Failure to secure 'financial package scarring investors' reported Guardian - quelea home to roost

President Mnangagwa and his cronies started singing the sing-song "Zimbabwe is open for business!" soon after last November coup; it was way too premature to do so. Zimbabwe was a pariah state ruled by well-established and deeply entrenched corrupt, vote rigging and ruthless dictatorship; dismantle it was never going to be easy. Removing the top dog, Robert Mugabe, and a select few around him was a good start but not enough to justify the "new dispensation" claim.

Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections and yet he stubbornly refused to implement any democratic reforms to make this possible. By blatantly rigging the 30 July 2018 elections, he confirmed; even to those still naïve to believe to "new dispensation" propaganda; that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state. No investor would want to do business with thugs!

"Although the elections in July did not see the systematic violence of those under Mugabe, alleged irregularities during the count and violent repression following the vote have resulted in only lukewarm support for Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu PF party from major international powers," reported the Guardian.

"The fatal shooting by soldiers of seven unarmed civilians in Harare during opposition protests has made endorsement of the new government difficult, officials privately admit."

"Catriona Laing, the outgoing British ambassador, told local reporters the United Kingdom was concerned by the August 1 shootings and hoped to see political reform.

"This has made the prospects of the multi-billion-dollar financial package needed to stave off economic collapse unlikely, which has in turn discouraged private investors."

No political reforms can ever be implemented now to reverse the reality that Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt vote rigging thugs! The chicken have come home to roost in their millions like quelea birds! Even the British who have been bending over backward to prop up this Mnangagwa junta are now accepting that the regime is doomed to fail!

"China has proved unwilling to provide the immediate funds needed by Zimbabwe, citing concerns over the country's ability to repay existing unpaid debts," continued the Guardian report.

How typical! Before the elections, Mnangagwa boasted that he had signed several "mega deal projects worth billions of dollars" with the Chinese. Now that the elections are over the Chinese are saying the money would only be released if Zimbabwe paid outstanding loans first.

They did the same thing with Mugabe, strung him along with promises of mega deals only to demand repayment outstanding loans before any new loans could be activated! Mugabe hit back by booting the Chinese out of Chiadzwa diamond fields.

The Chinese are reportedly going back to Chiadzwa. They helped Mnangagwa rig and win the recent elections and going back to Chiadzwa was their pay back. So they will continue the wholesale looting of diamonds from where they left off!

"Manisha Singh, the US assistant secretary of State for economic and business affairs, told a House of Representatives hearing earlier this month that the new government has to demonstrate it is "changing its ways" before these (targeted sanctions imposed on Zanu PF leaders) can be lifted.
"Our pressure on Zimbabwe remains in place.

"We are trying to use this pressure to leverage political and economic reforms, human rights observations … We want to see fundamental changes in Zimbabwe and only then will we resume normal relations with them," Singh said.

The pressure must now focused on forcing this Zanu PF junta to accept that it is illegitimate, having rigged the election, and must step aside to allow the appointment of an interim administration. The administration will be tasked to implement the democratic reforms in preparation for holding fresh free, fair and credible elections.

There is really no other way out of this mess other than having an interim regime. Zanu PF must not be allow remain in power for five years because it will only be presiding over total economic collapse and want to rig the next elections just to stay in power.