Tuesday 22 August 2017

MDC-T want SADC "to ensure 2018 elections are free and fair" - hypocrites ignored SADC. W Mukori

“As a social democratic political party, the MDC takes note of the fact that elections in Zimbabwe have frequently been marred by serious electoral irregularities such as intimidation of voters and blatant vote rigging as was the case in the July 2013 harmonised elections,” wrote Obert Gutu, The Zimbabwean.

“We would like to call upon SADC to do whatever is within its power to ensure that next year’s elections in Zimbabwe be held in a free and fair environment that will guarantee a credible outcome.”
This is all getting to be tiresome to hear especially for SADC leaders. The regional leaders have done a lot “to ensure” Zimbabwe’s elections are free, fair and credible but again and again it was none other than the MDC leaders themselves who have undermined all their efforts.
SADC leaders got President Mugabe to sign the Global Political Agreement (GPA) at the heart of which was the undertaking to implement a raft of democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. It was Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, including Mr Obert Gutu, who were tasked with the responsibility to implement the reforms. The GNU was chalked to last 18 months but in the end, it lasted 60 months, FIVE YEARS, and still MDC failed to get even one reform implemented. Not even one reform!
SADC leaders did their best to remind MDC leaders to implement the reforms but were ignored and we know why. President Mugabe saw to it that MDC leaders were granted all the trappings of high office from the day the GNU was formed; the ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a former white owned farm and a $4 million mansion for Ncube and Tsvangirai respectively, etc.
In return, MDC leaders kicked the reforms into the tall grass; they knew the one thing President Mugabe did not want was to have his de facto one party state dismantled and they obliged!
With no democratic reforms in place, SADC leaders warned Tsvangirai and company not to contest the July 2013 elections.
“If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!” SADC leaders had warned at the regional group summit in Maputo in June 2013, according to Dr Ibbo Mandaza who was there. 

Once again, Tsvangirai et al did not listen; they went on to contest the flawed July 2013 elections only to complain after wards that Zanu PF rigged the vote.
We all know that not even one reform has been implemented since the July 2013 elections and yet MDC is still going to contest the elections, regardless. In contesting, next year’s elections MDC is not only disregarding SADC leaders’ advice not to contest with no reforms again but also disregarding their own “No reform, no elections!” resolution!
Mr Gutu and his friends in the opposition camp know that if they are serious about wanting free, fair and credible elections they must implement the reforms. There is no other way out. They do not care that the elections are rigged as long as they get a few gravy train seats, as David Coltart admitted in his book.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” explained Senator Coltart, as to why MDC contested the 2013 elections.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

Zanu PF, pointedly, refused to release the 2013 voters’ roll although this is a legal requirement. The regime has still refused to release the roll even to this day. There is no doubt that the voters’ roll was the smoking gun to how the regime rigged that election. As to why MDC leaders still contested the election without the voters’ roll is itself proof that they really did not care that the elections were not going to be free and fair. All they cared about is winning the few gravy train seats.
Even now, a year before the next elections it is already clear next year’s elections are NOT going to be free and fair. Zanu PF has already wasted time dilly-dallying over trivial matters it will then rush through the important matters leaving no time for anyone to scrutinize the process. If you have a lot to hide, you do not want anyone to scrutinize your work.
There is no doubt that Zanu PF will NOT release a verifiable 2018 voters’ roll just as there is no doubt the regime will rig next year’s elections! Even if one presented Morgan Tsvangirai & co. with a mountain of evidence that the elections will be rigged they will still contest the elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats Zanu PF will give away. This is the political reality in Zimbabwe today.
“From the year 2000, elections in Zimbabwe have always invariably be marred by allegations of serious electoral malpractices. We now look forward to the holding of elections whose outcome would not be subject to contestation. Millions of Zimbabweans have settled in the Diaspora including neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia as they escaped both political persecution and the economic meltdown back home,” continued Gutu.
Well, Gutu is right there, for a change; after 37 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has now reached crisis point. Zimbabwe is now standing on the edge of the abyss of political instability. It is almost certain that another rigged election next year will send the country tumbling over the edge.
The economic and political chaos in Zimbabwe has adversely affected the development of the whole Southern Africa Region. If Zimbabwe is allowed to descend into the abyss, it will take a few other nations with it. It was very irresponsible of the SADC leaders to have allowed Zimbabwe to get into such a mess in the first place. SADC leaders should have denounced the GNU is Harare as a farce when it was clear no reforms were being implemented.
When MDC leaders ignored SADC leaders’ warning not to contest the flawed July 2013 elections the latter should have refused to accept the results as the true democratic wishes of the people.

Many ordinary Zimbabweans are waking up to the political reality that opposition politicians like Tsvangirai are hypocrites working in cahoots with Zanu PF to deny them their freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free and fair elections. After 37 years of rigged elections, they are seeing the madness of contesting flawed and illegal elections expecting a different result. These people will put SADC leaders under increasing pressure to condemn next year’s elections as a sham. It will be suicidal for the regional leaders to do anything else!

12 comments:

  1. SADC warned MDC not to contest the July 2013 elections without implementing the reforms first. Sadly, MDC leaders did not listen, Zanu PF went on to rig the elections landing the whole nation into this mess. The party is now gearing to contest next year’s elections although not even one reform has been implemented since the last rigged elections.

    “We are not going to allow Zanu PF to rig the 2018 elections,” MDC Youth tell us.

    They keep wittering about forcing Zanu PF to implement the reforms. They have no clue what these reforms are or how they can be implemented – if they did they would know that no meaningful reforms can be implemented now with a year to go to the elections.

    Power in the hands of stupid people is a curse. MDC has MPs and Senators and therefore has a powerful political voice. The party abused its political power to drag the nation into contesting the flawed July 2013 elections and now it is doing the same again to drag the nation into next year’s elections. They do not have the common sense to accept the futility of contesting elections one knows from the start will be rigged. The claim to stop Zanu PF rigging elections is just grandstanding.

    The truth is Zimbabwe cannot afford yet another rigged election and therefore any more of this stupid grandstanding!

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  2. War veterans' leader Victor Matemadanda - granted bail on Saturday for charges of undermining the authority of the president and causing disaffection among the defence forces - has worn another protest T-shirt.

    The shirt bears the message "Elimination By Whatever Means and Methods Will Not Stop Us. 1-2=It Cant."

    Whilst most people welcome Matemadanda’s fight to stop Mugabe’s “dictatorial tendencies”, as he said. The nation’s beef with him and his fellow rogue war veterans is that they are the ones, until three years ago or so, who have helped Mugabe impose the dictatorship. Worse still, they are fighting to remove Mugabe but only to replace him with Mnangagwa; proof they have not changed.

    Matemadanda and his rogue war veteran friends have failed to appreciate that the one-party dictatorship, as a system of government, has failed. It is not enough to just remove one dictator and replace him with another, the whole dictatorship must be dismantled. We want to implement the democratic reform designed to dismantle the dictatorship and replace it with a healthy and functional democratic system of government.

    By the way Matemadanda: 1 – 2 = - 1!

    If you owed me $2 (-2) and you paid me back $1, I will accept it and then you owe me $1 (-1).

    Frankly, you are making a cunt of yourself fighting to preserve the de facto one-party dictatorship and wearing that stupid T-shirt!

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  3. SADC leaders lost all confidence in MDC leaders after the latter failed to get even one democratic reform implemented during the GNU. Tsvangirai and company made the bad situation even worse by contesting the July 2013 elections even after SADC leaders warned them the elections would be rigged.

    The only thing “pro-active” SADC leaders can do right now in response to MDC-T’s call is for the regional body to make it clear that it is not going to accept another sham elections in Zimbabwe even if the opposition do the usual foolish thing and contest.

    The continued political paralysis and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe are dragging the country and the whole region into dangerous waters of political instability. SADC made the big mistake of trusting MDC leaders with the important task of implemented the democratic reforms, it is now clear they are too corrupt and incompetent to do this. SADC must seize back the initiative and make it clear they want to see the democratic reforms implemented before the next elections, period!

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  4. Zimbabwe’s politicians must think all of us are complete idiots!

    “We would like to call upon SADC to do whatever is within its power to ensure that next year’s elections in Zimbabwe be held in a free and fair environment that will guarantee a credible outcome,” Gutu tells us.

    If he Gutu was not taking us all for fools then he must answer the following questions:

    1) It was in MDC’s power during the GNU to implement the democratic reforms and thus ensure free and fair elections in 2013 and thereafter. Why did MDC fail to get even one reform implemented in five years?

    2) SADC leaders warned Gutu and the other MDC leaders not to contest the July 2013 elections; it was clear, with no reforms, Zanu PF will rig the vote. Why did MDC leaders disregard the warning and contest the elections?

    3) Everyone knows that since the rigged July 2013 elections, not even one reform has been implemented and it is now too late to expect any reform to be implemented. So, why is MDC contesting the flawed elections again?

    4) What else, other than advise us not to contest flawed elections, does MDC want or expect SADC to do to ensure next year’s elections are free and fair?

    A politician’s work is never done! In this case, MDC politicians will never ever implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections because all they will ever do is pay lip service to democratic change when they are seeking the people’s votes. Each time they get into power and it is within their power to effect change, as happened during the GNU, they will be distracted and forget about reforms.

    If the people of Zimbabwe want free, fair and credible elections then the people themselves, not the opposition much less Zanu PF, who must champion the cause and see the task through. This is the one task the politicians will never ever accomplish because, if accomplished, this will represent the most significant seismic political change in the country’s political history – the people will finally hold the politicians to democratic account.

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  5. The fight for power in Zanu PF is heating up as everyone fights to keep poverty at bay. The country's serious economic meltdown has claimed many, many victims from within the inner most circle of Zanu PF ruling elite.

    “Gone are the days when youths are known only for toyi-toying. Youths should have a fair share of constituencies in 2018. Only one person is safe on the seats and that is our President, Robert Mugabe,” said Kudzai Chipanga amid applause.

    If the truth be said, gone are the days when Zanu PF at any level could sit back and enjoy their privileged position. Who does not know that Chipanga himself is having to pull all the bootlicking stops just to keep his present post. He has looked totally lost recently as he did not know which position to back on the issue of whether President Mugabe has the final say on who should succeed him, for example. He seemed to back the position that Mugabe did not have the final say, a stupid contradiction coming from one who had called Mugabe an angel only a few months ago!


    Zanu PF has been a curse to the nation. The country is in this economic hell because of the decades of misrule by the regime. The party must be dismantled or cut loose to sink and not take the nation down the abyss with it. Poor Chipanga he is fighting hard to maintain Zanu PF’s political dominance blissfully unaware that the party is imploding, the ship is sinking and he will be one of the rats to go down with it!

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  6. “Now I want to tell you, this time around, there will not be any primary elections. We will select our candidates through consensus,” said Tsvangirai.

    “I am waiting to hear the names of the odd ones who will say they cannot find common ground [and] I will ask them if they are MDC or Zanu PF. As regards, the Senate, this time I will choose representatives on my own,” he said.

    “I will personally vet those whose names will be put forward because I know every MDC cadre and their contribution to the party from the formation of the party.”

    This is laughable, hold free, fair and credible primary elections is the most democratic and fairest way to select candidate. Of all the ridiculous proposals one can come up with ruling out primary elections in favour of “consensus” without saying how this consensus position is to be reached, has to be one of the most nonsensical proposals.

    Why are sitting MPs’ seats being ring-fenced? It is not as if anyone of them have done anything of note. If they have been good, then what is there for them to fear from some democratic competition!

    So all candidate must pay a fee just to put their names forward! MDC-T is broke but of all the devious ways to raise money this takes the biscuit. Of course, the fee will not be refundable; Tsvangirai will need it for his own presidential candidate deposit!

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  7. @ Brendan Seery

    I do not know enough to comment on the Zuma dynasty but the Mugabe dynasty is not going to happen. What some people are failing to see is just how much President Mugabe has destroyed Zimbabwe and how that this is in turn destroying Zanu PF.

    “Many of her businesses were acquired in this way and she and her husband have worked well together in looting whatever is left in a dirt-poor country,” you said.

    You are spot on there and it is precisely because there is nothing left of value that makes taking over from Mugabe a curse and not an honour. Even if Mugabe himself could turn back the clock so he is a healthy 50 year old full of beans; he will find it impossible to stay in power. Zanu PF is imploding and the implosion is being fuelled by the fear of poverty.

    Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has left the ordinary Zimbabwean destitute, millions are now living in abject poverty. But the economic meltdown has become so serious it has affected even those in the inner most Zanu PF ruling elite circle.

    Look what happened to the likes of Didymus Mutasa, for example, he was a Zanu PF minister for 34 years. He was booted out of the party in 2014 and already he is a pauper. “Aonda nomusoro!” (He is so poor, even his head has shrunk!), as one would say in Shona.

    Mugabe’s crown will be a crown of thorns for Grace or anyone else in Zanu PF. Grace is desperate to take over from her husband because all she wants to do is continue with the looting; she is not smart enough to see that there is nothing left to loot!

    Mugabe has rigged elections in the past and got away with it, he will not get away with rigging next year’s elections. No SADC leaders, not even his friend Zuma, would be foolish enough to turn a blind eye to another rigged election because it is not just the political stability of Zimbabwe that is at stake now, but that of the whole SADC region. Even Zuma would soon know the folly of blessing another Mugabe rigged election as the flood gates of economic and political refugees start pouring in across the Limpopo!

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  8. Special Economic Zones board Chairman, Gideon Gono has promised he is going to create jobs which government has failed to provide in the past five years.

    And how many jobs did he destroy and how many people’s life-savings did he wipe out during his days as governor of RBZ and printing money as if there is no tomorrow? If there is regime change, then victims of his voodoo economics must be allowed to sue Gono; why should he live in luxury whilst they suffer in damn anguish!

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  9. In a statement, MDC’s spokesperson Obert Gutu said: “We would like to call upon SADC to do whatever is within its power to ensure that next year’s elections in Zimbabwe be held in a free and fair environment that will guarantee a credible outcome.

    The trouble with MDC is they are corrupt and incompetent and like all such leaders, they are dishonest. During the GNU, SADC advised them to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections. The failed to get even one reform implemented because President had bribed them with the trappings of high office to do nothing. SADC leaders advised Tsvangirai and company not to contest the 2013 elections with no reforms in place but once again MDC leaders did not listen.

    SADC position is not contest elections with no reform because it is madness to do so. It is clear that MDC and the other opposition politicians want to contest and their call to SADC is totally dishonest in that they are fishing for someone else to blame for next year's rigged elections.

    With no reforms in place, Zanu PF will blatantly rig next year's elections just as easily as they rigged the July 2013 elections. The blame for the rigged elections will be laid on Tsvangirai and his opposition friends who failed to implement the reforms when they had the chance to do so and then dragged the nation into the elections knowing they will not be free and fair.

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  10. There is a lot to be desired in SADC leaders but let us be clear on one thing here; SADC have given MDC the right advice - do not contest elections with out implementing the reforms first.

    MDC are the ones ignoring the advice and then will blame SADC for not doing enough to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections! This is foolish; if you given advice you do not ignore the advice and then blame the adviser when the very thing that they warned would happen, happens!

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  11. We all know that with no reforms, Zanu PF will rig the elections. SADC leaders advised Tsvangirai and company not to contest the 2013 elections without implementing the reforms and, sadly, the advice was ignored. Lo behold Zanu PF rigged the elections and complaining after the event that Zanu PF "stole the elections" was a waste of time because the horse had bolted but worse still by participating we had given the process credibility.

    The people of Zimbabwe must have absolutely nothing to do with next year's elections other than demand the implementation of the reforms. Participating in the voter education, voter registration, attending political rallies, etc. will give the process credibility but will have no effect on the result of a Zanu PF landslide victory. It really is madness contesting a flawed elections and, worse still, shoot ourselves in the foot in the process!

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  12. MDC are calling for SADC leaders to ensure elections are free, fair and credible and yet they were in the GNU for five years and they failed to get even one democratic reform implemented!

    These MDC idiots want to contest the elections with not reforms in place and they are coming up with all manner of excuses why they should participate. If the elections are rigged the idiots will be the first to complain of the rigged elections and, no doubt, blame SADC leaders and everyone else except themselves.

    Zimbabweans must demand the implementation of the reforms BEFORE the elections and not allow themselves to be misled by MDC opportunists who will blame them, SADC leaders and everyone else for the rigged elections. If there was ever a time for Zimbabweans to wake up and see Morgan Tsvangirai and his colleagues in the opposition for the sell-out they are that time is right now - there is not even a moment to be lost!

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