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UK want 'serious dialogue' with ED on debt but not vote rigging - history repeating itself

by Patrick Guramatunhu
18 Sep 2018 at 16:36hrs | Views
The British are not helping Zimbabwe get out of the economic and political mess the country is in. Not at all!

"Ambassador Catriona Laing said an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme would help Britain's former colony expedite the clearance of its arrears," reported Zimeye.

"We are here to give that support to try and encourage a process back to an IMF programme, perhaps through an interim staff monitoring programme as soon as possible," Laing told reporters.

She said this would enable Zimbabwe "to start a serious dialogue" around the clearance of the arrears.

It is all very well, to start a serious dialogue; but to what end and purpose?
We can disagree on many issues but few can disagree that the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic and political mess is the country's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The country has been stuck with this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship for 38 years now.

Each time Zanu PF has rigged the elections people have allowed the party to stay in power regardless of it being illegitimate in the hope that it will be a good and competent government and that it will not rig the next elections. After 38 years it is undeniable that Zanu PF has failed on all two fronts; Zimbabwe is in a political and economic mess and as sure as clock-work the party has rigged all the past elections without exception!

Zimbabwe's economic and political problems cannot be dealt with meaningfully until the country cures itself of the curse of rigged elections!

After last November's military coup that ousted the country's long serving dictator, Robert Mugabe; President Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. Sadly when push came to shove, Mnangagwa failed to deliver on that promise and thus dragging the nation back to the pariah state days. There is no question that the recent elections were rigged.

Not even one of 20 plus democratic nations/organisations that had an election observe team in Zimbabwe has dared to endorse the elections as having been free, fair and credible. UK MP Kate Hoey, who too was on the ground in Zimbabwe to observe the elections, called the elections for what they were - rigged elections.
 
"Without doubt the election has been cleverly rigged but even worse is the fact that it is the military that is behind the regime and they are now unleashing a similar fear and terror campaign on leading opposition activists and curbing all protests by killing and arresting innocent Zimbabweans," wrote MP Hoey.

"The courage and self-sacrifice of the Zimbabwean people is humbling to behold. We, in the international community cannot accept the result of the election and the UK government must take a lead to ensure that the Zimbabwean government is seen for what it is a mark 2 Mugabe regime and one that deserves no support whatsoever."

The American government has been quick off the mark and has confirmed the targeted sanctions imposed of the Zanu PF leadership will remain in place until the regime holds free, fair and credible elections.

Until Zimbabwe dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship and take away its carte blanche dictatorial power to rig elections the nation will continue to suffer the ill effects of a corrupt and tyrannical regime. Pressuring this Zanu PF junta to accept that after 38 years of tragic failure under this de facto one-party dictatorship the only dialogue to be had is how to dismantle the dictatorship.

It should also be pointed out that by rigging the elections President Mnangagwa has chased away would-be investors and lenders. The latter are a shrewd and savvy lot; they do not do business in pariah state where the next regime change is another military coup or widespread street protests. There are enough risks in business venture without adding those brought on by political instability.
So what good will it be for Zimbabwe to clear all her debts when the country has no hope of meaningful economic recovery because there will be no new investors? Zimbabwe has just shot herself in both feet and it is pointless to expect her to stand much less run. A vote rigging Zanu PF junta will never led this nation out of this hell-hole because they are thugs who got us into this hole and they are profiting from keep us here.
 
There no doubt that the British know and understand that nothing good will ever come out of pampering and appeasing this vote rigging Zanu PF junta; Zimbabwe is set to sink even deeper into the economic and political hell-hole. The British will profit in much the same way the Chinese and other unscrupulous nation who too have turned a blind eye to Zanu PF's corrupt and tyrannical rule and the tragic human suffering it brought for their own selfish national interest.

Indeed, countries like China and Israel, through the activities of such companies as NIKUV, have gone the extra mile is helping Zanu PF blatantly rig elections so they can profit from the ensuing chaos and corruption. The British are keen to have a share of the profits even when it meanings shaking Mnangagwa's hand red with blood of the seven shot dead last month!

Zanu PF has murdered is cold blood over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans, to say nothing of those who have died of hunger and disease, to establish and retain its 38 years strangle hold on power. The only serious dialogue Zimbabweans want with Mnangagwa is how to end the dictatorship but it is clear that you, Ambassador Catriona Laing, have been pushing your own selfish agenda! It is not the first time that the British have found themselves on the wrong side of justice and, it is clear, history is repeating itself yet again.