Opinion / Columnist
UK has new PM, 8th since 1980, Truss too will be booted out if she fail - Zim on 2nd, both way, way past 'use-by date'
07 Sep 2022 at 05:11hrs | Views
The British people have a new Prime Minister, the 8th one since 1980!
In the same 42 years period, Zimbabwe had just two Presidents.
Emmerson Mnangagwa 2017 (coup) - present Zanu PF
Robert Mugabe 1980 - 2017 (coup) Zanu PF
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF apologists will attribute the stack reality of 2 leaders vs 8 to Zanu PF's enduring "popularity with the Zimbabwean electorate" and the fear of change, metathesiophobia. A phobia, extreme fear, of the unknown that makes one avoid change at all costs!
The more rational and, indeed, obvious explanation is that Zanu PF has blatantly rigged elections to deny the people of Zimbabwe their fundamental right to a meaningful say in who ruled the country. Mugabe was not removed from office because he had lost his "popularity" with the electorate; he was booted out of office by the same Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut that had rigged elections and kept him in power.
It was no surprise at all that Mnangagwa and his fellow November 2017 military coup plotters named the coup "Operation restore legacy!" The coup was the climax of a factional struggle pitting Robert Mugabe and his G40 against then VP Mnangagwa and his Lactose including the top brass in Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services constituting Joint Operation Command (JOC), the junta behind the vote rigging and looting. When Robert Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from his post as VP it was clear his supporters in JOC were next. The putsch was to restore power back in the hands of the junta.
The only time Zimbabwe has ever come close to holding free, fair and credible elections was in March 2008. SADC leaders had forced Zanu PF to accept many electoral reforms rendering the party's vote rigging machine ineffective.
It so happened that the elections took place at the time when the Zimbabwe economy was in total meltdown; inflation had soared to the dizzying height of 500 billion percent, the economy had shrunk by over 50% in the last decade alone, many companies had closed, shops were empty, etc. Metathesiophobia! What metathesiophobia! The people knew what they had in Zanu PF and they were desperate for regime change.
Zimbabweans were so desperate for regime change someone remarked that "if the choice was between Mugabe (Zanu PF presidential candidate) and the donkey, people will vote for the donkey!"
Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC presidential candidate) got 73% of the vote, according to Mugabe's Freudian slip. But before the result was announced the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut was switched back on and it took six weeks to recount five million votes. Or rather, to whittle down 73% to 47%, enough to force a runoff.
During the runoff Zanu PF used the junta to punish the voters for having reject the party in the March 2008 vote. The nation was subjected to some of the worst politically motivated violence the country has even seen, millions were beaten and/or raped and over 500 were murdered.
"What was accomplished by the bullet, cannot be changed by the ballot!" thundered Mugabe as the wanton violence spread like a forest fire.
"Zanu PF has declared war on the people!" complained Tsvangirai as he dropped out of the race.
Mugabe "won" the one-horse race by 84%.
Ever since the party has reminded the people of 2008 wanton violence each time the party's grip on power has been threatened. However, the threat to use violence has not been enough to subdue the populous particularly in the face of the country's worsening economic situation. There have been many violent clashes, instigated by Zanu PF supporters mainly, already. Signs are, things are going to get worse as the nation gears for the 2023 elections.
Things are not any better in the opposition camp. MDC rebranded as CCC, had only two leaders in the last 22 years.
Nelson Chamisa 2018 (palace coup) to present
Morgan Tsvangirai 1999 to 2018 (death)
When the MDC was launched it had a constitution stating the party president could serve a maximum of two five-year terms. Tsvangirai had the constitution amended to allow him to stay in power beyond the ten years. Chamisa has resisted calls for CCC to have a constitution and party structures. He insists the party belongs to the people for the people and all decisions are by the people. All nonsense of course, CCC is no more a democratic party than the Democratic Republic of North Korea is a democratic country!
If the 2023 elections were free, fair and credible, Nelson Chamisa would defeat the Zanu PF candidate hands down for no other reason than that the nation is desperate for change. By failing to implement even one meaningful reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to guarantee free elections Chamisa and company shot themselves in the foot because they will never win blatantly rigged elections.
In a healthy and fully functioning democracy with a well informed and diligent electorate, such as the UK, all those who hold public office compete amongst themselves and are accountable to the people who wield the vote to decide who governs. In a dysfunctional autocratic Zimbabwe all political power is in the hands of the few ruling elite and the powerless masses do as they are told, the tail wags the dog.
The new UK Prime Minister will have to hit the ground running because her in-tray is full and overflowing. The price of fuel has just doubled in the last six months; caused, largely, by Russia's invasion of Ukraine; and the price of everything else is going up. Inflation is now at 13% and the UK economy is predicted to go into recession by the end of the year. The whole nation is look up to her to provide the leadership, vision and solutions to all the nation's teething problems.
"I will deliver!" promised Prime Minister Liz Truss, then entered the famous 10 Downing Street. She knows that if she fails to deliver her own Conservative party will boot her out before the next general elections in two years' time or else the British people will boot her and many of her fellow party leaders out.
If you fail to deliver as a leader then you must go, no messing around; that is what has given democratic nations the competitive edge. Keeping leaders way past their used-by dates is has made countries like Zimbabwe textbook case failed states. Zanu PF has ruled Zimbabwe for 42 years and counting. Hell!!!!
| Liz Truss | 2022 - present | Conservative |
| Boris Johnson | 2019 - 2022 | Conservative |
| Theresa May | 2016 - 2019 | Conservative |
| David Cameron | 2010 - 2016 | Conservative |
| Gordon Brown | 2007 - 2010 | Labour |
| Tony Blair | 1997 - 2007 | Labour |
| John Major | 1990 - 1997 | Conservative |
| Margaret Thatcher | 1979 - 1990 | Conservative |
In the same 42 years period, Zimbabwe had just two Presidents.
Emmerson Mnangagwa 2017 (coup) - present Zanu PF
Robert Mugabe 1980 - 2017 (coup) Zanu PF
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF apologists will attribute the stack reality of 2 leaders vs 8 to Zanu PF's enduring "popularity with the Zimbabwean electorate" and the fear of change, metathesiophobia. A phobia, extreme fear, of the unknown that makes one avoid change at all costs!
The more rational and, indeed, obvious explanation is that Zanu PF has blatantly rigged elections to deny the people of Zimbabwe their fundamental right to a meaningful say in who ruled the country. Mugabe was not removed from office because he had lost his "popularity" with the electorate; he was booted out of office by the same Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut that had rigged elections and kept him in power.
It was no surprise at all that Mnangagwa and his fellow November 2017 military coup plotters named the coup "Operation restore legacy!" The coup was the climax of a factional struggle pitting Robert Mugabe and his G40 against then VP Mnangagwa and his Lactose including the top brass in Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services constituting Joint Operation Command (JOC), the junta behind the vote rigging and looting. When Robert Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from his post as VP it was clear his supporters in JOC were next. The putsch was to restore power back in the hands of the junta.
The only time Zimbabwe has ever come close to holding free, fair and credible elections was in March 2008. SADC leaders had forced Zanu PF to accept many electoral reforms rendering the party's vote rigging machine ineffective.
It so happened that the elections took place at the time when the Zimbabwe economy was in total meltdown; inflation had soared to the dizzying height of 500 billion percent, the economy had shrunk by over 50% in the last decade alone, many companies had closed, shops were empty, etc. Metathesiophobia! What metathesiophobia! The people knew what they had in Zanu PF and they were desperate for regime change.
Zimbabweans were so desperate for regime change someone remarked that "if the choice was between Mugabe (Zanu PF presidential candidate) and the donkey, people will vote for the donkey!"
Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC presidential candidate) got 73% of the vote, according to Mugabe's Freudian slip. But before the result was announced the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut was switched back on and it took six weeks to recount five million votes. Or rather, to whittle down 73% to 47%, enough to force a runoff.
During the runoff Zanu PF used the junta to punish the voters for having reject the party in the March 2008 vote. The nation was subjected to some of the worst politically motivated violence the country has even seen, millions were beaten and/or raped and over 500 were murdered.
"What was accomplished by the bullet, cannot be changed by the ballot!" thundered Mugabe as the wanton violence spread like a forest fire.
"Zanu PF has declared war on the people!" complained Tsvangirai as he dropped out of the race.
Ever since the party has reminded the people of 2008 wanton violence each time the party's grip on power has been threatened. However, the threat to use violence has not been enough to subdue the populous particularly in the face of the country's worsening economic situation. There have been many violent clashes, instigated by Zanu PF supporters mainly, already. Signs are, things are going to get worse as the nation gears for the 2023 elections.
Things are not any better in the opposition camp. MDC rebranded as CCC, had only two leaders in the last 22 years.
Nelson Chamisa 2018 (palace coup) to present
Morgan Tsvangirai 1999 to 2018 (death)
When the MDC was launched it had a constitution stating the party president could serve a maximum of two five-year terms. Tsvangirai had the constitution amended to allow him to stay in power beyond the ten years. Chamisa has resisted calls for CCC to have a constitution and party structures. He insists the party belongs to the people for the people and all decisions are by the people. All nonsense of course, CCC is no more a democratic party than the Democratic Republic of North Korea is a democratic country!
If the 2023 elections were free, fair and credible, Nelson Chamisa would defeat the Zanu PF candidate hands down for no other reason than that the nation is desperate for change. By failing to implement even one meaningful reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to guarantee free elections Chamisa and company shot themselves in the foot because they will never win blatantly rigged elections.
In a healthy and fully functioning democracy with a well informed and diligent electorate, such as the UK, all those who hold public office compete amongst themselves and are accountable to the people who wield the vote to decide who governs. In a dysfunctional autocratic Zimbabwe all political power is in the hands of the few ruling elite and the powerless masses do as they are told, the tail wags the dog.
The new UK Prime Minister will have to hit the ground running because her in-tray is full and overflowing. The price of fuel has just doubled in the last six months; caused, largely, by Russia's invasion of Ukraine; and the price of everything else is going up. Inflation is now at 13% and the UK economy is predicted to go into recession by the end of the year. The whole nation is look up to her to provide the leadership, vision and solutions to all the nation's teething problems.
"I will deliver!" promised Prime Minister Liz Truss, then entered the famous 10 Downing Street. She knows that if she fails to deliver her own Conservative party will boot her out before the next general elections in two years' time or else the British people will boot her and many of her fellow party leaders out.
If you fail to deliver as a leader then you must go, no messing around; that is what has given democratic nations the competitive edge. Keeping leaders way past their used-by dates is has made countries like Zimbabwe textbook case failed states. Zanu PF has ruled Zimbabwe for 42 years and counting. Hell!!!!
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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