Opinion / Columnist
After bribing the Chiefs, Mnangagwa bribes Tsvangirai - proof promise of free elections is hot air
22 Jan 2018 at 06:34hrs | Views
Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, outline Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC-T leader's bribe for MDC-T to participate in this year's flawed elections.
"When the President visited the former Prime Minister, he made assurances to him that he was going to address issues of welfare concerning him," Chinamasa told parliament.
"Some of the undertakings that were made by the President to the former Prime Minister were to do with the ownership of the house which currently forms his residence and that an arrangement will be made to transfer ownership of that house to the former Prime Minister.
"There was also an undertaking made by the President to meet all the medical bills and arrears bills that had accumulated with respect to addressing the medical condition of the former Prime Minister.
"The President also promised him that he would look into the issue about his welfare. Having considered the issue, he came to the conclusion and he has asked me to convey this to this Chamber that he will make a generous lump sum, gratuity payment to the former Prime Minister."
For the record, Zimbabwe is in this political and economic hell-hole today because Morgan Tsvangirai sold-out during the GNU and failed to implement even one democratic reform. Then President Mugabe bribed the MDC leader with a generous salary, limo and the $4 million Highlands mansion.
Since the 15 November military coup President Mnangagwa has been desperate to hold on to his carte blanche vote rigging power whilst trying to regain legitimacy by being seen as holding free and fair elections. To pull this off, he needs the opposition to place its role - contest flawed and illegal elections just as they did in 2013. The generous offer to Tsvangirai to him the house, golden handshake, etc. is Mnangagwa's down bribe payment to the MDC leader.
SADC leaders advised MDC leaders not to contest the 2013 elections without reforms. ‘If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done," SADC leaders had warned.
Tsvangirai and friends did not listen. They contest the elections and Zanu Pf blatantly rig the elections.
It was only after the elections that MDC leaders vowed not to contest and more elections without reforms. "No reform, no elections!" they said.
The pressure on the opposition to honour their "No reform, no elections!" resolution has been increasing in the last two months in the light of President Mnangagwa's failure to implement any democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections.
It does not matter how flawed or illegal this year's election process happens to be, one thing is now 100% certain, Tsvangirai's MDC will contest the election. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai has once again sold-out!
"I want us to understand that the President is a man of his word. He will do so as soon as possible," Minister Chinamasa concluded.
True enough, President Mnangagwa promised the Chiefs their new truck bribes and he has already started delivering them. He will, no doubt pay Tsvangirai the bribe, as promised. The President's word is just hot air when it comes to his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections because he had done nothing to implement even one democratic reform and his willingness to pay these bribes only confirms his real intentions!
If President Mnangagwa fails to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections then the people of Zimbabwe must heed SADC leaders' advice and refuse to participate in yet another meaningless election process. Tsvangirai talked the nation into taking part in the July 2013 elections after assuring us the elections will be free and fair. What would be his excuse for participating again this year - other than he has been paid to do so!
One of this fine days, when the democratic reforms have been fully implemented, the country finally holds its first free, fair and credible election to usher in its first credible, complete and democratic government; one of the competent regime's first task will be to review the rot of the last 38 years. How can corrupt, vote rigging and murderous tyrants like Robert Mugabe by allowed to keep their amassed looted wealth or sell-outs like Tsvangirai kept their bribes whilst the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who have suffered the decades of their misrule continue to suffer post regime-change.
"When the President visited the former Prime Minister, he made assurances to him that he was going to address issues of welfare concerning him," Chinamasa told parliament.
"Some of the undertakings that were made by the President to the former Prime Minister were to do with the ownership of the house which currently forms his residence and that an arrangement will be made to transfer ownership of that house to the former Prime Minister.
"There was also an undertaking made by the President to meet all the medical bills and arrears bills that had accumulated with respect to addressing the medical condition of the former Prime Minister.
"The President also promised him that he would look into the issue about his welfare. Having considered the issue, he came to the conclusion and he has asked me to convey this to this Chamber that he will make a generous lump sum, gratuity payment to the former Prime Minister."
For the record, Zimbabwe is in this political and economic hell-hole today because Morgan Tsvangirai sold-out during the GNU and failed to implement even one democratic reform. Then President Mugabe bribed the MDC leader with a generous salary, limo and the $4 million Highlands mansion.
SADC leaders advised MDC leaders not to contest the 2013 elections without reforms. ‘If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done," SADC leaders had warned.
Tsvangirai and friends did not listen. They contest the elections and Zanu Pf blatantly rig the elections.
It was only after the elections that MDC leaders vowed not to contest and more elections without reforms. "No reform, no elections!" they said.
The pressure on the opposition to honour their "No reform, no elections!" resolution has been increasing in the last two months in the light of President Mnangagwa's failure to implement any democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections.
It does not matter how flawed or illegal this year's election process happens to be, one thing is now 100% certain, Tsvangirai's MDC will contest the election. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai has once again sold-out!
"I want us to understand that the President is a man of his word. He will do so as soon as possible," Minister Chinamasa concluded.
True enough, President Mnangagwa promised the Chiefs their new truck bribes and he has already started delivering them. He will, no doubt pay Tsvangirai the bribe, as promised. The President's word is just hot air when it comes to his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections because he had done nothing to implement even one democratic reform and his willingness to pay these bribes only confirms his real intentions!
If President Mnangagwa fails to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections then the people of Zimbabwe must heed SADC leaders' advice and refuse to participate in yet another meaningless election process. Tsvangirai talked the nation into taking part in the July 2013 elections after assuring us the elections will be free and fair. What would be his excuse for participating again this year - other than he has been paid to do so!
One of this fine days, when the democratic reforms have been fully implemented, the country finally holds its first free, fair and credible election to usher in its first credible, complete and democratic government; one of the competent regime's first task will be to review the rot of the last 38 years. How can corrupt, vote rigging and murderous tyrants like Robert Mugabe by allowed to keep their amassed looted wealth or sell-outs like Tsvangirai kept their bribes whilst the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who have suffered the decades of their misrule continue to suffer post regime-change.
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
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