Opinion / Columnist
ED seeking 'emergency powers' to end corruption - voiceless povo need it to force ED to step down before 2023
05 Nov 2018 at 20:44hrs | Views
"President Emmerson Mnangagwa is finalising drafting legislation that will restore stability and eliminate mischief in the money markets, his spokesperson George Charamba said," reported Daily News,
"Charamba also revealed that Mnangagwa will use emergency powers to deal with unexplained wealth and bank deposits in wide-sweeping measures that will see tighter bank surveillance as well as target tax dodgers.
"If we find that an account that had two cents yesterday suddenly has $40 million, the first thing we do is to provisionally impound that and we push the onus for you to explain the source of those funds," he warned ominously.
It is common knowledge that President Mnangagwa himself is one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. Will he lead by example then and explain where he got his wealth?
The President can then come you! We already know that you, Mr George Charamba, were paid mouth-watering sums of money as one of the directors of the Public Service Medical Aid Society. Whilst you and your fellow directors and top managers, looted the funds the lowly paid civil servants who paid the membership fee were being deny the medical care because there was no money to pay for it!
Soon after independence Mugabe came up with the leadership code which was meant to stop leaders abusing their position for person gain. We know it did not work hence the reason the country is in the gutter as a result of the wholesale looting by the leaders. Mugabe kept a detailed account of each leaders looting activities, he even actively encourage leaders to be corrupt, for the purpose of blackmailing the individuals.
Corruption has been endemic in Zimbabwe and it was not because the country did not have laws to stamp it. We have the laws and the manpower to enforce the law. What has been lacking is the political will to stamp out corruption. It is impossible to stamp out corruption when those entrusted with the power and authority to do so are themselves corrupt and worst of all are accountable to no one.
"Si quis custodiet ipsos custodes caro?" (Who will guard the guards if they are corrupt?) asked Roman poet Juvenal.
This is the insidious question that has dogged human kind from the dawn of civilisation. Those societies, nations, etc. who have deserved the necessary checks and balance to ensure those entrusted with power and authority, the greater the power the greater damage, are always accountable to those who granted them power, the people. ALWAYS!
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess with 75% of the population now living in abject poverty as a result of 38 years and counting of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption by the few ruling elite. The people have been totally helpless to stop the criminal waste of the nation's resources and tragic human suffering and deaths because Zanu PF thugs have usurped the people's freedoms and rights rendering them utterly powerless.
In Zanu PF ruled Zimbabwe; the corrupt and tyrannical ruling elite are holding the majority to ransom. It is the tail that is wagging the dog!
Elections are the ultimate expression of the people holding those entrusted to govern the country to democratic account. President Mnangagwa and his junta blatantly rigged the 30 July 2018 elections, proof the junta is NOT accountable to the people.
"The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards," stated the EU Election Observer Mission final report.
In other words, ZEC failed to produce the voters' roll, V11 forms (summary of vote count at each polling station, etc. to prove where President Mnangagwa's 2.4 million votes came from. In short, the result was completely fictitious and nothing to do with the democratic wish of the people of Zimbabwe.
If nothing is done to remove this Zanu PF junta from office before the next elections, in 2023, we can be certain that the party will rig those elections too. Unless something is done to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship, the party will rig the elections to stay in power just as it has done for the last 38 years already.
It is not the all-powerful President Mnangagwa, with his dictatorial powers to deny real men and women the vote and win with imaginary votes from imaginary voters, who needs emergency powers. It is the disenfranchised povo who need the emergency powers and all the international community support they can get to force Mnangagwa et al to accept they are illegitimate and step down.
Nothing of any substance can ever be accomplished as long as Mnangagwa and his junta retain their carte blanche dictatorial power making them democratically unaccountable to the governed, the people. If Zanu PF is not forced to step down before 2023 then the party will rig that year's elections and thus perpetuate its corrupt and tyrannical rule – that must not be allowed to happen!
"Charamba also revealed that Mnangagwa will use emergency powers to deal with unexplained wealth and bank deposits in wide-sweeping measures that will see tighter bank surveillance as well as target tax dodgers.
"If we find that an account that had two cents yesterday suddenly has $40 million, the first thing we do is to provisionally impound that and we push the onus for you to explain the source of those funds," he warned ominously.
It is common knowledge that President Mnangagwa himself is one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. Will he lead by example then and explain where he got his wealth?
The President can then come you! We already know that you, Mr George Charamba, were paid mouth-watering sums of money as one of the directors of the Public Service Medical Aid Society. Whilst you and your fellow directors and top managers, looted the funds the lowly paid civil servants who paid the membership fee were being deny the medical care because there was no money to pay for it!
Soon after independence Mugabe came up with the leadership code which was meant to stop leaders abusing their position for person gain. We know it did not work hence the reason the country is in the gutter as a result of the wholesale looting by the leaders. Mugabe kept a detailed account of each leaders looting activities, he even actively encourage leaders to be corrupt, for the purpose of blackmailing the individuals.
Corruption has been endemic in Zimbabwe and it was not because the country did not have laws to stamp it. We have the laws and the manpower to enforce the law. What has been lacking is the political will to stamp out corruption. It is impossible to stamp out corruption when those entrusted with the power and authority to do so are themselves corrupt and worst of all are accountable to no one.
"Si quis custodiet ipsos custodes caro?" (Who will guard the guards if they are corrupt?) asked Roman poet Juvenal.
This is the insidious question that has dogged human kind from the dawn of civilisation. Those societies, nations, etc. who have deserved the necessary checks and balance to ensure those entrusted with power and authority, the greater the power the greater damage, are always accountable to those who granted them power, the people. ALWAYS!
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess with 75% of the population now living in abject poverty as a result of 38 years and counting of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption by the few ruling elite. The people have been totally helpless to stop the criminal waste of the nation's resources and tragic human suffering and deaths because Zanu PF thugs have usurped the people's freedoms and rights rendering them utterly powerless.
In Zanu PF ruled Zimbabwe; the corrupt and tyrannical ruling elite are holding the majority to ransom. It is the tail that is wagging the dog!
Elections are the ultimate expression of the people holding those entrusted to govern the country to democratic account. President Mnangagwa and his junta blatantly rigged the 30 July 2018 elections, proof the junta is NOT accountable to the people.
"The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards," stated the EU Election Observer Mission final report.
In other words, ZEC failed to produce the voters' roll, V11 forms (summary of vote count at each polling station, etc. to prove where President Mnangagwa's 2.4 million votes came from. In short, the result was completely fictitious and nothing to do with the democratic wish of the people of Zimbabwe.
If nothing is done to remove this Zanu PF junta from office before the next elections, in 2023, we can be certain that the party will rig those elections too. Unless something is done to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship, the party will rig the elections to stay in power just as it has done for the last 38 years already.
It is not the all-powerful President Mnangagwa, with his dictatorial powers to deny real men and women the vote and win with imaginary votes from imaginary voters, who needs emergency powers. It is the disenfranchised povo who need the emergency powers and all the international community support they can get to force Mnangagwa et al to accept they are illegitimate and step down.
Nothing of any substance can ever be accomplished as long as Mnangagwa and his junta retain their carte blanche dictatorial power making them democratically unaccountable to the governed, the people. If Zanu PF is not forced to step down before 2023 then the party will rig that year's elections and thus perpetuate its corrupt and tyrannical rule – that must not be allowed to happen!
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
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