'Diplomats sowing disharmony' - by pretending Zimbabwe is a democracy MDC has sown death and destruction

When MDC was launched in 1999 the party's mission was simple and straightforward: to bring about the democratic change to end the corrupt, vote rigging and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship, as the party's name implied. There is no doubt that MDC had its golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and fulfil its mission during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.

Sadly, MDC leaders failed to get even one reform implemented in five years. Not even one! Mugabe was able to bribe the entire MDC leadership with generous salaries and allowances, ministerial limos, former white-owned farm for Welshman Ncube, a $4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, etc. and they, in return, ditched all the reforms. Everyone of the reforms!

Not only did MDC leaders fail to implement even one democratic reform during the GNU but worse still, ever since the GNU they have behaved as if all the reforms were implemented. They have participated in elections whilst paying lip service to calls for the implementation of reforms.

"MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!" said Nelson Chamisa dismissively, clearly irritated by those demanding to know why MDC was participating in the elections when it was self-evident, without reforms, Zanu PF would rig the elections. Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the 2018 elections, as expected.

The Americans, Commonwealth, the EU and all the individuals, nations and organisations with any credible democratic credentials have all dismissed last year's elections as a farce. "The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner," stated the EU Election Observer Mission final report.

"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."

It is therefore shocking that not even one of the 130 opposition political parties and 23 presidential candidates who participated in the elections have said anything the election process. Chamisa has disputed Mnangagwa's victory on the basis of the vote count and not the process. Zimbabwe's opposition parties and candidate have all accepted the process was free, fair and credible and thus the result legitimate.

Obert Gutu, a deputy MDC minister during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, had the audacity to claim Zimbabwe was a "multi-party democracy". Prompting Nomusa Garikai to ask: "When did the metamorphosis from the dictatorship to a democracy happened?"

 Sadly, it is now that MDC leaders are stepping up their campaign to falsely claim Zimbabwe is now a democracy.

"National Peace Trust (NPT) Chairperson and founding member of the MDC, Mrs Sekai Holland has implored the diplomatic community to help Zimbabweans find each other, instead of dividing the nation through statements based on unverified information," reported ZBC.

"The European Union (EU) and other western nations have recently accused the government of not respecting human rights, amid reports of alleged abductions of human rights activists and opposition members.

"But the former Co-Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, Mrs Holland dismissed the claims, arguing that ‘some of the statements border on falsehoods, misinformation and outright malice.'

"It is our hope that the role of the diplomatic community at this stage is to help all Zimbabweans find their space and role in contributing towards the peace-building initiative through constructive and impartial interventions instead of sowing seeds of disharmony," she said.

Madam, it is not the members of the diplomatic corps who are sowing seed of disharmony, suffering, death and destruction in Zimbabwe; it is MDC leaders who sold-out on implementing the reforms and are now propping up the Zanu PF dictatorship by pretending Zimbabwe is a healthy and functional democratic nation.

Zanu PF blatantly rig last year's elections confirming that Zimbabwe is still the same pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs who ruled before the 2008 GNU. MDC leaders were supposed to end the dictatorship but failed to do so. Burying our heads in the sand is not going to get the nation out of this mess.

Ever since the failed 2008 GNU MDC leaders have abandoned their mission to deliver democratic change. They have been running with the hare and hunting with the hounds; the sooner Zimbabweans grasp this reality the sooner they can finally stop following MDC leaders blindly like sheep to the slaughter and move on.