied their rights and freedoms as long as the party wins. All CCC care about is power! No wonder Chamisa and company failed to implement even one reform during the GNU, Mugabe gave them a taste of power and they forgot about the reforms.
The very fact you are supporting participating in a flawed elections process so flawed millions will be denied a meaningful say in the governance of the country only shows you have no respect of other people’s rights or the rule of law! Why would you defend lawlessness otherwise!
@ Osoma23
“Is CCC the only party that can give Zanu PF legitimacy if it participate in the upcoming elections?
If it doesn't participate, will that stop Zanu pf from forming a legitimate government????”
I have given you answers to these questions by quoting what David Coltart said on the matter.
“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.”
In other words each of the opposition parties are participating out of greed and are using the excuse of the other participating and winning all the seats. This is no different a criminal justifying his activities on the grounds others were doing it. You answer for your own sins and not those of others!
To justify perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship on the grounds that others were participating is pathetic.
@ Nigel
“MPs want a job and will run elsewhere.
Urban are guaranteed seats for opposition.
If CCC announce a boycott, the candidates will go independent or join other parties.”
You are 100% correct there! MPs are certainly participating out of greed.
You have been justifying CCC participation all along. Are you saying the MPs are participating in these flawed elections as CCC candidates are not greedy and everyone else is greedy?
@ Motivated ZW
“It's very unfortunate that there are more than one opposition party in Zimbabwe. Whether CCC participates or not that won't stop zanu from going on with elections.”
There is nothing wrong with having many political parties. The tragedy for Zimbabwe is the lack of quality politicians. And as long as we have this political system that stifle debate and democratic discourse there will never be quality supporters much less leaders. This is why we need to implement the democratic reforms to end the autocracy.
You will never get quality leaders just as you will never catch fish out of a sewage pond. Implement the reforms and drain the sewage pond!
Both Zanu PF and CCC do not want the reforms because many of them know their careers will be over, with their pathetic track record they will never survive in a truly democratic Zimbabwe.
@Osama23
“Its not getting into the heads of some of us.
We must fight from within.
Makudo haaramwirwi munda.
We have boycotted before in 2005
It worked against us in the 2008 elections via vote splitting.”
You still don’t get it!
Zimbabweans have risked life and limb to elect MDC/CCC leaders into power for the express purpose of implementing the reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders to join the party and enjoy the spoils of power and they have failed to implement even one reform in 23 years, 5 of which in the GNU. MDC/CCC have been participating in these flawed elections out of selfish greed.
You can pretend all you want that CCC are ever going to implement reforms and deliver free elections. That will never happen!
@ Osama23
“If we can’t win it then disturb Zanu PF from attaining a majority in parliament.”
So, you think you “disturbed Zanu PF from attaining a majority in parliament in 2013 and 2018?”
Zanu PF got the majority plus political legitimacy, giving up a few gravy train seats is a small price to pay for that!
@ Nigel
“Makoni’s 8% caused a run off.
If MDC A, UZA, DUZ etc get more than 5% of vote it will be another run off.”
Zanu PF will always win majority in parliament and win the presidency. In 2018 there were 16 Polling Station with two or more identical votes cast for Mnangagwa and Chamisa, same spoilt votes, etc. and most notably Mnangagwa had a commanding lead in all these cases. ZEC dismissed the occurrence as a none event. It was not for ZEC to explain how people vote.
The obvious explanation was the figured were duplicate entries to boost Mnangagwa votes to get him over the 50% plus to avoid a run off.
If the Constitution Court judges were truly independent they would have ordered the sealed ballot boxes in all the 16 Polling Stations to be opened. They would have found the duplicate boxes missing. The judges did not order it because they did not want to know!
Zanu PF made many big mistakes in 2008 and one of them was to allow a situation in which Tsvangirai won the March vote and forced a run off. The party had to whittle down Tsvangirai’s 73% and then use wanton violence during the run off. The party will never allow this to happen ever again!
@ Osama23
“Iwewe ukutadza kunzwisisa kuti boycotting will yield no results sei? How does yours become the ONLY valid point there is?????”
MDC/CCC participated in 2013 and 2018 and all they did was give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy in return for the few gravy train seats offered as bait.
So participating has yielded no results unless you think the few gravy train seats is worth the nation forfeiting the reforms and free elections and the consequences of perpetuating the dictatorship?
The fact that Zanu PF is rigging these election and CCC is participating out of greed in not Wilbert Mukori’s point; it is the obvious reality. You can deny it all you want that will not change it one bit!
@ Nigel
“If UZA, MDC A and DUZ run then the legitimacy issue is gone.
Those parties will simply take the urban seats from CCC.”
All the opposition candidates are participating in these elections knowing fully well that they are flawed, “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step is to withdraw,” as Coltart has aptly put it. They are participating regardless out of greed. Of course, they are all greedy and it is naive to single out some as the rogues and the rest as the ones participating to stop the rogues from winning the seats!
MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform during the GNU when they had Zanu PF on the ropes and SADC leaders to back them. They failed to boycott the 2013 elections when it was none other than SADC leaders themselves who were calling for the boycott. To expect Chamisa and company to contemplate a boycott now is naive to say the least!
CCC are hell bent on participating in these elections no matter how flawed the process got - that is a fact!
@ Washvvvone
I totally agree. The people of Zimbabwe risked life and limb to elect MDC/CCC so that the parties would implement reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Greed has seen MDC/CCC leaders selling out on reforms and participating to perpetuate the dictatorship.
The only reason these politicians have got away with it is because we have an ignorant and naive electorate. Most Zimbabweans do even know the primary reason for the GNU was to implement reforms and no wonder they have failed to see MDC as sell outs.
Nations get the government they deserve. In Zimbabwe we certainly deserve the Zanu PF dictatorship complete with the coterie of corrupt and utterly useless opposition parties who follow Zanu PF like the planet Saturn and its many moons!
@ Washvvone
“Can you suggest any democratic reforms you want them implemented? You know very well Zanu has 2/3 majority in parliament, do you think it can allow reforms to remove itself from power? Let’s be realistic guys. The environment we are operating is different from the western environment.”
If you have been following the arguments then you will know MDC leaders have the golden opportunity to implement reforms during the GNU and the golden opportunity to boycott the 2013 elections because they had SADC backing. They wasted both these opportunities because of greed and breath-taking incompetence. To expect MDC/CCC leaders to do anything different now is naive to say the least.
The challenge now is to realise MDC/CCC will never ever implement reforms and deliver free elections. They are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections for a share of the spoils of power. If we are serious about ending the nightmare of this Zanu PF dictatorship then we must be smart enough to admit CCC will never do it! Never!
@ Osama23
“One thing you don’t get is that everyone has got their opinion, unfortunately you wont yours to be taken and implemented. That cannot be possible.”
MDC/CCC did participate in 2013 and 2018 and all they did was to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy in return for the few gravy train seats offered as bait. This is not an opinion, it is a historic fact.
You are clearly hell bent on denying facts as opinions just because they do not suit your narrative!
After 43 years of rigged elections it is insane to keep participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy!
@ Chris
“True he hasn't answered. He must tell us here and now what CCC/Mdc opposition should do this time around so that we don't repeat the same mistakes. If he says boycott elections he must tell us what should be done Next. He must not be singing his tired song. He must tell us alternatives otherwise he is singing in the graveyard where no one listens.”
I have told you if CCC failed to boycott the elections in 2013 when they had SADC’s backing it is naive, to say the least to expect them to do so now. They compromised themselves during the GNU so much they lost all political credibility and they know it.
They cannot boycott the elections to push for reforms now when they have participated without any of the reforms in 2013 and 2018. Chamisa and company have no choice but to participate in these flawed elections, Mnangagwa knows that only to well and hence the reason he will never worry about CCC boycott!
It is the ordinary Zimbabweans who have a choice. Either to participate in an election process “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw”, knowing doing so will give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuate the dictatorship. Soldier on regardless because you been brainwashed into believing in the oxymoronic nonsense CCC has strategies to win rigged elections.
Or to open your eyes and mind and admit the insanity of participating in rigged elections especially after 43 years of these mafiosi Zanu PF rigged elections. Refusing to participate is an option but clearly not for those those who have their eyes on the gravy train seats nor those who follow blindly like sheep.
The blind and fanatical CCC followers would be whistling in the graveyard already. They are not!
It is said that when Joseph Stalin died, many Russians cried their eyes out, proof that even a neurotic psychopath like him who murdered millions of his own follow Russians had admirers. Proof that ignorance and misplaced ego have their benefits, the subjects are blissfully unaware of their self inflicted suffering.
MDC/CCC wasted the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU and in 2013 the opportunity to boycott the election to force for reforms before the elections. It is naive, to say the least, to expect CCC to implement the reforms or boycott the elections now or in the future. Now wonder Chamisa is being depicted sleeping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLSkjXG6RtI
@ Chicken breast
What has changed? Not even one reform was implemented since the 2018 rigged elections, Zanu PF is spending billions of dollars bribing thugs, officials and opposition leaders alike, ZEC has stubbornly refused to produce a verified voters' roll, 3 m in the diaspora have been denied the vote, rural voters are being frogmarched to attend Zanu PF rallies, etc., etc.
After 43 years of Zanu PF mafiosi rigging the elections it is important for someone to stand up and denounce this insanity! I am not going to wait until the morning after the elections to denounce this electoral farce, when it will be too later with the damage done, I am doing it now.
Zanu PF must not get political legitimacy from a flawed electoral process in which the opposition who long lost political credibility participate out of greed!
PRESIDENTIAL Envoy and Ambassador-at-Large Uebert Angel - who fears being thrown under the bus should he return to Zimbabwe, because of the starring role he played in Al Jazeera's investigative Gold Mafia documentary which exposed the role President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his close associates are playing to aid criminal networks looting Zimbabwe's gold - is now in Britain.
Angel was holed up in Dubai alongside several prominent members of rival gangs exposed in the documentary as key players engaging in the looting of Zimbabwe's gold and money laundering activities. Angel holds a British passport.
Despite being far away from Zimbabwe, Angel remains under scrutiny even in Britain, where House of Lords member Jonathan Oates has requested that he and his assistant Rikki Doolan be investigated for alleged gold smuggling, money laundering and corruption.
Oates has demanded that Angel and Doolan's assets be frozen since they are UK citizens. Mnangagwa's adviser Eddie Cross has indicated that Angel will be arrested on arrival in Zimbabwe. He has been holed up in Dubai studying the mood of the Zimbabwean authorities while weighing his options, before leaving for Britain.
Dubai received most of the country's smuggled gold. Angel was the most vocal and undiplomatic actor in the four-part investigative series which exposed that Mnangagwa had a close relationship with gold smugglers and money launderers, who claimed they were making regular payments to the President to ensure protection.
The controversial diplomat played a role in exposing Mnangagwa, his wife Auxillia, niece Henrietta Rushwaya and the President's gold runner Pedzisai "Scott" Sakupwanya in the documentary.
One of Africa's largest gold smugglers, Kamlesh Pattni, known as Brother Paul, who features prominently in the documentary is also in Dubai, which he described as the headquarters of Africa in the documentary.
"Dubai is the headquarters. Dubai is the centre of Africa; a banking centre, financial centre, it's tax free," he told undercover reporters.
Pattni has all but abandoned his Zimbabwean operations. In the 1990s, his firm Goldenberg International was at the centre of a giant scandal that robbed Kenya of US$600 million — 10% of its gross domestic product at the time.”
Being ambassador-at-large, will not help Uebert Angel back in UK especially when the Zimbabwe regime has already said it will strip him of the appointment.
Admitted Uebert Angel had a hard choice coming back to UK or going to Zimbabwe. In UK there is rule of law, break the law and you will punished. In Zimbabwe he could not be absolutely certain he would be a beneficiary of the catch and release.
If he was through in jail, in Zimbabwe, the condition are hell-on-earth. Jail time in UK is a paid holiday in comparison to Zimbabwe jail time.
In the end he chose to return to UK.
Uebert Angel claimed that he was a prophet who prophesied football results but failed to warn him the the Al Jazeera journalists were not the rich gangsters they claimed to be! My greatest hope is that some of his looted wealth is send back to Zimbabwe to help povo, the real victims of these criminal gangs!
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)'s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) yesterday made a summersault by reversing its order for banks to freeze accounts of several government officials and individuals who were implicated in gold smuggling gold and money laundering activities exposed by the Al Jazeera documentary.
In a statement yesterday, the FIU directed financial institutions to "unfreeze all assets and other financial assets" belonging to those implicated in the documentary.
"The FIU, working in close collaboration with law enforcement agencies, has since concluded its analysis of the four episodes of the Al Jazeera documentary and has also analysed the financial assets and transactions of the persons implicated in the documentary and has determined that there is no good cause for the freezing order to remain in place. The FIU has not identified transactions / assets linked to money laundering and related financial crime connected to the allegations in the Al Jazeera documentary," reads the FIU statement.
"In view of the above, the FIU has directed financial institutions to unfreeze all the accounts and other financial assets that had been frozen pursuant to the directive of 31 March 2023. The unfreezing action is without prejudice to any further investigations that law enforcement agencies may wish to commence or continue against any of the persons involved."
It is inconceivable that a nation could lose US$1.6 billion per year through gold smuggling and those responsible for ensuring this kind of criminal activity does not happen did not know. Of course, they knew what was happening.
When the Al Jazeera documentary came out, the regime had to been seen to be taking action to stop the looting and so RBZ froze the accounts of the named individuals to take the sting out of the story. Mnangagwa himself was heavily involved in the looting and no one was going to touch him.
Now that things have cooled down, it is business as usual; the looting is picking up from where it left off.
If we are serious about ending corruption in Zimbabwe then we must first implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. As long as Zanu PF retains its carte blanche powers to rig elections bankrolled by the billions of dollars of looted wealth, there will be no meaningful political and economic changes in Zimbabwe. The looting will continue and so will the grinding poverty and suffering of the ordinary people.
A RECENT Bulawayo City Council audit has revealed that only six of the local authority’s 15 ambulances are running, severely crippling its healthcare service delivery.
According to the report, the ambulance unit has 62 employees instead of the required 108, which is further compromising the city’s emergency response services.
If a big city like Bulawayo’s health care service is near collapse one can imagine the sorry state of those in the rural back waters. Rural hospitals have no ambulance but the local chief, MP and other well connected officials are driving around in new cars paid for by the public.
Zimbabwe is a failed state and we should all hang our heads in shame for letting this happen. It is up to us, the people, to put an end to this madness or continue to pay dearly for doing nothing!
@ Mhofu
When Jonathan Moyo said Zanu pf wont reform itself out of power aireve?
If you do not know that the GNU was NOT a Zanu PF government, even now with the benefit of hindsight, then there real is nothing else to say! This is like some one in grade five and he still does not know the alphabet!
Nonsense! How can the elections be free and fair when 3 m in the diaspora were denied the vote, there is no verified voters' roll, rural folk are frogmarched to attend Zanu PF rallies, etc., etc. Zanu PF is rigging these elections and CCC and the rest in the opposition camp are participating to give Zanu PF legitimacy in return for the few gravy train seats on offer as bait.
Still, Zanu PF knows getting political legitimacy is not a done deal. SADC leaders are under pressure to accept that these elections are flawed and the participating opposition have lost political credibility and for these reason it would irresponsible to grant Zanu PF political legitimacy as usual!
@ Chikotikoti
“Encouraging coup is treasonous! When the law descends upon idiots heads they cry foul and shout political persecution! The simple fact however is that freedom of speech is NOT AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT standing isolated from other freedoms and the threat of coup which is treasonous actually threatening peoples rights to LIFE and it does not matter whether you are a politician or fake journalist... The law will descend upon you like a ton of bricks.”
There was a military coup in November 2017, I was not the one who carried out the coup nor encouraged it and the law did not descend upon the coup leaders like a tonne of bricks!
If I warned you that by swimming in a crocodile infested river you running the risk of being attacked by crocodiles, it is foolish to accuse me of encouraging crocodile attacks!
Indeed if anyone is guilty of encouraging coup it is those who rig elections and not those who warn against the dangers of rigging elections! The trouble with empty heads like you is you always end up holding the shit-end of the stick, making all manner of foolish threats!
@ Green Bomber
“Exactly 👌🏿 Chamisa and his MP aspirants are under no illusion whatsoever ever that Zanu pf will “win” any election in Zimbabwe until there’s electoral reforms, but they will continue to risk their supporters’ lives just to enjoy the bread crumbs falling from the Zanu pf table, like the ones you list above.
The problem with Zimbabwe is our opposition has turned politics into a career, and they will always put their personal gain ahead of any conviction; if they have any. Even Chamisa himself would never ever dream of boycotting the 2023 election that he knows without any shadow of doubt is unwinnable, for the sole fear of losing the support of his lieutenants who now cannot live without the bread crumbs falling from the Zanu pf table
“Vote in overwhelming numbers so that rigging becomes impossible” they say, but at what percentage exactly does it become impossible for zanu pf to rig, remember in 2008 Tsvangirai got 73% of the votes but was still cheated out of the presidency.”
Chamisa and company wasted the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU and they has since given up on reforms and after what ever crumbs Zanu PF throws at them.
But as long as the ordinary Zimbabweans remain blind to the truth nature of CCC as corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent and continue to embrace they as the nation’s saviours then nothing will change. The people will participate in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy, CCC their bread crumbs and the people will perpetuate their own suffering. Even after 43 years of rigged elections they still believe CCC will win big, how naive can one be!
Well there lies the nub, ED and his wife were heavily involved in the whole dirty business and the whole story is being killed because they do not want to tell what they know.
@ Mahupete
“I am amazed kuti varume vakuru semi believe kuti MDC was democratic by virtue of being in opposition and making vainglorious vote catching speeches. How does being in opposition become one and the same thing as being democratic? Is being in opposition an intrinsic indication of democratic ideals? Tiudzei, ndimi makadya ma buku!! The fact that they participate in activities that you criticise as failing democracy is plain enough proof kuti they are nothing but wannabe Zanupf chancers.”
I have only pointed out that MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU and they wasted it. Implementing the reforms were a common sense affair and did not require impeccable democratic credentials.
It is a historic fact that MDC failed to implement even one reform and whether or not they are “wannabe Zanu PF chancers” is irrelevant!
@ Mahupete
“Firstly, 3m diaspora number is a gross exaggeration. Secondly, SADC is under no pressure given that you admit, without coercion, kuti the opposition has lost political credibility. It's not for SADC to discipline the Zim opposition or Zanupf and it will never be.”
The 3m in the diaspora is grossly exaggerated by whom? If you know the exact number then say it. Indeed, the exact number is not relevant what matters is that it is a very significant number and that the denial of the vote was a deliberate and calculated move.
SADC is under pressure to stop the foolishness of condoning rigged elections and granting Zanu PF political legitimacy, just because you do understand what is going on does not mean there is no pressure.
True no one should ever have to fear being attacked for supporting and voting the party of one's choice.
It is all very well to say Mnangagwa supporters voted for him in, when we all know the elections rigged. Is this not just another way of burying one's head in the sand and pretending the rural voters who are frogmarched to vote for Zanu PF are doing it our of their free will.
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and by participating we ARE giving the process credibility and SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF legitimacy.
ZESA load shedding was avoidable! Hwange unit 7 and 8 are 43 years overdue and God knows when Batoka Gorge Hydro will be built because money for the projects was wasted on US$4b Blue Roof, US$5b salted outside by Grace, US$ 8 m Dubai mansion, 17 posh cars, 21 farms for Bona, etc., etc. for Mugabes alone let alone Mnangagwa and the rest!
Now you know; what are YOU going to do about it!!!!!!
You are helpless because you choose to be helpless!!!!
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-230711.html
South Africa became irrelevant among international investors – Sygnia founder
Daily Investor
Sygnia founder and CEO Magda Wierzycka said South Africa is a failed state which has become irrelevant among international investors.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Wierzycka said South Africans could no longer fool themselves by thinking they are not living in a failed state.
She said citizens are forced to accept an incompetent government actively sabotaging businesses and destroying jobs.
Considering the corruption and incompetence of the government, she asked how people could even talk about South Africa not being a failed state.
Replace South Africa with Zimbabwe and turn back the clock to say 5 or 10 after our independence (what has taken SA 30 years, Zimbabwe’s economic decline took 10 years). Whilst there is hope of SA getting out of the mess, whatever light we see in our tunnel must be either a runaway freight train or the lights of Hell’s furnaces!
What makes Zimbabwe’s situation particularly hopeless is that we gave given up the fight for democratic reforms and rule of law. MDC/CCC sold out on reforms and is now participating in flawed elections for a share of the spoils of power. And we, the naïve and gullible citizenry are foolish enough to believe in the oxymoronic nonsense of winning rigged elections!
@ Tafumaneyi
This is nonsense!!
Do you know how many organisations are being run by Zimbabwean professionals and skilled personnel in the UK right night now??
We have Zimbos working as; Hospital Directors, School Principals, Senior Managers in Social Services.
And it doesn’t end, we also people of Zimbabwean origin currently occupying top posts such as; Financial Director, HR Director, Oppositions Director, etc private companies.
If you want mock people, the very you could is to factual about it.
Zimbabwe is a failed state and instead of focusing on that problem which affects all Zimbabweans wherever they are. Those still in Zimbabwe because they are on the coal face of the economic, political and social collapse and rot. Those outside Zimbabwe because, many of them left the country to escape the rot and decay and would go back if these were sorted out. Even if they have no intention of going back and have no relatives to worry about back in Zimbabwe, their participating means they care.
So instead of focusing on what landed Zimbabwe in this mess and how the country can get out of the mess we are being dragged into trivial and irrelevant discussions such as:
1) Sweep all he gross mismanagement, corruption and tragic human suffering in Zimbabwe under the carpet because it is unpatriotic to criticise the country’s leaders.
2) If you criticise Zanu PF you are either CCC or a puppet of the west. If you criticise CCC you are a Zanu PF supporter.
3) Only those in Zimbabwe should comment on what is happening as if only those still in Zimbabwe have the monopoly of knowledge. “Making noise is as good as doing nothing. Some of us are here to work.” The obvious question is why then is the country in mess if you know what you are doing.
4) Raise any issue and instead of addressing the issue on the table our detractors will shoot off at a tangent of some trivial matter, etc.
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and CCC are participating out of greed. We can stop Zanu PF getting political legitimacy by denouncing the flawed process and the discredited CCC. But getting a coherent message through this wildebeest herd is a serious challenge. We are a failed state for a good reason – we are incapable of self-governing, incapable of focusing on the important matters and waste time and energy on trivial matters instead.
JUSTICE Minister and Zanu-PF politburo member, Ziyambi Ziyambi, has appeared to give credence to speculation that an impeachment bid may be mounted against President Emmerson Mnangagwa after general elections due in August this year.
A disaffected faction of the ruling Zanu-PF party is reportedly working on a so-called ‘Bhora Musango' strategy to stop Mnangagwa from winning the presidential vote as he seeks a second five-year term in office.
Failing that, an impeachment bid may be the next resort for the rebels, working together with opposition the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa.
The faction's members reportedly routed key Mnangagwa allies in the recent Zanu-PF primary elections, among them Ziyambi as well as the likes of Justice Mayor Wadyajena.
However, addressing a Zanu-PF inter-district meeting at Banket Sports Club on Sunday, Ziyambi warned prospective ruling party legislators against joining any impeachment bid against Mnangagwa.
"There is no one who can remove the president without Zanu-PF coughing," said Ziyambi.
"If you go to Parliament and think you will join others and try to do what they call impeachment, we will simply write a recall letter and force a by-election."
If Mnangagwa has lost a few allies in rural constituencies, he will probably be looking at winning the urban seats to contour the loses. We have seen on social media videos of Zanu PF busing in supporters from rural areas into urban centres to register as voters.
Zanu PF will certainly encourage many opposition candidates to contest urban seats, a divided urban vote will work to the regime's advantage! The party will even help some opposition candidate financially in this - money is not a problem for the party.
“INVESTIGATIONS into how a controversial government notice which subverted President Emmerson Mnangagwa's authority while he was in London attending United Kingdom King Charles III's coronation last weekend has exposed Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga's unrelenting manoeuvres and a bid to militarise state bureaucracy to take control of the levers of power, while destabilising the incumbent.
Informed sources say at its core and more than anything else, the contentious notice was primarily intended to militarise the Ministry of Health's procurement processes and create a blanket of secrecy to acquire goods and services without transparency and accountability.
This would have given authorities at the ministry carte blanche to secretly import anything they wanted to suit their interests.”
Mnangagwa is a buffoon, and, per se, it is nonsensical to expect him to have "control" over anything. After watching the Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary no one was left in any doubt that here is a buffoon masquerading as a state president.
Zimbabwe is a failed state and our only hope of ending this tragic state of affairs is by implementing the reforms to ensure free and fair elections. Mnangagwa will never win free elections. Who is stopping us holding free and fair elections, you might ask?
Zanu PF, of course! The party turned the guns used to fight the white colonialist on the people and made it clear they will make the country ungovernable if they lost the 1980 elections. The people voted to end the war and Zanu PF has moved swiftly to create a de facto one party dictatorship to consolidate its strangle hold on power.
The nation has had many chances to end the Zanu PF dictatorship with the best chance coming during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were entrusted the task of implementing the democratic reforms proved to be breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. They failed to implement even one reform in five years and the chance was wasted.
The best chance of ending the Zanu PF dictatorship is making sure the regime is denied political legitimacy in these elections because the process is flawed. CCC are corrupt and incompetent and are participating in these elections out of greed. How can a opposition that has lost political credibility give the process and the results legitimacy?
Mahere tells UN CCC is winning 2023 Zimbabwe elections regardless of the reality on the ground that Zanu PF is rigging these elections. She is telling the whole world Zimbabwe does not need reforms and freed and fair elections. She will shed crocodile tears over rigged elections the morning after the vote! We must stop this circus!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqowPr0Nms0
@ Benjamin
The Zanu PF of 1980 to 2008 is different from the Zanu PF of post GNU, the former was a de facto one party state and the later is still a de facto one party state but one that accepts the need for opposition to give it legitimacy. The difference is subtle but very important!
@ Godfrey
“You bait what you have in control - Zanu has no control of urban seats - so they cannot offer them as bait - in fact they are also fighting to win them
Once we clear the belief that CCC is selling out - the more we shall focus on the substance of the problem that we face - which is - the unfair playfield
A sellout is not tortured
A sellout is not treated unfairly
A sellout is not a threat
A bribed person is not ill-treated
Let us focus on the problem.”
Are you saying because MDC/CCC leaders were tortured, ill-treated, etc. they can therefore not be sell-outs? Mugabe and his Zanu PF friends were tortured, ill-treated and worse by the whites and that did not stop them becoming corrupt, murderous thugs we see today!
Indeed, many people would not accept that Mugabe and his cronies were incompetent and murderous even when they were presented with the evidence of the economic slow down and the Gukurahundi massacre. It took most people 20 years or so to accept Zanu PF leaders, the nation’s liberation war heroes and heroines, were corrupt and murderous thugs but by then Zanu PF had dug in and was a well-established dictatorship.
Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have been tortured and ill-treated, I accept that as a historic fact. I also accept as a historic fact that MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement even one meaningful democratic reform in 23 years, 5 of which in the GNU. I call this failure a sell-out and you can call it what ever you wish, I am not interested in semantics.
The problem here is the refusal to accept that MDC/CCC sold out on reforms and are participating in these flawed elections out of greed. MDC leaders like Tendai Biti and David Coltart admit these historic realities because they know it is sheer futility to do otherwise!
@ Big fish
CCC cannot have their cake and eat it too. They cannot condemn Zanu PF for rigging elections and yet insist on participating without reforms. The reason for the contradiction is greed. They know Zanu PF is offering a few gravy train seats as bait and hence the reason they are hell bent on participating. They will never admit their greed and so have to adapt this perverse and contrariety position of accepting something one minute and rejecting it the next.
CCC are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections out of greed and will shed buckets of crocodile tears about rigged elections the morning after the voting day. The damage will be done. Zanu PF will have got the legitimacy and CCC secured the few gravy train seats and it is the ordinary Zimbabwean who will suffer the consequences of perpetuating the dictatorship. This insanity must and will be stopped!
So I blame Zanu PF for rigging the elections and blame CCC for participating in the flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy for 30 pieces of silver! It is not rocket science to see the two parties are partners but to a simpleton used to blaming one and not the other it is.
@ Phidza
“The international world does not care, no matter how much/many hapwa dzamuno fugura. They have no interest at all in solving your issues. They actually benefit from the status quo.”
So everything you say and do is with the view of impressing the international world. You deny the Zimbabwe economy is in a mess and millions of Zimbabweans are suffering because you want to impress the world that Zimbabwe is a prosperous nation.
Well, I am concerned about the Zimbabweans living in abject poverty who would complain about their suffering if they had a voice. I am their voice!
@ Godfrey
“No no - let’s not focus on what happened many years ago - which SADC itself is not or should not holding CCC to now
It’s a new chapter game and participants.
The point would be valid if SADC had advised CCC against participation NOW and CCC defying the advice.”
MDC/CCC leaders failed to implement even one reform during the GNU because they are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent and it was for the same reasons the participated in the 2013 and then 2018 elections and they are doing so now. If the failed to implement any reforms during the GNU when they had SADC leaders’ backing it is really not surprising they have not done some after the GNU when they had no such backing.
To suggest we should forget MDC/CCC leaders’ track record before the rebranding as if it was some kind of Road to Damascus moment is just a feeble excuse to give them a clean start especially when they continue participating in flawed elections for the same reasons.
Our duty here is to make sure Zanu PF does not get political legitimacy after these 2023 elections because the process is flawed. And our answer to why is the opposition participating if the process is flawed? Answer: the opposition are sell outs who sold out during the GNU and are selling out now!
@ Gamacho
“Democracy is an ideology.
It took the west 2 world wars and tens of millions of deaths to be where they are today.
The tyranny we claim in Africa n Zimbabwe is a drop in the ocean to what Hitler Musolini Stalin n Franco did in Europe.
Its ok to call each other out n point at the red flags as they appear.
The most important thing though is to portray a good image n defend our national interests once we live our borders.”
One of the foundation pillars of democracy is freedom of expression. The Greeks understood that government of the people by the people for the people can only work if the said people are well informed and hence the need for freedom of expression. We, 2 500 years later do not need to reinvent the wheel but only to apply it.
Robert Mugabe adopted the oppressive system used by the whites to deny the blacks a voice to stifle debate and democratic discourse. He even brain washed many blacks into believing criticising the leaders was the most unpatriotic thing one could do. Blind loyalty to the leaders was a badge of honour and merit, hard work and doing the right thing counted for nothing. No wonder the country is in a real mess!
Bur then, we are a naïve and gullible people and any excuse to switch off was welcomed. It is no exaggeration to say a great number of blacks out there are brain dead. Their brain had ossified into fat after decades of mind-numbing inactivity.
I would rather have the dirty laundry watered out in the open than hidden so the whole house smells of shit 24/7 especially when those advocating this misplaced sense of patriotism are the ones looting and are buying themselves more time to loot!
@ Gamacho
“A certain percentage of the ideology of democracy which is higher than ours.
Wen they were lootings in UK around 14 n 15 thereabout kwakarobwa munhu zvekuti freedom to gather n protest zvikakanganwika
Same in France a few months ago
Kwedu kuno kukaita riot vanhu vakatanga ku looter nekupwanya zvinhu if the government reacts its abuse of human rights.”
So, you think we have a better democratic system of government in Zimbabwe than in France and the UK? Or are you just arguing for the sake of arguing!
@ Gamacho
“All I am saying is we should focus on developing our system of governance which is not based or validated by other races who arrived were they are through bloody wars n continue to struggle to implement those systems flawlessly.”
You are obsessed about impressing the West so obsessed that you are advocating denying the failures of the black leaders and the suffering of the masses just to project the image of progress.
There is no such thing as our own system as if freedom of expression is a divisible quality. It is a universal right and means the same thing to everyone young or old, black or brown, man or woman.
Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections and the EU condemned the process and yet SADC leaders judge the process “as substantially free and fair” as if the one used a three-foot yard stick and the later used a one-foot long yard stick. Indeed if the EU had followed SADC’s example one would have accused them of racism and rightly so too.
Other African countries have held free, fair and credible elections and it is an outrage that 43 years after independence we continue to deny our own people the same fundamental right. Worse still, we have some dimwits who see nothing wrong with this and they even defend the oppressive and murderous Zanu PF thugs. Indeed, they never consider it patriotic to defend the corrupt and tyrannical thugs!
@ Nigel
Elections are judged to be free, fair and credible on the basis of the process and not the result. If the process is not free, fair and credible then the result is irrelevant. The 2018 election was held without even something as basic as a verified voters' roll, no free public media, the counting of the votes was not transparent, etc. How anyone could still judge such a process free, fair and credible beggars belief!
Not even one meaningful reform was implemented since the last election and so all the flaws from 2018 will be repeated this year. These elections are being rigged and CCC are participating out of greed, they are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away as bait!
This is a sick joke! ZEC has failed to produce a verified voters' roll, Mnangagwa himself has boasting about how rural voters will be frogmarch by Zanu PF operative and traditional leaders to the Polling Stations, he has denied 3 m in the diaspora the vote, etc., etc. Zanu PF is rigging these elections!
What is infuriating here is that CCC is, once again, participating in these flawed elections knowing they are flawed and that doing so will give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF political legitimacy. They are participating for the same reasons they failed to implement even one reform during the GNU - greed and breath-taking incompetence.
Mnangagwa and his cronies love to pontificate about white colonial oppression and yet they are the ones riding roughshod over the people denying them their basic freedoms, rights and human dignity!
It is insane that 45 years after independence, in this day and age, and we are still failing to hold free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF MUST be denied political legitimacy this time!
@ Godfrey
SADC did their bit during the GNU and even tried to get the elections postponed.
Why did MDC fail to implement even one reform during the GNU? Why did they insist in participating even after they were warned not to? The EU, Americans and many others have talked of the need for reforms to be implemented; why is CCC insisting on participating with no reforms?
Yes SADC should not endorse rigged elections but it cannot be denied that MDC/CCC’s selling out gave the region body the excuse to do so.
Our hope here is to assure SADC that there are Zimbabweans with a few working brain cells who accept that MDC/CCC sold out and are selling out. Or be it they are a very tiny minority!
@ Godfrey
“Someone made a statement here - that observers will check not only the election but the ENTIRE ELECTORAL PROCESS.
This is the word we should hold the observers to and we should make sure they see what we see - I believe CCC have done their part.
If we feel CCC have left out something - let’s point it out
A strong case can be made before and after the election.”
How can you say MDC/CCC “did their bit” when they are the ones who sold out by failing to implement even one reform and are selling out by participating in flawed elections for the chance to win the few gravy train seats?
Yes there IS something CCC have left out - why are they hell bent on participating in these flawed elections? Notable leaders like Tendai Biti and David Coltart have admitted it is folly to participate. Coltart said it was greed, perhaps you want to tell us why he is wrong!
Zanu Pf has always ruled by ignorance and fear and hence the reason why the regime has stifled debate, denied freedom of expression and press freedom and has used violence at ever turn. Zimbabwe is a failed state and needs to implement the democratic reforms to end the autocracy.
The tragedy for Zimbabwe is that the country had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and it was none other than MDC/CCC leaders who sold out. They failed to implement even one reform!
Worse still, MDC/CCC have insisted in participating in flawed elections knowing fully well Zanu PF was rigging them and that participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the suffering of the people. They have soldiered on regardless because they are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away as bait.
It is ironic that Advocate Fadzayi Mahere is returning from Geneva where she told the UN CCC is winning the 2023 elections. CCC does not mind that the elections are rigged and the consequences of perpetuating the dictatorship as long as they get a seat on the gravy train.
Fadzayi Mahere described her time in jail in much the same way Mnangagwa has described his heroic contribution during the liberation war. They wear the torture and oppression as badges of honour but more significantly as their licence to do as they please - Zanu PF rigging the elections and CCC participating out of greed!
@ Nigel
@ Nigel
Sanctions were imposed in 2001 and so had nothing to do with what happened in 1997!
Zanu PF has used sanctions as a smoke screen to hide the real causes of the economic meltdown were mismanagement and corruption. There is now a mountain of evidence to prove this.
Grace Mugabe alone is believed to have salted away US$5 billion. How much has the country lost because of sanctions?
It is shocking that anyone would still blame sanctions for the country’s problems.
So Malema does not know that Zimbabwe elections are NOT free, fair and credible! But then he is the one who yesterday was praising the corrupt and murderous dictator Robert Mugabe to the rafters.
Mnangagwa is rigging these elections and Malema will join the rest of the SADC leaders in endorsing the result and granting Zanu PF legitimacy. Mnangagwa is frogmarching the voters, has failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, etc. Malema will not see any of these things and will blame Zimbabweans for “failing to go back to Zimbabwe and vote in their numbers!”
Malema is just a fool with a microphone and a platform! Having such fools for neighbours, does not help our fight for reforms and free elections. How I wish Nelson Mandela was still alive.
@ Chris
Zimbabwe is a Police State, Zanu PF has always believed in a strong army, police and CIO. Even now with the country in total economic meltdown and basic services such as education and health care all but collapsed; the regime is beefing up the security services!
@ Mpandaz
If you have failed to understand why MDC failed to implement even one reform during the GNU you will NEVER EVER understand why they are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections. NEVER EVER!!!!!!!!
MDC/CCC has participated in these flawed elections in 2013 and 2018, what good has come out of it? All that has done is give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the suffering of the masses. Chamisa and company have benefited from getting a few seats on the gravy train.
Of course, it is insane to participate in a flawed election, “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw,” as Coltart admitted. But if you have no common sense to comprehend that you participate even after 43 years of rigged elections - that is exactly what the insane are doing!
@ Munyoro
You are right that Zanu PF has the obligation to hold free, fair and credible elections. The reality is they have been rigging elections. SADC gave us a chance to implement the reforms and stop the rigging during the GNU. Why did MDC waste that golden chance and failed to implement even one reform in five years?
The real surprise here is you have no clue MDC sold out big time during the GNU! MDC/CCC are as innocent as a rose in your eyes only because you have failed to understand even the abc of what is going on here! Even now with the benefit of hindsight, you have no clue. Lights out!
@ Mutokweta
I am not blaming MDC/CCC for failing to implement the democratic reforms, blaming implies they might be innocent. I am stating a historic fact - they did not implement any meaningful reforms even when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the GNU.
The fact that some people have no clue what the reforms are, that the primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the reforms and hence do not realise MDC/CCC leaders sold out, is not my fault. I cannot be held responsible for some people’s ignorance and naivety!
@ Le Mec
“Did they have the capacity to implement the reforms? Is ready to blame talk but a thorough analysis needs to be done. Did the GNU present an environment for reform implementation?”
If the GNU did not “present the right environment to implement any reforms”, then why did the MDC never complained about it throughout the 5 five years of the GNU. Tsvangirai stopped attending the cabinet meetings when Mugabe would not allow him to move into Zimbabwe House. He call-off the boycott when he got the keys to the US$4 million Highlands mansion. And yet MDC never complained about the political environment not being conducive for reforms.
The trouble here is some people raise their political leaders onto pedestals and worship them as demigods who can do no wrong. When they discover the leaders are fallible mortals they go into denial and so come up with all manner of idiotic excuses why the leaders failed.
MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement even one reform in 23 years and have been participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy because they are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. You can deny it and offer all the feeble excuses you want - that will not change the historic facts! It only speaks volumes about you.
@ Munyoro
You understanding of what the GNU was about is shallow and it shows.
The primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the democratic reforms to ensure the blatant cheating and wanton violence of the 2008 elections will never be repeated. No meaningful reforms were implemented hence the reason we still have rigged elections.
I will just pick three points you raised and answer them.
“4. To be helpful, realistic and/or constructive examine realpolitik teachings. The ruling party acolytes did not want the GNU, they did not want it to work and therefore prevented it s purpose. And killed it as soon as they could.”
So why did MDC leaders stay in the GNU to the bitter end and never complained to SADC, who were the guarantor of the GPA, that Zanu PF had killed the GNU? Indeed, when SADC leaders advised MDC not to participate in the 2013 elections without reforms, it was none other than MDC leaders who ignored the advice!
“5. Be realistic and stop obsessing about history. CCC was not in existence until this year. You attempt to bundle it in with a now nonexistent MDC shows your dishonest purpose to label CCC as a failure.”
This is just as foolish as accepting that Mnangagwa and his cronies are as innocent as a rose because they cast off the Mugabe regalia and called themselves Second Republic! CCC is participating in these flawed elections for the reasons MDC did in 2013 and 2018 - breathtakingly corrupt and incompetence - proof they have not changed!
“6. Selling out is an emotive demotive brush to brand political foes as traitors.”
The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC/CCC leaders into power to implement reforms; just as the nation risk all in the fight for independence only to be betrayed by these Zanu PF thugs. Of course, both Zanu PF and CCC have betrayed this nation!
@ Chris
Totally agree that without something as basic as a verified voters' roll it is impossible to hold free and fair elections. I agree that we should point the accusing finger at Zanu PF for failing to hold free and fair elections. What I dispute is the failure to realise that it is not just Zanu PF that is responsible for this political mess.
Why has MDC/CCC failed to implement even one reform in 23 years, including 5 in the GNU?
Why is MDC/CCC insisting in participating in these flawed elections without even a verified voters’ roll for Pete’s sake?
Zanu PF will never ever implement even one token reform to ensure free elections when the party is assured of the participation of the opposition regardless how flawed the process got! They are corrupt and not particularly clever but still they not that stupid to shoot themselves in the foot.
@ Siziba
Going Rural: Mobilizing Change Makers for a New Great Zimbabwe led by President Chamisa
We are currently embarking on a long and extensive program of action deep in the rural heartland of Mashonaland East province.
Our primary objective is to gather all the Change Makers who are leading the Movement from the grassroots level.
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and still we continue to hear that CCC is mobilising for a big win regardless. Of course, we don’t need to worry about ending the curse of rigged elections if CCC has the strategies to win rigged elections.
The truth is CCC is lying! Chamisa and company have been participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship out of greed. The only important question is how long are we going to allow this insanity?
Mugabe outwitted MDC leaders into doing nothing about reforms for FIVE GNU years. That is some feat and speaks volumes about the sheer incompetence of opposition!
https://www.zimeye.net/2023/05/20/stopping-mdc-implementing-even-one-reform-in-5-gnu-years-is-one-of-the-greatest-tom-sawyer-trick-ever-pulled-off/
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