Heroes fight because they believe in the cause, mercenaries fight for a reward. As much as Robert Mugabe and many of his fellow Zanu PF cronies portray themselves as the nation’s liberations heroes fighting for freedom liberty and human dignity for the oppressed black majority, they always had their eyes on the reward - to be Zimbabwe’s next absolute rulers.
What Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies have been good at these last 43 years was to come up with a narrative to cover their mercenary drive.
Zanu PF’s 1980 election campaign position was the party would not accept the results if it lost; the bush war would continue. Of course, the position was a blatant violation of “One man, one vote!” and free and fair elections. Zanu PF argued that they were forced to do this because they did not trust the British and the white Rhodesians to hold free, fair and credible elections. And rightly so too. After all had the two not connived to exploit and oppress the black majority all these last one hundred years!
The people of Zimbabwe voted to end the war and, per se, gave up their right to free, fair and credible elections! A right they were denied from the start and have yet to taste 43 years and counting after independence.
The litmus paper test for Zanu PF’s commitment to the liberation war values of freedom and liberty was whether, now in position of power and authority, the party would indeed up hold the rule of law and the people’s freedoms and rights. It failed the test. Within three years of independence, Zanu PF dragged the nation into the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi Massacre whose primary purpose was to force PF Zapu leaders and supporters to join Zanu PF.
PF Zapu leaders and supporters were accused of supporting “dissidents” seeking to remove the Zanu PF government by force. Over 20 000 innocent civilians were murdered by government operatives, the very people whose sacred duty is to protect the people, and yet only a few hundred “dissidents” were uncovered. “It was a moment of madness!” Mugabe later admitted.
Gukurahundi madness ended with PF Zapu merging with Zanu PF with the signing the 1987 Unity Accord. This paved the way for Zanu PF to impose the de facto one party state. And from 1987 to 2008 Zanu PF has denied the people their right to a meaningful vote under the pretext multi-party democracy threatened the “hard won unity of 1987”!
By the late 1990s Mugabe was running out of loot to give to his very demanding wasteful cronies and so he turned to the one asset the nation still had - land. Zanu PF’s narrative that the white own farms were seize to give to the landless peasants was the cover story. The farm seizures were accompanied by gratuitous violence itself a cover for violence visited on MDC, Zanu PF’s main political opponents, who were accused of siding with the white farmers.
For the 2008 elections, SADC forced Zanu PF to implement many democratic reforms, effectively forcing the regime to switch off its vote rigging juggernaut; these are the nearest the nation has ever come to holding free and fair elections. The people voted for change but before the results were announced, Zanu PF switched back on its vote rigging juggernaut. ZEC was ordered to recount the votes.
It took six weeks to recount five million votes. Tsvangirai’s 73% votes were whittle down to 47%, enough to force a runoff. The runoff was about punishing the voter for having dared to reject Zanu PF in the March plebiscite.
Not even SADC and AU could pretend the 2008 elections were free and fair given the blatant cheating and wanton violence and for the first time ever both the regional and continental bodies refused to grant Zanu PF political legitimacy.
SADC forced Zanu PF to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the need for Zimbabwe to implement a raft of democratic reforms to ensure the people’s basic freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. The 2008 to 2013 GNU was tasked to implement the reforms.
Alas! not even one meaningful reform was implemented in the five years of the GNU. Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were supposed to implement the reforms and the rest is history.
Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies were chuffed to bits the party had emerged out of the GNU with all its dictatorial powers untouched. The party could continue running its vote rigging juggernaut but to avoid the punishment of being denied political legitimacy, the party was forced to abandon the de facto one party state to embrace the multi-party democracy facade.
Since the 2013 elections, the post 2008 to 2013 GNU era, Zanu PF has tolerated the opposition winning a few gravy train seats in parliament, senate and local government to maintain the multi-party democracy facade. A small price to pay for political legitimacy!
The bottom line is Zanu PF thugs have always believed they have the divine right to rule Zimbabwe as the heroes who vanquished the white colonialists and their have viewed the demands for free, fair and credible elections, upholding rule of law and all the other human rights and freedoms as contrived for the purpose of denying them claiming their conquering heroes’ reward.
“If the British and their Western allies were so hot on free and fair elections, etc. why then did they deny blacks the vote, etc. during the colonial days?” Zanu PF thugs have often argued. “It is us, Zanu PF, who extended universal suffrage to the black majority!”
This is just a feeble excuse for denying the ordinary Zimbabwean their basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote. As much as Robert Mugabe and his cronies admired the economic prosperity, freedoms and social and political stability the western democratic system of government offered they still gravitated towards the one-party autocratic system of China and Russia. Even today Zanu PF still strut around as liberation heroes but when push comes to shove they are mercenaries who fought for absolute power and they knew to secure absolute power they needed autocracy not democracy.
Like it or not, Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies’ hunger for political power has always been insatiable they would rather burn down the whole country than see some one else rule. After 43 years of absolute the Zanu PF ruling elite and their progeny are now addicted to power, giving it up is simply unthinkable. Four decades of gross mismanagement, rampant corrupt and tyrannical rule left the country in economic ruins and political paralysis, the varying stages to decay and rot! The burning down Zimbabwe to ashes, has started in earnest. And yet still Zanu PF thugs’ hunger to rule is as keen as mustard.
Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections and, unless we mount a concerted campaign to denied the regime political legitimacy, Mnangagwa would be sworn in as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe for a new five year term. And the looting will continue.
20 comments:
UNITED States economist and currency expert Steve Hanke has said Zimbabwe's inflation is at 1298% per year, accusing President Emmerson Mnangagwa of running down the country.
Mnangagwa recently ordered the RBZ to stop foreign currency borrowing, as the government battles to contain a plunge in the local currency, a move Hanke described as ‘economic stupidity'.
"Zimbabwe's President Mnangagwa is giving a masterclass in economic stupidity and corruption.
"With annual inflation at a whopping 1298% per year, he continues to try to push Zimbabweans to use the Zim dollar. He is leading Zimbabwe to ruins," Hanke wrote on Twitter.
Mnangagwa faces a tough bid for re-election in the August 23 polls.
The value of Zimbabwe's currency is falling dramatically by the day, prices are rising and businesses are demanding USD for goods and services.
Consumers have had their local currency value eroded, with an increasing number of basic goods now beyond their reach.
In May, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) reported that month on month inflation rose significantly to 15,7% on the back of a sharp increase in prices.
Professor Hanke should know by now that “stupid” is Mnangagwa and most of his ministers’ middle names! It is some thing they do so often it is now like a job title.
@ Lumumba
From AU, SADC and the rest of our fellow Africans all Zimbabweans are asking for is that you judge Zimbabwe’s elections on the basis of the facts before you and stop granting vote rigging Zanu PF political legitimacy. Zimbabwe is a failed state because the country has yet to hold free and fair elections in 43 years and yet it is the fellow Africans who have granted Zanu PF political legitimacy.
ANC of SA, the superpower is SADC has already declared that it will not allow regime change in Zimbabwe following these 2023 elections. Zanu PF has denied the ordinary Zimbabweans a meaningful say in the governance of the country and now it regime has the backing of ANC to guarantee the dictatorship.
All we are asking for is the right for a meaningful say in the governance of Zimbabwe - that is not too much to ask!
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa has successfully submitted his nomination papers at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) offices in Harare.
This development comes after the opposition party claimed that several of their candidates have been intimidated by alleged Zanu-PF members.
Chamisa confirmed he had successfully filed his nomination papers on Tuesday afternoon.
"Presidential Candidate Nomination Papers Filed!! Have just successfully filed papers at ZEC. It's all systems go! A New Great Zimbabwe is loading," he announced on Twitter.
No matter how flawed or illegal the process get, Zanu PF has always known MDC/CCC and the rest in the opposition camp will participate in these elections no matter what.
“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.
The nation’s agenda of reforms and free and fair elections has been sacrificed on the alter of greed and given an electorate so dumb and stupid they don’t know what the reforms are much less how they are to be implemented. And so the people still don’t know MDC/CCC leaders sold out by failing to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. And so the madness of participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy continues!
Hope of CCC boycotting elections because the process is flawed was always a forlorn. Greed threatened and has prevailed.
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-232220.html
United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) leader Ms Elizabeth Valerio, who has declared that she will be running for the presidency, has said illegal sanctions imposed on the country by western countries are hurting ordinary people hence they must be lifted immediately.
Zimbabwe has grappled with sanctions since 2002 when the United States and its allies imposed sanctions on the country in response to the land reform programme which sought to correct the skewed land ownership which favoured the minority white farmers.
In an interview, Ms Valerio, who launched her party in August last year, said sanctions, targeted or not targeted, have isolated the country from a number of economic and political opportunities.
"Targeted or not targeted, sanctions affect the generality of Zimbabweans. The UZA government shall work to ensure the sanctions are lifted and to ensure that sanctions do not hinder foreign investment, trade, aid and debt relief. As a Government in waiting, UZA believes that sanctions are harmful to the economy and the people of Zimbabwe. We believe that sanctions should be lifted as soon as possible to allow for economic recovery and development," she said.
She has her beady eyes on the POLAD freebies and she cannot wait. No doubt she will declare the 2023 elections were free, fair and credible even in the face of all the evidence of no verified voters’ roll, villagers frogmarched to vote for Zanu PF, etc., etc.
Zimbabwe is a failed state, a damning testimonial of our failure to govern ourselves. One of the main reason for this has to be greed. Many of our political leaders were focused on primary task of public office - the good of Rome - but the nearer the got to any position of power and authority the more their attention veered off to insatiable selfish greed for power and wealth - the glory of Caesar.
Zanu PF has created a political system in which you have to be a thugs to survive and these are the leaders which beady eyes are on power and wealth. The corrupt and dysfunctional autocratic political system has taken root and flourished for the last four decades, uprooting it now is going to be a challenge!
@ Master
“It is foolish to read your messages instead.”
Zanu PF has rigged elections for the last 43 years, it that foolish too? Zanu PF is rigging these elections and to suggest that the rigging will be foiled the last minute by taking photos of V11 forms is laughable. The catch here is that all those who participate will, per se, give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF legitimacy and cannot complain that the elections were rigged!
Chamisa and company will be complaining the elections were rigged on 24 August but no one will listen. Some hot heads will go on the streets to protest and the soldiers with instructions to shoot to kill will be waiting for them. We have all seen this before and it is insane to let this continue!
@ Simba
“LIVE VIDEO is the best Brett, because pictures are not sacrosanct. LIVE VIDEO TO FB/YOUTUBE: #ZIMEYE #POLLING STATION NAME e.g MAKONI WARD 3.
(Satellite Internet is being enabled so even if ZANU PF switches off the Internet, the hovering satellites will be providing Internet. ZNA will has no missiles that reach the satellites above in outer space.”
Zanu PF has total control of the whole voting process and taking photos of V11 will not stop the many vote rigging activities that would have taken place. The danger here is making people believe they can win these Zanu PF mafiosi rigged elections when it is clearly impossible.
Chamisa has been promising all these Winning In Rigged Elections Strategies to hide the real reason why CCC is hell bent on participating in these flawed elections - greed. All the CCC leaders know these strategies are just hot air.
This is a hopeless situation, even some of the election observers must be reconsidering why they should even bother to go to Zimbabwe. The elections are been held without even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. So they cannot verify or trace anything! This is organised chaos for the purpose of rigging the vote!
@ Brett
If Zanu PF has just frogmarched people to vote for the party taking photos of the V11 will not change the result. ZEC has refused to produce a verified voters' roll and so many opposition supporters will be denied the vote whilst Zanu PF supporters will cast multiple votes. A photo of the V11 form will change nothing. Zanu PF has denied 3 m in the diaspora the vote. A 1 000 photos of each V11 form will not give these people the vote!
“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.
He said this about the 2013 elections the situation is even worse today than back then. CCC and the rest in the opposition camp are participating in these elections out of greed. The public are participating out of fear and/or ignorance, they are stupid enough to believe CCC will win big!
Now that the opposition have dragged the nation into this utterly pointless election process out of greed, it is important that we hold the ground and continue to denounce the flawed process and denounce the opposition for selling out. It is totally irresponsible to even suggest that anything good can ever come out of this flawed and illegal process, especially after 43 years of the Zanu PF Mafiosi rigging elections.
Chamisa and his CCC friends and the rest in the opposition camp are participating in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy for 30 pieces of silver. The nation will pay dearly for it with another five more years of this failed state. There is nothing anyone can do to salvage this situation and it is foolish to suggest there is.
@ Lindiwe
“So what's plan?”
These elections are so flawed and illegal the opposition’s participation CANNOT change the Zanu PF landslide victory.
So why is Chamisa and company hell bent on participating in these elections? They know that Zanu PF needs the opposition to participate to maintain the facade Zimbabwe is a multi-party democracy and is giving away a few gravy train seats to entice them. The opposition have found the bait irresistible!
“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.
Why are ordinary Zimbabweans participating in these flawed elections when all they ever accomplish is give Zanu PF legitimacy and the few opposition leaders the gravy train seats and suffer the consequences of perpetuating the dictatorship? They participate out of fear, desperation and/or sheer stupidity. Of course, one has to be stupid to participate in a process to give legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF and perpetuate his/her own suffering! And be so stupid as to ask what they should do! The answer is obvious, if you cannot figure it out then you are beyond the pale.
@ Cogito
“Kkkk he is just a keyboard warrior.”
And you, what are you? One of the many political party supporters given to follow leaders blindly like sheep to the slaughter.
Zimbabwe is a failed state because we have corrupt, incompetent and murderous Zanu PF thugs as leaders and 43 years of misrule have taken it toll. We had the golden opportunity to end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the GNU but MDC/CCC leaders sold out and they are selling out right now by participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy. We are stuck!
But of course, you have no clue what I am talking about do you?
There is nothing wrong with being a “keyboard warrior” with common sense and can see beyond the tip of his nose than a brain dead party supporter.
@ Lindiwe
“Don’t ask why we participate give us the solution end of story.”
Why are you refusing to answer such a simple question? Is it because you have no clue why you are participating? Chamisa told you CCC will win big and you believe it, no questions asked. You really are brain-dead!
The tragedy for Zimbabwe is the right to vote has been granted to individuals totally incapable of thinking for themselves and so are easily conned by both Zanu PF and CCC to say and do as the politicians want even when that is not in the national interest. Participating in a flawed election process to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuating the dictatorship is NOT in your or public interest. What will it take for this simple truth to finally sink in that cup cake! Fcuk me! You really are brain dead!
@ George
“You don’t get tired explaining one thing time and again? This is so tiring.”
I have explained that it is folly to participate in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the dictatorship. And judging from the opposition’s all out to submit their nomination papers and participate in these elections; it is clear my explanation went in one ear and out the other. But because this is the single most important message of our time, I have a duty to repeat the message, hammer it in, so that not even the village idiots out there will say they did not know Zanu PF was rigging the elections.
I make no apology for repeating the message. I am not here to massage your misplace ego!
@ Lindiwe
“We are participating because we want change. So tell me why you are also against CCC?”
In the March 2008 plebiscite; the nearest the nation has ever got to holding free, fair and credible elections; the people vote 73% for change. But before the results were announce Zanu PF switched the party’s vote rigging juggernaut back on and after six weeks of recounting 5 m votes, Tsvangirai’s 73% votes were whittled down to 47%, enough to force the runoff.
The primary purpose of the 2008 to 2013 GNU was to implement the democratic reforms and switch off the vote rigging juggernaut. Sadly, not even one token reform was implemented.
SADC leaders wanted the 2013 elections postponed until reforms were implemented. “If you participate in the elections next month, you will lose. The elections are done!” they warned Tsvangirai and company to their faces during the SADC summit in Maputo, Mozambique.
MDC leaders paid no heed and Zanu PF went on to rig the 2013 elections. Not even one token reform was implement before the 2018 elections and so Zanu PF rigged those elections too. Zanu PF is rigging these 2023 elections because not even a token reform has been implemented. There will be no meaningful political change as long as the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut is switched on.
MDC/CCC leaders sold out by failing to implement reforms and are now participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. I am holding them to democratic account and making sure the blind and gullible out there know they are been taken for fools!
@ Lindiwe
“Wilbert is one of the guys who mislead Mwonzora to say he is the legitimate leader of MDC Alliance now they start to see the plan collapsed without yielding anything touchable ,they are back trying to convince the citizens to boycott elections.”
I was a Zanu PF project a few minutes ago and now I am a Mwonzora adviser. You are getting desperate to pigeon hole me!
I have publicly denounced MDC for selling out during the GNU by failing to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and for participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy during the 2013 and 2018 elections. Proving beyond all reasonable doubt that MDC leaders are corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent.
Douglas Mwonzora was in the same team as Nelson Chamisa and many others throughout these MDC years and they are all corrupt and incompetent. I do not see any difference between them. Both are participating in these 2023 elections out of greed. And therefore to now suggest that I support Mwonzora is just stupid.
@ Eddy
“You want CCC to change mind why not asking other parties too.”
Are you suggesting that any one; anyone at all be they CCC, UZA, Kasukuwere, etc.; are justified in participating in flawed elections and give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the dictatorship because other opposition parties are participating?
Let us be absolutely clear that all these opposition parties are all participating because each one of them is after the bait on offer; be it the few gravy train seats, the share of the Political Party Finance Act annual allocation, POLAD freebies, etc. In other words Chamisa’s selling out out of greed because others are selling out out of greed too. And we the ordinary Zimbabweans who are paying dearly for the decades of Zanu PF misrule are expected to accept Chamisa’s greed and suffer in silence?
Well that is a very foolish suggestion!
@ Munyaradzi
“Vamwe varikudzoka to be on the ground. Kandai zvima keyboard kure uko. Toda amadoda sibili.”
You still do understand that these elections are so flawed and illegal participation will NOT change the Zanu PF landslide victory result. The party is offering the bait to entice the opposition and public to participate to give Zanu PF legitimacy. Opposition leaders are fighting over the few gravy train seats, share of the Political Party Finance Act annual allocation, POLAD freebies, etc.
The political party supporters and the rest of the public are participating because they have been conned into believing Chamisa’s Winning In Rigged Elections Strategies (WIRES). How anyone can still believe in WIRES even after 43 years of Zanu PF Mafiosi rigging elections beggars belief!
You still hell bent on participating, you are on the ground already. The penny has not dropped that participating will only give Zanu PF legitimacy - it will never drop. Never! Your brain has long ossified into fat, it is impermeable to reason.
@Eddy
“Then you should have your bown part and not contest its simple you can do it with your family.”
I will do more than that! I will also educate everyone, including those whose brain has ossified into fat and thus impermeable to reason, on the folly of participating in flawed elections to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. I do accept that Zimbabwe has the great misfortune of having some people who are thick and slow and hence the reason why we are a failed state.
Still, everyone must know that Zanu PF is rigging these elections and it is foolish to participate to perpetuate the dictatorship. So that come 24 August even the village idiots must know they cannot complain they DID NOT know elections were being rigged!
@ Mbizi
“Iweka don’t ask me nothing, l stopped engaging you when you called me village idiot, l don't debate ppl vane mentality yekutukirira or bullying ppl to agree with you.”
I asked you a very simple question above and all you had to do is answer it.
Albert Einstein said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
Zimbabweans have been participating in flawed and illegal elections, so flawed that getting 73% of the vote was not good enough to get Tsvangirai keys to state house in 2008, for 43 years and they are still expecting a different result. We have been offered a golden opportunity to implement reforms and stop Zanu PF rigging the elections and we wasted it. Einstein, according to the definition above, would these Zimbabweans are insane. Instead of insane, I have called them village idiots. What is the difference!
Frankly, I am more concerned about stopping the madness of participating in flawed elections to perpetuate the dictatorship than wittering about whether some one called me insane or a village idiot!
If you cannot see the insanity of participating in flawed elections to perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship, even after 43 years of rigged elections, then, per se, you are insane/ a village idiot whether some one calls you a genius per excellence instead is totally irrelevant.
@ Eddy
“So whats the solution after refusing contesting.”
I have said that CCC and the rest of the opposition camp will NEVER boycott these elections because of greed, Zanu PF knew that too and hence the reason the party has ignored demands for reforms BEFORE elections. Chamisa and company were hell bent on participating they are doing so without even something as basic as verified voters’ roll.
Zimbabwe’s political situation is comparable to that in Lebanon where the political system has failed to produce a competent government because the ruling party and the opposition are working together to stop meaningful political reforms the prerequisite for meaningful political change.
Zanu PF will never reform itself out of office. And MDC failed to implement even one token reform when they had the chance to do so during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. MDC/CCC have since given up on reforms and are participating in flawed elections for a share of the spoils of power.
The solution for Zimbabwe is to make use that Zanu PF does not get political legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship by doing three things:
Denounce these elections for what they are flawed and illegal. How can we have free, fair and credible elections without a verified voters’ roll, when rural voters are frogmarched to vote, etc., etc.
Denounce CCC and the rest of the opposition for participating in flawed elections out of greed
Pointedly refuse to participate in these flawed elections and making sure that everyone especially SADC knows about it and do not grant Zanu PF political legitimacy.
@ Lindiwe
“Doctor u really become clear that the only opposition you hate is CCC you can't write a single sentence without naming CCC mara why? Are you there to destroy the people's project?”
Everyone who is participating in these flawed elections will contribute to giving the process credibility and thus giving Zanu PF legitimacy. CCC is the main opposition party in Zimbabwe and therefore that party’s contribution to giving Zanu PF legitimacy is much, much greater. So in criticising the opposition one does not need to say CCC and name all the other opposition parties.
You can differentiate the difference between holding CCC to democratic account and hating the party, that is your problem and not mine. MDC/CCC leaders sold out by failing to implement the democratic reforms and are selling out by participating in these flawed elections out of greed. They will be held to democratic account and that is NOT negotiable!
MDC/CCC leaders’ corruption and breath-taking incompetent IS perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship and the people’s suffering not even a village idiot would argue that is in the people’s interest! As I said, you are brain-dead and the nation’s destiny cannot and must never be left in such irresponsible hands. NEVER EVER!
CCC “the people’s project!” Bulls****t!
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