'I have Thatcher's iron lady resolve,' says ED - rigged election for iron grip on power, must prise free

"WHEN Margaret Thatcher was elected UK prime minister in 1979, she recognised that piecemeal change would not be sufficient to tackle the problems of labour unrest, rampant inflation and economic stagnation. A wholesale transformation and modernisation of the British economy was required. While there would inevitably be downsides to such rapid change, Thatcher was undeterred," reported Zimeye/Financial Times.

"The challenges that Zimbabwe faces today are no less acute. But my government is committed to tackling them head on.

"Like Thatcher, we are not afraid of taking tough, and at times painful, decisions. As she used to put it, there is no alternative."

My heart sunk when I read who wrote this - President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa! My heart sunk because I know that we, my fellow Zimbabweans, ladies and gentlemen, are in serious trouble!

There is no doubt that Zimbabwe is facing very serious economic challenges. In 1980 the country had the second strongest industrial infrastructure in sub-Sahara Africa; the most productive agricultural sector, we were the breadbasket of the region and earned millions of dollars from the export of tobacco and other cash produce; etc. Our economic decline has been rapid, deep and ruinous.

The country's industries have all but gone. For the last ten years the country has relied of imported food aid - we are now so poor we cannot even pay for it. We are starving in a land that we know is for all intend and purposes the Garden of Eden - a damning testimonial of the sheer incompetence of the Zanu PF leaders who have president over the country's demise.

President Mnangagwa was a senior member of the Zanu PF regime throughout the 38 years of the economic meltdown and political turmoil. He took over from Mugabe last year following the military coup the ousted Mugabe.

"The process of change is not smooth. Some pain and discomfort along the way is inevitable. The arduousness of the path of reform can sometimes lead governments to stall or backtrack. But as a passionate reformer leading a reformist government, I know there is no other way. We cannot allow anything to slow us down," wrote Mnangagwa.

Ever since coming into power last November, President Mnangagwa has sold himself as "reformist" but has failed to explain why he has waited for the last 37 years whilst the country went to the dogs before he stepped in? This does not make any sense especially when, of all the other Zanu PF leaders, he is the one who did most of the systematic corruption of the state institutions, the looting of resources to bankroll the party's vote rigging vote buying activities and carried out the harassment, beating, rapes and mass murders to establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship.

The country has been dragged into this hell-hole because for the last 38 years the country was stuck with this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical dictatorship that rigged elections to stay in power against the people's democratic will. It is nonsensical that Mugabe's Chief enforcer should now call himself a reformer!

The second obvious question is: Does Mnangagwa KNOW what reforms the country needs to get out of the mess Zanu PF landed us in?

Mnangagwa has been in office for a year now and it is clear he has no clue what he is doing. He has correctly identified corrupt as one serious problem but after a year he has yet to arrest one person and recover one dollar of the $15 billion Mugabe said was swindled from the diamond mining. Everyone knows that the swindlers included many senior Zanu PF leaders from both his own faction and the former Mugabe faction. He cannot tackle corruption head-on without naming some of his own key supporters, like VP Chiwenga.

President Mnangagwa himself was named in a UN report as one the Zimbabwe leaders who looted diamonds and other resources in DRC a few years ago. Mugabe had send Zimbabwe's army to help prop that country's tyrant. This was one of the many ill advised decision that contributed to Zimbabwe's rapid economic decline!

"The economy is already quietly showing signs of improvement, with growth forecasts revised upwards. Many sectors are thriving. and great economic cost to Zimbabwe," the President claimed.

Again, that is just nonsense. The country needs a injection of foreign direct investment from investors and lenders like the IMF and WB. By rigging the recent elections, President has confirmed Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs, and scarred away investors.

Former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, carefully worked out what the problem was and then the solution and once convinced she had the right solution, she had the iron will to implement it. She was rightly called "Iron Lady!" The only thing a corrupt and incompetent tyrant like Mugabe and Mnangagwa will ever have in common with PM Thatcher is their dogged resolve to hold on to political power at all cost. They have had an iron grip on power for 38 years and counting!

The toughest challenge Zimbabwe faces today is how to prise Mnangagwa's iron grip from power! As long as the Zanu PF dictatorship remains in power and the country a pariah state; we will continue to pursue the same failed voodoo economic policies that landed us in this present mess in the first place.

Mnangagwa and his junta rigged the 30 July 2018 elections, the regime is illegitimate, and must step down. If Zanu PF is still in office come the next elections, the party will rig those elections too and reaffirm its iron grip on power and thus perpetuate its rule and our suffering.