“The African Development Bank has moved to fast-track Zimbabwe’s $3.5 billion compensation to white farmers whose land was seized under former president Robert Mugabe’s reforms. The bank is leading efforts to clear Zimbabwe’s crippling debts,” reported the French publication RFI.
“A revived Zimbabwe is good for Africa. A revived Zimbabwe is good for the world,” said Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) at a debt resolution forum held this week in the capital Harare.
The AfDB is co-chairing a process aimed at clearing the country’s $6 billion of external debt arrears that also includes reforms to the exchange rate and central bank.
“Zimbabwe cannot run up the hill of economic recovery carrying a backpack of debt on its back,” added Adesina.
This is just nonsense! Zimbabwe has the wealth to clear these debts without the need for outside help and everyone at AfDB knows that!
Zimbabwe has been losing US$1.6 billion per year to gold smugglers alone. We know looting has been going on in other areas too such as diamonds, lithium, platinum, in the procurement of fuel and medicine, etc. In 2016 the late dictator, Robert Mugabe, said Zimbabwe was swindled out of US$15 billion in diamond revenue!
In 2019 the Governor of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Dr John Mangudya said Zimbabwe could pay off all her debts and pay for the country’s development needs without borrowing a penny from anyone if - a big IF - the country stamped out the rampant corruption and gross mismanagement. For once, the Governor was being honest!
Besides, the whole concept of the US$3.5 billion compensation for the white farmers, for the movable assets they were forced to leave behind during the farm invasions, being born by the ordinary Zimbabweans is an outrage.
Why should the ordinary taxpayer who have paid dearly because of the agricultural and economic collapse caused by farm seizures? The individuals who profited from the farm seizures, some of them to the tune of 21 commercial farms as Bona Mugabe, should pay the compensation!
The forum noted the importance of Zimbabwe’s coming elections being free, fair and credible in advancing dialogue with the West and financial institutions.
“The people of Zimbabwe and the international community will be watching very closely. The full weight of re-engagement with the international community will not just depend on the election, but on the entire electoral process that guarantees a credible election,” said AfDB president, Adesina.
After - what - 43 years of talking in riddle, it is refreshing to hear the AfDB and other busy bodies telling the Zanu PF some home-truths for a change!
Sadly, the AfDB is bolting the door long after the horse has bolted. The Zimbabwe elections are three months away and the regime has stubbornly refused to implement even one token democratic reform, refused to produce even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, etc. Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections just as readily as it has rigged past elections.
Even if there was time to implement reforms, Dr Adesina would be wasting his breathe asking CCC to boycott the 2023 elections to pile the pressure on Zanu PF to implement reforms. Others like SADC and the EU have tried and their advice fell on deaf ears. CCC leaders are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections, knowing the process is flawed and that doing so would only give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF political legitimacy. They are participating regardless out of greed - the same reason they failed to implement even one reform during the GNU.
"The crisis in the country is having terrible consequences for the region as Zimbabwe lies at the heart of southern Africa,” argued former President of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano. He is the facilitator of this high-level dialogues to help Zimbabwe re-engage with the West.
Former President Chissano would do Zimbabwe and the whole region a great favour telling SADC leaders they must judge the Zimbabwe elections on merit. In the past, the regional body has endorsed rigged elections and granted Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. This must stop!
21 comments:
@ Wakurawarerwa
We all know voters' roll audit will never take place and CCC will participate regardless out of greed. They have done so in the past and so will do it again!
@ Benjamin
As far back as the 2013 elections MDC/CCC leaders have known:
the election process is flawed they cannot win
that participating will only give Zanu PF legitimacy
they have participated regardless out of greed
Tendai Biti has acknowledge points 1) and 2) above and David Coltart has confessed all the three points.
“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.”
The very idea of winning rigged elections is an oxymoron because free and fair elections are a fundamental right and to trade it in for a privilege is trading gold for fools’ gold! Especially in this case since we already know that Zanu PF’s vote rigging powers are limitless, winning 73% of the vote was not good enough to get Tsvangirai keys to State House.
It has been ten years of MDC/CCC trying to win rigged elections and failing. How many more years are we going to tolerate this insanity??????
@ Munyoro
Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. After 43 years of rigged elections there are those who still expect a different result. It is pointless expecting them to change that is why they are called insane, they are beyond the pale, reason count for nothing!
AfDB finally tell Zimbabwe's ruling elite some home-truths on elections. Sadly, it is all too late for both Zanu PF and CCC!
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-230911.html
@ Godfrey
“Exactly - then opposition was ill prepared on how to wrestle power from the Zanu grip
Then some invisible Force rejected the development and forced RGM to stay on
Then came ‘short sleeve’ intimidation that has silenced US for life.
All this in SADC plain sight
Shows we need to REFORM Zanu minds first not just the system
What was MT expected to do here
What reform was needed to deal with this Zanu high handed stubbornness?”
Yes all these things happened in “SADC plain sight” and that is why SADC refused to endorse Zanu PF’s victory and forced the party to sign the 2008 GPA and tasked the GNU to implement the democratic reforms. The video refers to events BEFORE the GNU and not AFTER the GNU.
MT was expected to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU but failed to get even one reform implemented!
So, are you now saying MDC did not implement even one token reform in the five years of the GNU because they did not know “What reform was needed to deal with this Zanu high handed stubbornness?”
@ J Moyo
“The reason for the comatose opposition ahead of the election was perhaps inadvertently given by CCC leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa in an interview with Blessed Mhlanga on Trevor Ncube's online television, HStv on 20 April 2023 when he said: Our biggest thing is what we call strategic ambiguity. The doctrine of making sure that the enemy doesn't know what we are doing.
"Whether in foreign policy or in politics, strategic clarity is better than strategic ambiguity, an assured communication disaster. In politics, "ambiguity" is actually an expression of an unclear ideology, legality, policy, position, statement, task, goal or action of the leadership. There can be many causes of ambiguity or lack of clarity, including incapacity, confusion, ignorance or cluelessness."
Chamisa has maintained he will not make public, decisions and policies from his party as that had proven to arm rival Zanu-PF.
That, according to Moyo might confuse his supporters and lead to a Zanu-PF Parliamentary win.
Added Moyo: "While there are still some key unknowns about Zimbabwe's election 2023, one clear known whose writing is on the wall is that the parliamentary election is for Zanu-PF to lose, as yet another two-thirds majority appears to be within the party's reach.
Chamisa’s strategy is a simple one, he is hoping that the economic situation in the country will continue to get worse and worse making people so desperate for change they will be so focused on getting rid of the Zanu PF regime they will vote for him for no other reason than that he is not Zanu PF!
But of course, he will never admit that he is a simpleton with no viable plan, especially when so many of his twitter plans such as operation green mango have been torn to shreds. And so comes “strategic ambiguity”!
Many people did not criticise MDC leaders throughout the 2008 to 2013 GNU for not implementing the democratic reforms. They gave Tsvangirai and company the benefit of the doubt that they had something up their sleeves. It was only when the 2013 election results came out that it finally dawned on them that MDC leaders had been fast asleep for five years and had wasted the golden opportunity to implement reforms and get the nation out of the mess.
Only the politically naive and ignorant will buy Chamisa’s strategic ambiguity nonsense. He has no clue what to do other than hope that the tragic human suffering will force Zimbabweans into his waiting arms. He wants to be president but has no clue what to do to revive the comatose economy - just another strategic ambiguity!
@ Baba Jukwa
Zanu PF should have been booted out of office in 2013 at the latest if MDC had implemented the democratic reform and stopped Zanu PF rigging elections. But, thanks to "strategic ambiguity" MDC failed to implement even one reform. Mnangagwa is set to win 2023 elections because Zanu PF is rigging these elections. Strategic ambiguity is NOT stopping Zanu PF rigging elections and that is a serious problem!
FORMER Tourism minister Walter Mzembi has blamed Mthuli Ncube for failing to tame spiralling prices of basic commodities, which are militating against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's re-election bid for a second and final term.
In recent weeks, the value of Zimbabwe's local currency has dropped dramatically by the day.
This has seen prices of basic commodities rising with retailers demanding USD for goods and services, putting pressure on government to restore stability, albeit Ncube's firefighting policies which have not yielded positive results.
A 10kg bag of Red Seal Super Roller Meal now costs ZW$27 999 up from an average of ZW$4 800.
Commenting on the rising costs, exiled former Foreign Affairs Minister, Walter Mzembi lay the blame solely on Ncube for expediting Mnangagwa's exit ahead of impending 2023 harmonised elections.
If the elections were free, fair and credible then Mnangagwa’s bacon would be sizzling! Zimbabwe elections are not free and fair and so he has the chance to rig and he is not one to waste that chance!
Mnangagwa knows that Chamisa and his CCC friends will participate in these flawed elections no matter how flawed the process got. In the past Zanu PF has pointed to the opposition’s participation as proof the elections are free and fair. The world has moved on and now recognise that CCC are indeed participating in these flawed elections out of greed. Zanu PF is rigging the elections but rigging legitimacy may prove a bridge too far.
Flawed elections and a discredited opposition are not exactly sound ground for granting one political legitimacy!
To stay in power, Zanu PF has no choice but to rig the elections. The task of rigging the elections has grown progressively harder and harder for the regime, there is no denying that fact. Mnangagwa’s failure to revive the country’s economy is, without doubt his greatest weakness.
His greatest strength is having a corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless opposition that has not only failed to take advantage of the worsening economic meltdown but will participate in these elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy no matter how flawed and illegal the process get. Whatever Zanu PF has spent to produce such a toothless opposition, it has been worth every penny!
The surge in commodity prices and the lose of value of the Z$ against the US$ of the last two weeks must have caused Mnangagwa many sleepless nights. The alarm bells were ringing as the nation was reminded of the 2008 economic meltdown and the 500 billion per cent hyperinflation and the March 2008 election results. As much as his vote rigging schemes are sound, he will have to double check because an emboldened electorate could repeat the surprise result of March 2008.
“The people of Zimbabwe and the international community will be watching very closely. The full weight of re-engagement with the international community will not just depend on the election, but on the entire electoral process that guarantees a credible election,” said AfDB president, Adesina.
Well, well! Talk of being caught between the rock and the deep blue sea! Zanu PF’s worries of rigging the elections have just been compounded, the prospect of getting political legitimacy has never been so grime. How can Mnangagwa rig the elections and still deliver an “entire electoral process that guarantees a credible election”! The regime has already failed to produce a verified voters’ roll for Pete’s sake!
SADC leaders are under pressure to stop the usual nonsense of granting vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy under the pretext that the opposition participated. CCC has lost political credibility. The regional leaders condemned the electoral process in 2013 and wanted the election postponed until reforms were implemented. They are under pressure to put an end to this insanity!
@ Chikotikoti
"Mukori as usual living in fallacies. Reengagement is already accelerating bcz business is more important than politics ultimately! People need many strategic minerals in Zimbabwe and they are willing to engage us period. The fact that ED is traveling the world is clear evidence of the success of Reengagement which has nothing to do with your negative fallacies. Plus the opposition is losing the elections bcz they have nothing tangible to offer!"
"Re-engagement is already accelerating bcz business is more important than politics!" Well the situation on the ground tells a different story. The much anticipated investor flood following "Zimbabwe is open for business!" did not happen. Investors are a shrewd lot, they were not fooled by the promise to stamp out corruption, hold free elections, etc. They knew these were empty promises. Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by corrupt incompetent and vote rigging thugs. No one wants to do business is a pariah state!
Yes, we all saw the many people ED is doing business with in the recent Gold Mafia Al Jazeera documentary. He was selling the nation's prized jewels for a song !
You are right CCC have nothing to offer but that is not the reason they are losing these elections. They are because the process is flawed, Zanu PF is rigging. CCC are participating out of greed. They have lost political credibility.
Guess what, Zanu PF is NOT going to get political legitimacy, not this time! What did you think AfDB was talking about!
The Zanu PF leader paraded his prized herd of Ankole cattle.
The Ankole cattle are one of the most expensive breeds in Africa.
They are known for their long horns and are a modern American breed of domestic cattle.
During Nyusi’s visit to Precabe Farm in Kwekwe, it came to light that Mnangagwa owns more than 2 000 cattle and has been slaughtering two beasts a week since 2008 to feed his staff at the farm.
Mnangagwa also owns over 400 goats as well as chickens, it was uncovered.
It was not mentioned how many Ankole cattle the President has.
Across the border, Mnangagwa’s counterpart in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa also owns the expensive breed.
Ramaphosa is the biggest Ankole breed farmer in South Africa and has been auctioning his cattle at very elite prices.
In 2022, an auction of the cattle at Ramaphosa’s Phala-Phala farm fetched close to R21 million.
The farm made headlines after former spy boss Arthur Fraser claimed a burglary occurred there in 2020, in which about $4 million in cash (around R64 million at the current exchange rate) was stolen.
Ramaphosa’s brother-in-law Patrice Motsepe parted ways with R4,7m for four Ankole female cows. The most expensive of the lot cost him R2,1m.
The money was believed to be earned from the selling of game and cattle.
Mnangagwa, who has been in government since 1980, has been accused of looting government resources using his power.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said Mnangagwa’s source of wealth was from the resources he allegedly looted for the past 40 years.
“Mnangagwa has a history of plundering companies and has been making money for the past 40 years,” Ngwenya said.
A 2004 United Nations report named Mnangagwa as one of the many officials who looted diamonds and other precious minerals from Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Mnangagwa has also been linked to an underground illegal gold mining syndicate in the Midlands province, but he has denied the reports.
Recently, Al Jazeera’s investigation revealed multiple links between Mnangagwa and the gold smuggling and money laundering syndicates that are bleeding the country.
Mnangagwa has been accused of enriching his family members.
He is also said to have vast business interests across the economy. Standard
Well, that would explain why he was behind the electoral coup of 2008 and the military coup of 2017. Mnangagwa has a lot of loot to protect and many skeletons he would not want uncovered. He is addicted to power there is absolutely nothing he would not do to retain absolute power. Nothing!
The country had its golden opportunity to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. It is a great pity that the opportunity was wasted. As much as Mnangagwa will do anything to retain power, he is nonetheless wary of losing political legitimacy and hence the reason is bending over backwards to pamper the opposition to make sure they continue participating in elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process gets.
@ Musango
“Do you know how many people voted for Zanu pf in 2018? Just look at the numbers in Parliament and tell me zanu has no people?”
How many of those people were frogmarched to vote for Zanu PF? How many were multiple voters? The elections were rigged and your problem is the failure to grasp the concept of rigged elections!
Zanu PF has rigged elections for the last 43 years but some people still do not know how that happen. Of course, if you have no clue what constitutes free, fair and credible elections; an election is an election rigged or not it is still an election.
Chamisa and company are participating in these elections knowing the process is flawed and that participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy. They are participating regardless out of greed. They tell their supporters they are participating because they have strategies to win rigged elections are the naïve and ignorant wildebeest herd believe it. Even after 43 years of rigged elections, they still believe the opposition can win rigged elections! It is both tragic and sickening that a whole nation can be so naïve and stupid!
In light of this, the Citizens Coalition for Change emphasize the importance of the voters roll inspection for the upcoming 2023 Harmonized Elections, while reiterating the continued need for an accessible, auditable, and credible voters roll.- CCC
This is a sick joke, the 5 days to inspect the voters’ roll is meant to give ZEC the opportunity to tick the box instead of serving any useful purpose! “Yatsika musheche yamwa!” as one would say in Shona.
After 43 years of rigged elections the people of Zimbabwe have a right to free, fair and credible elections. We are sick of being insulted!
CCC are just paying lip-service to calls for an auditable voters’ roll, they will participate in these flawed elections with no verified voters’ roll. They have done so in the past and will do so again this time.
Lest we forget MDC/CCC leaders failed to implement even one democratic reform even when they had the golden chance to do so during the GNU. Like it or not CCC leaders have lost political credibility, they are running with the hare but hunting with the hounds!
@ Zuze
"This man is a scratched LP!"
Well I am sounding the warning that it is insane to keep participating in flawed elections only to give Zanu PF legitimacy especially after 43 years of rigged elections. You are the insane one who is participating in the flawed election expecting a different result! Which one of us is worse is obvious to me but clearly not to you!
You just don't want to be reminded of your stupidity and I am here to do just that because I am determined to end this madness!
@ Doctor do little
"What points of his can be relevant when he has been out of the country for so long? He can't even visit the country."
Chamisa has been on the political stage for the last 23 years, 5 of which in the GNU and since 2018 as the leader of the country's main opposition party. What useful thing has he ever done in these years? Of course, Professor Jonathan Moyo is right to say Chamisa is hiding the fact that he has no clue what to do behind "strategic ambiguity".
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and Chamisa has no strategy on how to stop the rigging and by participating he is giving Zanu PF legitimacy. This is the insanity that the nation cannot afford and therefore must be denounce with vigour. And the wishy-washy Chamisa apologists who dare try to stop the denunciation must be brushed aside with the contempt they rightly deserve.
There are now 304 new polling stations.
There were 10,985 polling stations in 2018, but now there are 11,289 polling stations.
Bulawayo has lost 153 polling stations.
Manicaland has 119 new stations.
Mash West has 110 new stations.
ZEC must release the voters roll.
@ZECzim
Do you know that in 2008 there were about 2 000 polling stations and the one common constituency voters’ roll. One could vote in any of the 10 or so polling stations in the constituency.
In 2013 the number of polling station was 9 000, a 450% increase without any consultations and some of the PS were announced two days before voting.
In 2018 over 10 000 and there was a PS based voters’ roll meaning you could only vote in one PS.
One of the immediate consequence of PS based voters’ roll is that one’s vote was no longer a secret.
Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections and Chamisa and company know this and they are participating regardless because they are after the gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away to entice the opposition.
The nation has been conned to believing the CCC will win rigged elections and the price was to forfeited reforms and free elections and be stuck with the dictatorship. How long are we going to let this carry on continue????
@ Magomazi
People would vote for CCC just to get rid of Zanu PF if the elections were free and fair. They are not free and fair and so there is no chance of Chamisa winning rigged elections!
@ Ghost
“So you want elections not to take place and then blame who??? Who does ZEC listen to for such reforms to take place. So if there are no elections what does that mean then to Presidential code of office conduct regarding his term in office. What exactly do you want CCC to do about this, yes they have been working hard for ZEC to be transparent with voters roll but vital institutions are grabbed eg judiciary to request this and suspended elections for at least 6 months for ZEC to produce this auditable voters roll and also to face a parliamentary select commit to answer why it failed to do so in the first place from all political parties and be held responsible.
Everything should be enforced by judiciary system for fairness and legitimacy to benefit voter choices. It's a responsibility for CCC to take ZEC to court about this. It's a responsibility for courts to make sure ZEC has produced this auditable voters roll. Failure people will not respect the courts and that would the consequence of courts failure to do the right thing.”
MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the GNU, they failed to get even one token reform implemented. If you comprehend that then you will KNOW and understand why CCC will never ever implement any reforms now or in the future.
CCC are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy in return for winning the few gravy train seats on offer as bait. The ordinary people have nothing to gain from this cosy Zanu PF MDC/CCC arrangement other than give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the dictatorship. The challenge is to make sure people open their eyes and mind to the tragic reality here.
It is insane that anyone should believe in this oxymoronic nonsense of winning rigged elections especially after 43 years of Zanu PF rigged elections. For Pete’s sake: Zanu PF does not have the right to rig elections.
@ Ghost
“Laws are created to stop vices. No law no conscience and this is exactly where Zimbabwe is now. NO LAW NO CONSCIENCE. ZEC is making decisions without defining them and getting away with the consequences since the Judiciary is ignoring it's duty of care to uphold code of conduct and ethics of office. Now Zimbabweans believe courts are corrupt and influenced by government no make decisions. So I'm not surprised if in future Zimbabweans will not respect the courts.”
We are talking about common sense here. If you know the election process is so flawed your participation will not change the result and by participating you only give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. Will you still participate regardless?
Chamisa and his fellow CCC leaders are participating regardless because they are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away as bait.
The ordinary Zimbabwean is participating out of fear (rural voters are frogmarched) and/or ignorance, they are too stupid to grasp the notion their participation only gives Zanu PF legitimacy!
Silaigwana urged those who registered to vote in the country's poll process, on or before April 28 this year, to inspect the voters' roll.
"Those who registered, on or before 28 April 2023, are encouraged to inspect the voters' roll at their ordinary polling stations which have been designated as inspection centres for purposes of this voters' roll inspection exercise," Silaigwana said.
He said voters who do not see their names at the inspection centres can either inspect their details using their mobile phones USSD code *265# for Netone and Econet subscribers or approach Provincial Elections Officers for clarification.
Zimbabwe has over 5.8 million registered voters who are expected to cast their ballots in the forthcoming harmonized elections which are due in August this year.
This is absurd! People have been calling for a verified voters’ roll and a five-day window to inspect the voters’ roll is all the regime is offering. What is infuriating is that CCC is going to participate in these elections with no verified voters, they have done so in the past. This has emboldened Zanu PF to ignore demands of reforms and verified voters’ roll.
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has urged members of the public to inspect the voter's roll when the exercise starts on Saturday at 1 594 inspection centres countrywide as the country gears for harmonised elections to be held by August this year.
As part of election preparations, the commission has also invited bids for the supply and delivery of polling booths, solar systems, candles and cardboard boxes.
This is no substitute for averified voters' roll. The tragedy here is CCC will participate with no verified voters' roll, they did in the past and will do so again, and this is why Zanu PF has the arrogancy to ignore demands for reforms and free elections.
Indeed, MDC did not implement even one reform even when they had the golden opportunity to do so for the same reasons they are participating in these flawed elections - greed and breathtakingly incompetent!
MDC/CCC has been hunting with the hounds and running with the hares, the people have been slow to see it!
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