Opinion / Columnist
Zanu PF ruled by decree absolute, MDC wants the same - starting with silencing diaspora
01 Oct 2017 at 22:47hrs | Views
"What was accomplished by the bullet cannot be undone by the ballot!" boasted President Mugabe as he unleashed his thugs and henchmen in the infamous 2008 operation "Mavhotera papi!" (Whom did you vote for!) Here was a graphic case when Zanu PF used wanton violence to hold on to power.
President Mugabe had lost the March 2008 vote to Morgan Tsvangirai by a warping 73%, by his own inadvertent admission later, but ordered ZEC to recount the votes. After six weeks of tampering with the figures, the 73% was whittled down to 47% - enough to force a run-off. Zanu PF used its party youths and war veterans as its storm troopers backed by Army, Police and CIO to harass, beat, rape and even murder innocent civilians in the run-off. Operation Mavhotera papi was to punish the electorate for rejecting Mugabe in the March vote and to force them to vote for the tyrant in the run-off and in future.
"Zanu PF has declared war on the people," complained Tsvangirai as he announced his withdrawal from the run-off. The violence was so intense most of his supporters had gone into hiding and it was impossible for him to hold any rallies.
President Mugabe overturned his 27% defeat in March to a landslide 84% victory in June. This time ZEC announced the result within 12 hours of polling stations closing.
The one message President Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs have said; but not always as explicitly as they did during the 2008 operation Mavhotera papi, to justify their autocratic rule and blatant denial of the people their freedoms and basic human rights; is that they fought in the liberation war and thus have the divine right to rule. This is nonsense argument for two reasons:
1) The liberation war was not won by those carrying the guns alone, everyone including the young and old played their part and sacrificed someone or something.
2) The struggle to end white colonial oppression and exploitation was about the freedom, liberty and justice for all and not about removing the white oppressors only to replace them with black oppressors. The one thing we did not want as a nation is to have struggles in perpetuate as each generation fights the one before it for their freedoms and basic human rights.
For the last 37 years the people of Zimbabwe have been fighting President Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs for the full restoration of their freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections and the right to life itself. It has been a bitter struggle and over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans have lost their lives along the way. Zanu PF is imploding and there is reason to hope that meaningful political change is around the corner.
The last thing the nation wants is to find itself removing one lot of oppressors, Zanu PF, but only to replace them with yet another lot in the name of the MDC opposition! Obert Gutu, MDC spokesman has over reached himself and must be silenced.
"This is a candid and very frank message to my fellow Zimbabweans who live in the Diaspora. Some of you have this rather unhelpful habit of always bashing the opposition in Zimbabwe for failing to resolutely confront the Zanu-PF regime by engaging in peaceful mass protests and demonstrations. Yet, these very people were the first to flee from home when the political and economic situation began to deteriorate rapidly at the turn of the century. These are the very same people who are very vociferous and rabid in their criticism of the democratic opposition to the Zanu-PF dictatorship," said the outspoken spokesman.
Here are the six political realities for MDC leaders to take home:
a) It is not only MDC or opposition politicians who have suffered and sacrificed in the struggle to end this de facto Zanu PF dictatorship; everyone, be there in Zimbabwe or outside, have contributed.
b) Every Zimbabwean, regardless of their past history, has the right to enjoy all the freedoms and basic human rights accorded to the UN Human Rights Declarations and Zimbabwe's constitution. This historic tendency by those in power and authority to abuse their positions to grant themselves extra dictatorial rights to deny other people their freedoms and rights is a nonsense which cannot be tolerated.
c) Anyone who aspires to or has held public office must accept public scrutiny and to be held to democratic account for what they do or fail to do. If MDC leaders do not want to be held to account then they should have never held public office; if you cannot stand the heat, do not go into the kitchen.
d) People of Zimbabwe risked life and limp, over 500 people were murdered during operation Mavhotera papi alone, to elect Obert Gutu and his MDC friends into power on a ticket they will deliver democratic changes. MDC have been in politics for 17 years now but have failed to bring about even one reforms. Of course, MDC leaders are not just corrupt and incompetent they are sell-outs. The notion that MDC leaders are doing us all a great favour by being in politics is therefore an insult to the nation.
e) MDC leaders not only sold-out by failing to get even one reform implemented during the GNU they compounded their betrayal by contesting the July 2013 elections with no reforms in place. MDC leaders forgot the reforms because they were bribed with the trapping of the gravy train lifestyles and it is the promise of a few seats on the gravy train that is attracting the opposition to contest flawed elections. By contesting the flawed elections opposition are giving credibility to the flawed and illegal process and forfeiting the nation's chance to force the implementation of the reforms before elections.
f) MDC is at the front of the opportunistic opposition politicians queuing to contest next year's elections regardless of all the evidence that Zanu PF is already rigging the elections. In other words, MDC leaders are demanding the same undemocratic privileges Zanu PF are enjoying on pretext they are the heroes fighting Zanu PF regardless of their track record of refusing or obstructing democratic change.
"Again, these are the same people who do not want to make any form of contribution, directly or indirectly, in assisting the democratic opposition. These compatriots are invariably selfish and self-centred. They want to remain in the comfort zone with their families in far-away places whilst they continue to angrily criticise the opposition for not doing enough to topple the Zanu-PF regime. Come on guys, give us a break!" Continued the self-righteous Gutu.
"The least we deserve is constructive criticism and not this emotionally charged vapid and vacuous demonization that we are not doing enough to confront the Zanu-PF dictatorship. If you have nothing constructive to offer to the democratic struggle, just shut up!"
I salute all those Zimbabweans in the diaspora who have sacrificed so much to help their family and friends back in Zimbabwe; there is no doubt that the diaspora dollar has made the difference between life and death for many, many Zimbabweans. My only criticism to these in the diaspora is that you should do more in helping Zimbabwe end the Zanu PF dictatorship and, this time, making sure we replace it with a healthy and functional democracy.
If anything, the people in the diaspora have failed the nation by failing to point out MDC's serious shortcoming and holding the party to account for its many blunders. Many people back home, especially those in the rural areas, rely on those in the diaspora for information and advice and to advise anyone to sheepish follow MDC all those years has been a great disservice to the nation.
It is madness to continue contesting flawed and illegal elections and yet the failure by those in the diaspora to come up with a clearly defined course of action - to demand the implementation of the reforms and boycott the flawed election process until then or to blunder on as MDC is advising - has not helped.
It is high time we all stepped up and took our responsibility as Zimbabwean citizens to end the de facto Zanu PF dictatorship and replace it with a healthy and functional democracy. Mr Gutu and friends must note here and now that the days of viewing hold public office as a ticket to free lunch at public expense are over!
President Mugabe had lost the March 2008 vote to Morgan Tsvangirai by a warping 73%, by his own inadvertent admission later, but ordered ZEC to recount the votes. After six weeks of tampering with the figures, the 73% was whittled down to 47% - enough to force a run-off. Zanu PF used its party youths and war veterans as its storm troopers backed by Army, Police and CIO to harass, beat, rape and even murder innocent civilians in the run-off. Operation Mavhotera papi was to punish the electorate for rejecting Mugabe in the March vote and to force them to vote for the tyrant in the run-off and in future.
"Zanu PF has declared war on the people," complained Tsvangirai as he announced his withdrawal from the run-off. The violence was so intense most of his supporters had gone into hiding and it was impossible for him to hold any rallies.
President Mugabe overturned his 27% defeat in March to a landslide 84% victory in June. This time ZEC announced the result within 12 hours of polling stations closing.
The one message President Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs have said; but not always as explicitly as they did during the 2008 operation Mavhotera papi, to justify their autocratic rule and blatant denial of the people their freedoms and basic human rights; is that they fought in the liberation war and thus have the divine right to rule. This is nonsense argument for two reasons:
1) The liberation war was not won by those carrying the guns alone, everyone including the young and old played their part and sacrificed someone or something.
2) The struggle to end white colonial oppression and exploitation was about the freedom, liberty and justice for all and not about removing the white oppressors only to replace them with black oppressors. The one thing we did not want as a nation is to have struggles in perpetuate as each generation fights the one before it for their freedoms and basic human rights.
For the last 37 years the people of Zimbabwe have been fighting President Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs for the full restoration of their freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections and the right to life itself. It has been a bitter struggle and over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans have lost their lives along the way. Zanu PF is imploding and there is reason to hope that meaningful political change is around the corner.
The last thing the nation wants is to find itself removing one lot of oppressors, Zanu PF, but only to replace them with yet another lot in the name of the MDC opposition! Obert Gutu, MDC spokesman has over reached himself and must be silenced.
"This is a candid and very frank message to my fellow Zimbabweans who live in the Diaspora. Some of you have this rather unhelpful habit of always bashing the opposition in Zimbabwe for failing to resolutely confront the Zanu-PF regime by engaging in peaceful mass protests and demonstrations. Yet, these very people were the first to flee from home when the political and economic situation began to deteriorate rapidly at the turn of the century. These are the very same people who are very vociferous and rabid in their criticism of the democratic opposition to the Zanu-PF dictatorship," said the outspoken spokesman.
Here are the six political realities for MDC leaders to take home:
b) Every Zimbabwean, regardless of their past history, has the right to enjoy all the freedoms and basic human rights accorded to the UN Human Rights Declarations and Zimbabwe's constitution. This historic tendency by those in power and authority to abuse their positions to grant themselves extra dictatorial rights to deny other people their freedoms and rights is a nonsense which cannot be tolerated.
c) Anyone who aspires to or has held public office must accept public scrutiny and to be held to democratic account for what they do or fail to do. If MDC leaders do not want to be held to account then they should have never held public office; if you cannot stand the heat, do not go into the kitchen.
d) People of Zimbabwe risked life and limp, over 500 people were murdered during operation Mavhotera papi alone, to elect Obert Gutu and his MDC friends into power on a ticket they will deliver democratic changes. MDC have been in politics for 17 years now but have failed to bring about even one reforms. Of course, MDC leaders are not just corrupt and incompetent they are sell-outs. The notion that MDC leaders are doing us all a great favour by being in politics is therefore an insult to the nation.
e) MDC leaders not only sold-out by failing to get even one reform implemented during the GNU they compounded their betrayal by contesting the July 2013 elections with no reforms in place. MDC leaders forgot the reforms because they were bribed with the trapping of the gravy train lifestyles and it is the promise of a few seats on the gravy train that is attracting the opposition to contest flawed elections. By contesting the flawed elections opposition are giving credibility to the flawed and illegal process and forfeiting the nation's chance to force the implementation of the reforms before elections.
f) MDC is at the front of the opportunistic opposition politicians queuing to contest next year's elections regardless of all the evidence that Zanu PF is already rigging the elections. In other words, MDC leaders are demanding the same undemocratic privileges Zanu PF are enjoying on pretext they are the heroes fighting Zanu PF regardless of their track record of refusing or obstructing democratic change.
"Again, these are the same people who do not want to make any form of contribution, directly or indirectly, in assisting the democratic opposition. These compatriots are invariably selfish and self-centred. They want to remain in the comfort zone with their families in far-away places whilst they continue to angrily criticise the opposition for not doing enough to topple the Zanu-PF regime. Come on guys, give us a break!" Continued the self-righteous Gutu.
"The least we deserve is constructive criticism and not this emotionally charged vapid and vacuous demonization that we are not doing enough to confront the Zanu-PF dictatorship. If you have nothing constructive to offer to the democratic struggle, just shut up!"
I salute all those Zimbabweans in the diaspora who have sacrificed so much to help their family and friends back in Zimbabwe; there is no doubt that the diaspora dollar has made the difference between life and death for many, many Zimbabweans. My only criticism to these in the diaspora is that you should do more in helping Zimbabwe end the Zanu PF dictatorship and, this time, making sure we replace it with a healthy and functional democracy.
If anything, the people in the diaspora have failed the nation by failing to point out MDC's serious shortcoming and holding the party to account for its many blunders. Many people back home, especially those in the rural areas, rely on those in the diaspora for information and advice and to advise anyone to sheepish follow MDC all those years has been a great disservice to the nation.
It is madness to continue contesting flawed and illegal elections and yet the failure by those in the diaspora to come up with a clearly defined course of action - to demand the implementation of the reforms and boycott the flawed election process until then or to blunder on as MDC is advising - has not helped.
It is high time we all stepped up and took our responsibility as Zimbabwean citizens to end the de facto Zanu PF dictatorship and replace it with a healthy and functional democracy. Mr Gutu and friends must note here and now that the days of viewing hold public office as a ticket to free lunch at public expense are over!
Source - Nomusa Garikai
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