When Chamisa dies his epitaph will read: “Here lays a man who said a lot most of it lies and/or made no sense!” W Mukori

 "Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has urged Zimbabweans to seek solutions beyond the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the country's ongoing political and economic crisis," reported Bulawayo 24.

"As Zimbabwe prepares to host the 44th SADC summit in Harare, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa will assume the ceremonial headship of the regional body, Chamisa expressed skepticism about SADC's role in resolving Zimbabwe's issues.

"Despite placing faith in SADC after last year's disputed elections, Chamisa noted that the bloc's observer mission, which found the polls did not meet regional standards, did not lead to significant intervention. He criticized SADC's inability to act decisively, stating that while SADC is a platform, it is not the ultimate solution to Zimbabwe's problems. Chamisa emphasized that the real answer lies in the hands of Zimbabweans themselves and in divine intervention.

"Chamisa, who left the CCC earlier this year, reiterated that free and fair elections are essential to resolving Zimbabwe's challenges. He highlighted the need for proper leadership that truly represents the people, arguing that the current government is inadequate.

"Chamisa vowed to continue fighting for proper processes and leadership in Zimbabwe, aiming to address the political dispute before the next scheduled elections in 2028."

When Chamisa dies his epitaph will read: “Here lays a man who said a lot most of it lies or made no sense!” 

He is the one who insisted in participating in flawed elections claiming he had plugged all vote rigging loop holes. His winning CCC members insisted on taking up their gravy train seats even after SADC and AU had dismissed the election process as flawed and illegal. All, out of greed. And yet, he has also complained incessantly that the elections were rig and SADC should have taken decisive action against Zanu PF. 

Chamisa is just a 40 plus year old man with the intellect of a 10 year old’s child. One idea he has yet to learn is that he cannot have his cake and eat it too. He has been warned of the folly of participating in flawed elections he has insisted on participating out of greed, have the few gravy train seats rewards, and complain he process is flawed so he can have the process nullified and get even more gravy train seats in the GNU. 

Zimbabweans should be focusing on ensuring reforms are implemented before 2028 elections or else no one should participate. Instead, we are wasting time in cat-and-mouse street protest vs a regime determined to stop all the protests. 

Selling Zimbabwe as prosperous and democratic country to SADC leaders is proving to be mission impossible. W Mukori

 

“The forthcoming 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government penciled for the 17th of August has needlessly generated so much brouhaha , propaganda and has heightened tensions between the regime, its functionaries and citizens," wrote Wonder Bvungura. 

"The regime in Harare has been making a song and dance about the summit , kicking up unnecessary dust and pulling out all stops to obviate the unforeseen.

 

Smith -era roads have been resurfaced, buildings facelifted trees painted and spruced up to hide the rot of 44 years thanks to Zanu PF's misrule. 

Buses from the ailing parastatal, Zupco, have been plastered with ED's unprepossessing visage wearing his signature reptilian smile heralding him as the in coming Sadc chairperson. 

So much airplay has been devoted to odious jingles adulating ED's manifestly failing leadership and congratulating him for, perish the thought, becoming the next Sadhaki chair. 

Forgotten Zanu pf praise singers , Mbare Chimurenga choir , now wrinkled, has been exhumed to reprise their role as cheerleaders and do another round of tasteless renditions to their yesteryear pro-Mugabe songs to praise ED.” 

There is only so much propaganda and whitewash can do to cover the rot and decay of 44 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption hence the reasons the designated drivers who are to ferry the visitors around have been instructed to use designated routes only! 

The regime has taken tyrannical measures to silence all those who were going to protest and remind SADC leaders that Zanu PF rigged the 2023 elections. Something the regime has vehemently denied but to no end because SADC leaders know the election were rigged from SADC Election Observer Mission’s report! 

Mnangagwa rigged 2023 election and, per se, is illegitimate. He stifling all dissent for appearance's sake. W Mukori

 Tyrant and bullies have one thing in common they are obsessed about appearance of those qualities they lack. The bully will step on your toes, crash them, for the umpteenth time that day, and then apologise profusely. To the casual observer the bully is the consummate gentleman and the victim is the cry baby!

“President Emmerson Mnangagwa has accused foreign entities of orchestrating a campaign to discredit Zimbabwe in response to international condemnation of his administration's crackdown on pro-democracy activists. The criticism follows the arrest of over 100 activists, some of whom have been reportedly tortured while in custody,” reported Bulawayo 24.

“Addressing mourners at the burial of former liberation fighter Makhethi Ndebele, Mnangagwa claimed that there is a deliberate, foreign-funded effort to undermine Zimbabwe's progress. He denounced the allegations as baseless and asserted that such attempts to sow discord within the region and the continent will not succeed. Mnangagwa emphasized that Zimbabwe remains committed to its diplomatic principle of being "a friend to all and an enemy to none.”

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s seeming unending social unrest is the country’s economic meltdown which has left the country in economic ruins forcing millions to leave the country and 50% of the population living in abject poverty. Basic services such as health care and education have all but collapsed and the country’s infrastructure are in varying stages of rot and deny. 

44 years of Zanu PF gross mismanagement, rampant corrupt and tyrannical rule have crashed the nation’s hopes and dreams of ever living in peace and human dignity. 

Of course, the people are restless because human being are not sheep who will go quietly to the slaughter. No amount of tyrannical repression will stifle the cries of the long suffering masses. Crying for piece of bread to eat and, above all, crying for a meaningful say in the governance of the country.

Zimbabweans have been stuck with this corrupt, incompetent and murderous Zanu PF regime for 44 years and counting because the regime rigs elections. Both SADC and AU election observers condemned 2023 Zimbabwe elections as flawed and illegal. 

“Conclusion 13.3

The SEOM (SADC Election Observer Mission) noted that, as detailed in sections 6 and 7 of this report, some aspects of the Harmonised Elections fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021),” stated the SEOM report. 

“President Emmerson Mnangagwa has accused foreign entities of orchestrating a campaign to discredit Zimbabwe!” Yeah right! Are SADC, the regional body, and AU, the continental body, foreign entities discrediting Zimbabwe too?

What is Mnangagwa wittering about, “Zimbabwe remains committed to its diplomatic principle of being "a friend to all and an enemy to none”? Zanu PF has ruled the country with an iron fist these last 44 years, the ordinary Zimbabwean has felt the heavy boot on their throat crashing them into the gutter.

“There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of these two young men (George Wickham and Mr Darcy). One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it” wrote Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice.

Mnangagwa rigged 2023 elections and, per se, is the illegitimate president of Zimbabwe. His over the top cracking down against all dissenting voices is to be expected; he does not want his illegitimacy to be exposed. He is obsessed about keeping up the outward appearance that Zimbabwe is a peaceful and prosperous nation and he is legitimate and very popular with all Zimbabweans.

ANC asking SADC summit to be moved from Harare is eating humble pie and a body blow to Zanu PF. W Mukori

 "The Democratic Alliance (DA), a South African opposition party, has urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to relocate its upcoming summit from Zimbabwe due to ongoing human rights abuses. The DA calls on South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to demand a venue change for the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit, scheduled for August 17, 2024, in Harare," reported New Zimbabwe.

"The DA cites recent state-sponsored crackdowns on pro-democracy activists in Zimbabwe, including the detention of opposition politician Jameson Timba and 77 activists, and the arrest of four democracy activists at Robert Mugabe International Airport. The DA argues that the Zimbabwean government's actions violate SADC's founding principles of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. They stress that holding the summit in Harare would endorse Zimbabwe's alleged abuses and undermine SADC's principles.

"The DA is calling for a firm stance from South Africa and SADC to uphold democratic values and ensure the summit is held in a location that respects these principles."

Some of us said the failure by ANC to return its absolute majority in the 29 May 2024 SA elections was the game changer. The era of ANC leaders’  foolish arrogance of propping up the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF regime in the name of keeping a fellow liberation war sister political party in power at all cost, was over.

At its November 2022 ANC Congress, the party had passed a resolution that it would not allow regime change in Zimbabwe. So was Zimbabwe a province of SA?

There is no doubt that it was ANC that used its influence to pressure SADC to do nothing even though SADC and AU election observers condemned Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections. 

Mayo oh mai! The 29 May 2024 SA elections has forced the mighty ANC to eat humble pie. Until then Zimbabwe was a province of SA and ANC would have been providing Zanu PF more whitewash to paint trees and the requisite propaganda to gloss over all Zanu PF’s wrong doing. Not any more!

I do not think Mnangagwa saw this one coming! If the SADC summit is moved from Harare, no doubt the regional body will stripe Mnangagwa of the chairmanship too. Even if the Summit goes ahead and Mnangagwa is allowed to assume the chairmanship, there is no denying the very fact that SADC was asked to have the meeting moved has more than forced Mnangagwa to eat humble pie; he is fatally wounded. 

Mnangagwa knows that rigging Zimbabwe’s 2028 elections is one thing getting away with it will be impossible even if Chamisa and company participate, as usual, to give him legitimacy.  

Zimbabwe is a failed state and stagnation is one of the root causes - MDC/CCC have contributed to political stagnation. W Mukori

 Zimbabweans in the country and abroad are gearing to protest Mnangagwa’s takeover of the SADC chairperson. To what end and purpose? They will not say because there is no rational reason for the protests! 

“Zimbabweans living abroad have expressed concerns over the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) lack of action against President Emmerson Mnangagwa for leading what they consider an "illegitimate" government following disputed election results last year.

As Mnangagwa prepares to assume the chairmanship of SADC at the 44th SADC Summit on August 17, 2024, there is growing anger among Zimbabweans regarding the unresolved issues from the 2023 elections.

Diaspora Zimbabweans, like Tendai Mapfumo in the UK, are organizing protests globally to highlight the dire economic conditions in Zimbabwe and the perceived mismanagement by Mnangagwa's administration. They argue that hyperinflation, poverty, unemployment, and human rights abuses have worsened under Mnangagwa's leadership. Critics, including Pamela Magwizi and Petty Ziramba, question Mnangagwa's fitness to lead a credible regional organization, citing failures in economic policies and a disregard for democratic principles.

Human rights abuses, including violent crackdowns on peaceful protests and opposition leaders, are highlighted by Tatenda Alexias Chifamba, Blessing, and gender activist Priscilla Makechemu. They argue that Zanu-PF's hold on power is maintained through coercion rather than genuine democratic processes. The diaspora calls on SADC to reconsider its decision to appoint Mnangagwa as chair and to pressure for democratic reforms in Zimbabwe.

The 44th SADC Summit will address issues such as politics, defense, security, and the impact of environmental challenges like El Nino-induced droughts and floods. The summit serves as the policy-making institution for the regional bloc, attended by Heads of State and Government from SADC member states.”

The worst cause in this world must be ignorance especially self inflicted ignorance. Yes self inflicted ignorance is a curse worse than death itself because the ignorant have often shot themselves in the foot causing great suffering and even shot themselves in the head!

Yes Mnangagwa rigged the 2023 elections; SADC, the AU and all the other election observers condemned the election process as flawed and illegal; and, per se, this Zanu PF regime is illegitimate. But SADC did not deny Zanu PF political legitimacy as happened in 2008 because Zimbabweans had participated in the elections in their millions. 

They were warned repeatedly that participating in the flawed elections would give the process the modicum of credibility and give the result legitimacy. They ignored the warning buoyed by Chamisa’s promise that he had plugged all the vote rigging loop holes. People were told this was blatant lie given ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. But once again the 2 million who voted for Chamisa and the 3 to 4 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora who cheered and applauded the participating in the elections ignored the warnings. 

It is Zimbabweans, in their ignorance and stupidity, who handed vote rigging Zanu PF political legitimacy in a silver platter. They do not want to accept their folly and so they are blaming SADC!

SADC leaders take it in turn to be the chairperson of the regional body, there are no elections. It is the turn of whoever is Zimbabwe’s State President to be SADC chairperson and Mnangagwa is that man! Why these Zimbabweans are protesting is only a measure of their ignorance and stupidity particularly when they are they ones who gave Mnangagwa the presidency! 

They completely lost in their cloud cuckoo land of the ignorant and stupid they hear reasons but never comprehend any of it. Their brains have ossified into fat they are incapable of any rational thinking. Giving the ignoramus the vote is the one of the biggest mistakes we ever did since both Zanu PF and MDC/CCC have exploited this rich ladder to keep themselves in power. 

Both Zanu PF and MDC/CCC have done everything in the power to keep millions of Zimbabweans poor, ignorant and fearful and they are fighting tooth and nail to  stop all efforts to educate the people! Zanu nPF has stifled debate  and democratic discourse by undermining freedom of expression and free media. MDC had the opportunity to end this during the GNU and only Tsvangirai wanted was that the public media should stop calling him a puppet - which they did for a few months!

Not even one of these Zimbabweans in the planned protests would admit that Chamisa lied about plugging the vote rigging loop holes much less that they were foolish to have believed him. A clear sign it will be a day’s work to get this lot to participate in flawed 2028 elections on the back of yet another idiotic lie, another winning RIGGED election strategy, to give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and perpetuate the nation’s suffering. Stop the world, I want to jump off! 

Chamisa is demanding SADC revisit rigged 2023 elections. He is just wasting time - something we can ill afford! W Mukori

 Chamisa & Co. are up to their favourite pass-time - whining endlessly over trivial matters and wasting everyone’s time!

“The upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Harare is seen by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) as a crucial opportunity to address the disputed outcome of Zimbabwe's August 2023 presidential elections. The CCC claims that the election, which resulted in a narrow victory for President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zanu-PF, was marred by fraud, with former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa alleging the process was rigged,” reported New Zimbabwe.

“CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi expressed hope that SADC's intervention could resolve the political stalemate and restore legitimacy to the Zimbabwean government, which the CCC views as illegitimate. Mkwananzi urged SADC to prioritize the election dispute on its agenda and facilitate dialogue between Chamisa and Mnangagwa to reach a political settlement.”

This is nonsense but coming from Chamisa and company it is no surprise to hear it; the nation has learned to expect nonsense from this lot.

Of course, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the 2023 elections but did so with the connivance of none other than Chamisa and company! First, MDC/CCC leaders have failed to implement ever one token reform in 24 years including the 5 years in the GNU. 

Second, ever since the GNU debacle they have participated in flawed elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging and that participating would give the regime legitimacy. They have soldiered on regardless because they also knew that the regime was giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate no matter how flawed the process got. 

For once, Chamisa led from claiming “I have plugged all vote rigging loop holes. #Godisinit!” to con the braindead followers to participate in the flawed elections in their millions. They swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker and 2 million voted for him and 3 to 4 million, mainly in the diaspora, cheered and applauded the decision to participate.  

Ever since the 2008 GNU, Zanu PF has given up the old fashioned one-party state and have a few opposition members in parliament to maintain the new multi-party state facade! Mugabe learned during the GNU that the MDC/CCC leaders are breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent. 

CCC leaders defied SADC, AU and all the other election observers who condemned the 2023 election process as flawed and illegal and took up their gravy train seats. Leaders like Tendai Biti and David Coltart defended the defiance under the pretext wherever CCC had won, these were “liberated zone”! Yeah right!

It is not as if MDC/CCC leaders did not know that participating in these flawed elections gave Zanu PF legitimacy. They known this for decades!

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

So Chamisa and company participated, hell-bent on participating, in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the elections and that participating would give Zanu PF legitimacy (and it did) out of greed. They took up the gravy train seats bait on offer (some have since lost the seats due to the factional fighting in the party). Now they not only accept Zanu PF rigged the elections (the very thing Chamisa said he had stopped) but blame SADC for mess and are demanding that the regional body sort it out!

SADC, rightly or wrongly, accepted the damning SADC Election Observer Mission (SEOM) report on Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections and decided not take any further action on the matter. They are not going to be bullied by a cry baby who think he can have his cake and eat it too to revisit the SEOM report! They have ignored the cry baby in the past and that is not going to change.

The real tragedy here is that the opposition is wasting time, they should be fighting to get the flaws and illegalities highlighted in the SEOM report and all the other observer team reports implemented so that 2028 is not a repeat of the past. We all know what is going to happen next; Chamisa will come up with yet another idiotic lie, a winning RIGGED election strategy, to justify participating in the flawed 2028 elections. After the elections, he will complain the 2028 were rigged - that goes without saying. 

After 44 years of Zanu PF rigging elections, the last 24 years with the connivance of MDC/CCC, Zimbabwe is desperate to end this madness. Zimbabwe is a failed state and ending this status is totally dependent on ending the curse of rigged elections. 

We are not going to get any meaningful democratic reforms implement before 2028 elections; neither Zanu PF nor CCC have political will or inclination to implement the reforms. Our best hope is to make sure the flawed elections do not get political legitimacy by making sure millions of Zimbabweans do not participate in the flawed elections. 

If Zimbabweans had not participated in 2023 elections in their millions SADC would have denied Zanu PF political legitimacy. We should make it easier for SADC to deny Zanu PF legitimacy in 2028 by doing the right and obvious thing, stop participating in elections “so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw”, as Coltart aptly put it!

"Zimbabwe economy is heading for graveyard of 2008" said Mugano. Vision 2030 is a mirage by moonlight!

 Economist Gift Mugano has warned that the Zimbabwean economy is rapidly approaching a crisis similar to the one experienced in 2008 when the country’s GDP growth plummeted to -17.7% and the Zimbabwean dollar became virtually worthless.

Reacting to the Mid-Term Budget Review Statement presented to parliament on Thursday by Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube, Mugano stated that the Treasury boss should consider introducing a supplementary budget to address the financial shortfall caused by the depreciation of the local currency.. Wrote Mugano on X:

The mid-term budget review exposed economic rot

Forget about nice phrases from my esteemed brother [Mthuli Ncube] – consolidating stability…There is nothing to consolidate. The economy is in a dire situation. The economy going towards the graveyard. We are fast approaching 2008.

These are the facts:

 1. Contribution of IMTT to total revenue fell drastically from about 16% in 2019 to 3.4% in 2024 – signifying deepening informality and collapse of the formal economy;

 2. Percentage of people employed in the informal sector increased from 75.6% in 2019 to 87.7% in December 2023 – signifying deepening informality and the collapse of the formal economy. @MthuliNcube in the NDS1 was targeting to reduce informal employment to 70% (i.e., increasing formal employment to 30%) by 2025. Right now formal employment is sitting at 11.3%;

 3. Youth unemployment is standing at 3.5 million – 3.5 million young people are unemployed. The majority of the youths are drug addicts.

 4. National debt has ballooned to US$20.8 billion (ZiG287.2 billion/13.78) up from US$18.73 in 2023, i.e., a staggering US$2 billion increase;

 5. Close to 50% of the population is living in extreme poverty.

 6. Both the education and health sectors are in intensive care units.

 7. Close to 25% of the children under 5 are suffering from stunting growth – future generation & human capital is threatened;

 8. Businesses executives tell me that they are failing to access forex from banks with some securing 5-10% of their forex requirement notwithstanding the assurances given by the @ReserveBankZIM

 9. Exchange rates are running away – we hear banks are using rates averaging ZiG22.30/US$1 while parallel market rates are hovering around ZiG24/US$1.

10. Aggregate demand is plummeting – mari haisi kubatika or kutenderera – which is now a common statement in the market.

Until GOZ and all stakeholders in the ecosystem of policymaking confess the truth about the state of the economy, we will sleepwalk into 2008.

In view of the fact that the Honourable Minister of Finance didn’t table a supplementary budget, the following question is pertinent:

Official exchange shot from ZWL6000/US$1 (i.e. at the time you presented the 2024 budget in Nov 2023) to ZWL33,882 (now equivalent to ZiG13.52) as of 5 April 2024. Resultantly, the national budget which was equivalent to +US$9 billion when it was presented (under assumption of stable exchange rates) was eroded to US$1.68 billion. Isn’t this enough reason to do a supplementary budget?”

Vision 2030 is a mirage by moonlight! How can we talk of economic recovery much less economic prosperity when it is the informal sector and not the formal sector that is growing.

“No one and no place will be left behind!” Yeah right! The teachers and nurses were thrown over board a long time ago!