Nelson Chamisa, MDC-T
VP, is one individual who believes in rhetoric and has become so addicted to it
he cannot change. “MDC is the party of excellency!” he used to boast. It
took the disastrous performance of the party in the 2013 elections, which he
and others were convinced was going propel them into office, to shut Chamisa
up. The party was deserted by its donors and SADC leaders alike for failing to
implement even one democratic reforms during the GNU. The real Nelson Chamisa
is back boastful as ever.
“I am so delighted to be on this hugely beneficial trip (to the USA to
meet the Senate committee on foreign relations – the committee that
will decide on whether to lift the targeted sanctions imposed on Zanu PF
leaders for human rights violation including failing to hold free and fair
elections). We are on this vital global advocacy and diplomatic engagement
program to give Zimbabweans a fighting chance in the crucial and landmark 2018
general elections. This trip is about you and me and the future of our children
and generations to come,” he wrote in a recent article in Nehanda Radio.
“As a
people, we cannot afford to squander this merited goodwill through partisan and
petty party political sandpit arguments, which have no material benefit to our
people.”
The
article continued on the same vein, full of the usual verbosity and drumming of
the chest of the silver back. Let me just focus on one or two snippets.
“This
trip comes as a continuation of diplomatic outreaches already under way
focusing on SADC and the AU. Our overall persuasion and perspective is to
state and restate our case for credible, free and fair elections in Zimbabwe,
elections whose results are not contested,” he stated.
“I saw
and read a false message that this trip was about sanctions. Far from it, the
trip has all to do with our take on free and fair elections in Zimbabwe and our
post-election reconstruction plan.”
This
is really hopeless! No wonder the country is in a real mess, with the
opposition politicians who are this incompetent, we have nowhere else to go.
This
is just like the foolishness of General Chiwenga and his coup plotters who
seized key state institutions, put then President Mugabe under house arrest,
etc. and insisted it was NOT a coup! The West imposed sanctions on Zanu PF
leaders because the regime had failed to hold free and fair elections. The
Senate committee Chamisa and his friends met will decide on whether to lift the
sanction or not on the basis of there being sufficient evidence next year’s elections will be free and fair. So, what is
Chamisa wittering about the trip was not about sanctions!
Zimbabwe
is in this economic and political mess because for the last 37 years the nation
has been stuck with a corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF dictatorship. The have
failed to rid themselves of this regime because Mugabe and his cronies rigged
the vote to stay in power. The nation had its best opportunity ever to finally
get rid of the dictatorship during the GNU years but the chance was wasted
because Chamisa and his MDC friends failed to implement the democratic reforms.
If anyone thought the MDC leaders had learnt from the past, he or she was wrong
because instead of finally focus on piling the pressure, maintaining the sanctions
is one way, to force the implementation of the reforms MDC leaders are once
again going off at a tangent.
SADC
leaders pushed hard to have the reforms implemented during the GNU and it was
none other than MDC leaders who did nothing. The American and the rest of the
West imposed sanctions on Zanu PF to highlight the need for Mugabe to honour
his legal obligation to hold free and fair elections. It is really frustrating
that it is none other than the MDC again who failing to give the matter the
seriousness it demands.
“MDC
is a party of excellency!” Yeah right!
Having an utterly corrupt and incompetent opposition is proving to be the greatest stumbling block to meaningful political change in Zimbabwe. SADC leaders did indeed try to get the democratic reforms the nation has been dying for implemented during the GNU and it was Tsvangirai and his MDC banded mongooses who refused to get even one reform implemented.
ReplyDeleteSADC leaders advised the banded mongooses not to contest the 2013 elections with no reforms in place, but again the mongooses would not listen.
Now our “MDC is a party of excellency” Nelson Chamisa is telling the world the MDC Alliance is demanding “a credible voters’ roll” and “mandatory international observers”. What the whole world wants to know is whether this is just another one of the banded mongoose’s wish list they themselves are going to discard the next minute. The banded mongoose contested the 2013 elections with no credible voters’ roll, for example, and have already said they will contest next year’s elections unconditionally.
If the banded mongoose contest next year’s elections without a credible voters’ roll; what do they want the international observers to do? It is NOT for the international observers to insist on a credible voters’ roll if the parties in the elections agree to hold the elections without credible voters’ roll!
SADC leaders have already advised MDC and the rest in the opposition not to contest the elections without first implementing the democratic reforms designed to ensure and independent ZEC which can be trusted to produce a credible voters’ roll and all the other stuff to ensure free and fair elections. If the banded mongooses continue to disregard sound advice there is very little else the outside world can do.
What SADC leaders, the Americans and the rest of the international community must accept as a matter of historic fact is that Zimbabwe’s opposition politicians are a corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless lot who no longer represent the interest of the ordinary Zimbabweans. SADC and everyone know that it is nonsensical to contest an election without something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. The outside world must rule next year’s elections a sham regardless of the foolishness of the banded mongooses who contest the flawed and illegal elections.
The US Senate imposed sanctions on Zanu PF leaders because the party had failed to hold free and fair elections. For Tendai Biti to pretend the two issues are not related is like saying the GNU had nothing to do with democratic reforms. It was little wonder MDC failed to implement even one reform during the GNU. It is this failure to appreciate detail that has made the opposition such a useless bunch.
ReplyDeleteThe very fact that there are many Zimbabweans out there who still have no clue what the GNU was about or more specifically that MDC sold-out in failing to implement even one reform has not helped our cause. The only reason MDC still have followers today is proof there are still many Zimbabweans who have no clue what the GNU was about. We have a classic case of the blind leading the blind into the ditch!
Not many Zimbabweans will get the chance to meet US Senators and this was a great opportunity and Biti and company wasted it.
Presidential advisor Chris Mutsvangwa speaking on Friday said, “We will win resoundingly, better than the 1980 elections and we will mobilise heavily working with the ZDF.”
ReplyDeleteMutsvangwa and many others including President Mnangagwa have all promised free, fair and credible elections next year. Zimbabweans would be naive and gullible to believe a word of it. Zanu PF has resisted all efforts to implement democratic during the GNU and since the rigged July 2013 elections. With no reforms in place there is no way Zimbabwe is going to have free and fair election.
The case for imposing sanctions on this Zanu PF regime for human rights violations including the failure to hold free and fair elections is there to be made. If we, blacks, justified the imposition of UN sanctions against the white racist regime for human rights violations what is so different now?
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that the sanctions would have some effect on the innocent povo but human rights violations will also affect many innocent people. What matters then is whether ending the violation in a price worth paying for the hardship caused by the sanctions.
Zimbabwe's economic meltdown and political chaos was cause by the 37 years of Zanu PF misrule. The nation was stuck with the corrupt and incompete regime because it rigged elections to stay in power.
The argument that it was the sanctions that caused the economic meltdown is not supported by the facts on the ground. The economy recovered by as much as 12% in 2009 when Zanu PF was forced to go into the GNU due to the scrapping of the Z$ and other economic policy changes. The sanctions were still in place then.
If Zimbabwe had imposed tougher UN sanctions on Zanu PF one hopes that the regime would not have lasted the 37 years and thus the nation would have been saved from all this mess. Indeed, if MDC leaders had implemented the democratic reforms during the GNU Zanu PF would not have rigged the 2013 elections to return into office.
MDC leaders sold-out on reforms during the GNU and they failure to come out in strong support of sanctions when the met US Senators is just another sell-out!
The Americans imposed the sanctions on Zanu PF leaders to put pressure on the regime to end serious human rights violation including failure to hold free and fair elections. The country is facing very serious economic hardship which will only be meaningfully addressed by making sure we have free, fair and credible elections. Zimbabwe cannot afford yet another rigged elections next year.
ReplyDeletePresident Mnangagwa has promised free elections but has not implemented even one reform.
“I would like to give him the benefit of doubt and believe that Comrade President mean what he says,” you say.
With not even one reform in place what makes you think he and his cronies will not rig next year’s elections just as they have done in the past? He and his cronies risked they own lives to stage a coup and you think they will risk losing power by holding free and fair elections out of the generosity of their hearts! How naïve!
Tendai Biti and his MDC Alliance friends had the opportunity to ask the US Senate to turn the screw on the regime to make sure it implements the reforms to ensure free elections next year. It is a pity that Biti and company failed to make it clear that pressure on the regime must be increased!
Anyone who thinks that next year's elections will be free and fair is naive. The coup was about restoring the "Legacy" or retoring power to the Zanu PF dictatorship of which the members of the Joint Operation Command are the brain and centre of the dictatorship. Many members of the Junta are holding high office or are feeling secure in whatever position they have been slotted into.
ReplyDeleteWith not even one democratic reform in place, the Junta have the carte blanche power to rig next year's elections and extend the legacy for another five years. If anyone thinks the Junta is going to risk the legacy losing power by holding free and fair elections just out of the kindness of the evil heart then those people are day dreamers!
Kennedy Kaitano, you should never try to twist the facts to suit yourself because you will end up making a complete fool of yourself!
ReplyDelete“Man of God, Father Fidelis Mukonori’s revelation that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai made efforts to approach President Emmerson Mnangagwa to discuss a “way forward” for Zimbabwe after President Mugabe’s resignation, but was snubbed by Mnangagwa, proves beyond doubt that Morgan Tsvangirai is an honest man who does not want to negatively expose his rivals,” you said.
To start with Tsvangirai was asked a direct question by Simba Chikanza is there had been any effort by Zanu PF members to discuss any possible coalition as Chris Mutsvangwa claimed. Tsvangirai flatly denied that there had been any such contact at party level or even at an individual level. Elliot Pfepfe, MDC-T representative in UK and Europe, confirmed on the same programme that there was no such contact at party level but was honest enough to say he would not vouch for same at a personal level.
Now you are telling us that it was none other than Tsvangirai himself who had made the overtures. So, he had vehemently denied doing so because he did not want it known that he had been rebuffed. Given these facts, only a sick mind would conclude that Tsvangirai is an “honest man”!
@hombre
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to make such an accusation you must give concrete examples of the "partisan politics and too much into gossiping".
In this case the people of Zimbabwe have the right to know whether or not Tsvangirai did reached out to Zanu PF and then lied about it afterwards. Tsvangirai is a "flawed and indecisive character," as former US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Chris Dell, once said. And here is just one such example of his dithering incompetence.
If anything, most of our so call independent media has been so pro-opposition to the point of covering up corruption and incompetence in the opposition much the same way the public media has been covering up Zanu PF’s faults. In the end, the nation has suffered in have a corrupt and incompetent ruling party and an equally corrupt and incompetent opposition. Zimeye is one of the very few independent media who have made an effort to educate the voters.
Tsvangirai is a breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent leader, you and many other MDC blind loyalists do not want to hear it but the Zimbabwe electorate must hear it. Zimeye has placed the nation’s interest above the narrow party political interest; all thinking Zimbabweans out there salute them for it!
@ Shonhai
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of idiotic nonsense that is holding back Zimbabwe and therefore must be rebuffed with the energy and vigour!
“Wilbert is free to form his own party and tackle the problems that MDC is failing to solve; it does not help to continue to lambast the MDC without doing the right thing,” you write.
Zimbabwe has over 75 political parties already and therefore to argue that the country needs more political parties is foolish. Lambasting corrupt and incompetent parties like MDC has my vote because it is helping to educate the electorate to understand what they should be looking for in a leader. If most of our electorate were not fools like you who follow blindly like sheep we would not have so many corrupt and incompetent politicians ruining our lives.
“If you think the sanctions are the most important tool to force the present government to reform; the best is for you to form and launch your own competent party that is capable of forcing the government to reform,” you write.
Who said anything about sanctions “being the most important tool”? They are a tool and like all tools they should be used. The criticism here is that MDC Alliance are wishy-washy they want the sanctions retained in one breath and lifted in the next.
“For how long do you want people to suffer under the economic sanctions than to have other means of persuasion for the reforms to be implemented?”
The country is in total economic meltdown because we have been stuck with this corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF dictatorship for 37 years and not because of the sanctions. The economy recovered by 12% in 2009 during the GNU although the country was still under the sanctions.
Shonhai, you should not bubble on matter you do not understand. It is fools like you who keep electing idiots into power because you do not stop to think!
Whilst many people will readily accept democracy as a viable system of governance has brought peace, vibrancy and unparalleled vitality and success wherever it has been practised be it a family, private company or at national level. The reason why democracy has never taken root in such countries as Zimbabwe, now 2 500 years after the Greeks devised the system, is because Zimbabweans, with may be a very few exception, like to hold others to democratic account but deeply resent being held to account themselves. At national level, those who do not want to be held to public account have since come up with standard defensive/offensive moves:
ReplyDeletea) We risked life and limb in the struggle, where were you?
b) Go form your own party and let us see if you will do better (in other words you cannot hold me to account because you have never held the same public office).
c) When push comes to shove, accuse the other of being a counter revolutionary, “criminal elements who have captured the State”, anything to justify ruthlessly silencing them forever!
The default setting for mankind is to seek absolute power and human experience, civilization, has shown that those seeking absolute power have necessarily condemn themselves to a lifetime of conflict bound to end up in defeat because no one wants to be dominated. Some people have the capacity to see the futility of perpetual conflict, to see the bigger picture, and embrace democracy. For others their primeval instinct to dominate are just too strong to be teamed by reason.
@ Shonhia
ReplyDeleteYes Wilbert can form his own political party but what has that to do with holding MDC to account? Are you saying only those who have formed their own parties have the right to question public figures? This is the kind of stupidity that is dragging this nation deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth Mugabe led us into.
"Form your own party!" that comes to you as natural as s***ting to a goose! A goose flying North will get there, the same cannot be said about you lot. MDC have been onthe political stage for 17 years now and have failed to bring about even one democratic change!
@ Shonhai
ReplyDeleteYes Wilbert can form his own political party but what has that to do with holding MDC to account? Are you saying only those who have formed their own parties have the right to question public figures? This is the kind of stupidity that is dragging this nation deeper and deeper into this hell-on-earth Mugabe led us into.
"Form your own party!" that comes to you as natural as s***ting to a goose! A goose flying North will get there, the same cannot be said about you lot. MDC have been onthe political stage for 17 years now and have failed to bring about even one democratic change!