"Fellow citizens be strong" edges Chamisa - but why forfeit free for uphill battle of violent elections W Mukori

 

“VIOLENCE IN MATOBO, INSIZA & CHIRUMANZU ..Zpf panicking, desperate & violent because they are not supported in villages, in rural areas. Thuggery is not politics. Violence is not civilized campaigning. Their violence will increase. Fellow Citizens, be strong. Change is in the air!” twittered Nelson Chamisa.

This is midsummer madness! Instead of the increasing cases of violence forcing Chamisa to rethink the madness of participating in these elections without first implementing the reform, it is energizing him to do the opposite.

Zanu PF whittled down Morgan Tsvangirai’s 73% votes in the March 2008 elections to 47%, enough to force the runoff. During the runoff the party used wanton violence to punish the people for having rejected Zanu PF and Mugabe in the earlier vote. The violence was so bad over 500 people were murdered hundreds of thousands were beaten and/or raped and millions were internally displaced.

Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw from the race and Mugabe went on to “win” the one-horse race with 84% on the votes.

Is Chamisa suggesting that Mugabe won the 2008 runoff because the people were not strong? What did he want them to do?

Chamisa had his motorcade stoned and rallies disrupted by Zanu PF thugs. He has turned tail and escaped back to the safety of his low-density home. What is at issue here is the political violence is a regular occurrence to the ordinary Zimbabwean living in the high-density suburbs and rural areas and they have nowhere to go to escape it.

Fighting back the Zanu PF thugs is not an option since the Zanu PF captured Police, judiciary, etc. have always favored Zanu PF at the expense of justice.

Is Chamisa asking Zimbabweans to be strong and have even more people beaten raped and murdered. Over 40 000 innocent Zimbabweans have been murdered by Zanu PF in politically motivated violence since independence. He has been calling for street protests knowing fully well the Zanu PF regime has always used violence to end street protests.

What is really infuriate about Chamisa and his CCC friends is that they had many opportunities to implement the democratic reforms taking away Zanu PF’s carte blanche powers to rig elections and use wanton violence and they wasted them. They have been participating in these flawed elections even when they themselves realized it was foolish to do so.

“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 (2013) elections,” confessed David Coltart in his book The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.

“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.”

David Coltart was one of MDC ministers in the 2008 to 2013 GNU that failed to implement even one reform in five years. He is the Treasurer General in the Chamisa led CCC, rebranded MDC. CCC is participating in these b2023 elections knowing fully well that doing so will give Zanu PF legitimacy for the same reason MDC failed to implement reforms – greed.

Zanu PF is rigging these elections and, given the regime’s vast experience in rigging plus the ability to supplement the rigging with wanton violence, it near impossible for Zanu PF to lose the elections. Zanu PF is playing with a dice with 6s on all six side, if they want a 6 they will throw a 6!

The only time there has been political change in Zimbabwe was as a result of the November 2017 military coup. It was a Zanu PF in-house coup and it replace one dictator with another. Another military coup and/or bloody street protests may deliver the next change, which will be compromised democracy, at best. Violent revolutions very rarely produce a stable democracy.

What is infuriating here is that MDC/CCC have not only forfeited the chance to delivery democratic change by failing to implement reforms but are the ones keeping the Zanu PF regime in power by participating in flawed election out of greed to give the regime legitimacy. And to hide their greed they are blaming the decades of failure to deliver change on citizens’ lack of courage in confronting Zanu PF wanton violence!

The real tragic here is that the ordinary Zimbabweans have not cussed, even with the benefit of hindsight, that MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. These people don’t even realize they are forfeiting the right to have reforms implemented and free and fair elections by participating in these flawed elections. They don’t know they are being asked to concede high ground to the enemy for they to fight uphill!

“Fellow citizens, be strong. Change is in the air!” Yeah right! Was that why MDC has failed to implement even one reform in 22 years forcing people to fight the uphill battle of rigged and violent elections!

Zanu PF is blatantly rigging 2023 elections and EU will grant legitimacy under guess of "constructive dialogue" W Mukori

 

“EU abandons confrontation with Zimbabwe!” screamed The Herald headline!

“CHARMED by President Mnangagwa’s open door policy and far-reaching economic reforms, more investors will be coming from the European Union (EU) which is prepared to extend loans to the private sector as relations between the 27-member bloc and Zimbabwe continue to improve,” The Herald reported.

“After presenting his credentials to President Mnangagwa at State House in Harare yesterday, incoming EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Jobst Von Kirchmann, said the bloc is available for constructive dialogue with Harare.

“Prior to the advent of the Second Republic, relations between Zimbabwe and the EU were strained after the latter sided with Britain in unjustifiably sanctioning the country following its land reform programme that redressed land inequities.

“But President Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe is Open for Business policy has seen a number of European countries setting up shop in the country in yet another remarkable feat that Ambassador Kirchmann said can only be deepened.”

Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the country is a failed state, a pariah state, ruled by corrupt and murderous tyrants whose 42 years in power is because they rigged elections.

The trouble with President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies, propagandists and apologist is that they believe they can ignore the facts and reality, make up their own narratives instead, and the whole world will be as they wish.

President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” mantra, for example, was a lead balloon that never took off. He promised to stamp out corruption, to hold free elections, etc.; he never delivered on any of these promises and thus confirming that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic recovery and to say otherwise is wishful thinking.

The fight for Zimbabwe to implement the democratic reforms and hold free and fair elections is therefore more than just fight for restoration of this basic human right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country. It is a fight for good governance, fight to end the curse of rigged elections and to cleanse the nation of pariah state stigma.   

“My mission here is targeting constructive dialogue with Zimbabwe. I said this today when the President said the EU no longer has sanctions on Zimbabwe, that is exactly what makes it possible for us to engage on trade aspects, we are the fourth largest Zimbabwean trading partner in the country,” said Ambassador Kirchmann.

What constructive dialogue can the EU have with this Zanu PF regime?

The EU had a 246 strong team of election observers for the 2018 Zimbabwe elections and they dismissed the elections as a farce.

“Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party. Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” EU Observer Mission final report stated.

“Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”

Why the EU Foreign Ministers disregarded the EU Observer Mission’s damning report on Zimbabwe and reward the Zanu PF regime by lifting the sanctions imposed on the regime for failing to uphold human rights including the failure to hold free elections was a mystery.

The 2018 EU election observer mission report made 23 recommendations to bring the Zimbabwe elections process to international standards. And a month ago the mission team leader reported that not even one of the recommendations was meaningfully implemented. Not even one!

ZEC has failed to produce even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s sake!

Zanu PF is set to blatantly rig the 2023 elections. Blatantly rig the 2023 elections!

Does “constructive dialogue” with Zanu PF mean the EU is going to lower the international accepted elections standards and grant vote rigging Zanu PF political legitimacy?

After 42 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule that has left the national economy in ruins, forced millions of our people to scatter as economic and/or political refugees and the millions still in the country are living in abject poverty; of course, Zimbabweans are desperate for meaningful change, for free and fair elections. For EU, of all people, to condone Zanu PF’s continued flagrant denial of ordinary Zimbabweans’ freedoms and human rights and dignity is not just an insult, it is an act of dehumanising betrayal.

"Zanu PF will never win free elections!" said CCC. True, so why is CCC insisting on elections with NO reforms! N Garikai

When it comes to elections, Zimbabwe is caught in a catch 22 situation. After 42 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule that has left the country in economic ruins, a pariah state and forced millions in abject poverty; the nation is for free and fair elections, the only sure way to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. And here is the catch 22; to remove Zanu PF we need to implement democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections, the opposition has failed to implement even one reform in the last 22 years and has all but given up the fight for reforms.

To end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance we must first implement the reforms and hold free elections. To implement the reforms we must first remove Zanu PF from power and that will never happen whilst the regime has carte blanche powers to rig elections.   

A catch 22 is a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.

The truth is Zimbabwe’s reforms and rigged elections catch 22 is not as intractable as many, especially the opposition leaders, would want us to believe.

No one would dispute that Zanu PF will never reform itself out of office. Of course, they will never do that.

Mugabe and his cronies have expended a lot of time, sweat wealth and shed over 40 000 innocent Zimbabwean lives to create and retain this de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship giving them absolute political power and all the influence and wealth. Of course, they will not want to give it all up, more so now when they have become addicted to power, have a lot of loot to lose, have too many skeletons to hide, etc.

Of course, Zanu PF will never give up its carte blanche power to rig elections and thus retain its iron grip on political power. The question then is where there any times in the last 42 years when Zanu PF’s grip on power was shaky and the carte blanche powers diluted and weak?

The answer is yes there have many times when Zanu PF’s grip on power was not solid, the 2008 to 2013 GNU was, by far, the best opportunity the nation has ever had to date to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. SADC, who were the guarantor of the agreement, forced Mugabe and Zanu PF to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the need for Zimbabwe to implement the reforms to end the regime’s dictatorial powers.

Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were supposed to implement the reforms and the rest is history.

Anyone who understand that the primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the reforms, knows that MDC leaders sold out big time because there is no rational excuse why MDC failed to implement even one reform in five years. None! Worse still, since the GNU debacle, MDC leaders have insisted on participating in the flawed and illegal elections giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.

Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections, Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends know this and still they are hell bent on participating in the flawed elections.

"We've consistently said that each by-election is a dry run for 2023. We're keenly aware of the assisted voting, political violence, banning of CCC meetings and voter intimidation that took place in Mberengwa and Nyanga. Zanu-PF will never win a free and fair election in Zimbabwe,” said Fadzai Mahere, CCC national spokesperson. CCC was walloped by Zanu PF in the weekend two local by-election.

"We've begun our post-mortem review of these elections to examine how to sharpen our response to electoral manipulation in these areas. We have a model of how to win rural elections that has worked in places like Binga and Bulilima which we are scaling across the country.”

True, Zanu PF would never win free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe given their track record of four decades of corruption and tyranny. MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and stop Zanu PF rigging elections during the GNU and they failed to implement even one reform. CCC have the chance to force Zanu PF implement the reforms by insisting on reforms before elections. They are insisting on participating in the flawed elections instead for the same reasons they failed to implement even one reform during the GNU – corruption and breathtakingly incompetent.

During the GNU Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office; the ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. With their snouts in the feeding trough the MDC leaders forgot about implementing reforms. They were foolish enough to think their gravy train good life will last forever. Zanu PF rigged the 2013 elections and many of the MDC leaders lost their public office seats and with it their gravy train privileges.

Ever since the GNU Zanu PF has been careful to make sure the opposition wins 1/3 or so of the gravy train seats to entice them to participate and give the appearance Zimbabwe is a healthy and functioning democracy. President Mnangagwa has since created POLAD to reward losing presidential candidates.

Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections and CCC and the rest of the opposition camp are hell bent on participating in these flawed elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats and POLAD freebees!

The ordinary Zimbabweans, who are the big losers in these fraudulent elections, must wake up to the reality CCC will never implement reforms and deliver free elections the prerequisite to stopping Zanu PF rigging elections and ending the curse of bad governance. It is for the people to denounce CCC as the sell outs they are. Deny CCC political credibility and you deny Zanu PF political legitimacy! 

"I taught at Eton College!" said Mliswa - pity the exposure did not take the jungle mentality out of the ape W Mukori

 Many people have listened to an audio posted on Zimeye in which the Right Honourable Themba Mliswa, Independent MP for Norton, was ranting and raving calling me “a political novice”. What was all that about, some people have asked.

The whole argument started with the Right Honourable MP arguing that if Zimbabweans wanted political and economic change in Zimbabwe then they must register to vote for the upcoming 2023 elections. It is bad enough to have to listen to the brain-dead MDC/CCC supporters regurgitating the same foolish argument; it is too much ask to hear it from an MP too!

In the watershed March 2008 elections 73% of the people voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends but before the results were announced the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut stepped in. Zanu PF led by none other than President Emmerson Mnangagwa himself, by his own admission, whittled down the 73% to 47%, enough to force a presidential runoff.

During the runoff the party unleashed the party’s militia, war veterans backed by the Police, Army and CIO for the express purpose of punishing the people for daring to reject Mugabe and Zanu PF in the March vote.

“What was accomplished by the bullet cannot be undone by the ballot!” thundered Robert Mugabe throughout Operation “Mavhotera papi!” (Whom did you vote for!)

Themba Mliswa was a senior Zanu PF member, an MP and was, at one point, Zanu PF chairman of Mashonaland West. Of course, he played has his role in the establishment and retention of the de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship that has ruled the country to this day with an iron fist.

SADC refused to endorse Zanu PF’s election victory in protest against the blatant cheating and wanton violence, a historic first given the regional body had always turned a blind eye to Zanu PF rigged elections in the past. SADC forced Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement, agreeing to the need for Zimbabwe to implement a raft of democratic reforms to restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections.

Themba Mliswa knows that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends sold out big time by failing to implement even one democratic reform in the five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. “Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have learned to enjoy the gravy train good life, they will never rock the boat!) Zanu PF cronies openly boasted during the GNU when asked why MDC were not implementing reforms.

Mliswa would have joined his fellow Zanu PF cronies in celebrating the end of the GNU in 2013 with not even a token reform in place. They all knew that as long as Zanu PF retained its carte blanche powers to rigged elections and use wanton violence, the party would NEVER EVER lose elections as the 2008 watershed elections had shown.

Unlike in 2008 when the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut turned off and only turned back on to stop the unedited elections results be announced, it is turned on all the time. Hence the reason ZEC has only registered 250 000 in the period 2018 to May 2022 regardless of opposition’s effort to register six million, for example!

Of course, Themba Mliswa knows it is futile to participating in these flawed and illegal elections – the opposition will only give the process some modicum of credibility and legitimacy. He does not care about that because he also knows that Zanu PF will give away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate. He won one of these bait seats in the last elections and that is all he cares about.

“I am related to Didymus Mutasa and Emmerson Mnangagwa. And Nelson Chamisa is my sekuru (uncle).” Argued Mliswa. “Am I able to advance national interest? Yes I am!”

I judge people on merit and not on their political connections, gender, tribe, age, etc. The Zanu PF dictatorship is at the heart of the nation’s economic and political mess and only an idiot would think perpetuating the dictatorship for selfish reasons is in the national interest!

In his ranting and raving Mliswa revealed that he has studied and worked for some of the world-renowned education institutions in UK, USA and Japan. I for one was disappointed that Mliswa had clearly learned nothing; he did not even have the common sense to know one cannot have free and fair elections without something as basic as a verified voters’ roll.

It goes to show, one can take an ape out of the jungle, but you cannot take the jungle mentality out of the ape! Zimbabwe’s corrupted electoral system has allowed apes to be MPs and no wonder the country is in serious trouble! And the solution is to break this cycle of rigged elections that has kept the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF thugs in power for 42 years.

We cannot stop Zanu PF rigging the 2023 elections nor can we stop Mliswa, his uncle Chamisa and the rest in the opposition camp participating in the flawed and illegal elections. What we can and must do is stop SADC endorsing the flawed process and granting Zanu PF legitimacy.

There is a lot more to implementing the democratic reforms and holding free and fair elections than restoring a fundamental right; it is the essence of good governance and our ticket out of the hellhole Zanu PF have dragged us into!

Themba Mliswa taught at Eton College and yet does not even have the common sense to know what constitute free, fair and credible elections. He and his like must not have the final say in 2023 elections!

(Right Honourable MP Themba Mliswa’s ranting, and raving audio is available on facebook.com/zimeye/videos/508767777357655/?flite=scwspnss)

"Is Chin'ono nd Chamisa truly working for povo or they are Zanu PF double agents?" W Mukori

 

Simba Chikanza’s Zimeye expose “The Dark Side Of Hopewell Chin’ono: Serious Frauds Destroying Zimbabwe Forever” have shattered the naivety of assuming political advisers like Chin’ono are innocent and that opposition leaders like Chamisa still committed to the common cause of implementing reforms and free elections!!!!

“It is so easy to pontificate whilst you are doing nothing on the ground.

1. Most businesses are owned or controlled by people with ZANUPF links, Meikles, Pick and Pay etc.

2. Provide me with the evidence that Mnangagwa owns @HotplateGrillh1 so we know.”

Chikanza quoted a Hopewell Chin’ono 15 March, 2022 tweet. Chin’ono was replying FoxLion2028 who was questioning the political wisdom of CCC receiving a very generous donation from a known Zanu PF insider.   

“Dude I have no time for silly arguments.

@CCCZimbabwe needs the US$150 000 for by election,” continued Chin’ono.

It turned out that the owner of Hot Plate Grill, a Mr Benson Muneri, was very close confidant of the First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa. A few months before the above incident Mr Muneri had called Simba Chikanza warning him against asking her ‘hard questions’. Interestingly, the following day, Hopewell Chino’no called too over the same matter, accusing him of “blackmailing” the First Lady.

Hopewell Chin'ono became a darling of the nation when he exposed the alleged US$60m Covid-19 procurement fraud within the health ministry. The Minister of Health, Obadiah Moyo, was sacked.

It is common for Zanu PF leaders to use corruption or some such charges to punish one of their own. It is widely believed that the 1980s Willowvale Motor Scandal, commonly known as “Willowgate”, for example was used to weed out some Zanu PF leaders whilst others were left untouched. Minister Moyo has arrested but released without even spending single night in prison.  

Chin’ono has since taken up many other human rights clauses like the collapse of the nation’s health care services and blames the government for the collapse.

Hopewell Chin’ono, together with the late Alex Magaisa and Professor Jonathan Moyo (before he fell out with Chamisa) have been the self-appointed principal advisers to country’s opposition leaders and Nelson Chamisa in particular. Chin’ono must have raised millions of dollars for CCC since the party’s launch in January this year.

Chin’ono was arrested a few months after his corruption story came out and spent several weeks in prison before the case was dismissed by the courts. He has since been arrested and jailed on what many believe are frivolous charges and punishment for being a critic of the Zanu PF regime.

It is a real surprise therefore that Hopewell Chin’ono should turn out to be a close confidant of Zimbabwe’s First Lady and would have another First Lady confidant and “Mnangagwa clan” member, as Foxlion2028 called Muneri, bankroll CCC’s political activities!

“Is Chin’ono truly working in favour of the opposition to help it win, or it’s all a counterintelligence operation?” asked Simba Chikanza.

This is a very logical question, indeed, long overdue; given the countless surprise decisions the country’s opposition has made. The insistence by the opposition on participating in these flawed elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was blatantly rigging the process, the opposition would never ever win, and that by participating the opposition would only give Zanu PF legitimacy.

The alternative to participating in the flawed and illegal elections was to demand the implementation of reforms before elections. Decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption by this Zanu PF dictatorship has left the country is economic ruins “Mugabe would lose the elections to a donkey, if the elections were free and fair” Professor Moyo commented in 2008.

Indeed, during the 2008 to 2013 MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship. They failed to implement even one token reform and we know why! Robert Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office, the ministerial limos, the very generous salaries and allowance, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. And with their snouts in the feeding trough, they forgot about the reforms.

“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC people have learnt to enjoy the trappings of gravy train, they will never rock the boat!) boasted Zanu PF cronies when asked why MDC leaders were not implementing the reforms.

It should be noted that the late Alex Magaisa was Morgan Tsvangirai’s chief adviser during the later part of the GNU. There is nothing Magaisa has ever said to suggest he was disappointed MDC wasted the golden opportunity to implement the reforms; on the contrary, he boasted of his achievements then. Both Chin’ono and Professor Moyo had nothing but praise for the late Dr Magaisa’s contribution during the GNU.

It is inconceivable that these two gentlemen would have failed to enormity of MDC’s failure to implement even one democratic reform in our fight to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. For Pete’s sake, the primary task of the GNU was to implement the democratic reforms. But of course, if you are a Zanu PF crony of double agent, the number one task was to make sure not even one token reform was implemented.

The number one task for the Zanu PF cronies and double agent since the GNU is to make sure the opposition participate in these flawed and illegal elections by giving them foolish advice and, of course, bribing them.

The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elected MDC leaders into power on the understanding the party will implement the democratic changes necessary to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. After 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU, MDC/CCC has failed to implement even one token reform. Indeed, since the GNU debacle MDC/CCC leaders have resigned to participating in flawed elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy in return for a share of the spoils of power.

It is a common mistake to view opposition as the equal victims, together with the ordinary people, of the country’s rigged elections. Nelson Chamisa made a big song and dance of how Mnangagwa rigged the 2018 elections but that will not stop Chamisa and his CCC friends participating in the 2023 elections with no reforms to stop another rigged elections because they are after the 1/3 or so gravy train seats on offer. 

Of course, Chamisa and company would love to have a lot more of the spoils, still they are doing infinitely better than the ordinary people who life is hell-on-earth under this corrupt and oppressive Zanu PF dictatorship.

“Is Chin’ono and Chamisa truly working for the long suffering ordinary Zimbabweans or are they Zanu PF double agents masquerading as opposition adviser and politician respectively?” to paraphrase Simba Chikanza.

Zanu PF rigged 2018 and, with no reforms, is rigging 2023 too - must be denied legitimacy, this time Patrick Guramatunhu

 

There are three questions anyone serious about getting Zimbabwe out of this economic and political mess must asked oneself, a CCC supporter and, most important of all, any CCC leaders including Nelson Chamisa himself.

(It is utterly pointless asking a Zanu PF supporter or leader because neither of them are serious about getting Zimbabwe out of the mess. They are the ones who dragged the nation into the mess by imposing the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship and have no intention of dismantling it because they are benefiting from it.)

1)     Were the 2018 elections free, fair and credible?

2)     Why did the nation participate in the 2018 elections if people knew the process was not going to be free, fair and credible?

3)     What has been done to stop 2023 being rigged too?

Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. After 42 years of rigged elections we, in Zimbabwe, must not go into the 2023 elections expecting the process to be free, fair and credible when we have done nothing to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections for the umpteenth time!

One sure way to cure ourselves of the insanity of participating in these flawed elections, we pretend they are free and fair only to complain they were rigged when the results are out, is to bite the bullet and answer these questions truthfully. The consequences of yet another rigged election is five more years of this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship – that reality should help concentrate the minds!

1)     Were the 2018 elections free, fair and credible?

 

The 2008 elections were the watershed elections in that Zanu PF blatantly cheated in whittling down Tsvangirai’s 73% in the March vote to 47% to force a runoff. In the runoff the party then used wanton violence to punish the electorate for having rejected the party in the March vote. Tsvangirai was forced to withdraw from the runoff leaving Mugabe to win the one-horse race by 84%.

 

Both SADC and AU, the regional body and the continental body, refused to endorse Zanu PF election victory and thus denying the party political legitimacy. A first, given both bodies had always turned a blind eye to Zanu PF rigged elections in the past.

 

SADC forced Mugabe and Zanu PF to agree to the implementation of democratic reforms designed to restore the induvial freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections; thus, stopping Zanu PF rigging elections. The 2008 to 2013 GNU, comprising Zanu PF and the two MDC factions, was tasked to implement the reforms.

 

Sadly, not even one meaningful reform was implemented in five years. Not even one. Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of power and, with their snouts in the feeding trough, they forgot about the reforms.

 

And so, at the end of the GNU Zanu PF retained all its dictatorial powers including the carte blanche powers to cheat and use violence to rig elections. The party rigged the 2013 and all elections thereafter including the 2018 or be it the party has been very careful to conceal evidence of the rigging.

 

Therefore, the short answer to the question, is no the 2018 elections were not free and fair.

 

2)     Why did the nation participate in the 2018 elections if people knew the process was not going to be free, fair and credible?

 

There was no denying that Zanu PF rigged the 2013 elections, this was to be expected given no reforms to stop the rigging were implemented during the GNU. It was a certainty Zanu PF was going to rig the 2018 elections too since not even one token reform was implemented after 2013.

 

The few ordinary CCC supporters who understood the need for reforms would argue they participated in the 2018 elections with no reforms because they believed Chamisa’s claim the party “had stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” It was all hot air, of course. The overwhelming majority of the members are naïve and gullible; they always follow blindly like sheep to the slaughter.

 

If the CCC leaders being honest, then they will admit they participated in the 2018 elections knowing fully well Zanu PF was rigging and that by participating they would give the regime legitimacy for the same reasons they did not implement any reforms during the GNU – incompetence and greed.

    

3)     What has been done to stop Zanu PF rigging the 2023 elections too?

 

Nothing!

 

Chamisa’s winning in rigged election strategies such as the mass voter registration are just hot air. By 30 May 2022, CCC registered ¼ million or 4% of its own set target of 6 million!

 

Zanu PF is rigging these elections and, by participating, CCC will help give Zanu PF legitimacy in return for a few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away to entice the opposition’s participation.

There is very little anyone can do to stop Zanu PF rigging these elections or stop CCC leaders and their gullible supporters participating in the flawed elections.

The one thing people can do is expose the election process for what it is – a farce and mockery. How can the election be free and fair when there is not even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s sake!

Pressure must be brought to bear on SADC; especially those member countries like SA, Zambia and Botswana that have successfully held free and fair elections; not to grant Zanu PF legitimacy after rigging 2023 elections.

Ending the insanity of participating in rigged elections only to perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship is the holy grail for all the crusaders fighting in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's many problems are but microcosm of our failure to think for ourselves W Mukori

 

·        Man is a creature of reason; all humans are born with inert potential to think and reason.

 

·        Some people have lost the ability to reason out of drunken stupor, laziness or some such reasons.

 

In 1984 I came across a horrific road accident just outside Kadoma on my way to Harare. A Peugeot 406 station wagon, a Pirate Taxi, had failed to negotiate a bend, and rolled down the embankment. It had flipped on to its side, on its roof, flipped on to the other side and then landed back on its wheels.

There was a cloud of dust and ash (from a recent grass fire) in the still air when I got there, five minutes or so after the accident. I pulled over, to help.

The car ploughed a deep scar in the dry earth, travelling a good fifty metres or so off the road. It must have been flying!

There was the smell of petrol in the air and the pressing issue was get everyone out of the wreck and a safe distance away. More help soon arrived as a few more cars stopped to help. Among the helper was a nurse who had travelled from Harare to Norton in the vehicle on route to Gweru. She had insisted on getting off in Norton when her pleas with the driver to slow down had fallen on deaf ears. The driver’s assistant was drunk, and he had whistled cheerfully as the vehicle raced along.

When they stopped in Norton and she saw the drive and his assistant drink, she decided there and then to get out. She had paid the full fare to Gweru and the two would not refund her for the balance.

Five or so minutes after pulling out, what everyone had assumed was the last person out of the wrecked car, everyone was surprised to hear the car creak open. Out crawled this ghostly figure covered in dust and black ash. The twilight of the recently set sun, enhanced his ghostly appearance.

The ghost muttered something about needing a recess. He walked a few metres away from the car and had a piss.

“Ngai gebe! Hindava kumira pasina Bottle Store!” (Let’s go! Why did you stop where there is no Bottle Store!) He first thing he had noticed there was there was no Bottle Store, for him to buy more beer!

Before he got back in the car, he finally realised there was no one in the car and the sorry state of the car. “What happened?”

“Dzasukwa!” commented the nurse, her voice heavy anger.

“Dzasukwa” was drunk driver’s assistant who had egged the speeding with his whistling.  The name Dzasukwa was in reference to one who drinks to excess, who will not leave a drinking party until all the beer pots are empty and washed. He and the driver were drinking buds.

It seems Dzasukwa had slept through the racket of the accident. In the scramble to get out, he had been pushed on the floor of the back seats. The accident was just a nightmare only to wake up to answer the call of nature!

Three people died in the accident, the driver and two passengers including a small boy. All five of the remaining travellers, including Dzasukwa, had broken limbs and/or ribs including. The mother of the small boy was broken heartened.

“The worst thing about this tragic human suffering and loss of life,” remarked the nurse “is that it could have been easily avoided if only common sense had prevailed!”  

The accident was a microcosm of the tragedy that has fallen on Zimbabwe these last 42 years. Common sense dictated that alcohol and speeding were a recipe for disaster. And yet the passengers in the car had not raised their objections on the drinking and speeding even when the nurse had seized the initiative.

Zimbabwe is in a serious economic mess and political paralysis after 42 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and lawlessness that has left the country in economic ruins and a failed pariah state. The nation has been stuck with the Zanu PF dictatorship all these years because the regime rigged the elections.

One does not need a degree in political science to know one can never hold free, fair and credible elections without something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, when voters are frog marched to vote for a particular party, etc. And that the failure to hold those in positions of power and authority will only encourage them to abuse their power with the disastrous consequences of corruption and tyrannical rule.

It took 20 years, from 1980 to the late 1990s, for most Zimbabweans to finally accept that Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies were corrupt and murderous thugs. The people also realised that the only peaceful way to end the Zanu dictatorship was by implementing the democratic reforms designed to stop the regime rigging the elections. For the last 22 years they have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders to implement the reforms.

There has been no political change, Zanu PF has remained in power because MDC has failed to implement even one token reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. Again, it beggars belief that the people have yet to realise that MDC have given up on reforms and free elections and have settled for a few gravy train seats as a reward from Zanu PF for participating in flawed elections to give the regime legitimacy.    

When Zimbabwe gained her independence in 1980, we, the people of Zimbabwe, should have become masters of our own destiny but, by failing to hold those in positions of power and authority to account, have allowed drunkards and tyrants to drag us all into this hell-on-earth. The root cause of tragic human suffering and loss of many lives in Zimbabwe today is a result of rigged elections and bad governance; man-made problems we can easily solve, if only we allowed reason and common sense to prevailed!