"No one lives in the past," insist Mnangagwa - he is, by rigging elections and insist they are free

"We have some cases here of divisions, but that should come to an end because we want the best and make President Mnangagwa win a free, fair and credible election," Zanu-PF National Secretary for War Veterans, War Collaborators, ex-Detainees and Restrictees, Victor Matemadanda, argued.

"When we fought for this country, we all wanted a better Zimbabwe, therefore, President Mnangagwa has all we want for a better Zimbabwe."

Matemadanda can fool his fellow war veterans into believing all that nonsense of “President Mnangagwa has all we want for a better Zimbabwe”, the ordinary Zimbabweans, povo, will not be so easily fooled this time.

Most people now appreciate the importance of having free and fair elections as the pre-requisite for good and competent government. They know Zimbabwe have never ever held free, fair and credible elections. They know President Mnangagwa himself has masterminded and executed most of Zanu PF corruption activities, vote rigging, wanton violence and coup activities for the sole purpose of retain political power at all cost. The war veterans have been the regime’s storm troopers in imposing the de facto one-party dictatorship.

The people of Zimbabwe will never forget the wanton political violence of Gukurahundi period and the 2008 elections in particular.  

Everyone in Zanu PF wants the nation to believe that the military coup of 15 November 2017, that removed the former dictator and tyrant Robert Mugabe and “criminal elements around him”, completely transformed Zanu PF.  The party of corrupt and murderous thugs was now a party of peaceful citizens who respected the rule of law and now championed the holding of free and fair elections. If this was so; then why has the regime stubbornly refused to implement even one democratic reform?

Why has President Mnangagwa gone on to bribe the Chiefs with the new twin cab trucks to make sure they, in return, continue to frog march rural voters to vote for Zanu PF as has been the norm?  

Why has President Mnangagwa appointed Retired General Engelbert Rugeje Zanu PF National Commissar, knowing that he has a reputation as a ruthless thug who terrorized the people to force them to vote in 2008 and 2013?    

Of course, President Mnangagwa and his fellow coup-staging thugs knew the coup was illegal and, per se, the regime it sired is illegitimate. They are on a charm offensive to assure the nation and the whole world that they are not thugs. They are not fooling anyone with eyes to see. Mnangagwa and the coup thugs are the same individuals who have been rigging elections and committing all the thuggery to keep Mugabe in power all these last 37 years. The coup allowed them to seize power and it is naïve to believe that after committing that treasonous act they forsook their old criminal ways even at the cost of losing the power they risked all to get!

"I have heard the call of the people of Zimbabwe, I share the vision of the people and I am committed to work for the country. I appreciate the realities of our country. Our industries are stagnant, unemployment rate high. Travelling around the country, I am saddened by the poverty in the communities," President Mnangagwa told a rally in Mvuma, Midlands, the other day.

Only someone who has just landed from Mars would believe him. Mnangagwa and many others in his regime have been senior members in Mugabe’s government for 37 years; of course, they are equally responsible for the mess we see today. They were not stone deaf, blind and mute all these years!

"No one lives in the past, we live in the present and plan for the future. Now under the new dispensation, we are open for business. For about 18 years, Zimbabwe has been isolated and been under sanctions. We would like to thank Zimbabweans for remaining resolute and steadfast during the time of hardships," he continued.

The President acknowledged that the country’s economic revival will depend on reviving the country’s once productive agricultural sector and on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into critical sectors such as mining. The Zimbabwe economy is too weak and feeble to generate the cash required to kick-start the economy.

Whilst the regime’s promise to compensate the white farmers whose farms were seized by Mugabe and grant farm owners 99-year land leases; will go some way to restore confidence in the farming sector. However, the regime will be waiting in vain for the FDI; no investors want to invest their money in a nation without rule of law and ruled by thugs.

   

President Mnangagwa can insist in calling the November coup “a military assisted transition” that will not change the reality on the ground – it is a coup. There is mounting evidence already to prove this year election will NOT be free, fair and verifiable.

If President Mnangagwa had honoured his promise and delivered free, fair and credible elections; then the elections would be focused on one thing and one thing only – vote to wrestle the veto Zanu PF had wielded all these last 38 years.

As we can see, the elections are not going to be free, fair and verifiable; the task is to make sure the whole process is declared null and void. By declaring the flawed elections null and void, the nation will be given the opportunity to finally implement the democratic reforms necessary to effect real political change and economic recovery; at long last!

Biti call for UN to stop Zanu PF "brutalising civilians" - but would still not heed SADC advice

Biti added, “I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is going to be a violent election”.

SADC leaders advised MDC leaders in June 2013 not to contest in that year’s elections without implementing the democratic reforms, designed to stop the vote rigging and political violence, first. The MDC leaders did not listen because of greed as David Coltart readily admitted in his book.

“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.”

Tendai Biti, David Coltart and the rest of MDC leaders and the rest in the opposition camp are contesting this year’s elections knowing fully well the process is flawed, illegal and will be marred by political violence for the same reason they contested the 2013 elections – greed. We learn nothing from the past and thus repeat the same foolishness again and over and over again.

Tendai Biti; clearly unable to contain his greed and that of his opposition friends, they will contest the elections no matter how flawed and illegal the process gets and how many innocent Zimbabweans risk life and limb; urged the involvement of the United Nations to stop the Zanu PF-led government from “brutalising civilians”.

“To Odysseus, who is bewitched by the song, the Sirens look as beautiful as Helen of Troy. To his crew, made deaf with beeswax, the Sirens seem like hungry monsters with vicious, crooked claws,” so goes Homer’s epic story of the Greek Trojan War Hero, Odysseus.

“The ship speeds forward and soon the song of the Sirens is an echo of an echo. Only then do the crew members stop rowing and unplug their ears.

“Eurylochus unbinds his grateful captain, Odysseus, who has now come to his senses.”

Zimbabwe is in stuck in a hell-hole, with its national economy in total meltdown, unemployment a nauseating 90%, 72.3% of our people now living on US$1.00 or less a day, etc., etc. The kind of doom that awaited Odysseus and his men had they landed on Sirens’ Island.

Whilst it was Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs who landed the nation into this hell-hole because they could not resist Sirens’ beguiling offers of absolute power and the sweet intoxication of influence and a life of unparalleled leisure and eye-popping wealth it brought. The nation risked life and limb to elect Tendai Biti and his MDC friend to wrestle power from the Zanu PF thugs and get the nation out of the hell-hole. Sadly, Biti and friends have themselves become victims of the Sirens’ beguiling but deadly temptations. Their greed for power and wealth has become as insatiable as that of Zanu PF thugs, if not worse; they appetites were roused during the GNU years only to be cut short.

As Coltart has acknowledged, what the nation needs to do is boycott these meaningless elections and get the democratic reforms implemented. Nothing of any substance will ever be accomplished until we implement the reforms. Nothing!

The people of Zimbabwe risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on a ticket they will bring about democratic change. They had the golden opportunity to bring about the changes by implementing the democratic reforms during the GNU; they did no such thing. It is sad and tragic that today it is none other than the MDC leaders who are in fact stopping the implementation of the reforms by stubbornly insisting on contesting flawed and illegal elections.

Yes Mr Biti, even if you got your wish and had UN officials in the country and they stopped the “brutalising of civilians”; what about the blatant vote rigging. There was hardly any violence in the 2013 elections but, as we all know, that did not stop Zanu PF blatantly rigging the elections.

To get out of the political and economic hell-hole we now find ourselves stuck in we need to ensure the elections are free, fair and verifiable and that meaning having a verifiable voters’ roll, free media, a transparent electoral funding system, etc. and not just an end to political violence, important as this is. We want to escape from this hell-hole and, for your own selfish reasons, you want us stuck here.

"Pasi nemhandu!" (Death to traitors!) came the Mnangagwa fatwa to free election. P Guramatunhu

“Pasi nezvimbwa sungata! Pasi nemhandu! Pamberi neZanu PF!” (Death to traitors! To death with enemies of the state! Forward with Zanu PF!) Canted President Emmerson Mnangagwa with the passion and relish of one who had missed saying these things for far too long! (Since President Mnangagwa’s inaugural speech in November last year, the party had banished the “To death” bit of the party’s slogan, at least in public, to promote its new image of democratic tolerance and promise to hold free, fair and credible elections.)  So, what has happened to free Mnangagwa from this self-imposed censorship!

“Jonathan Moyo, Kasukuwere and other G40 members are meeting with Joice Mujuru in Cape Town, SA to plan how they can topple Zanu PF from power,” President Mnangagwa told his audience. 

True enough there is a conference in Cape Town attended by Mai Mujuru, MDC-T leaders and all the other usual suspects in the opposition camp. Thanks to Zimeye.com who have streamed photographs of the conference attendees, the objectives of the meeting and other details. Jonathan Moyo, Kasukuwere or any of the known G40 members are certainly not in any of the photographs. 

Indeed, even if G40 members should team up with Mai Mujuru and all the other 75 opposition parties that have sprouted grass after the first rains with a view to challenge President Mnangagwa and his coup cabal for the right to form the next government; that is NOT a crime. President Mnangagwa’s promise to hold free and fair elections this year is premised on three fundaments:

a)     Zimbabwe is a multi-party democracy; just because Zanu PF has successfully imposed a de facto one-party dictatorship does not make those who dare to oppose the regime criminals.

b)     President Mnangagwa and his fellow 15 November 2017 coup plotters were aware of how much the people of Zimbabwe and the world at large were sick and tired of Robert Mugabe and were very pleased to see the tyrant finally remove from office – even if the removal was itself a treasonous act, a coup. 

c)     The November coup was illegal and no amount of finessing can ever change that political reality and therefore per se President Mnangagwa’s regime is illegitimate. President Mnangagwa is painfully aware of this political reality and hence his and his regime’s charm offensive to rebrand with all this talk of new dispensation of a party upholding the rule of law, restoring property rights and promising to hold free, fair and credible elections. 

Before the November coup, Zanu PF was a party of corrupt, vote rigging and coup staging thugs; it was therefore naïve to expect the party after the coup to be radically different since those who staged the coup and thus took over control of the party are the same individuals who had masterminded and executed all the mischief and thuggery before the 15 November coup. However much they, themselves realized the need to embrace democratic change for the sake of economic recovery and for their own political legitimacy; when their hold on power was threatened they reverted to thuggery at the drop of a hat!

It is no secret that President Mnangagwa and his coup cabal now view G40 members as the greatest threat to their hold on power. People like Professor Jonathan Moyo know a lot of past, present and, no doubt, future dirty secrets on Mnangagwa, VP Chiwenga and other coup leaders. Knowledge is power. 
President Mnangagwa and his regime have accused Professor Moyo and his G40 friends of corruption and misuse of power but there is no one in Zanu PF, including Mnangagwa himself, who is not guilty of the same crimes and worse in some cases. The real reason why the coup cabal are hunting G40 members down is political – they want the threat posed by G40 members eliminated completely and hence labelling them enemies of the state! 
Having declared G40 members enemies of the State, Zanu PF is now extending the net to catch every other opposition party they do not want by claiming they are working in cahoots with G40. All those political parties who attended the conference in Cape Town, will now have an impossible task to prove they are not working with G40 directly or indirectly. 
“Pasi nezvimbwa sungata! Pasi nemhandu!” Came the fatwa on G40, the opposition and, worst of, free, fair and verifiable elections!

ZEC Chigumba, like Caesar's wife, must be "above suspicion" - get none from a brothel N Garikai

“Way back in the year Before Christ, the famous Roman General Julius Caesar decided to divorce his second wife Pompeia on the basis of suspicion,” Bulawayo 24 reminded us.

“Caesar famously said any wife of his must be above suspicion.

“The new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson Priscilla Chigumba is being haunted by suspicion over an unproven allegation raised by former Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku in 2016. At the time, Chidyausiku claimed Chigumba had a case to answer on allegations that she tried to solicit a $20 000 bribe to throw out a civil case that was before her in 2013.”

It is not a matter of digging out some old alleged case of corruption against Justice Chugumba to help us doubt her ability to deliver her duty of ensuring free, fair and credible elections. We KNOW she will never delivery free and fair elections because it is IMPOSSIBLE to have free and fair elections without first implementing the democratic reforms. She knows that Zanu PF has not implemented even one reform and why she is promising free and fair elections beggars belief! She is either incompetent and/or corrupt not to know that without reforms there can never be free and fair elections.

Zimbabwe will never ever have free, fair and credible elections as long as Zanu PF continues to enjoy its carte blanche powers to rig the vote, use violence to intimidate the voters, use bribed Chiefs to frog march voters to vote for the party, have unfettered access to billions of dollars of looted diamond cash to bankroll its vote rigging schemes, etc., etc. Never ever!

“My mandate is just to be an umpire and to ensure that there is fairness in the process of Zimbabweans electing their leaders so it's a very clear mandate and I intend to discharge it fully," said the ZEC chairperson, Justice Chigumba, after her swearing in ceremony.

The democratic reforms include ending Zanu PF’s carte blanche to bribe public officials such as Chiefs, Police Officers, Army personal and, in this case, ZEC chairperson to pretend to discharge their respective duties and when it matters hear-nothing, see-nothing and do-nothing. What is the point of having an umpire when she pretends not to see the many wrong things already there which will make the process totally meaningless.

“It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to serve one's country in this capacity as the chairperson of ZEC and I promise the Zimbabwean people that I will deliver a free, fair and credible election," said Chigumba.

It is not a matter of “suspecting” that ZEC will not deliver free and fair elections; we KNOW they will not! One does not need to be a formula one driver to know a tractor cannot out race a car!

Justice Chigumba KNOWS that ZEC will NOT deliver free and fair elections; she is saying the opposite because she is paid to say that!

If Zimbabweans are serious about having free, fair and credible elections then they should know that is not enough to remove one incompetent and/or corrupt ZEC official in the present set up because he/she will only be replaced by another incompetent and/or corrupt official. We must first end Zanu PF’s excessive powers, carte blanche power to appoint incompetent and/or corrupt officials. What is the point of Caesar divorcing his wife if he is going to pick the next one from a brothel!