Opinion / Columnist
'Zanu PF still fighting to stop SA meeting opposition' - risking all to stop dreaded regime change
04 Sep 2020 at 18:36hrs | Views
"Despite the NEC's wish for the ANC delegation to meet a broad range of Zimbabwean stakeholders, it is understood that Pretoria feels it would be better for the ANC to meet only its ruling party counterpart, Zanu-PF, while Ramaphosa's special envoys who have a different mandate as they represent the South African government should meet the other stakeholders, as they had originally intended to do on August 10," reported the Independent.
"Zanu-PF would evidently prefer the envoys' mission to be merged with that of the ANC and for neither to meet the opposition and civil society.
"As a result of this intransigence, there are indications that Pretoria might have started to exert economic pressure on Zanu-PF something it has rarely done before, if at all."
Zanu PF intransigence comes with the territory especially considering what is at stake for Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies - the dreaded regime change!
Just getting the late Robert Mugabe to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA); agreeing to the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms, which implemented, would have completely dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship; was one of President Thabo Mbeki's greatest political achievements. Getting the reforms implemented was a bridge too far!
As things turned out, it was not the intransigent arrogance of Mugabe that foiled the efforts to get the reforms implemented but breath taking stupidity and greed of Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC banded mongooses.
Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office; ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, numerous overseas trips, etc., etc. And to show their appreciation to their benefactor, banded mongooses throw all reforms out of the window. Hence the reason we are still stuck with the curse of rigged elections!
Of course, Mnangagwa knows that all these talks with the SA envoys is a tacit acknowledgement that his regime has failed to govern and will culminate in the formation of a new GNU. Even if he is not asked to sign a new GPA, he knows that the same raft of democratic reforms from 2008 will be back on the agenda.
Everyone; Mnangagwa, Chamisa, President Ramaphosa, everyone; knows the pressure to have the reforms implemented without fail will be palpable. Mnangagwa's rude arrogance in sending back the 10th August envoys, the torrid of verbal abuse from George Charamba questioning SA's right to intervene, etc. all point to one thing - Zanu PF will resist the proposed GNU and will stop the implementing of the democratic reforms.
Mnangagwa, just like Mugabe before him, has no intention of reforming himself and Zanu PF out of office. If Zanu PF is still in office, on its own or in GNU, on the eve of the next elections; the party will rig those elections, guaranteed!
President Ramaphosa has a very simple choice really; either to force feed Mnangagwa this new GNU knowing fully well that he will wasting everyone's time because no meaningful reforms will be implemented. Or he can bite the bullet and demand that Zanu PF steps down so that others, who will implement the reforms, can be appointed into the GNU.
Getting Zanu PF to step down is not going to be a walk in the park and, frankly, President Cyril Ramaphosa is not up to the task. He must ask for help from the UN.
The root cause of Zimbabwe economic and political crisis is the country's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections just as the party rigged the 1980 elections and all the other elections since.
Today the country stands on the very edge of the precipitous abyss with its economy in ruins and millions of Zimbabweans living in abject poverty. The corona virus pandemic has only made the economic and health situation even worse. Zimbabwe is crying for a solution to its economic, political and social crisis and not another gimmick.
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies must step down. The regime is illegitimate! President Ramaphosa must understand that it is not the survival of Mnangagwa's presidency that is at issue here but that of Zimbabwe!
"Zanu-PF would evidently prefer the envoys' mission to be merged with that of the ANC and for neither to meet the opposition and civil society.
"As a result of this intransigence, there are indications that Pretoria might have started to exert economic pressure on Zanu-PF something it has rarely done before, if at all."
Zanu PF intransigence comes with the territory especially considering what is at stake for Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies - the dreaded regime change!
Just getting the late Robert Mugabe to sign the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA); agreeing to the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms, which implemented, would have completely dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship; was one of President Thabo Mbeki's greatest political achievements. Getting the reforms implemented was a bridge too far!
As things turned out, it was not the intransigent arrogance of Mugabe that foiled the efforts to get the reforms implemented but breath taking stupidity and greed of Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC banded mongooses.
Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office; ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, numerous overseas trips, etc., etc. And to show their appreciation to their benefactor, banded mongooses throw all reforms out of the window. Hence the reason we are still stuck with the curse of rigged elections!
Of course, Mnangagwa knows that all these talks with the SA envoys is a tacit acknowledgement that his regime has failed to govern and will culminate in the formation of a new GNU. Even if he is not asked to sign a new GPA, he knows that the same raft of democratic reforms from 2008 will be back on the agenda.
Everyone; Mnangagwa, Chamisa, President Ramaphosa, everyone; knows the pressure to have the reforms implemented without fail will be palpable. Mnangagwa's rude arrogance in sending back the 10th August envoys, the torrid of verbal abuse from George Charamba questioning SA's right to intervene, etc. all point to one thing - Zanu PF will resist the proposed GNU and will stop the implementing of the democratic reforms.
Mnangagwa, just like Mugabe before him, has no intention of reforming himself and Zanu PF out of office. If Zanu PF is still in office, on its own or in GNU, on the eve of the next elections; the party will rig those elections, guaranteed!
President Ramaphosa has a very simple choice really; either to force feed Mnangagwa this new GNU knowing fully well that he will wasting everyone's time because no meaningful reforms will be implemented. Or he can bite the bullet and demand that Zanu PF steps down so that others, who will implement the reforms, can be appointed into the GNU.
Getting Zanu PF to step down is not going to be a walk in the park and, frankly, President Cyril Ramaphosa is not up to the task. He must ask for help from the UN.
The root cause of Zimbabwe economic and political crisis is the country's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections just as the party rigged the 1980 elections and all the other elections since.
Today the country stands on the very edge of the precipitous abyss with its economy in ruins and millions of Zimbabweans living in abject poverty. The corona virus pandemic has only made the economic and health situation even worse. Zimbabwe is crying for a solution to its economic, political and social crisis and not another gimmick.
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies must step down. The regime is illegitimate! President Ramaphosa must understand that it is not the survival of Mnangagwa's presidency that is at issue here but that of Zimbabwe!
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.com
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
