NCA Bikita West by-election candidate beaten - suddenly "No reform, no election!" makes sense. By N Garikai

“In statements released Wednesday, the civil society organisations said Zanu PF militia pounced on Murdock Chivasa, the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) candidate for Bikita West and his manager Thomas Mudzamiri Tuesday and left them for dead,” reported New Zimbabwe.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku and his NCA followers KNOW that Zanu PF uses every trick in the book to rig elections including wanton violence. They KNOW that Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC friends have not contested any by-election since July 2013 to pressure Zanu PF to implement democratic reforms to end the vote rigging. So by participating NCA are really undermining the effectiveness of MDC’s “No reform, no elections!” How typical!

“Following the Tuesday violence, Tajamuka said the by-election should be called off until the government was ready to hold a free and fair election in a violence free environment,” continued the New Zimbabwe report.

“Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) called on the SADC and the African Union to intervene promptly.”

I do not believe SADC and the AU would want to be involved in Zimbabwe’s affairs, not unless they are force; the memories of Zimbabwe’s disastrous GNU are still fresh in their minds.

Zimbabwe had the golden opportunity to implement all the democratic reforms necessary to ensure free, fair and credible elections during the five years of the GNU. We failed to get even one reform implemented. AU and SADC leaders did their best to advise Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to implement the reforms but the advice fell on deaf ears. SADC leaders begged MDC leaders not to take part in the 2013 elections but, again, Tsvangirai and company paid no heed.

By participating in the elections, in total disregard of SADC leaders’ advice not to; Tsvangirai and company were doing is telling off SADC leaders to mind their own business and leave Zimbabweans to run their own affairs. Without the reforms Zanu PF went on to rig the elections, as expected. When Tsvangirai complained about the rigging, it was AU and SADC’s turn to completely ignore him and they have done just that to this day.

The price of MDC participating in the 2013 elections was not just we ended up with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship back in power but worse still, we had missed the golden opportunity to end the dictatorship by failing to implement the reforms to stop the vote rigging. We are stuck with an inherently corrupt electoral system.

If we are ever going to have free, fair and credible elections it is up to us, Zimbabweans, to get the all important democratic reforms implemented. The “No reform, no elections!” was clearly a significant move in the fight for free elections.

NCA and all the other opposition politicians who have continue to contesting elections are undermining the “No reform, no election!” initiative just as MDC participation in the 2013 elections undermined the SADC initiative to get the reforms implemented. Just like MDC before them NCA know Zanu PF rigs elections and that by taking part they are not only their life and limp but those of the innocent public and, worst of all, they are giving the illegal election process credibility and thus helping the regime stay in power illegally. They are risking all this for the sake of a seat on the political gravy train; President Mugabe has seen to it that the country’s ruling elite are spoilt rotten, just to make sure they all do his bidding.

One hopes that the NCA officials’ brush with death will force the party and all the other parties contesting elections to review their position on contesting elections with no reforms in place. It is a relief that only the NCA leaders were beaten up and no innocent civilians were caught up in the melee.

Boycotting 2013 elections was the obvious option, it is the ONLY option in 2018

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T are gearing up to contest the 2018 national elections and so are the other MDC factions. What happened to "No reform, no elections"?

Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have never understood the critical importance of free, fair and credible elections as the foundation of democracy and good governance. They have never appreciated Zanu PF’s vote rigging powers either. Put the two together and it is clear why MDC has failed to implement even one reform in the five years of the GNU. Tsvangirai was convinced MDC’s popular support was so massive that no “Zanu PF vote rigging shenanigans” would overturn MDC’s majority, he later admitted.

It was not until early 2013, the tail end of the GNU, that MDC panic when Zanu PF started rolling out its vote rigging machine in preparation for the elections. Suddenly MDC leaders wanted the reforms implemented but instead of tabling concrete reform proposals, they started asking for the life of the GNU to be extended to October 2013, at the earliest. It was easy to shoot down the request to extend the GNU’s life since it was supposed to last 18 months and had lasted 60 months instead and still failed to implement even one reform. There was nothing to suggest extending the GNU would change anything.

Besides it was no secret that MDC leaders were enjoying the gravy train ride, a good reason to end the GNU. It is not surprising that the GNU end after the five years and, not so surprising, not even one reform was implemented in its life time although this was the primary task of the GNU – implement a raft of reforms to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible.

The high attendance figures at MDC rallies compared to the very poor attendance at Zanu PF rallies must have restored MDC confidence of winning regardless of Zanu PF’s vote rigging shenanigans. Tsvangirai was beaming with confidence of winning the elections but by noon of the main day of voting, long before polling station closed, he came out to complain of “Zanu PF is stealing the elections!”

The vote rigging by Zanu PF was blatant and widespread; nearly one million voters, mainly opposition supporters, were denied the vote; the number of polling stations was increased from2 000 to 9 000 just two days before voting and many of these additional stations had the same numbers of cast votes; etc. Many Zanu PF members have since admitted they were “shocked” at the party’s victory. It was therefore no exaggeration to say Zanu PF was “stealing” the elections!

The conduct of the July 2013 Zimbabwe elections has settled one issue beyond dispute – that as long as Zanu PF is allowed a freehand to rig the vote no opposition will ever win the elections and thus the people of Zimbabwe will continue to be denied a meaningful vote and say in the governance of the country. MDC leaders have quarrelled with each other and never agreed on anything of substance but they all agreed on boycotting elections until meaningful reforms are implemented to stop Zanu PF rigging the vote.

“No reform, no elections!” all the MDC factions agreed. And true to their word, no MDC faction has contested any of the many by-elections since the rigged July 2013 elections  

We know that not even one democratic reform has been implemented since the rigged July 2013 elections. Not one! It therefore goes without saying that the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut has not been dismantled in anyway. Zanu PF members are fighting amongst themselves like hyenas over a carcass but they will fight off the opposition even more ruthlessly. Come the elections, the juggernaut will be running like clockwork, oiled by the billions of dollars looted from Marange diamonds. It is therefore alarming to hear that all the MDC factions have called off the election boycott and will be contesting the 2018 elections even though not even one reform was implemented.  

Dr Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Professor Welshman Ncube, etc.; what has happened to “No reform, no elections!”?

“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,” said Senate Coltart, an MDC cabinet member in the GNU, of the 2013 elections.

Zanu PF has been careful to allow the opposition parties to win a few seats during nationwide elections and it is these seats the opposition are fighting over; if this was not so obvious in the 2013 elections it is glaring obvious this time.  

By taking part in the 2018 elections, knowing the elections will be rigged and ignoring all the warning of the rigging, the participant is per se accepting that Zanu PF be given the carte blanche dictatorial powers to rig the vote and deny the ordinary people their right to free, fair and credible elections. It will be nonsensical and fiscal for any of these participants to complain of vote rigging and not evidence of vote rigging will be considered no matter how glaring or significant. All the participants must know and understand that by contesting the elections, flawed and illegal as it is certain to be, they are the ones giving the process legitimacy.

“There are unjust people as there are unjust laws,” said Mahatma Gandhi.

Zanu PF is the unjust regime conducting illegal elections. Zimbabwe’s opposition politicians have played their part in the long stay in power of the Zanu PF dictatorship by granting the regime a measure of respectability by contesting rigged elections. President Mugabe has rewarded the opposition with a few seats on the gravy train, $4 million Highlands mansions, etc. The selling out of the people’s freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections by the opposition must now stop!
   

If boycotting the elections was obvious thing to do in 2013; boycotting the 2018 elections is now the ONLY logical thing to do.  

MDC did not "do the obvious - withdraw from (2013) elections" admits Senator Coltart

Did you know that MDC leaders did not just know but were 100% certain that Zanu PF was going to rig the 2013 elections months before the July vote and yet still participated in the elections for selfish reasons? If you did not know, here it is confirmation from the horse’s mouth.

In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the GNU, David Coltart, gave details of how Zanu PF flouted the electoral rules, it clear the upcoming 2013 elections would not be free and fair. Meanwhile talks of uniting the two MDC factions to fight the elections as one were going nowhere.

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” explained Senator Coltart.

“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.”

Let us remember that MDC was elected on the promise of bringing democratic change and by failing to get any reforms implemented during the GNU and then giving legitimacy to an illegal process, MDC were betraying the people who elected them. They paid lip-service to bringing democratic change, just as Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs have paid lip-service to freedom, justice and human rights for all.

“Kwavari mhiko, mudonzo wepwa, wonzedzara unodya!” as one would say in Shona. (To Zimbabwe’s politicians, principles are sugar cane walking stick, you eat them when are hungry!)  

Although MDC leaders were certain the elections would be rigged, they told the people the exact opposite. It was not until noon of 31 July 2013, voting day, that Tsvangirai admitted “Zanu PF stole the elections”, with feigned disappointment of one who did not know this would happen. Soon thereafter the all MDC factions vowed they will not take part in any future elections without implementing the democratic reforms first. “No reform, no elections!” they said.

MDC factions have boycotted the by-elections but have long since they will participate in the national elections although the accept that no meaningful reforms have been implemented. Just as happened in the 2013 elections, MDC leaders take part in the elections knowing the elections will be rigged for the sake of winning the few seats Zanu PF allow the opposition to win.

Again, just as happen before the July 2013 elections, MDC and other opposition leaders will pretend the 2018 elections not be a betrayal of the people whose right to a meaningful vote will be denied once again. The opposition leaders are claiming that the formation of an opposition coalition, an aggressive voter registration exercise and other opposition strategies will stop Zanu PF rigging the vote. All nonsense!

In the March 2008 vote Zanu PF managed to get Tsvangirai’s 73% share of the vote, by Mugabe’s own inadvertent admission, reduced to 47% after five weeks of “recounting” 5 million votes! The regime has since improved on its vote rigging tricks and has billions of dollars looted from Marange to bankroll its schemes. How does a coalition or voter registration stop NIKUV, the Israeli company paid a princely sum of US$10 million in 2013 to corrupt voters’ roll, doing so again!  

The status quo suits Mugabe and Zanu PF, he and his cronies are enjoying absolute power and the influence and luxuries it brings. He would not want any reforms implemented and risk lose power.

Tsvangirai and his opposition friends will continue to make a big song and dance about fighting for democratic change to help calm the restive populous but do nothing, even when presented with the golden opportunity to do as happened during the GNU. They will take part in the elections knowing they will be rigged; they are content fighting for the scraps Zanu PF throws at them and the bragging rights to call themselves “main opposition party”.

The big losers in Zimbabwe are the ordinary Zimbabweans whose lives hell-on-earth after 37 years of this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship. Unemployment has soared to 90%, millions now live in abject poverty and, so far, over 30 000 have been murdered in cold blood by the regime for selfish political gains. Another rigged election in 2018 will mean a worsen economic meltdown and deepening political crisis.

Socially, politically and economically, Zimbabwe cannot afford another rigged election in 2018 because the country will pay the price for such folly with the usual sweat and treasure but increasing in human misery and lost human lives!

 If there are going to be free, fair and credible elections in 2018 it is the ordinary people themselves, who must to demand the implementation of the democratic reforms. Senator David Coltart’s admission that the opposition are now more interested in fighting over main opposition party bragging rights that democratic change is just one more piece of evidence that opposition is not fighting in the people’s corner.

Mugabe has thoroughly corrupted opposition politicians like Tsvangirai as he has corrupted his own Zanu PF thugs; the opposition politicians are not just run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, they are hounds and are actively hunting the hare. The sooner the people of Zimbabwe wise up to the reality that opposition will never ever implement democratic reforms to secure free and fair elections, the sooner the country will start the important task of digging itself out of the hell-hole Mugabe landed us in.