When ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbulula was asked by Stephen Sackur on BBC HardTalk on 23 May 2023, whether the ANC government was disappointed with the sorry economic state in the country. His answer was a defensive denial and yet insightful. fooled no one.
“South Africa is undergoing challenges like many other countries. But to put us in the category of failed state, is an exaggeration.
“If certain things are not resolved, we will become a failed state.” He admitted.
“In the 30 years we have connected our people to the grid. We have guaranteed and given our people social security. We given our people decent housing. We have faulted on electricity, which is load shedding; a single demand for our people and our economy. And are going to solve it.
“Undone the misrule of 300 years, in 30 years we have done so much! And yet we are defined by one single issue. We will defeat that issue. As African National Congress we are determined to ensure that load shedding is something of the past. It does not erode everything good we have done.
“Not that in that 30 years we did nothing wrong. We did faulted, we made mistakes. We did veer away. We accept. And that is why we are determined to come back and renew ourselves. We change things. We fight corruption. We fight even the possibility of degenerating into a failed state. That is what we are determined to do as the ANC!” He concluded.
Mr ANC Secretary General, I wish you, ANC and the people South Africa well in your fight to end corruption and bad governance so that South Africa does not become a failed state.
Zimbabwe is a failed state! And that is not an exaggeration.
Zimbabwe’s travel down this failed state path started straight after the country attained her independence in 1980. After 20 years or so the majority of our people were finally convinced the nation was on the wrong path but were helpless to do anything about it. Why?
Zanu PF has rigged elections ever since the country’s independence in 1980 and imposed itself on the nation. Because the party was not democratically accountable to anyone, it has done as it damn well pleased. To consolidate the party’s iron grip on political power Zanu PF has created an elaborate patronage system designed to reward those loyal to ethos of keeping Zanu PF in power at all costs. Political connections was valued way above merit and competence. It is not surprising that mismanagement and corruption ruled the roost.
43 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have all but destroyed Zimbabwe’s once upon a time thriving economy. Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of Southern Africa, not any more. A country that, for all practical purposes, is the Garden of Eden is now failing to feed its own people much less have any left over for export - a damning testimonial to the country’s failed leadership.
Zimbabwe is a failed state because we have failed leaders, in the first instance, and, worst of all, because we are stuck with the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical thugs!
If ANC FAILED to fight corruption, to end the crippling load shedding, etc., etc. then, as night follows day, SA will degenerate into a failed state. Fortunately for SA, the nation will have the democratic opportunity to remove this ANC government as early as next year’s elections if people so decide. The people of Zimbabwe have been denied the same opportunity to remove Zanu PF from power regardless of the party’s pathetic track record of tyrannical oppression and economic ruins.
What is particularly infuriating is that this ANC government has now taken it upon itself to publicly support Zanu PF’s denial of the people’s fundamental right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country under the spurious pretext ANC is fighting for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Zanu PF by the West.
"There is no justification for the sanctions against Zimbabwe. It is imposing economic hardships on the people. Also, these sanctions are perpetrated for political reasons like regime change by superpower countries, which we don't support," ANC Secretary General said in an interview in Beijing, China.
"We are against unjust sanctions against any country. The only sanctions that were justified were against apartheid, because apartheid was inhumane, and the rest of humanity gathered in one corner against the sanctions.
"We are working on a very comprehensive action plan and campaign . . . because, as much as we address all the other issues . . . we have a problem next door. It means South Africa must stand up to that. We have been blamed for some time about quiet diplomacy but we need to voice our actions openly in terms of advocating the end of sanctions in Zimbabwe.
"In terms of the Lancaster House Conference, we know those who made pledges and agreements in Zimbabwe are now imposing sanctions for the sole reason that they want regime change.
"They have not played their part in terms of land distribution programmes.
"Zimbabwe implemented a land reform programme because of their (West's) intransigence and not coming to the party in terms of what they committed at the Lancaster Conference."
This is really infuriating for a number of reasons:
- Zanu PF has denied the people of Zimbabwe a meaningful say in the governance of the country ever since the first post independence elections in 1980, long before the first sanctions were imposed on the regime in 2001. In any case is the right to a free and democratic vote not an inalienable right and therefore not be curtailed or denied at the whim of a dictator.
- If sanctions were justified, and they were justified, against the racist and oppressive white regimes in colonial Africa, are we saying they are not justified in black ruled Africa even if the regime is corrupt and oppressive? Zimbabwe is a failed state precisely because the ordinary Zimbabweans are denied their basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country - the very essence of good governance and economic prosperity. It is ironic that ANC leaders have accorded their South African citizens the basic freedoms and rights but, some how, believe Zimbabweans are not worthy of the same human rights and dignity!
- Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections and the people of Zimbabwe are banking on the hope that SADC will finally condemn these flawed elections and deny Zanu PF political legitimacy. The repeated assurance (first stated as an ANC congress resolution last November) that ANC will not allow regime change in Zimbabwe will give Zanu PF the confidence the regional body, like it or not SA is the dominant player in SADC, will once again turn a blind eye to the rigging and grant Zanu PF political legitimacy.
- The right to decide who governs Zimbabwe should be exclusive prerogative of the people of Zimbabwe alone in a free, fair and credible election by granting vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy ANC is usurping the people right. As election observers SADC leaders are asked to judge whether or not the elections are free, fair and credible against universally accepted election standards. ANC’s decision to prejudge the process for the purpose of ensuring “no regime change” is an outrage. Whose gives ANC the right to usurp the fundamental rights of the people of Zimbabwe elect a government of their choice?
"Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of the African continent. Zimbabweans never went to South Africa to seek jobs; they were working in their own country, but today, they cross the Limpopo River, coming to work in South Africa illegally because of sanctions,” continued ANC Secretary General Mbulula.
"We are opposed to sanctions and it is important that all right-thinking and peace-loving people oppose sanctions against Zimbabwe; more so, when sanctions are guided by the policy of regime change, which we don't subscribe to, as ANC.”
It is one thing to say Zimbabwe is a failed state and it is our own fault. It is another to say we are a failed state but it is not entirely our fault we cannot get out. ANC’s “very comprehensive action plan and campaign to stop regime change in Zimbabwe” will help keep Zanu PF in power and keep Zimbabwe a pariah and failed state.
So to end the curse of Zimbabwe as a failed state, Zimbabweans have not only to fight the vote rigging Zanu PF and the sellout MDC/CCC, who failed to implement the reforms even when they have the golden opportunity to do so, but must fight South Africa’s ANC government hell bent on keeping Zanu PF in power against the democratic wishes of the people of Zimbabwe.
Our hopes to have SADC deny Zanu PF legitimacy for failing to hold free and fair elections so we can have a new GNU and a chance to implement the democratic reforms are doomed. SA’s ANC government is determined to grant vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy to stop regime change! We did not pick this fight with ANC, we did not want it and would do anything to avoid it. We cannot avoid it and therefore must and will fight!
13 comments:
The defeat of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) senior leader Tendai Biti (technically the vice-president) in the candidates selection process (primaries) has sent shock waves within the party, the public and diplomatic community as people say he is currently the best MP in the Zimbabwean Parliament in terms of representing interests of his constituency, contribution to the legislative process, debates, probing issues (new laws, budget, public finances, debt and arrears, loans, abuse of office and power, corruption, human rights and constitutionalism), exercising oversight responsibilities and asking ministers questions to hold them and the entire executive to account.
Apart from its legislative function, parliament holds the executive to account, that is ensures public accountability and transparency in governance by scrutinising government policies, programmes and expenditures.
Other commentators believe that Nelson Chamisa, the leader of CCC, is now eliminating competition.
Biti was beaten by Rusty Makham by 338 to 392 votes in Harare East.
Among his other attributes, Biti is widely seen as a part of the CCC's intellectual locomotive; driving its thinking process, ideation, policy initiatives, research, execution of ideas and articulation of issues.
Prominent local analyst Dr Phillan Zamchiya expressed his dismay this way
When push comes to shove, the current political system is so skewed in favour of Zanu PF the party is guaranteed a clear majority, if not 2/3 majority and the presidency and so is free to do as it damn well pleases. In their more serene moments both Tendai Biti and David Coltart have openly admitted at the folly of participating in flawed elections, so flawed getting 73% of the votes was not good enough to get Tsvangirai keys into State House.
“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,” confessed David Coltart.
Zimbabwe is a failed state precisely because Zanu PF has rigged elections and has done as it pleased. It is insane to maintain the status quo to gratify the greed of the few opposition leaders lucky enough to win the gravy train seats on offer at the expense of reforms, free elections and the chance of good governance!
Three houses, 84 voters!
In Chinotimba, Victoria Falls, two 4-roomed houses owned by ZANU-PF activists are linked to 49 voters who do not reside there.
The third belongs to Tapiwa Sibanda, the losing ZANU-PF candidate for Ward 9 and is linked to 35 voters! 😂
Comments:
1. These anomalies r by no mere coincidence. They have a story to tell. These revelations will make it difficult if not impossible for ZEC to produce a credible Voters' Roll. The shambolic nature of the current one is a cause for concern. Rather than denying, they should admit.
2. This does not happen by mistake. Organized by Zanu PF.
This should be a concern and clearly this roll is being manipulated to favor ZANU PF rendering the elections as not credible
Zanu PF registers most of its supporters in the last few months before the elections. Their details will never appear on the voters’ roll under the pretext it was too late to add them on and they will vote using their voter registration slips. If a record was kept of these voters and a proper audit carried out on who they are even the doubting Thomas will be forced to accept Zanu PF cannot possibly lose these elections!
Chamisa and his CCC friends KNOW that Zanu PF is rigging these elections and they are participating regardless because they are after the few gravy train seats on offer. They have admitted it themselves!
@ Benjamin
You right both Zanu PF and CCC suffer from acute but very rare case of selective amnesia. If Zanu PF ruling elect are accused of corruption the regime’s collective memory is so poor they cannot remember the details and so they are forced to release the accused - catch and release. The higher the ranking of the official the poorer the memory.
Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections they any details on the elections proving it is futile participating leaks out of their collective memory. Anything suggesting the party is going to win big, is save in the “READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM)” it is cannot be deleted. Impossible!
"ZEC does not run anything important in these elections, Zanu PF appointed companies and operatives do!" Professor Jonathan Moyo explained. How can the party lose such elections. Impossible! This is the political reality CCC leaders do not want to hear, their selective amnesia will filter out all such narrative.
What Chamisa and his CCC leaders and supporters want to hear is stories supporting the narrative that CCC is winning big! Such stories are saved in the READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM) so it cannot be delete or written over!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWs4A5dgwY0
ANC repeat the threat not to allow regime change in Zimbabwe whilst sanctions imposed by the West remain in place. This meaning Zanu PF can rig these elections and ANC as SA government and dominant SADC nation will grant the party legitimacy regardless how flawed the process happened to be!
So ANC has unilaterally suspended all Zimbabweans' right to a meaningful say in the governance of Zimbabwe. The right to a meaningful vote is inalienable and guaranteed in UN Universal Human Rights; not any more. It is outrageous enough for Zanu PF to deny our rights but totally intolerable for an outsiders, who grants their own people their rights, to poke their big noses to deny us our rights with the connivance of our own dictators.
What or who gave ANC the right to blatant interference in Zimbabwe's internal affairs and to go so far as boldly deny us the right to a meaningful vote? This blatant bullying cannot go unquestioned. We don't want a Vladimir Putin in our neighbour. So if Zimbabweans insisted on regime change will SA invade Zimbabwe to stop regime change?
SA is well on its way to become a failed state just like Zimbabwe, thanks to ANC corrupt and incompetent leaders. ANC should focus on dealing with solving SA's problem and stop exporting its incompetence into neighbouring countries! ANC acknowledges there is corruption in SA but will not acknowledge the same problem exist in Zimbabwe. It is corruption not sanctions that has crippled Zimbabwe.
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-232075.html
@ Arthur Mntingwa
“In my view, given what we the people of Matebeleland experienced under the rule of the people from the East under ZANU in the last 43 years, their arrogance, bragging and showy nature, their insults of Ndebele refugees in Zimbabwe from South Africa etc etc, Mzansi should keep Zimbabwe were it is. Never allow them to be an equal economically and industrially in the region. Those people are incapable of humbling themselves. Sooner posted recently that South Africans are lazy, uneducated. Zimbabwes are better than South Africans. Matebeleland are now victims of circumstances of this arrogance. Yet we never a bragging people.”
Zimbabwe is a failed state and Zanu PF thugs dragged us all; Shonas, Ndebele, Ndau, every one; into this mess. To argue that we must remain a failed state because Zanu PF landed us in this mess is foolish, to say the least. To argue that ANC should help keep Zimbabwe a failed state beggars the question: What right does ANC to poke their noses in our affairs.
You hatred of Zanu PF has poisoned you mind, you are now incapable of rational thinking! The people of Zimbabwe are not going to commit collective suicide just because Zanu PF betrayed the nation. We are going to get out of this mess!
@ Arthur Mntungwa
“On one hand you are begging them for their ZEP permits, Permanent Res Permits, and Citizenship, on the other hand you are insulting them about laziness and your useless education that has destroyed your own country. Very stupid tribesmen!”
Does all these insults give ANC the right to brazenly interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs to the point of denying Zimbabwean their right to a meaningful vote and competent government?
ANC has been boasting of having “comprehensive action plan and campaign” to ensure there is NO regime change in Zimbabwe. In that past this has come in the form of SADC endorsing flawed and illegal Zimbabwean elections as “substantially free and fair” and grant vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. This is clearly what ANC have in mind!
There is overwhelming evidence already that Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections and we want all election observers to judge these elections impartially and fairly. If SA is hell bent on judging these elections in Zanu PF’s favour for the purpose of stopping regime change then SA should not be including in the SADC election observer team unless SADC too has prejudged these elections.
ANC has no power or authority to usurp the people of Zimbabwe’s right to a meaning vote and if that means regime change so be it. SA is the economic superpower in Southern Africa but that does not make ANC leaders the Vladimir Putin of the region. So if Zimbabweans were to vote for regime change, would SA invade and declare war on Zimbabwe as Russia has done in Ukraine?
Cyril Ramaphosa must be stopped before he becomes big headed like Putin.
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-232147.html
@ Bachipeneti
Elections must be free, fair and credible, if they are not then one must address the causes to ensure that they are free and fair. The idea that one must participation matter how flawed and illegal the process gets is absurd.
If winning 73% of the votes was not good enough to get Tsvangirai the keys to state house then there really is no point in participating.
If participating only serve to give the flawed process credibility and the vote rigging party legitimacy then it is insane to participate.
Nelson Chamisa and his opposition friends have been participating in the flawed elections knowing fully well that doing so would only give Zanu PF legitimacy our of greed. They knew Zanu PF was giving away a few gravy train seats as bait.
All the three points are contained in Coltart’s quotation below. All of them!
“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,” confessed Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
If the few opposition leaders who win the elections were any use then why is Zimbabwe a failed state? They are useless, Zanu PF commands the majority and thus do as the party damn well please. If Zimbabweans want an end to rigged elections and bad governance the we must implement the reforms. It is that simple.
It is nonsense to argue that boycotting elections will have no effect because we already know that by boycotting the 2008 runoff MDC forced SADC to deny Zanu PF legitimacy. We also know that Zanu PF is giving away the few gravy train seats plus the POLAD freebies precisely because it wants the opposition to participate top give the process legitimacy.
Of course, it is foolish to forgo the chance to implement reforms and hold free elections for the sake of electing a few opposition MPs who will have no effect. The opposition leaders theme know this and are participate out of greed, as Coltart confessed. Public are participating in these flawed out of stupidity.
The primary task for the MDC/CCC was to implement the democratic reforms and so stop Zanu PF rigging the elections. They have failed to implement even one reform in 23 years, 5 of which in the GNU. And since the GNU debacle they have participated in flawed and illegal elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy out of greed.
And here is the nub of the whole sorry story - Nelson Chamisa is boasted about doing nothing as if it is a virtue!
Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections and if we do not denounce the flawed process and CCC selling out now, the regime will be granted legitimacy. Complaining of rigged elections after 23 August will be too late.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUCRAnhbmpA
ANC acknowledges that corruption is a serious problem in SA but refuse to acknowledge it is a problem in Zimbabwe, even with all the Gold Mafia documentary evidence. They insist Zimbabwe's economic problems are caused by sanctions. Worse still ANC is NOT going to allow regime change in Zimbabwe as long as the sanctions remain.
So ANC is already prejudged the 2023 elections in favour of Zanu PF for the purpose of ensuring there is NO regime change.
What right does ANC have to usurp the people of Zimbabwe's right to decide who rules Zimbabwe?
If the rest of the SADC country say nothing about this outrageous arrogance they will, per se, be endorsing ANC's position. The last thing we want is SA bullying other nations as Russia is bullying Ukraine! SA must NOT be in SADC election observer team.
https://www.facebook.com/4415858595176450/videos/1720583185061699
Chamisa said the party will not announce the names of candidates selected for the 2023 general elections as they fear that the ZANU-PF will target the candidates.
"Why should we announce candidates in the context where we have Zanu-PF literally pursuing our candidates one by one why should we give you the final list now so that we are advertising targets and victims," he said.
"Dealing with Zanu-PF, we know how to deal with them, even if they come hoping to get information through journalists, we will not give them that information, we will give them necessary information for them to understand that we are coming and we are ready for them.”
Everyone in the opposition camp knows that Zanu PF is rigging these elections and that participating will only give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF legitimacy. They are participating regardless out of greed. In a country where a teach or nurse earns as little as US$100 per month the US$ 80 000 and US$ 40 000 car and housing allowance alone is a huge fortune. Zanu PF needs the opposition to participate no matter how flawed and illegal the process gets and the party knows the bribe is irresistible.
The fight over the few gravy train seats is so fierce many more candidates would be participating in these flawed elections if it was not for the exorbitant nomination fees and campaign costs. One is competing against Zanu PF candidates bankrolled by the party from all some of the looted wealth.
If CCC is fearful of what Zanu PF will do its the party’s candidates one can only imagine what these Zanu PF thugs would do to ordinary opposition supporters.
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and CCC leaders know that and yet still participate out of greed! How long are CCC leaders going to connive to keep Zanu PF in powerboat of selfish greed? The people must wake up to the reality CCC are running with the hare and hunting with the hounds!
It is unacceptable that the so-called new dispensation has exiled myself and many other comrades over one key disagreement about how the internal succession process ought to have been handled. Our position was and remains clear, that without intimidation, and abuse of state institutions, Cde Mnangagwa could never have won and cannot win any leadership position in a fair and open political process.
Post-November 2017, together, we all gave the "new dispensation" leadership space to govern and to make responsible decisions in uniting the party and the country. In his 2018 campaign, Cde Mnangagwa promised to deliver health care for all, electricity, he promised the youth jobs, he promised educational reforms; he promised modern railway system; he promised to mechanise, modernise and grow the economy; he promised to conduct social and security reforms that predicate our international reengagement needs. On all counts, he has failed on his own promises.
Yes Mnangagwa has failed to revive the Zimbabwe economy, end corruption, etc. He would not be trying to reviving the economy, end corruption, etc. if the 37 years of Mugabe corrupt and tyrannical rule had not caused these problems. Kasukuwere was a senior member of the regime throughout these Mugabe years.
Kasukuwere will not deliver any economic miracles because he is just as corrupt and incompetent as Mnangagwa and Mugabe. All Kasukuwere is to be elected back into power so he can resume the looting from where he left off in 2017!
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