Opinion / Columnist
'Zanu PF believes - rightly or wrongly- that it squarely won 2018 elections' - and what does 'Telling it like it is!' believe
09 Feb 2021 at 07:38hrs | Views
"Rinemanyanga hariputirwi!" (No matter how seemingly clever the deception, the truth will always come out in the end!) so goes the Shona adage.
The Kim dynasty has ruled North Korea since 1948 for three generations. Kim Jong-un, the current Supreme Leader's, grandfather Kim Il-sung made himself the Supreme Leader with all the absolute power of an autocratic and tyrannical ruler. And yet, he named the country The Democratic Republic Of North Korea. His son and now his grandson have all kept the country's name for the same purpose - to deceive!
"It has been painful to watch over the past few days the desperation with which the small cast of know-it-alls, that is contributing so much to the country's toxic politics, has been attacking talk about the urgent need for national dialogue in the country," reported Daily News.
"Our hope, in this regard, is that the intended beneficiaries of the regular poisonous epistles will continue to see them for what they are - disastrous "advice" that is guaranteed to end otherwise promising careers in the fast-changing local political terrain."
Cut!
As one of those "small cast of know-it-alls" who have dismissed the Daily News' proposed Mnangagwa, Chamisa and Mwonzora, "The big three", political dialogue as a total waste of time. I will state why it is a waste of time; the three are the ones who got us into this mess; they are the problem and cannot be, can never be, the solution to the problem too!
Zanu PF leaders created and have ruthless retained this de facto one-party dictatorship for selfish political gain. 40 years corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical rule have left the country in economic ruins and political paralysis, stuck as we with corrupt and incompetent politicians on both sides of the political divide.
MDC leaders had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to end the dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to get even one reform implemented. To make matters worse, the MDC leaders completely abandon the fight for free and fair elections and participated in flawed and illegal elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats Zanu PF offered as bait. By participating in the flawed elections MDC gave Zanu PF legitimacy.
What the country has needed to get us out of the hell-on-earth, Zanu PF landed us into and MDC has done its bit to keep us stuck there, is to implement the democratic reforms. The challenge has to been finding the competent men and women to carry out this important task.
Let's return to Daily News.
"What these Smart Alecs seem oblivious to, or is it that they conveniently choose to ignore this reality, is that Zanu PF actually doesn't care much about the mooted national dialogue, as the ruling party believes - rightly or wrongly - that it won squarely the 2018 parliamentary and presidential elections, and thus does not really need to talk to anyone."
The country's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis and therefore whether or not the July 2018 elections were rigged too have huge implications to our efforts to end the crisis. We cannot seek a way out of this mess without first answering the question; was the July 2018 election free, fair and credible?
We know 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote and Mnangagwa reportedly got 2.4 million to win the presidency. Many election observers reported that the election process lacked transparency, traceability and verifiability. ZEC failed to produce a verified voters' roll.
In the light of the above the only reason why Zanu PF would still "believes that it won squarely the 2018 elections" for the same reason Kim Jong-un believes North Korea is a democratic republic - to deceive.
As for the Daily News, the paper claiming "Tells it like it is!", it is shocking that even now with all the benefit of hindsight it cannot make up its mind whether the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible. Instead of giving a clear cut answer on this, the big issue of our generation the paper merely restating Zanu PF's position and hide behind cowardly caveat of "rightly and wrongly".
The truth is the cowardly Daily News answer did not fool anyone, certainly not the investors who have stayed away from investing in Zimbabwe because the country is, rightly, viewed as a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs.
By blatantly rigging the 2018 elections, Mnangagwa confirmed Zimbabwe was still a pariah state as during Mugabe's days, the November 2017 military coup had changed nothing. Investor have shied away from Zimbabwe because they do not do business with thugs.
The purpose of proposed political dialogue is have a new GNU, Zanu PF in all but name, in the hope investors will be fooled into believe Zimbabwe had finally cast off its pariah state characteristic. Zanu PF will never implement the reforms and so nothing will change. Absolutely nothing!
"Our pledge to our readers is that we will never yield to dubious agendas nor abdicate our key watchdog role, as well as our truthful, non-partisan approach to news - even if this may displease some misguided people," concluded Daily News.
Well then the Daily News must give a truthful answer to the question; Were the 2018 elections free, fair and credible?
The Daily News will not accept that Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections just as the party has rigged many other elections in the past. Mnangagwa's "Zimbabwe is open for business!" call has failed to attract the investors because no one wants to do business in a pariah state.
All this talk of a new GNU is to give Zanu PF a new name and, hopefully new legitimacy. No one will be fooled; it will take a lot more than a few MDC manikins in the Zanu PF cabinet to transform a pariah state into a democracy!
Of course, it is insane to still be trying to dig ourselves out of this economic and political crisis by appeasing the vote rigging Zanu PF; repeating, 40 years and counting, the same foolishness behind the crisis.
It does not help when the institutions, the media, the intelligentsia, etc. who should be warning society against foolish behaviour are the ones cheering and applauding the madness!
The Kim dynasty has ruled North Korea since 1948 for three generations. Kim Jong-un, the current Supreme Leader's, grandfather Kim Il-sung made himself the Supreme Leader with all the absolute power of an autocratic and tyrannical ruler. And yet, he named the country The Democratic Republic Of North Korea. His son and now his grandson have all kept the country's name for the same purpose - to deceive!
"It has been painful to watch over the past few days the desperation with which the small cast of know-it-alls, that is contributing so much to the country's toxic politics, has been attacking talk about the urgent need for national dialogue in the country," reported Daily News.
"Our hope, in this regard, is that the intended beneficiaries of the regular poisonous epistles will continue to see them for what they are - disastrous "advice" that is guaranteed to end otherwise promising careers in the fast-changing local political terrain."
Cut!
As one of those "small cast of know-it-alls" who have dismissed the Daily News' proposed Mnangagwa, Chamisa and Mwonzora, "The big three", political dialogue as a total waste of time. I will state why it is a waste of time; the three are the ones who got us into this mess; they are the problem and cannot be, can never be, the solution to the problem too!
Zanu PF leaders created and have ruthless retained this de facto one-party dictatorship for selfish political gain. 40 years corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical rule have left the country in economic ruins and political paralysis, stuck as we with corrupt and incompetent politicians on both sides of the political divide.
MDC leaders had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms to end the dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. They failed to get even one reform implemented. To make matters worse, the MDC leaders completely abandon the fight for free and fair elections and participated in flawed and illegal elections for the sake of the few gravy train seats Zanu PF offered as bait. By participating in the flawed elections MDC gave Zanu PF legitimacy.
What the country has needed to get us out of the hell-on-earth, Zanu PF landed us into and MDC has done its bit to keep us stuck there, is to implement the democratic reforms. The challenge has to been finding the competent men and women to carry out this important task.
Let's return to Daily News.
"What these Smart Alecs seem oblivious to, or is it that they conveniently choose to ignore this reality, is that Zanu PF actually doesn't care much about the mooted national dialogue, as the ruling party believes - rightly or wrongly - that it won squarely the 2018 parliamentary and presidential elections, and thus does not really need to talk to anyone."
The country's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis and therefore whether or not the July 2018 elections were rigged too have huge implications to our efforts to end the crisis. We cannot seek a way out of this mess without first answering the question; was the July 2018 election free, fair and credible?
We know 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote and Mnangagwa reportedly got 2.4 million to win the presidency. Many election observers reported that the election process lacked transparency, traceability and verifiability. ZEC failed to produce a verified voters' roll.
In the light of the above the only reason why Zanu PF would still "believes that it won squarely the 2018 elections" for the same reason Kim Jong-un believes North Korea is a democratic republic - to deceive.
As for the Daily News, the paper claiming "Tells it like it is!", it is shocking that even now with all the benefit of hindsight it cannot make up its mind whether the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible. Instead of giving a clear cut answer on this, the big issue of our generation the paper merely restating Zanu PF's position and hide behind cowardly caveat of "rightly and wrongly".
The truth is the cowardly Daily News answer did not fool anyone, certainly not the investors who have stayed away from investing in Zimbabwe because the country is, rightly, viewed as a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs.
By blatantly rigging the 2018 elections, Mnangagwa confirmed Zimbabwe was still a pariah state as during Mugabe's days, the November 2017 military coup had changed nothing. Investor have shied away from Zimbabwe because they do not do business with thugs.
The purpose of proposed political dialogue is have a new GNU, Zanu PF in all but name, in the hope investors will be fooled into believe Zimbabwe had finally cast off its pariah state characteristic. Zanu PF will never implement the reforms and so nothing will change. Absolutely nothing!
"Our pledge to our readers is that we will never yield to dubious agendas nor abdicate our key watchdog role, as well as our truthful, non-partisan approach to news - even if this may displease some misguided people," concluded Daily News.
Well then the Daily News must give a truthful answer to the question; Were the 2018 elections free, fair and credible?
The Daily News will not accept that Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections just as the party has rigged many other elections in the past. Mnangagwa's "Zimbabwe is open for business!" call has failed to attract the investors because no one wants to do business in a pariah state.
All this talk of a new GNU is to give Zanu PF a new name and, hopefully new legitimacy. No one will be fooled; it will take a lot more than a few MDC manikins in the Zanu PF cabinet to transform a pariah state into a democracy!
Of course, it is insane to still be trying to dig ourselves out of this economic and political crisis by appeasing the vote rigging Zanu PF; repeating, 40 years and counting, the same foolishness behind the crisis.
It does not help when the institutions, the media, the intelligentsia, etc. who should be warning society against foolish behaviour are the ones cheering and applauding the madness!
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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