Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections were a watershed in that Zanu PF was forced to show the world the sicken depths of depravity the regime would go to hang on to power.
Before the 2008 elections, Zanu PF had been forced to implement some electoral reforms which, effectively meant the regime switching off its vote rigging juggernaut. The March 2008 plebiscite was the nearest Zimbabwe has ever come to holding free, fair and credible elections.
However when the party leaders heard that Zanu PF was losing the elections, Mnangagwa himself switched the vote rigging juggernaut back on and stopped ZEC announcing the results. What followed was six weeks of recounting 5 million votes with results being announced in dribs and drabs. The presidential results were announce at the end of the six weeks, Tsvangirai’s 73% vote count, by Mugabe’s Freudian slip, had been whittled down to 47%; enough to force the runoff.
During the runoff, Zanu PF unleashed the war veteran and it own youth militia backed by the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Service personal to punish the voters for having rejected the party and Mugabe in the March vote. The punishment was code named Operation Mavhotera Papi.
“What was accomplished by the bullet cannot be undone by the ballot!” thundered Robert Mugabe as the wanton violence spread to every corner of Zimbabwe.
Millions were internally displace and hundreds of thousands were beaten and/or raped. And over 500 were murdered in cold blood.
“Zanu PF has declared war on the people!” complained Tsvangirai as he announced his withdrawal form the runoff.
The cheating and the wanton violence were so blatant and in your face that not even SADC and AU, who had always turned a blind eye to Zanu PF rigged elections until then, could not endorse the 2008 elections as a free and credible process. Both SADC and AU refused to grant Zanu PF political legitimacy and it was this chastisement that forced Mugabe and his Zanu PF friends to agree to the need for Zimbabwe to implement democratic reforms designed to end the curse of rigged elections.
The primary task of the 2008 to 2013 GNU was to implement the democratic reforms.
Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, to whom the task of implementing reforms fell, with the trappings of high office the ministerial limos, the generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. In return, the MDC leaders forgot all about the reforms.
Mugabe went one step further, he conned the MDC leaders into believing the opposition could win rigged elections, they were so popular. The MDC leaders had no problem sell this oxymoronic nonsense to their naive and gullible followers who have since taken to winning in rigged elections (WIRE) like a duck to water!
Of course, WIRE is just nonsense and two of the MDC leading intellectuals Tendai Biti and David Coltart have done their best to convince the herd of the folly of participating in these flawed elections without first implementing reforms.
“Look, you can't keep on participating in flawed electoral processes that serve to give big benefits to dictators such as Robert Mugabe. Mugabe has perfected the art of winning elections. So it will be very foolish for the opposition to continue legitimising these sham elections which don't deliver. This country will go through a serious economic crisis in 2020 caused by Zanu PF. And yet, this is the only country where a government doesn't perform, it is encouraged by a super majority in parliament,” said Tendai Biti in a 2015 interview with Isaac Mugabi.
“So you can't continue subjecting Zimbabweans to processes where their hopes just get crushed.”
David Coltart has shed the light on why when he and Biti has disregarded their own sound advice to stop participating.
“The (2013) 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 in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
The price Zimbabwe has paid and will continue to pay for Coltart and his opposition friends’ greed in participating in the flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship is the deepening economic, social and political crisis. Zimbabwe is a failed state and the root cause of this the failure to hold free, fair and credible elections.
Zimbabwe has had many golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and ended the curse of rigged elections and thus end the failed state. Indeed, could be looking at marking the beginning of the end of the dictatorship with these 2023 elections. If only our opposition political leaders finally accepted these elections are “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step is to withdraw”, as Coltart aptly put it. Alas! Greed, not rational thinking, rules the roost.
Going forward Zimbabwe has three options:
1) continue the present status quo of Zanu PF rigging the elections, CCC and the rest of the opposition entourage participating for their a share of gravy train seats and the POLAD freebies and the herd bringing the rear in their desperate and insane hope for change even after 43 years of rigged election. Giving Zanu PF legitimacy will perpetuate the dictatorship and the the failed state. The country will continue to sink deeper and deeper into the abyss.
2) The people can refuse to participate in these flawed elections because they finally realise the sheer stupidity of participating and/or SADC is forced, for the second time, to deny Zanu PF political legitimacy and force the formation of a new GNU. This is a tall order given our people are not renowned for being rational (Zimbabwe would not be a failed state) and given ANC has vowed not to allow regime change in Zimbabwe for fear of South Africans too would want regime in next year’s elections.
3) by closing the door to peaceful democratic change we open the door to violent change. Change can be delayed but not unstoppable. There is real danger violent street protest violence and/or military coup. The 2017 military coup removed one dictator only to replace him with another.
The second option above is peaceful and offers the best hope of having the democratic reforms fully implemented.
The first and last options are not likely to produce a stable democracy because no meaningful reforms will be implemented by whatever government is in power. The temptation would be to abuse the present dictatorial tendencies to consolidate it’s own hold on power.
28 comments:
"We will not Mnangagwa cheat us and rig the 2023 elections as he did in 2018!" proclaims Chamisa.
This would be laughable is the consequences were not so tragic for the millions on the coal face of this failed state.
How long are we going to allow this lunatic ignore the sound advice to implement reforms because he has winning in rigged elections strategies?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSCW7InoHNE
@ Godfrey
“People are in perpetual need for leadership.
If good people do not get up and lead, bad one will!”
There is some truth in that. The reason why countries like Zimbabwe is a failed state and, worst of all, we are stuck is because of have corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless leaders. If the truth be told, the people themselves played their part in electing these bad leaders and keeping them there.
If you had an Albert Einstein of public administration in Zimbabwe today; let’s assume for the sake of this scenario that elections are free, fair and credible; my money will be on Einstein losing to some up start dimwit wearing yellow! The people are supporting the dimwit regardless of his track record of selling out on reforms and hence landing the nation in this mess.
These people have never understood what the reforms are much less how they were to be implemented. They have never seen dimwit as a bad leaders because they cannot blame him for selling out of something they have no clue what it is.
So it is not enough to have good leaders if you don’t have a electorate smart enough to know their left hand from the right!
@ Munyaradzi
“Benji, vanhu varwadziwa. They are desperate for a change and for an alternative.One litre apple juice was 1.89 usd 3 weeks back now 3.05 usd. Saka zvakatovharana.”
Desperation is now being used as a feeble excuse to justify insanity.
If you are told these elections are so flawed that winning 73% is not good enough and participating will only give legitimacy to Zanu PF and thus perpetuating you suffering. You can see with your own eyes how the regime has failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, is frogmarching rural voters, etc. And you still insist on participating because your are desperate for change! Fcuk me!
If you have been warned the river in infested with crocodiles and you can see logs floating upstream where you are; are you still going to swim because you walked 5 km to get there?
Zimbabwe is a failed state because we have more than our fair share of people whose brain has ossified into fat. And, worst of all, they have the vote!
@ Mabhena
You are spot on there. Zanu PF will win if the 12 CCC candidates are allowed to contest and will also win if they are disqualified after all Chamisa shot himself in the foot here by releasing the approved list of candidate on nomination day.
@ Dombo
“You must first tell us What happened to your party then we will start from there.”
It failed to implement even one democratic reform during the GNU and you are right to hold me and the party to democratic account!
For the last four decades we have had to fight Zanu PF demagogues like Chris Mutsvangwa and George Charamba for the right to hold Zanu PF to democratic account. All Zanu PF critics were labelled puppets and now the regime has even passed a law, the Patriotic Bill; you cannot call the 2017 military coup, a coup. It is a military assisted transition! A transition from Mugabe led dictatorship to a Mnangagwa led dictatorship but still heading deeper and deeper into the abyss.
The last decade has seen the emergence of MDC/CCC copy-cat demagogues who too fell their leaders are demigods who MUST not be question much less held to account. All those who have dared to question Tsvangirai or Chamisa have been call CIO, Zanu PF projects and worse!
On this platform we have a new species of CCC demagogues, the howler monkeys. They have heard about reforms; they have no clue what the reforms are much less how they are supposed to be implemented, they are not the smartest monkey in the forest - they spend hours munching leaves and that does not provide much fuel for an active brain. You cannot run F1 car on coal! And they think Wilbert Mukori SHOULD have implemented the reforms during the GNU. And they are now holding me to account for MDC/CCC’s failure to implement even one reform!
Zimbabwe is a failed state because Zanu PF has stifled debate and democratic competition. Now MDC/CCC demagogues have taken up the baton.
Warning anyone who dares talk about reforms on this platform will have the howler monkey demanding why he/she failed to implement reform. It is said with a favourable wind, you can hear the howler monkeys from 20 miles away! Yeap! We desperately need to have meaningful debate and cannot because the howler monkeys are holding us to ransom!
The greatest con trick Zanu PF has pulled was to convince Zimbabweans to participate in flawed elections, so flawed not even getting 73% was good enough to get Tsvangirai into State House, on the belief they will win rigged elections. All the people have done by participating is give Zanu PF legitimacy.
Seeing such video of potholes so deep street kids are swimming in them will galvanise the populous to go and vote on 23 August only to give the rigged elections credibility and legitimacy. Even after 43 years of rigged elections, the penny has not dropped!
If you want your vote to count, first implement reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging; it is not rocket science, for Pete’s sake!
@ Arthur Mntungwa
“Is there any "GNU" somewhere in this article?”
Yes GNU, reforms, rigged elections, Zanu PF and all those other words and phrases that drive you up the wall, are all in the article. You can pretend all you want that Zanu PF is not rigging these elections, the truth is they are rigging the elections. You can pretend CCC are wining big, the truth is they are losing.
We need to implement the democratic reforms if we are ever going to get out of the hell-hole Zanu PF has dragged us into. Just because the last GNU failed to implement even one token reform does not mean we do not need the reforms implemented or that no one else can do do it.
Why you get start foaming on mouth when you hear GNU, is a mystery to me. Still I am not going to stop pushing for reforms to massage your misplaced ego and sensitivities! There is the nation’s destiny at stake here.
Tendai Biti and David Coltart, two of Zimbabwe's opposition leaders many would agree have some grey stuff between their ears, have readily admitted that participating in these flawed elections is insane. David has explained why MDC/CCC have continued to participate regardless - greed.
How long are we going to allow these opposition sacrifice the whole country for 30 pieces of silver? This is the most important question we must now deal with. The question will be screaming at us on the morning of 24 August as the penny drops that Zanu PF has once again rigged these elections!
https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-233621.html
@ Simba
Only the top brass in the civil servants are being bribed. Teachers, nurses and all the other lowly paid staff have been thrown over board a long time ago!
Does she know that these elections are so flawed winning 73% was not good enough to get Tsvangirai into State House and that CCC leaders are participating out of greed and don't care they are perpetuating the dictatorship and her suffering. She does not know the very party she is supporting sold out on reforms and is selling out right now.
Can democracy ever work without an informed electorate?
A government of the people, by the people and for the people become totally meaningless we the said people have no clue what is in their interest and are easily conned into shooting themselves in the foot! Even after 43 years of rigged elections the people still believe they can win rigged elections. They have no clue what constitute free, fair and credible elections. And the political vultures from both side of the political divide are feeding on the people's ignorance!
"Some members suggested that I vie for council office and try and restore the dignity of the city. Some people, even those from other parties — not Zanu-PF of course, said why don't you go into council and restore the city's pride. So, because of those requests, I have agreed to stand in as councillor for Ward 4. I viewed that as a poisoned chalice because there would be very high expectations and they would be very difficult to meet.
"If I am to sum up my vision for the city, it is to clean up Bulawayo. It has become clear in my mind that one of the reasons why Bulawayo is not working is because of corruption which has become endemic. Bulawayo is not working because of corruption; it is driving away potential investors. I want our city to have more investments and we can do that by eradicating corruption, which has become endemic," Mr Coltart is quoted as saying.
Responding to the remarks by the former Senator, Clr Mguni said the utterances were reckless and unfortunate.
Corruption is endemic everywhere in Zimbabwe especially in public life. Robert Mugabe’s greatest legacy to the nation was to make political patronage not only fashionable but a prerequisite of life. And, as we all know, political patronage is the mother of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption.
David Coltart must get off his Mr Virtuous high horse and tell the nation why, if it is not because of greed, he and his fellow MDC leaders failed to implement even one token reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU?
“The (2013) 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 in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
Of course, he was right that the electoral process was flawed and the only rational course of action was to boycott the election. He did not boycott the elections because of greed and been participating in these elections for the same reason - greed. One of the worst human vices is hypocrisy!
Rest assured that ordinary Zimbabweans, povo, would not, I repeat NOT, be participating in these flawed elections if they KNEW and UNDERSTOOD that doing so will only give Zanu PF legitimacy, gratify CCC's greed for the few gravy train seats and perpetuate their (povo) suffering.
Both Zanu PF and CCC are taking advantage of povo and one of the top democratic reforms to be implemented is a free media and freedom of expression. We must educate the electorate for democracy to work.
https://www.facebook.com/4415858595176450/videos/123765387445491
@ Chinono
The tragedy here is that we all knew this was going to happen and still CCC insisted in participating in the elections regardless. Lest people forget, MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms themselves during the GNU and they failed to implement even one reform. Not one!
We all know that Zanu PF is rigging these elections, know that CCC are participating out of greed and povo are the suckers being used to give the whole sodded charade legitimacy and perpetuate the failed state and masses’ heart breaking suffering.
We should just denounce these elections as a farce and put an end to this madness here and now! Why anyone still want this insanity to continue beggars belief!
“The (2013) 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 in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
Of course, Chamisa and company know this a futile exercise!
@ DigitalPod23
“Mr mukori so mukuti ccc inofanirwa ku boycott ma election here?”
Chamisa and company will never boycott the elections just as they never implemented even one reform even when they had the golden chance to do so. They know Zanu PF is rigging these elections, know that by participating they are giving Zanu PF legitimacy and yet they still participate. Why? Because of greed. Please read the quotation from Coltart’s book.
“The (2013) 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 in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
It is for the people themselves to boycott this whole charade but most people are participate out of sheer stupidity. Only an idiot would participate in an election, even after 43 years of rigged elections, only to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate their own suffering.
@ John Munetsi
“Do you know how government implementation of things is done. How many spanners were thrown on the way of the opposition.”
Stop talking nonsense! Name one spanner that was thrown on the way of the opposition in five years of the GNU.
@ Godfrey
“We have more than 4m diaspora voters denied their voting rights - this is a form of forced boycott which SADC has chosen to ignore. Given this What chance of support from SADC would we have if we entered into a voluntary boycott - it goes without saying that they would probably say - ‘ndeye kwenyu iyo - madya izvozvo’.
Why would boycott be a special case for them to take action when they have said nothing against marginalisation on a significant portion of voters in diaspora.
What would be the rationale for SADC intervention on boycott.”
SADC helped set up the 2008 to 2013 GNU, a golden opportunity for Zimbabwe to implement reforms and end end the dictatorship. Whose fault was it that not even one token reform was implemented in five years?
How any Zimbabwean can keep blaming SADC after the GNU debacle beggars belief!
@ Oryx
“Munhu akaramba achodzokorora same issue inopedzisira yobhowa.”
That is very simple! I am talking about the same subject, Zanu PF rigging elections and how can I talk about it without talking about the related issues, the failure to produce a verified voters’ roll, the wanton violence, etc., and which is the most objectionable to you that CCC are participating in these flawed elections out of greed.
You would rather see Zanu PF rig these elections again than hear that CCC are the sell outs helping Mnangagwa. I am concerned about the truth and doing everything possible to ensure Zanu PF does not get legitimacy. Frankly, I have total contempt for your misplaced and idiotic sensitivities on this matter.
@ Mambo Svosve
Please help Wedza candidates win Wedza for everyone.
This money will buy fliers, posters and fuel for
the August 23 elections.
To donate through paypal please click on the link below:
paypal.me/WedzaGoto
CCC are participating in these flawed elections, so flawed getting 73% of the vote was not good enough, to give Zanu PF legitimacy for the sake of 30 pieces of silver. Only a fool would believe the nonsense "CCC will win for everyone!"
@ Mambo Svosve
“Wilbert please donate to this fundraiser. Haungaite munhu wekungotaura . Chero uri murakashi in Chief please donate 😂”
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and CCC’s winning in rigged elections strategies are just hot air. As Coltart readily admitted CCC are participating in these elections knowing doing so will only give legitimacy to Zanu PF. Still you lot continue to participate out of greed.
“The (2013) 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 in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
Only fools will participate in these flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate their suffering. I am sure you will get some fools to donate to this madness too.
@ Wezhira Munya
Police in Ngundu fired tear gas at Citizens Coalition for Change [CCC] supporters and President Chamisa's motorcade at Ngundu Business Centre.
Some CCC supporters have been hospitalized after being affected by tear gas, said CCC aspiring councillor Mr Mafadzavana.
"It's sad that police fired tear gas at innocent people who are now battling for their lives in medical institutions," said Chivi South CCC aspiring member of parliament Mr Danisai Chikondere.
This could have been avoided by implementing the democratic reforms. MDC/CCC has failed to implement even one token reform in 23 years, 5 of which in the GNU. We are stuck in this endless culture of violence and vote rigging because Chamisa and company believe they have winning in rigged election strategies (WIRES).
We have been conned into trading in reforms and the right to free and fair elections for these frivolous WIRES. Traded in gold for fool’s gold! How anyone can still believe in WIRES after 43 years of Zanu PF blatantly rigging elections beggars belief!
No wonder Zimbabwe is a failed state, we are a nation of very naive and gullible people. And as long as we remain so naive and gullible to believe in such oxymoronic nonsense as WIRES, this nation will remain a failed state sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss.
@ Mapfumo
I greatly respect T Mapfumo but he has the wrong end of the whip here. Zanu PF has not stayed in power these last 43 years because the electorate were drunk when they cast their votes; that is nonsense. ZEC has failed to produce a verified voters' roll, 3 m in the diaspora were denied the vote, rural people will be frogmarched to vote for Zanu PF, there is wanton violence, etc., etc.; these are the many way Zanu PF has rigged elections.
SADC and, more recently, EU have all argued Zimbabwe to implement democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections. The later produced 23 reform recommendations in the 2018 election report, so no one could say they did not know what reforms were required. What even one token reform was implemented. Not one!
CCC has maintained the party does not need reforms because it has devised winning in rigged elections strategies. All hot air, of course, to hide they are participating to give zanu PF legitimacy out of greed, for a share of the spoils of power.
It is foolish to then blame the people for being drunk and voting for Zanu PF when the elections are rigged!
@ Obama
“We must stop pretending that countries that hold regular elections are a democracy!”
In Zimbabwe we do not need reforms to ensure free and fair elections, we continue to pretend we can win rigged elections thanks to the opposition's winning in rigged elections strategies.
Have have participated in flawed elections for 43 years and have not given up hope of the opposition winning big. 43 years of doing the same thing expecting a different result. It is a mad world!
@ Godfrey
“RGM’s ZANU’s intransigence - MDC infighting incompetence and sleeping on the job - SADC lack of supervision (they should not have left Cat and Mouse to sort out coexistance on their own)
Then what has that got to do with NOW plus noting principal players RGM Mbeki MT are all out.”
Zimbabweans are responsible for the GNU's failure to implement even one reform during the GNU and to blame SADC is absurd. If we still have the same corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless people governing Zimbabwe why should SADC think of helping us again?
The EU have offered to help by producing the 23 reform recommendations and we, Zimbabweans, have not even bothered to read them much less implement them. Are you going to blame EU too for not helping Zimbabwe?
@ TG
“Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) president Nelson Chamisa has claimed that he has covered all loopholes used by Zanu PF to rig elections in the past as the contest for August 23 elections reaches fever pitch.
Addressing about 8 000 people who thronged his rally at Dulibadzimu Stadium yesterday, Chamisa said stealing of elections and power would be a thing of the past.”
The idiot will boast of closing all the vote rigging loophole and, as we all know, he has done nothing!I am disappointed with the so called intellectuals and professional out there who should know better and yet are just as ignorant as my aunt in the rural back waters! Many of them know CCC is selling out but will never say it. Never!
@ Chitando
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and you, J Chitando, are hell bent to participate in the flawed elections no matter what. You are after the one of the Masvingo Province Senatorial seats.
You were an MDC-T MP for Masvingo during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and you lot failed to implement even one token reform because Mugabe bribed you with the trappings of high office. And now you are participating in flawed elections out of greed.
“The (2013) 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 in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
The people themselves must wake up to the reality CCC will never implement any reforms and deliver free and fair elections. Zimbabwe is a failed state and so it will remain until we implement reforms and finally cure ourselves of the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.
Zimbabwe is NOT a healthy and functioning democracy and we, Zimbabweans are our own worst enemy by pretending it is! When are we ever going to wake up and smell the coffee!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK7HngtE0f4
"Gore Rino Takarima Mhiripiri-Gudo Hauna Chaunowana" VaChamisa Voyambira Zanu-PF.
Monday 24 July 2023.”
We have only to wait for 24 August and the idiot will be singing a totally different tune. He will be complaining of Zanu PF rigging the elections - the very thing we are warning him is happening but he is rejecting!
CCC are participating in these flawed elections out of greed and the prospect of another five more years of this failed state is unthinkable. We must denounce the CCC lies now and not wait for the 24 August when it will be too late!
Albert Einstein call someone who repeat the same thing over and over expecting a different result insane. I call him a village idiot, it's semantics. What would you call such a person!
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