'We should never remain hostages to our past,' says President Mnangagwa - without reforms, we are

Throughout his inauguration speech, President Mnangagwa, very careful NOT to promise the nation that next year's elections will be free, fair and credible.

"That peace and harmony should be characteristic of how we relate to one another before, during and after the 2018 harmonised elections which will be held as scheduled," he said.

"Today the Republic of Zimbabwe renews itself. My Government will work towards ensuring that the pillars of the State assuring democracy in our land are strengthened and respected. We fully reaffirm our membership to the family of nations, and express our commitment to playing

"Here at home, we must, however, appreciate the fact that over the years, our domestic politics had become poisoned, rancorous and polarising. My goal is to preside over a polity and run an administration that recognise strength in our diversity as a people, hoping that this position and well-meant stance will be reciprocated and radiated to cover all our groups, organisation and communities."

He is promising the nation a democratic era but will not guarantee free and fair elections – one of the key tenets of a democracy!

In 2008, the Joint Operation Command (JOC) headed by the three amigos; Chewanga, Mnangagwa and Robert Mugabe; launched the now infamous operation "Mavhotera papi" (Whom did you vote for!) in which Zanu Pf unleashed its thugs backed by the Army, Police and CIO to punish the voters for having dared to reject Mugabe in the March vote.

"What was achieved by the bullet cannot be undone by the ballot!" barked former President Mugabe, encouraging the wanton violence.

Zanu PF went on to reverse Tsvangirai's 73% vote to claim a landslide 84% victory. The party claimed the elections were free, fair and credible, maintaining that all talks of violence were misplaced as violence was being committed by both sides. No one else, not even SADC and AU, accepted Zanu PF's hen's teeth tale. Zanu PF was forced to sign the Global Political Agreement and accepting the need to implement the wide ranging democratic reforms to restore the individual freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free and fair elections.

President Mnangagwa knows that not even one reform was implemented during the five years of the GNU. No doubt his reference to our elections being "poisoned, rancorous and polarising" is meant to reinstate the long held Zanu PF position that both Zanu PF and the opposition parties are equally to blame for the country's culture of vote rigging and politically motivated violence! This is a nonsense that must be dismissed with the contempt it rightly deserves for two reasons:

1)    The victims of all the harassment, beating, rape and murders have all been overwhelming opposition supporters and for Zanu PF's benefit; proof the political violence is of Zanu PF's making.

2)    It is the duty of the Police, Army and other state institution to maintain the peace, rule of law and deliver free and fair elections. They have all in failed in their statutory duties because they have all been corrupted and compromised. Police Commissioner, Augustine Chihuru, has confirmed in his recent doctorate thesis that the Police have been preoccupied with stopping "agents of regime change", a Zanu PF euphemism for all the party's political opponents and critics.

Whilst President Mnangagwa has tried acknowledged the country's past mistakes, "errors of commission or omission" and desperately wanted to sound a note of the willingness to change.

"While we cannot change the past, there is a lot we can do in the present and future to give our Nation a different, positive direction," he said.

"As we do so, we should never remain hostages to our past. I thus humbly appeal to all of us that we let bygones be bygones, readily embracing each other in defining a new destiny. The task at hand is that of rebuilding our great country. It principally lies with none but ourselves.

"I implore you all to declare that NEVER AGAIN should the circumstances that have put Zimbabwe in an unfavourable position be allowed to recur or overshadow its prospects. We must work together, you, me, all of us who make up this Nation."

The spirit is willing to embrace democratic change but the intellect and political will are feeble!

President Mnangagwa you can scream "NEVER AGAIN" all you want but as long as the country fails to implement the democratic reforms designed to free the Police and all the other State Institution to carry out their duty and restore the rule of law, free and fair elections, etc. Zimbabwe will remain a hostage of the Zanu PF dictatorship that has ruled the country with an iron fist these last 37 years.