Opinion / Columnist
Chamisa endorsed Zim's Commonwealth readmission regardless 2023 elections are being rigged - his 'Easy Street' down payment
18 Nov 2022 at 12:46hrs | Views
The important thing is Chamisa has endorsed Zimbabwe's readmission into the Commonwealth before the 2023 elections, in his usual long winded and confused way.
Chamisa and his CCC team met the Commonwealth team in Zimbabwe to find out the wishing of as many key players in Zimbabwe's view to the Zanu PF led government's application to be readmitted into the Commonwealth. Chamisa started his presentation to the Commonwealth delegation with a litany of how Zimbabwe's economic situation was considerable worse now than it was in 2003.
"On the economic front we underscored that 49% of Zimbabweans now live in deadening, extreme, abject poverty and highlighted that the general situation and hardship has escalated, the situation is now worse and there has been an escalation and suffering of the people particularly on account of bad governance, economic mismanagement, corruption and a disputed leadership,' Chamisa rightly pointed out.
The worsening economic situation is the root cause of the country's worsening political situation. The people have lost confidence in Zanu PF's ability to end their economic suffering. They want change, regime change. And Zanu PF has responded to the people's demand for change by resorted to more and more repressive measures to hang on to power.
"On the political climate and the breakdown of the rule of law, we emphasised that Zimbabwe suffered from a crisis of governance. We emphasised what is obtaining in the country in terms of breakdown and state of the rule of law," Chamisa said.
"It is a crisis borne out of disputed elections, legitimacy and we have noted that Zimbabwe is buffeted by a set of circumstances that have germinated acrimony, division, disputed national process and outcome, disputed leaderships, toxicity and lack of legitimacy. This has been essentially the problem in Zimbabwe."
"We have also made issues of the voters roll that must be made available to participants. We want the voters roll that is going to be used in 2023 elections to be audited by an independent firm so that we do not have a shambolic voters roll."
In short, Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections already and there is rising number of cases of wanton violence by Zanu PF operatives aided and abetted by the state institutions like the Police's failure to deal with Zanu PF inspired lawlessness. After saying all that, it was therefore nonsensical for Chamisa to then announce that CCC did not have any objections to Zimbabwe being readmitted into the Commonwealth.
Indeed, Chamisa said the MDC had objected to the Zimbabwe being booted out of the club back in 2002 regardless of Zanu PF's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections and all the other serious human rights violation! Readmitting Zimbabwe now was correcting a past wrong. Well, not even the arrogant and effervescent Zanu PF had ever dared to dismiss the vote rigging and the human rights violations as inconsequential!
For anyone to understand this glaring case of Chamisa and CCC ideocratic duplicity one has to know the political path the have travelled.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which has morphed into Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) was launched in 1999 to answer the nation's demand for democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. The people have risked life (over 500 MDC supporters were murdered by Zanu PF during the 2008 runoff alone) and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding they would deliver the changes the nation was dying for.
After 22 years, 5 of which in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, MDC has failed to deliver even one token reform. The GNU was, without doubt, the golden opportunity for Zimbabwe to implement reforms. Chamisa and his MDC friends failed to implement even one reform. Not even one!
Indeed, the same cavalier indifference to Zanu PF having the carte blanche dictatorial power to rig elections and use wanton violence shown above was evident throughout the GNU. MDC does not care that Zanu PF should rig the election hence the reason why they failed to implement even one token reform when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the GNU.
Nelson Chamisa and company does not care Zanu PF is set to rig the 2023 elections and admitting Zimbabwe back into the Commonwealth will make it near impossible to the club to condemn the rigged elections. And so readmitting Zanu PF into the Commonwealth is tantamount to granting Zanu PF legitimacy regardless how flawed and illegal the election process gets!
Again, to outsiders, it is insane that Chamisa and his CCC friends, as the country's main opposition party and therefore the one first to suffer if the elections are rigged.
Since the 2008 GNU debacle, Chamisa and co have participated in the flawed and illegal, so flawed the opposition failed to win power even after garnering 73% of the votes in the March 2008 election. They also knew that by participating they were giving Zanu PF legitimacy. Still, they have participated regardless because they also knew that Zanu PF was giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate. Chamisa and company have found the bait irresistible.
Chamisa and his CCC friends were hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the process and, if need be, use wanton violence to secure electoral victory. They know Zanu PF will be giving away the usual few gravy train seats, the reward for participating. Getting Zimbabwe readmitted into the Commonwealth will not stop Zanu PF rigging the elections but will put the regime under increased pressure to be even more generous with its bait to the opposition to enhance the multiparty democracy façade!
It took Zimbabweans 20 years to accept that Zanu PF was corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs and to come to a consensus the nation needed democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship.
How long, I wonder, will it take Zimbabweans to realise Nelson Chamisa and company has abandon the task of implementing democratic reforms to ensure free and fair election for the 'Easy Street' option of cooperating with Zanu PF for a share of the spoils of power! With 49% already living in abject poverty because of the failure to implement reforms and end the dictatorship and the country sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss with each passing day the country remains a pariah state. What will it take to open Zimbabweans' eyes and mind to the reality CCC are sell outs!
Chamisa and his CCC team met the Commonwealth team in Zimbabwe to find out the wishing of as many key players in Zimbabwe's view to the Zanu PF led government's application to be readmitted into the Commonwealth. Chamisa started his presentation to the Commonwealth delegation with a litany of how Zimbabwe's economic situation was considerable worse now than it was in 2003.
"On the economic front we underscored that 49% of Zimbabweans now live in deadening, extreme, abject poverty and highlighted that the general situation and hardship has escalated, the situation is now worse and there has been an escalation and suffering of the people particularly on account of bad governance, economic mismanagement, corruption and a disputed leadership,' Chamisa rightly pointed out.
The worsening economic situation is the root cause of the country's worsening political situation. The people have lost confidence in Zanu PF's ability to end their economic suffering. They want change, regime change. And Zanu PF has responded to the people's demand for change by resorted to more and more repressive measures to hang on to power.
"On the political climate and the breakdown of the rule of law, we emphasised that Zimbabwe suffered from a crisis of governance. We emphasised what is obtaining in the country in terms of breakdown and state of the rule of law," Chamisa said.
"It is a crisis borne out of disputed elections, legitimacy and we have noted that Zimbabwe is buffeted by a set of circumstances that have germinated acrimony, division, disputed national process and outcome, disputed leaderships, toxicity and lack of legitimacy. This has been essentially the problem in Zimbabwe."
"We have also made issues of the voters roll that must be made available to participants. We want the voters roll that is going to be used in 2023 elections to be audited by an independent firm so that we do not have a shambolic voters roll."
In short, Zanu PF is rigging the 2023 elections already and there is rising number of cases of wanton violence by Zanu PF operatives aided and abetted by the state institutions like the Police's failure to deal with Zanu PF inspired lawlessness. After saying all that, it was therefore nonsensical for Chamisa to then announce that CCC did not have any objections to Zimbabwe being readmitted into the Commonwealth.
Indeed, Chamisa said the MDC had objected to the Zimbabwe being booted out of the club back in 2002 regardless of Zanu PF's failure to hold free, fair and credible elections and all the other serious human rights violation! Readmitting Zimbabwe now was correcting a past wrong. Well, not even the arrogant and effervescent Zanu PF had ever dared to dismiss the vote rigging and the human rights violations as inconsequential!
For anyone to understand this glaring case of Chamisa and CCC ideocratic duplicity one has to know the political path the have travelled.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which has morphed into Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) was launched in 1999 to answer the nation's demand for democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. The people have risked life (over 500 MDC supporters were murdered by Zanu PF during the 2008 runoff alone) and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding they would deliver the changes the nation was dying for.
After 22 years, 5 of which in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, MDC has failed to deliver even one token reform. The GNU was, without doubt, the golden opportunity for Zimbabwe to implement reforms. Chamisa and his MDC friends failed to implement even one reform. Not even one!
Indeed, the same cavalier indifference to Zanu PF having the carte blanche dictatorial power to rig elections and use wanton violence shown above was evident throughout the GNU. MDC does not care that Zanu PF should rig the election hence the reason why they failed to implement even one token reform when they had the golden opportunity to do so during the GNU.
Nelson Chamisa and company does not care Zanu PF is set to rig the 2023 elections and admitting Zimbabwe back into the Commonwealth will make it near impossible to the club to condemn the rigged elections. And so readmitting Zanu PF into the Commonwealth is tantamount to granting Zanu PF legitimacy regardless how flawed and illegal the election process gets!
Again, to outsiders, it is insane that Chamisa and his CCC friends, as the country's main opposition party and therefore the one first to suffer if the elections are rigged.
Since the 2008 GNU debacle, Chamisa and co have participated in the flawed and illegal, so flawed the opposition failed to win power even after garnering 73% of the votes in the March 2008 election. They also knew that by participating they were giving Zanu PF legitimacy. Still, they have participated regardless because they also knew that Zanu PF was giving away a few gravy train seats to entice the opposition to participate. Chamisa and company have found the bait irresistible.
Chamisa and his CCC friends were hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF was rigging the process and, if need be, use wanton violence to secure electoral victory. They know Zanu PF will be giving away the usual few gravy train seats, the reward for participating. Getting Zimbabwe readmitted into the Commonwealth will not stop Zanu PF rigging the elections but will put the regime under increased pressure to be even more generous with its bait to the opposition to enhance the multiparty democracy façade!
It took Zimbabweans 20 years to accept that Zanu PF was corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs and to come to a consensus the nation needed democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship.
How long, I wonder, will it take Zimbabweans to realise Nelson Chamisa and company has abandon the task of implementing democratic reforms to ensure free and fair election for the 'Easy Street' option of cooperating with Zanu PF for a share of the spoils of power! With 49% already living in abject poverty because of the failure to implement reforms and end the dictatorship and the country sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss with each passing day the country remains a pariah state. What will it take to open Zimbabweans' eyes and mind to the reality CCC are sell outs!
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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