“Zimbabwe shall be free in our lifetime!!” Whose lifetime, given CCC has failed to implemented even one reform last 23 years. W Mukori

 Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders have abandoned the task of bringing about the democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship and with it the nation’s suffering. They have taken up the task of reminding us all of how Zanu PF continues to rig elections, mismanage and loot and how we, the ordinary people are suffering. 

Nelson Chamisa may have abandoned his CCC party in a huff in January 2024, he clearly has every intention of staging a come back. And so he did not miss a trick in reminding us all how miserable we are, especially as the nation remember the 44 years of independence.

“Independence is empty without the dignity and happiness of its beneficiaries. Zimbabwe shall be free and happy in our lifetime!! Independence and freedom can’t be for a few,” said Chamisa.

“Zimbabwe shall be free and happy in our lifetime!!” Damn you! Which lifetime are you wittering about!

You and your MDC/CCC friends promised to deliver democratic changes to stop Zanu PF rigging elections and thus end the dictatorship when you launched your party 23 years ago. You have failed to implement even one token reform in 23 years, including the 2008 to 2013 GNU when you have the golden opportunity to do so.

So if you have failed to implement even one token reform in 23 years and have clearly given up all hope of implementing any reforms - you have been participating in flawed elections - “in our lifetime” equals never. You are just paying lip service to reforms and change to con the ignorant, naive, gullible who cannot even remember why the nation has risked all to elect MDC/CCC leaders.

The question every thinking Zimbabwean must ask themselves is why was Zanu PF able to blatantly rig 2023 elections and get away with it, especially when the nation has, these last 23 years, risked all to elect opposition members with the specific task to implement reforms and end the curse of rigged elections? 

There is no denying that the MDC/CCC leaders had many opportunities to end the implement the democratic changes to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections, especially during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to implement even one reform. Worse still, since the GNU debacle they have been participating in flawed elections to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy for the sake of a few gravy train seats Zanu PF was offering as bait. 

In 2018 Nelson Chamisa insisted in participating in the flawed elections claiming MDC A would win big because the party had “stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections.” Of course, he was lying. He started complaining of Zanu PF rigging elections and made a big song and dance of challenging the result in the Constitutional Court, just for show. 

Last year, 2023, Chamisa repeated the same empty and deceitful election spectacle. He insisting in participating in the flawed elections claiming CCC had plugged all the Zanu PF vote rigging loop holes! He even evoke the name of God, “God is in it!” he underlined. 

Day after the election it was he was back to the old tune, complaining that  Zanu PF rigged the elections. The CCC leaders who won the few gravy train seats, the bait, took up their reward even though SADC, AU and even our own ZHRC election observers had condemned the election as a farce. 

Even if SADC leaders had wanted to deny Zanu PF political legitimacy, they could not. CCC had conned Zimbabweans to participated in the flawed elections in their millions and party leaders had taken up their gravy train seats thus endorse the elections process was free contrary to SADC’s damning report.  

Like it or not MDC/CCC leaders have abandoned their primary task of implementing the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging elections for the more rewarding role of participating in flawed elections for a share of the spoils of power. 

There is no denying that the fruits of independence have been enjoyed by the few Zanu PF ruling elite and the cronies and ever since the 2008 GNU a few MDC/CCC leaders have been coopted into this exclusive club - their reward for keeping and PF in power whilst paying lip service to reforms and change. Chamisa and company wasted the golden opportunity to implement reforms during the GNU, only fools will believe they will do so now!  

“Zimbabwe shall be free and happy in our lifetime!!” Yeah right!

The real tragedy in Zimbabwe is that the people of Zimbabwe themselves have failed to wake up and smell the humus! Nelson Chamisa and his MDC/CCC have running with the povo hare and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds, in broad day, especially since the GNU, and the people have failed to notice it!

What Zimbabwe needs right now is for povo to realise that Chamisa and company will never implement any democratic reforms, the prerequisite for stopping Zanu PF rigging the elections and thus curing ourselves of the curse of bad governance. We need a competent opposition who will implement the reforms, why that has taken 23 years and counting for the penny to drop beggars belief.