'2018 should be year for free elections,' says Mnangagwa - forget should, it is will and must

Zanu PF is a party of thugs, there is no question about that. Nothing showed the party for what it really is - a party of thugs - than the dog-eat-dog factional fighting that started in earnest with the "baby dumping", as Grace Mugabe put it, of Joice Mujuru and a truck load of senior party members in 2014.

Mujuru amassed the support of 8 out 10 provinces in the up-coming contest for VP position, that would have made her Mugabe's heir apparent. Grace Mugabe and Mnangagwa were eyeing the same VP position and so had to stop Mujuru and, in a party of thugs, anything goes. Poor Mujuru was accused of "factionalism, being lazy, corrupt and, most serious of all, plotting to assassinate Mugabe". The last change was dropped with no one ever arrested as soon as Mujuru was booted out of the party. As for being corrupt and lazy; who in Zanu PF is not corrupt and lazy? How soliciting for the support of party members can be a crime beggars belief!

Emmerson Mnangagwa was appointed VP in 2014 making him the target of Grace Mugabe's fire; she wanted that position for herself. President Mugabe supported his wife and her G40 faction and poor Mnangagwa was in trouble, everything he did or say was judged wrong. The factional war came to the head with the firing of Mnangagwa for disloyalty which the later countered by staging the coup.

Whilst Zanu PF indulged themselves in their factional fighting they completely ignore the running of the nation's affairs. The economic has been in total meltdown triggered by the violent farm seizures, "njambanja", in 2000, which cause the collapse of the agricultural sector and the reckless printing of money which fuelled the hyperinflation peaking at 500 billion per cent in 2008 when the Z$ was scrapped. Unemployment has been 80% plus for the last 15 years and ¾ of Zimbabweans now live on US$ 1.00 or less a day. The Zanu PF thugs were too absorbed in their fighting for power they did not care that the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans were suffering and dying of poverty, hopelessness and despair.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, has exposed Zanu PF for being a party of ruthless thugs than the staging of the coup and the total indifference the party has shown to the suffering and anguish of the ordinary Zimbabweans these last four years.

Only now that President Mnangagwa and his faction have won the factional war and have their hands firmly on the wheels of power have their turned their attention on the ordinary people's suffering.

"Government will continue to work tirelessly to create a peaceful and stable political and socio-economic environment which will enable us to be a prosperous nation and to realise our full potential. 2018 should be the year of all Zimbabweans, 2018 should be the year of progress. 2018 should also be the year of credible, free and fair elections," said President Mnangagwa in his New Year message to the nation.

This would be highly commendable if only he meant it!

How can 2018 be the year for "credible, free and fair elections", when you have done nothing, absolutely nothing to implement even one democratic reform necessary for free and fair elections! Zanu PF has rigged elections ever since the nation attained her independence but, as one would expect from a party of thugs, has always claimed the elections were free, fair and credible. Even the 2008 elections which not even SADC and the AU, known for endorsing some dodgy elections, condemned; Zanu PF claimed were free and fair and has maintain that position to this day.

So, Mr President Zimbabweans have to ask you whether the elections will be judged free and fair to Zanu PF 2008 standards or the international accepted standards?

Zanu PF, this party of ruthless thugs, has systematically denied the ordinary Zimbabweans their freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections for 38 years now. Enough is enough. We demand the implementation of all the democratic reforms BEFORE elections to ensure free and fair elections. To hold elections with no reforms is just a waste of time and resources because such elections cannot be free and fair.

The coup has taken away all the pretence Zanu PF has had of being anything but a party of thugs and all the promise for free and fair elections is just an attempt to claim some legitimacy. This is nothing more than a school bully tactic playing the peace-maker to hide his real role of the trouble-maker.

Forget "2018 should also be the year of credible, free and fair elections!" That is simply not good enough! "2018 will and must be the first year of many years to follow of credible, free and fair elections, period!