Chamisa and co are hell bent on participating in flawed 2023 elections out of greed - pure and simple N Garikai

 

Nelson Chamisa and his CCC friends are hell bent on participating in these 2023 elections just as they have done in 2013 and 2018. They are after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF is giving away as bait, they have very rarely admitted it offering all manner of feeble excuses to hide their greed.

David Coltart, Treasurer General of CCC and a senior MDC member ever since the party’s formation in 1999 and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, is one of the few who have admitted that the two MDC factions participated in the 2013 elections out of greed, pure and simple! Here is what he said:

“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,” wrote Senator 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.”

There are ten key points we can pick and/or infer from this quotation:

1)     That electoral process was not just flawed and illegal, but “so illegal, that the only logical, obvious, step was to withdraw”

2)     That withdrawing from the election (which is what SADC itself had argued MDC leaders to do at the SADC Summit in Maputo in June 2013) would have “compelled SADC to hold Zanu PF to account”. In other words SADC would have denied Zanu PF legitimacy.

3)     Neither MDC – T nor MDC N would do the logical and obvious thing because of greed “neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats”. Zanu PF needed the opposition to participate to get legitimacy and was giving away the few gravy train seats to entice them to participate.

4)     The argument that Zanu PF would have got legitimacy regardless if one had participated is frivolous, to say the least, particularly since neither MDC – T nor MDC -N leaders had submitted even one reform proposal during the five years on which the justification to postpone the elections was based.

5)     Indeed, even after failing to submit even one reform during the GNU either MDC faction should have seen boycott the election as their chance to redeem themselves by doing the obvious and logical thing!

6)     SADC would have denied Zanu PF legitimacy even if only one MDC faction had boycotted the 2013 elections because the is historic precedence in this – Smith failed to get legitimacy from the 1978 Zimbabwe-Rhodesia internal settlement because only Muzorewa and Sithole had participated. Zanu and Zapu did the obvious thing and boycotted.

7)     Denouncing these flawed and illegal elections and CCC’s selling out has put SADC under increased pressure to deny Zanu PF legitimacy.

8)     If the flawed 2023 election fail to produce a legitimate government then Zimbabwe will be compelled once again to find a transition arrangement similar to the 2008 GNU. This time competent men and women will be appointed to implement all the democratic reforms.

9)     Just because the Zanu PF and MDC GNU failed to implement even one reform does not mean we don’t need the reforms. Ordinary men and women can and will implement the reforms – it is not rocket science!

10)  It is insane to keep participating in an election process so flawed and illegal not even getting 73% of the vote was good enough to secure regime change! And the nation is being dragged into this madness by the very men and women povo risked life and limb to end the Zanu PF dictatorship – Chamisa and company!

Lecturers get cars and 50% rise on their slave wages - for such is the benevolence of a tyrant W Mukori

 

"Donations for Solusi from the head of State ED:

2 new buses, 4 new tractors with accessories, one new truck, cars for all academic deans, one for the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor. We praise the Lord for His goodness! 🙏🙏

 

Additional donations.

-13 green houses.  - 250 hectares to be put under irrigation

- cafeteria meals heavily subsidized to 50c from 2 USD per meal

- 50% salary increment for lecturers.

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages”

― Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature & Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol 1

Zimbabwe has lost a staggering 500 plus lecturers from the nation’s twenty or so Colleges and Universities in the last 12 months alone. Education, health care and many, many other professions have all but collapsed due to the chronic shortage of qualified staff. The nation’s skilled workers have been leaving the country in droves for the last two decades – they are running away from slave wages and poor working conditions.

Selous University lecturers will not be amused with the 50% salary increase when the know inflation is 250% plus and certain to rise!

We live in a pariah state and, per se, are all forced to rely on the benevolence of a corrupt and ruthless tyrant and, to add insult to economic hardships, we have no democratic say in the matter. No wonder millions, who can, have voted with their feet. If SADC leaders make the mistake of giving vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy next year, even more Zimbabweans will be forced to leave the country in economic and political despair!  

If Commonwealth welcomes vote rigging Zanu PF then democratic Zimbabwe will walk out! W Mukori

 

A Commonwealth team headed by Assistant Secretary-General, Prof. Luis Franceschi, is in Zimbabwe today, Saturday 12^th until Thursday, 17^th November 2022.

The delegation's visit is a part of the informal process of assessing Zimbabwe's request for re-admission into the Commonwealth. Like most other former British colonies, Zimbabwe was a member but was booted out for failing to adhere to the organisation’s values and principles.

Zimbabwe is a failed state led by ruthless and cantankerous thugs. Ever since the country’s independence in 1980, Zanu PF thugs who have ridden roughshod over the ordinary people; denying them their basic freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country and even the right to life!

In 2003, after repeated warning to the regime to stop rigging elections and other serious human rights violation, it clear the organisation was going to boot Zimbabwe out. Mugabe jumped before he was pushed!

Soon after the 2017 military coup that ousted the late dictator Robert Mugabe after 37 years as head of Zanu PF and head of state; Emmerson Mnangagwa, his successor, has pushed hard to have Zimbabwe readmitted into the Commonwealth. He was told one of the key demands would be for Zimbabwe would be for the 2018 elections must be free, fair and credible.

Zanu PF refused to implement even one token reform and went on to blatantly rig the elections. The regime failed to produce even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, failed to stamp out corruption, etc., etc. and thus confirmed that the 2017 military coup had changed nothing. Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by thugs and all that had changed.

The Commonwealth had no choice but to turn down Zimbabwe’s 2018 application for re-joining.

Since the 2018 elections Zanu PF has not implemented even one token democratic reforms to suggest the regime’s willing to embrace change and rule of law. Not a sausage!

Indeed, Zimbabwe is heading for new nationwide elections next year, as early as March and July at the latest. And all the signs show that Zanu PF is set to rig these elections and is even using wanton violence to be absolutely certain of electoral victory.

It is therefore disconcerting that a high-power Commonwealth membership assessment team is in Zimbabwe, suggesting the organisation is considering the country’s application serious consideration. Like it or not will claim the visit is proof that the country is no longer a pariah state and the regime’s re-engagement drive is working.

It would be unforgivable if the Commonwealth was to readmit Zimbabwe BEFORE the 2023 elections. It will be a propaganda coup, for Zanu PF.

It would be unforgivable if the Commonwealth was to endorse a Zanu PF rigged 2023 election, giving the regime legitimacy and thus perpetuating the dictatorship. If an autocratic ruled Zimbabwe is welcome back into the Commonwealth then Zimbabwe will be walking out of Commonwealth at the earliest opportunity, the Commonwealth will not be the right organisation for a self-respecting and democratic Zimbabwe!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGhNS-4TAUg

Mnangagwa is at UN COP27 in Egypt to mourn about sanctions, for photo opportunity and nothing else! N Garikai

 Yes, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is in Egypt for UN COP27 Climate Summit. He will, no doubt, be accompanied by the usual high-powered delegation of hangers-on. He will complain of how sanctions are stopping Zimbabwe from addressing the Climate change challenges and call for the sanctions to be lifted. He will also call on the developed nations to honour their Climate Fund commitments; hoping against hope that Zimbabwe will get something regardless of the country’s reputation as one of the most corrupt and wasteful nations.

But most important of all, COP27 is a photo opportunity, Mnangagwa would hurt to miss!

To UN official COP27 stands for “27^th Conference of the Parties”, to many people it is just a talking shop and to many third world leaders it is another opportunity to pile on the pressure on the developed nations for handouts.

 UK PM Rishi Sunak says UK remains committed to £11.6 billion climate fund to help developing countries to cope with the ill effects of climate change and to transition from present position of emitting green-house gases to net zero emission.  

Third world countries like Zimbabwe’s failure to stamp out corruption has given some of the developed countries the excuse drag their feet on their commitments to the climate fund. They know whatever countries like Zimbabwe get, they will waste most of it. Zimbabwe received the least covid-19 aid for the same reason – corruption.

Former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo was sacked when details came out that he was behind the looting of US$60 million, in donated covid 19 funds. The case has been kicked into touch, which is the norm given Zanu PF catch and release policy!

The Earth’s temperature has increased exponentially to march the rise of green-house gases released into the atmosphere. warming continues to rise. The average global temperature has risen by 1.15 degrees Centigrade in the last 300 years, marking start of the industrial revolution and the increased consumption of fossil fuel to power the machines.

The increase in the Earth’s average temperature, only 1.15 degrees Centigrade, has cause very significant climate changes. The temperature rise has resulted in glaciers melting resulting in significant sea level rise and flood many coastal land and cities. The temperature variation has disrupted the weather pattern increasing the frequency and extend of extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, floods, drought, etc.

“We are in the fight of our lives and we are losing … And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible,” UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres warned in his COP 27 opening remarks.

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”    

Like it or not we, in the developing countries have contributed the least to global warming and yet we are the ones paying most dearly for it. Whenever those in the developed nations catch flu, we in the developing world are coughing blood or worse! It is therefore in our interest to play a more positive role in fighting global warming by making sure every dollar we receive from the Climate Fund is used wisely and accounted for!

For Zimbabwe to play a meaningful role in fighting Climate Change, we must first implement the democratic reforms and end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. Because as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs, in power because they rig elections, nothing of substance will change!

If ED and Chamisa made up, sanctions will be lifted and all will live happily ever after - how naive and flippant W Mukori

 

“Imagine President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa embarking on an international campaign against sanctions. That move alone would be a sign of political maturity and patriotism and would contribute to national common purpose and unity. But to do so the two would need to agree on what sanctions mean to Zimbabwe. This kind of consensus will not happen any time soon because they have both weaponised the sanctions for political gain,” wrote Trevor Ncube in recent Bulawayo 24 article.  

“Many in the opposition, including Chamisa himself, argue insincerely that all sanctions are targeted and have no effect on the man on the street. Their view is that sanctions are a fitting punishment for those in the ruling party who have played a big role in Zimbabwe's worsening misfortunes.

They purposefully ignore what scholars have long unveiled, namely that sanctions are a form of warfare - Fourth Generation warfare. (See Nicholas Mulder: "The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War). According to Mulder, sanctions are intended to cut "off a country from all access to the international economy and wait for it to exhaust itself or succumb to political revolution or social collapse."

He further postulates: "Economic sanctions have long been considered a nonviolent deterrent, but ironically they have become a tool of modern warfare."

It is clear that Mr Ncube not only agrees with Signor Mulder that sanctions are a weapon of war but more significantly that the sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe are a weapon of war!  

“Chamisa is overly aware of this lethal effect of sanctions on Zimbabwe but because he sees them as a weapon to fight his way to State power, fat chance that he can team up with Mnangagwa to fight for their removal,” he writes.

It is important to remind the reader at this stage who Trevor Ncube is. He signed off as “Alpha Media Holdings chairman”, the biggest independent print and electronic publications in Zimbabwe and owner of Mail and Guardian is SA.

The media is often considered the fourth pillar in a healthy and functioning democracy (other three being Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) tasked to inform and educate the people. Democracy, as government of the people, for the people and by the people will not work unless the people are informed. In a country like Zimbabwe the importance of the independent media is even more important than ever given it has the added task of countering Zanu PF propaganda from the dominant public media.

By describing the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe as “weapon of war” was giving traction to the Zanu PF propaganda lie that sanctions are the root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown.

Zimbabwe’s economy was already in serious trouble long before the sanctions were imposed in 2001. The country adopted the IMF and WB sponsored 1990 to 1995 Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) precisely because the economy was in trouble. When that programme failed to revive the economy, the country signed another one, the 1995 to 1999 ESAP. That too failed to revive the economy.

It was at the end of the second ESAP that the IMF and WB stopped giving Zimbabwe any financial assistance because the country was failing to service its debts. Many other financial institutions followed IMF and WB’s lead sending the country’s credit rating to junk status.

“Sanctions bar banks from doing business with the targeted country,” argued Trevor Ncube.

Indeed, when the West imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe, Mugabe was very dismissive claiming he would do business with the East. His “Look East!” mantra did not last long because the Chinese too stopped giving Zimbabwe financial assistance for the same reason, “Nǐ bù huánzhài!” (You don’t pay your debt!) the Chinese obliged to told Mugabe to his face!

“High-level corruption is a tax on the already overburdened taxpayer. Apart from taking from the poor and giving to the political elite and politically connected, high-level corruption has created a subculture of corruption everywhere. Corruption is a national cancer that is crippling provision of basic services to the poor and marginalised and must be decisively dealt with,” Ncube argued.

After going to town about economic hardships brought on by sanctions it is a damp squib to then give the real root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and political paralysis a passing coverage.

One more key point Mr Trevor Ncube failed to point out is that sanctions is one of the tools used to pressure the ruling party to concede the need for meaningful democratic changes including the holding of free, fair and credible elections. Whilst the economic and political UN sanctions imposed on white-ruled Rhodesia caused far more economic hardships than the current West sanctions, all the black nationalists called for their imposition. They argued the economic hardship were worth the sacrifice to help end white colonial oppression. We are now being asked to believe that sanctions will not help end black oppression!

“Imagine President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa embarking on an international campaign against sanctions. That move alone would be a sign of political maturity and patriotism and would contribute to national common purpose and unity!”

The sheer naivety of that statement beggars belief! I would expect that from one of the brainwashed Zimbabweans, not a leading intellectual and trailblazer!

The West will never allow murderous demagogues like Mnangagwa and/or incompetent sell outs like Chamisa dictator their foreign policy. Zanu PF and MDC cooperated, at least in the sharing of the spoils of power, during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and were of one accord in the call to lift the sanctions. The West ignore the call because there was no evidence of Zanu PF dismantling the dictatorship. None!

Interestingly, the economy registered a 12% growth in 2009 to 2010, although sanctions had remained throughout the GNU, largely because the GNU scrapped the Z$ forcing the hyperinflation to fall from the dizzying height of 500 billion percent. Proof the economic meltdown was not caused by the sanctions. A few sound economic policies were enough to restore some sanity in the economic and generate some economic growth.

The economic recovery registered in the first year of the GNU fizzled out when it became clear MDC, much less Zanu PF, leaders were going to implement any democratic reforms to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship.

Although the EU 2018 Zimbabwe election observer mission issued a damning report on the elections. The EU Foreign Ministers decided to lift all the sanctions imposed of Harare, that has not translated into any meaningful economic recovery because Zimbabwe is still a pariah state plagued by mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness.

Zimbabwe is heading for new elections next year, 2023, and there is already overwhelming evidence to show Zanu PF is rigging the elections. There not even one reform recommendation has been implemented, there is no verified voters’ rolls, cases of Zanu PF orchestrated political violence are on the rise, etc., etc.

The suggestion that the sanctions will be lifted and Zimbabwe will enjoy peace and economic prosperity if only Mnangagwa and Chamisa kissed and made up; regardless of the reality of the country remaining a pariah state with rampant corruption, etc.; is laughable. Especially when the foolish suggestion is coming from someone who should know better!

Still, the foolish suggestion explains why Zimbabwe is in this seemingly intractable economic mess and political paralysis. If Zimbabwean intellectuals are so flippant about the country’s economic and political crisis, why should the rest of the world care when we  clearly don’t care!

"Delighted with great energy put to rejoin Commonwealth". Nonsense! Name one reform Zanu PF has implemented, just one! N Garikai

 

"On the question of re-admission of Zimbabwe into the Commonwealth, Zimbabwe has made an application to come home (get back into the Commonwealth fold) and re-joining or joining is a three-stage process,'' said Mrs Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General. She was the guest of honour at the official opening ceremony of Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, SA.

"The stage where we are now with regards to Zimbabwe is that the Commonwealth Secretariat will visit the country in November this year and this team will assess the situation on the ground and then report back so that all members of the Commonwealth can come up with a position on Zimbabwe's application to re-join.''

Mrs Scotland said she was "delighted that Zimbabwe is putting a great deal of energy and commitment  to be re-admitted back into the Commonwealth".

Delighted! Yes, the Zanu PF government has “put a great deal of energy” in lobbying everyone who can help swing the decision in its favour but has done nothing to address the human rights violation and failure to hold free and fair elections – the root causes it was booted out of the club in the first place!

Zimbabwe first applied to be readmitted into the Commonwealth in 2018. The application was turned down because the country failed to hold free, fair and credible elections. The country has not implemented even one token reforms to ensure the next elections due next year in 2023 are free and fair.

Zimbabwe has failed to produce something as basic to free and fair elections as a verified voters’ roll. The party has just publicly admitted the 2023 voters’ roll in in a mess. The elections are due end of July 2023 at the latest, but many believe they will happen as early as March. Either way, there is no time to clean up and produce a verified voters roll.

There is no doubt that Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections just as it has rigged all the other elections in the past.

Of course, it is worrying that anyone should be praising Zanu PF for its commitment to re-join the Commonwealth when it is done nothing to meet the set target to join. It is real disconcerting when the misplace praise is coming just a few months before the elections Zanu PF is rigging way in advance already.

Zanu PF has mastered the art of lobbying, harassing and even threaten other nations to get what it wants. The party has lobbied other African nations to rally behind its anti-sanction campaign. Every one knows that mismanagement and corruption are the root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. The regime’s nagged endlessly about sanction SADC has even put aside 25 October as the Anti-Sanctions Day and to demand the lifting of the sanction imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.

No doubt Zanu PF will be lobbying all the Commonwealth members, especially the African members, to support Zimbabwe’s readmission regardless of the country’s failure to restore human rights and the rule of law.

Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean will be disappointed if the Commonwealth was to appease a corrupt and tyrannical regime at the expense of the millions of ordinary Zimbabwean fighting for their rights and human dignity. This would be particularly shameful to the Commonwealth if SADC, which has endorsed Zanu PF rigged elections in the past, was to stand-up to Zanu PF condemned the 2023 elections as a farce!

Voters' roll is in a mess, Zanu PF admits - will SADC still stamp 2023 "substantial free" regardless W Mukori

One thing can be said about Zimbabwe’s political leaders; they are breathtakingly incompetent, and, in their blundering, have knack for shooting themselves in the foot!

When the late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends failed to implement even one meaningful democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU; that was mass political suicide, the preserve of cult groups. MDC lost direction and political credibility there and then and have never recovered.

Mnangagwa has just shot himself in the foot as before the start of the 2023 harmonised elections! He has just admitted that the voters roll is in a mess and needs serious scrutiny and audit for it to be credible.

"We received a report of manipulated voters rolls from different people. As such, the department conducted a mini-audit of the voters roll for Harare West. The department unearthed several anomalies, including multiple registrants on a single house and non-existent addresses,” stated the Zanu PF Central Committee report tabled at the just ended Zanu PF 7^th National People’s Congress.

"However, the time of objecting had elapsed, so we resolved to conduct a national voters roll audit, particularly in towns and cities ahead of 2023 elections."

It is no secret that ZEC, the body tasked to produce the voters roll and conduct the elections, is a department of Zanu PF in all but name. Yes, there are glaring irregularities and downright illegalities in the voters’ roll but, dig deeper, and one will find these were brought in at the behest of Zanu PF officials and with the connivance of ZEC officials who turned a blind eye.

In his Book, “The Struggle Continues 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe”, David Coltart gave a detailed account how ZEC, in 2013, made it very difficult for people in opposition strong hold to register whereas in Zanu PF strong hold the bar was not just lowered, it was removed! Zanu PF bused in its supporters from as far afield as Rusape, 100s km, to vote in Mount Pleasant as video evidence showed!

It is a historic fact that ZEC has never ever produced a verified voters’ roll in post-independence Zimbabwe and for very a very good reason too, at least as far as Zanu PF is concerned; the voters’ roll is one of the key tools in Zanu PF’s vote rigging juggernaut and producing a verified voters’ roll will give away the concrete evidence of how the party rigged the elections.

So, it really beggars belief that Zanu PF has let the cat out of the bag that the voters’ roll is in a mess. I will bet my bottom dollar the party has already set up a high-powered committee tasked to get the cat back in the bag.

However, such is the damage done by the admission nothing short of releasing the whole voters’ roll for verification yesterday, now is already too late; will change the reality that Zanu PF is using the messy voters’ roll to rig the 2023 elections.

Even SADC election observers, who endorse the 2018 rigged elections as “substantially free and fair” will have no choice but to condemn the 2023 elections as a farce. How can the elections be “substantially free and fair” when, by the regime’s own admission, the voters’ roll is in a mess?  

"Zanu-PF's admission vindicates our long held narrative that we have a problem with Zec, and one of the issues that must be resolved before the 2023 elections is the voters roll. We have proffered what Zec must do in order to conduct a credible election, and it is not imaginary, but is within the confines of the law," commented Gift Siziba, CCC deputy spokesperson.

One can always count on CCC leaders to jump in and talk with a foot in their mouth! So, CCC readily admits that the party has known that Zanu PF was rigging elections and yet has participated in these flawed elections even when ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll!

Lest people forget, MDC (now rebranded as CCC) failed to implement even one democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU which, implemented, would have severed the umbilical cords giving Zanu PF undemocratic control over ZEC and all the other state institutions.

Yes, Mnangagwa shot himself in the foot by admitting the voters’ roll is in shambles; but we can be certain that ZEC will never ever release the roll for verification, that would be tantamount to Mnangagwa shooting himself in the head, particularly when he knows the opposition will participate and give him legitimacy. He is dumb but not that dumb.

Chamisa and company know that Zanu PF is using the messy voters’ roll as one of the ways to rig these elections. They also know that Zanu PF is giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate in the flawed elections; they have found the bribe irresistible and Mnangagwa knows that too.

The real losers here are the ordinary Zimbabweans, the country is in this economic and political mess precisely because the country has failed to hold free and fair elections. The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding the party would implement the democratic changes and stop Zanu PF rigging the elections.

It has not even occurred to many Zimbabweans that MDC has failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. And they are participating in these flawed elections because the believe the nonsense CCC can win rigged elections.

So, the nation started by risking all to have reforms and free elections is now risking all to win rigged elections? MDC not only betrayed the people by selling out on reforms but, worse still, has conned them to they can win rigged elections even ones so flawed there is verified voters’ roll!

As a rule, nations get the government they deserve. We, in Zimbabwe, certainly deserve this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with the coterie of equally corrupt and useless opposition parties. If the people do not appreciate the need for something as basic as a verified voters’ roll for free elections, then we are not ready for democratic government nor deserve one!