The GNU was a stop gap measure whose main task was to draft a new constitution and, although it was not stated explicitly, then organise fresh elections. There was an explicit time scale for drafting the new constitution - 18 months starting February 2009. By end of this month the GNU would have had 36 months, twice the time allowed for, and yet have not even produced the first draft. Judging from the undue influence Mugabe and Zanu PF have during the consultations, the proposed constitution would not be worth the paper it is written on.
Those who want elections delayed on the grounds that the country needs a new constitution must shut up because they had had three years already to carry out a task that could have been completed in six months or less. And, which is more, the nation can not wait for something we already know is worthless!
All those familiar with Zimbabwe will have good reasons to want to postpone the elections for fear of political violence. Still one has to ask; why has been done in the last three years to end this national scourge? Mugabe won the “one-horse” race in 2008 after Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw from the race because of the country wide institutionalised political violence whose sole purpose was to force the electorate to vote for Mugabe. The one thing top on Tsvangirai and MDC’s list, one would think, was to ensure there would never again be political violence in Zimbabwe. Without concrete guarantees of meaningful democratic reforms then there was absolutely no reason why Tsvangirai agreed to be party to this GNU!
Sadly Tsvangirai did not demand concrete guarantees the GNU will deliver on its promise to end political violence because he is a “flawed and indecisive leader”, as USA Ambassador Chris Dell rightly said back in 2001.
Holding regular elections is a key requirement in functional democracy. We should not postpone elections because we fear political violence or those who seek to undermine the democratic process. We should instead seek to end the scourge of political violence and punish those responsible for the lawlessness.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Elections are more than putting X on a ballot paper!, much more
Come February 2012 it will be exactly three years since the swearing in of Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and marking the start of the GNU. A lot was expected from this government; Zimbabwe was in a great political and economic mess - a man made mess, one must add.
Three years since the formation of the GNU the political mess is still there; untouched!
Three years since the formation of the GNU the economic mess is still there; hardily touched!
Before the GNU the national economy had sunk by a staggering 84% in the six years 2002 to 2008 alone. The two things that the GNU did was scrap the by then worthless Zimbabwe dollars and the misguided price controls bringing some sense of financial sanity and stability. Sadly nothing has been done to address all the other important and critical tasks like the restoration of the rule of law and stamping out the mismanagement, corruption and looting. These were the cancers behind the economic melt down and thus the failure to address them has meant the much hoped for economic recovery has failed to materialise.
The Zimbabwe economy has remained firmly stuck in the doldrums; unemployment has hardly improved from 90% to 80% and basic services like education and health have never recovered.
On the political front nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - has been achieved. Before the formation of the GNU the country was under the iron grip of a tyrannical and oppressive regime. Tsvangirai and his MDC party promised the people democratic changes and the most significant of these changes was putting an end to the use of violence for political gain.
The GNU was never meant to last for much more that two years. And now with fresh election looming, the prospect of another violent election hangs over the nation like the sword of Damocles.
What Zimbabweans should be asking themselves today is was the GNU what they risked their lives in 2008 for. Sadly the answer has to be a resounding no.
Yes, there are some people who are bending over backwards to find excuses for Tsvangirai and MDC’s failures out of loyalty to the leaders. The reality is Tsvangirai is a “flawed and indecisive character” as the former USA Ambassador, Chris Dell once said and it is his breath taking incomplete that has left the nation in this mess. It is this blind loyalty that has encouraged tyrants like Mugabe and incompetent leaders like Tsvangirai to remain in power and ruin people’s lives.
Every generation has its challenge and this generation’s challenge of the last thirty years has been how to deliver the promise of economic prosperity, freedom, liberty and human dignity - the promise of independence. So far we have not done well. We installed a ruthless tyrant into State House and, for the last ten years, have appointed a totally incompetent man as the front man in our attempt to dethrone the tyrant. We should have done a lot better. We must redeem our past failings.
The greatest weakness of the Zimbabwean people, one that runs true throughout, is being naïve; naïve enough to entrust the leaders with a blank cheque to delivery the economic prosperity, etc. We have yet to understand that leaders, regardless of their past heroic exploits, must always be held accountable to the people. Looking at Mugabe, it would right to say it is him who is holding the people to account. It is the tail that is wagging the dog!
Elections are a lot more than putting an X on a piece of paper. The voting is just one aspect of a multifaceted process of judging leaders and holding them accountable. The electorate have a duty and obligation to at least try to understand what should and can be done to deliver the economic prosperity, freedom, liberty, etc.
Three years since the formation of the GNU the political mess is still there; untouched!
Three years since the formation of the GNU the economic mess is still there; hardily touched!
Before the GNU the national economy had sunk by a staggering 84% in the six years 2002 to 2008 alone. The two things that the GNU did was scrap the by then worthless Zimbabwe dollars and the misguided price controls bringing some sense of financial sanity and stability. Sadly nothing has been done to address all the other important and critical tasks like the restoration of the rule of law and stamping out the mismanagement, corruption and looting. These were the cancers behind the economic melt down and thus the failure to address them has meant the much hoped for economic recovery has failed to materialise.
The Zimbabwe economy has remained firmly stuck in the doldrums; unemployment has hardly improved from 90% to 80% and basic services like education and health have never recovered.
On the political front nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - has been achieved. Before the formation of the GNU the country was under the iron grip of a tyrannical and oppressive regime. Tsvangirai and his MDC party promised the people democratic changes and the most significant of these changes was putting an end to the use of violence for political gain.
The GNU was never meant to last for much more that two years. And now with fresh election looming, the prospect of another violent election hangs over the nation like the sword of Damocles.
What Zimbabweans should be asking themselves today is was the GNU what they risked their lives in 2008 for. Sadly the answer has to be a resounding no.
Yes, there are some people who are bending over backwards to find excuses for Tsvangirai and MDC’s failures out of loyalty to the leaders. The reality is Tsvangirai is a “flawed and indecisive character” as the former USA Ambassador, Chris Dell once said and it is his breath taking incomplete that has left the nation in this mess. It is this blind loyalty that has encouraged tyrants like Mugabe and incompetent leaders like Tsvangirai to remain in power and ruin people’s lives.
Every generation has its challenge and this generation’s challenge of the last thirty years has been how to deliver the promise of economic prosperity, freedom, liberty and human dignity - the promise of independence. So far we have not done well. We installed a ruthless tyrant into State House and, for the last ten years, have appointed a totally incompetent man as the front man in our attempt to dethrone the tyrant. We should have done a lot better. We must redeem our past failings.
The greatest weakness of the Zimbabwean people, one that runs true throughout, is being naïve; naïve enough to entrust the leaders with a blank cheque to delivery the economic prosperity, etc. We have yet to understand that leaders, regardless of their past heroic exploits, must always be held accountable to the people. Looking at Mugabe, it would right to say it is him who is holding the people to account. It is the tail that is wagging the dog!
Elections are a lot more than putting an X on a piece of paper. The voting is just one aspect of a multifaceted process of judging leaders and holding them accountable. The electorate have a duty and obligation to at least try to understand what should and can be done to deliver the economic prosperity, freedom, liberty, etc.
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Dabengwa says Zanu PF is a party of killers - the hypocrite speaks!
“ZAPU President Dumiso Dabengwa says they pulled out of the Unity Accord with Zanu PF because the former ruling party was brutal and could do anything including killing to remain in power.” Reported the Daily News 19 December 2011.
Is Mr Dabengwa suggesting that Zanu PF did not harass or kill anyone since the signing of the unity accords in 1987 until 2008 when he walked out? He is lying because we all know Zanu PF has always used political violence to retain power.
Dabengwa, Simba Makoni and many others supported Mugabe as long as they stood to benefit. They only stopped when they lost their seat at the tyrant's high table. These are not men of principles and the nation must reject them as part and parcel of Zanu PF because they are.
Dabengwa is no more principled than Mugabe and the rest of the Zanu PF dictatorship! Dabengwa is being hypocritical!
Is Mr Dabengwa suggesting that Zanu PF did not harass or kill anyone since the signing of the unity accords in 1987 until 2008 when he walked out? He is lying because we all know Zanu PF has always used political violence to retain power.
Dabengwa, Simba Makoni and many others supported Mugabe as long as they stood to benefit. They only stopped when they lost their seat at the tyrant's high table. These are not men of principles and the nation must reject them as part and parcel of Zanu PF because they are.
Dabengwa is no more principled than Mugabe and the rest of the Zanu PF dictatorship! Dabengwa is being hypocritical!
Sunday, 18 December 2011
"Abandon your critical faculties ... a world of idiotic bliss is yours" C Hitchens
" . . . we have the same job we always had, to say, as thinking people and as humans, that there are no final solutions, there is no absolute truth, there is no supreme leader, there is no totalitarian solution that says that if you will just give up your freedom of inquiry, if you would just give up, if you will simply abandon your critical faculties, a world of idiotic bliss can be yours. We have to begin by repudiating all such claims – grand rabbis, chief ayatollahs, infallible popes, the peddlers of mutant quasi-political worship, the dear leader, great leader, we have no need of any of this." Christopher Hitchens
We in Africa have indeed "abandoned our critical faculties" and got our due reward a thousand fold; we inherited that "world of idiotic bliss!"
Christopher Hitchens died last week. He was a writer of renoun. Nick Cohen in the Observer (UK) 18 December 2011 describe Hitchens as the most 'intellectually generous' man he has met. Christopher had "a laconic voice from the English upper middle class, putting our arguments better than we could, and urging us to square our shoulders and speak our minds."
Rest in peace, brother Christopher.
We in Africa have indeed "abandoned our critical faculties" and got our due reward a thousand fold; we inherited that "world of idiotic bliss!"
Christopher Hitchens died last week. He was a writer of renoun. Nick Cohen in the Observer (UK) 18 December 2011 describe Hitchens as the most 'intellectually generous' man he has met. Christopher had "a laconic voice from the English upper middle class, putting our arguments better than we could, and urging us to square our shoulders and speak our minds."
Rest in peace, brother Christopher.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Mugabe is Zanu PF presidential candidate for next elections: only one heartless for violent campaign!
The just ended 2011 Zanu PF Conference has confirmed Mugabe as the party’s presidential candidate for the next elections!
Yes on the face of it, it seems picking Mugabe as the party’s candidate for the coming elections was a “huge gamble” given his poor health condition and advanced age. Election campaigns are physically demanding particular for a presidential candidate who would be expected to travel all over Zimbabwe particularly given just how unpopular Zanu PF is with the electorate. But there lies the really reason why Mugabe is the ONLY candidate Zanu PF could have if they are to “win” the election.
The only way Zanu PF can “win” is if the party used violence just as it has done in the past. The level of violence in the June 2008 run-off election was shocking by any standard. To win the coming elections the party will have to resort to the same brutal violent tactics including cold blooded murder.
Most people would cringe at the thought of hitting someone particularly some one who is innocent, helpless and totally defenceless. Only the heartless thugs often high on drugs can rape and kill. But when it comes to masterminding the rape and murder of tens of thousands only someone with “degrees in violence” can do it. Only Mugabe has degrees in violence as he has said repeatedly and proved beyond doubt in practice!
The last three years have shown beyond doubt that Tsvangirai and MDC are completely useless. And yet if there were free and fair elections in Zimbabwe MDC would win the election hands down; a show of how much the electorate detest Zanu PF. The level of violence Zanu PF has to use to reverse this grim reality is indeed a mountain Everest to climb. Only a proven psychopath, Mugabe, can pull this off; if anyone can!
9999999
Mugabe asks donors to help feed prisoners.
I have an alternative suggestion Mr Mugabe; why don't you use some of the vast fortune you looted to support these inmates!
Yes on the face of it, it seems picking Mugabe as the party’s candidate for the coming elections was a “huge gamble” given his poor health condition and advanced age. Election campaigns are physically demanding particular for a presidential candidate who would be expected to travel all over Zimbabwe particularly given just how unpopular Zanu PF is with the electorate. But there lies the really reason why Mugabe is the ONLY candidate Zanu PF could have if they are to “win” the election.
The only way Zanu PF can “win” is if the party used violence just as it has done in the past. The level of violence in the June 2008 run-off election was shocking by any standard. To win the coming elections the party will have to resort to the same brutal violent tactics including cold blooded murder.
Most people would cringe at the thought of hitting someone particularly some one who is innocent, helpless and totally defenceless. Only the heartless thugs often high on drugs can rape and kill. But when it comes to masterminding the rape and murder of tens of thousands only someone with “degrees in violence” can do it. Only Mugabe has degrees in violence as he has said repeatedly and proved beyond doubt in practice!
The last three years have shown beyond doubt that Tsvangirai and MDC are completely useless. And yet if there were free and fair elections in Zimbabwe MDC would win the election hands down; a show of how much the electorate detest Zanu PF. The level of violence Zanu PF has to use to reverse this grim reality is indeed a mountain Everest to climb. Only a proven psychopath, Mugabe, can pull this off; if anyone can!
9999999
Mugabe asks donors to help feed prisoners.
I have an alternative suggestion Mr Mugabe; why don't you use some of the vast fortune you looted to support these inmates!
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Tsvangirai says there a 20 human rights violations a day: what has he been doing?!
Tsvangirai says there are 20 human rights violations a day!
Whilst the rest of the world has moved on we in Zimbabwe are like a scratched vinyl record repeating the same line over and over again.
It was over fifty years ago that the Americans designed and built a rocket that took men to the moon and brought them safely back to earth. “Whilst others are going to the Moon, we are still struggling to cross the street!” moaned then President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere! And since then the world has made even more giant strides in terms of development. Today the Scientific world has just announced they may well have recreated what happened on the moment of creation with the possible discovery of the Higgs Boson subatomic particles. And in Zimbabwe we learn that up twenty Zimbabweans are routinely denied their basic human rights!
Surely, surely the restoration of basic human rights must have been at the very top of Tsvangirai and MDC’s “TO DO” list! If there was any doubt that the GNU could deliver this then MDC should never have signed the power sharing agreement with Mugabe!
PM Tsvangirai can not blame Mugabe for the GNU’s failures. He clearly underestimated Mugabe’s stubbornness and thus proving his own incompetency. For the last three years Tsvangirai has become the milestone round the nation’s neck; as long as he remains in any position of power and authority this nation will continue to suffer. Tsvangirai must go!
%%%%%
For the last three years MDC has been part of the Zimbabwe government. Other than tell lies about how Mugabe has changed and enjoy the perks given to them as Prime Minister and Ministers, Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have made no difference. Many Zimbabweans still consider MDC the nation's saviour just as they once regarded Mugabe national hero per excellence. It will take a few more years before it finally dawns on them than Tsvangirai is useless! Am I a black Zimbabwean, still I have to admit it; we are a thick nation!
Whilst the rest of the world has moved on we in Zimbabwe are like a scratched vinyl record repeating the same line over and over again.
It was over fifty years ago that the Americans designed and built a rocket that took men to the moon and brought them safely back to earth. “Whilst others are going to the Moon, we are still struggling to cross the street!” moaned then President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere! And since then the world has made even more giant strides in terms of development. Today the Scientific world has just announced they may well have recreated what happened on the moment of creation with the possible discovery of the Higgs Boson subatomic particles. And in Zimbabwe we learn that up twenty Zimbabweans are routinely denied their basic human rights!
Surely, surely the restoration of basic human rights must have been at the very top of Tsvangirai and MDC’s “TO DO” list! If there was any doubt that the GNU could deliver this then MDC should never have signed the power sharing agreement with Mugabe!
PM Tsvangirai can not blame Mugabe for the GNU’s failures. He clearly underestimated Mugabe’s stubbornness and thus proving his own incompetency. For the last three years Tsvangirai has become the milestone round the nation’s neck; as long as he remains in any position of power and authority this nation will continue to suffer. Tsvangirai must go!
%%%%%
For the last three years MDC has been part of the Zimbabwe government. Other than tell lies about how Mugabe has changed and enjoy the perks given to them as Prime Minister and Ministers, Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have made no difference. Many Zimbabweans still consider MDC the nation's saviour just as they once regarded Mugabe national hero per excellence. It will take a few more years before it finally dawns on them than Tsvangirai is useless! Am I a black Zimbabwean, still I have to admit it; we are a thick nation!
Sunday, 11 December 2011
ANC Secretary-General Mantashe promise to help Zanu PF "win" the next elections. Not surprised, not really!
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe attending the just ended Zanu PF conference promised to send “campaign strategy teams” to help Zanu PF win the coming elections.
Since SA's ANC led government passed the Secrecy Bill which everyone could see was retrogressive and an affront on democracy; President Zuma and ANC knew they could never again lecture Mugabe on democracy and good governance. Lindiwe Zulu, President Zuma’s right hand person in his role as SADC mediator to the Zimbabwe crisis toned down her up to then softly, softly approach to nothing. The week before the Secrecy Bill was passed she was in Zimbabwe talking of a coming visit by President Zuma to get the principal to the GPA to address outstanding issues. After the bill was passed the visit was abandoned.
So Mr Mantashe’s promise to help Mugabe “win” the next elections is to be expected. Since ANC has lost all pretence to democratic credibility and will now openly support a fellow “liberation movement” that lost all democratic credibility a long time ago!
"The ANC wishes to affirm her commitment to being a good and trustworthy neighbour to a fellow liberation movement," Secretary- General Mantashe said. Given that Mugabe and Zanu PF has proved to be NOT a good and trustworthy neighbour; why does that leave President Zuma and ANC?
It was very naïve of Tsvangirai to have signed the GPA believing Mugabe can some how be transformer from the ruthless tyrant to a democrat and that SADC would ever push Mugabe to change.
$$$$$$
The UN has received less than half of the US$ 478 million to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable Zimbabweans next year. The UN blames it on donor fatigue.
According to the UN a million rural Zimbabweans will need food assistance, 34% and 2.4% of the children suffer from chronic and acute child malnutrition and 30% of the rural population are exposed to waterborne diseases because they drink water from unprotected water sources.
It is ease to see why donors are tired of Zimbabwe's begging, especially during these hard times when everyone is cutting back. Zimbabwe continues to spend a cool US$ 45 million on Mugabe's globe trotting in one year alone and then says it has no money!? How does one square that round hole!
Since SA's ANC led government passed the Secrecy Bill which everyone could see was retrogressive and an affront on democracy; President Zuma and ANC knew they could never again lecture Mugabe on democracy and good governance. Lindiwe Zulu, President Zuma’s right hand person in his role as SADC mediator to the Zimbabwe crisis toned down her up to then softly, softly approach to nothing. The week before the Secrecy Bill was passed she was in Zimbabwe talking of a coming visit by President Zuma to get the principal to the GPA to address outstanding issues. After the bill was passed the visit was abandoned.
So Mr Mantashe’s promise to help Mugabe “win” the next elections is to be expected. Since ANC has lost all pretence to democratic credibility and will now openly support a fellow “liberation movement” that lost all democratic credibility a long time ago!
"The ANC wishes to affirm her commitment to being a good and trustworthy neighbour to a fellow liberation movement," Secretary- General Mantashe said. Given that Mugabe and Zanu PF has proved to be NOT a good and trustworthy neighbour; why does that leave President Zuma and ANC?
It was very naïve of Tsvangirai to have signed the GPA believing Mugabe can some how be transformer from the ruthless tyrant to a democrat and that SADC would ever push Mugabe to change.
$$$$$$
The UN has received less than half of the US$ 478 million to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable Zimbabweans next year. The UN blames it on donor fatigue.
According to the UN a million rural Zimbabweans will need food assistance, 34% and 2.4% of the children suffer from chronic and acute child malnutrition and 30% of the rural population are exposed to waterborne diseases because they drink water from unprotected water sources.
It is ease to see why donors are tired of Zimbabwe's begging, especially during these hard times when everyone is cutting back. Zimbabwe continues to spend a cool US$ 45 million on Mugabe's globe trotting in one year alone and then says it has no money!? How does one square that round hole!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)