Opinion / Columnist
United opposition will stop vote splitting not rigging - why mouse-trap to catch an elephant
04 Jul 2016 at 08:01hrs | Views
Zimbabwe is now facing a very serious economic meltdown because of decades of mismanagement and corruption by this Mugabe regime and as long as Zanu PF remains in power the economic situation will only get worse. To finally end Zanu PF's now 36 years in power, we need to stop the regime rigging elections by implementing the democratic reforms.
We have known this since 2000 but instead of implementing the reforms we have wasted time on building opposition coalitions and other gimmicks. Building opposition coalition is a gimmick on par with Shona adage of setting a mouse trap to catch an elephant! (Kuvaraidza zura kuteya nzou neriva)
Coalition will never stop vote rigging just a mouse trap will never catch an elephant
To some people uniting the opposition into a coalition has become the panacea to Zimbabwe's political paralysis.
"It is such a desperate situation that the people of Zimbabwe find themselves in - and we all know that a desperate person is capable of doing anything and is unpredictable - as desperate times call for desperate measures," wrote Tendai Ruben Mbofana.
It is very true that our political and economic situation is pretty desperate, there is no denying that.
Mbofana is right in saying "a desperate person is capable of doing anything and is unpredictable". But if he had posed to think then he would have come to the logical conclusion that, no matter how desperate the situation may be one must always resist acting out of desperation because more often than not one will do the wrong thing making the situation worse and not better. Instead he opted for the easy but irrational solution of desperate measures and offered one such desperate solution for one political and economic mess.
"However, the fact is that this country is headed for calamity if no concrete efforts are made immediately to remedy the situation," acknowledged Mbofana.
"This is where the opposition needs to show real leadership. The opposition needs to step up and play the role that the people of Zimbabwe expects of them.
"The opposition is fraught with such divisions that come 2018, the vote will seriously be split that no one party will claim the honours.
"This had been a serious challenge in a number of countries where dictators have thrived - they have thrived not necessarily as a result of their oppression of the people, but because the opposition failed to act as a united force, and therefore, split the popular vote," proposed Mbofana.
A united opposition may have been the answer in other countries; it is NOT the answer here because Zanu PF did not "win" the last elections because the opposition vote was split, it rigged the vote.
President Mugabe had total control of the whole electoral process; ZEC did nothing to stop him paying NIKUV to tamper with the voters roll so deny many opposition supporters were denied the vote and ZEC and the Police turned a blind eye to Zanu PF youths were bussed in and were able to cast multiple votes. Mugabe bought each Zanu PF candidate contesting the elections a new car plus $10 000 compared to the opposition who got $700 or less. As long as Zanu PF retains total control of the State institutions like ZEC, Police, etc. and has unfettered access to billions of dollars of looted wealth to bankroll its vote rigging schemes the party will continue to "win" future elections.
The only way meaningfully end Zanu PF's dictatorial control of State Institutions like ZEC and Police and force transparency in the funding of elections by implementing the democratic reforms designed specifically to break the dictatorial umbilical cords, etc. To talk of uniting the opposition when nothing has been done to implement the democratic reforms is an exercise in futility comparable to wasting time setting a mouse trap and hoping to catch an elephant!
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Wilbert Mukori <zimbabwesocialdemocrats@gmail.com
We have known this since 2000 but instead of implementing the reforms we have wasted time on building opposition coalitions and other gimmicks. Building opposition coalition is a gimmick on par with Shona adage of setting a mouse trap to catch an elephant! (Kuvaraidza zura kuteya nzou neriva)
Coalition will never stop vote rigging just a mouse trap will never catch an elephant
To some people uniting the opposition into a coalition has become the panacea to Zimbabwe's political paralysis.
"It is such a desperate situation that the people of Zimbabwe find themselves in - and we all know that a desperate person is capable of doing anything and is unpredictable - as desperate times call for desperate measures," wrote Tendai Ruben Mbofana.
It is very true that our political and economic situation is pretty desperate, there is no denying that.
Mbofana is right in saying "a desperate person is capable of doing anything and is unpredictable". But if he had posed to think then he would have come to the logical conclusion that, no matter how desperate the situation may be one must always resist acting out of desperation because more often than not one will do the wrong thing making the situation worse and not better. Instead he opted for the easy but irrational solution of desperate measures and offered one such desperate solution for one political and economic mess.
"However, the fact is that this country is headed for calamity if no concrete efforts are made immediately to remedy the situation," acknowledged Mbofana.
"This is where the opposition needs to show real leadership. The opposition needs to step up and play the role that the people of Zimbabwe expects of them.
"The opposition is fraught with such divisions that come 2018, the vote will seriously be split that no one party will claim the honours.
"This had been a serious challenge in a number of countries where dictators have thrived - they have thrived not necessarily as a result of their oppression of the people, but because the opposition failed to act as a united force, and therefore, split the popular vote," proposed Mbofana.
A united opposition may have been the answer in other countries; it is NOT the answer here because Zanu PF did not "win" the last elections because the opposition vote was split, it rigged the vote.
President Mugabe had total control of the whole electoral process; ZEC did nothing to stop him paying NIKUV to tamper with the voters roll so deny many opposition supporters were denied the vote and ZEC and the Police turned a blind eye to Zanu PF youths were bussed in and were able to cast multiple votes. Mugabe bought each Zanu PF candidate contesting the elections a new car plus $10 000 compared to the opposition who got $700 or less. As long as Zanu PF retains total control of the State institutions like ZEC, Police, etc. and has unfettered access to billions of dollars of looted wealth to bankroll its vote rigging schemes the party will continue to "win" future elections.
The only way meaningfully end Zanu PF's dictatorial control of State Institutions like ZEC and Police and force transparency in the funding of elections by implementing the democratic reforms designed specifically to break the dictatorial umbilical cords, etc. To talk of uniting the opposition when nothing has been done to implement the democratic reforms is an exercise in futility comparable to wasting time setting a mouse trap and hoping to catch an elephant!
------------------
Wilbert Mukori <zimbabwesocialdemocrats@gmail.com
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
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