Opinion / Columnist
Draconian PVO Bill passed, shrinking democratic space to a singularity point. CCC will participate in 2023, regardless. Why?
27 Dec 2022 at 19:14hrs | Views
"Zimbabwe democratic space narrows ahead of 2023 polls" screamed the Bulawayo24 article!
"In December alone, critical developments that undermine democracy have unfolded. Most notably, the draconian Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Bill was passed by Parliament," read the report.
"The discredited law will give the government unfettered discretionary power to over-regulate and interfere in non-government organisations' operations."
Zimbabwe is a de facto one-party dictatorship, a failed pariah state, masquerading as a multi-party democracy. Why we continue participating these flawed and utterly meaningless elections after 42 years of rigged elections is a mystery!
In 1983 to 1987 Zanu PF instituted the Gukuhandi Massacre for the sole purpose of forcing its main political rival, PF Zapu, to capitulate and join Zanu PF. The late Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu friends did capitulate and signed the Unity Accord and paving the way for the imposition of the de facto one party state. And ever since, Zanu PF has ridden roughshod over the people denying them their freedoms and rights. And the party has been ruthless in its dealings with anyone or organisation that threatened in any way its strangle hold on power.
One of the ways Zanu PF has retain absolute power was by making the people powerless, the more vulnerable and helpless the people have become the more effective the party's carrot and stick tactics have worked.
Zanu PF has always viewed Voluntary Organisation as a threat to the party's strangle hold on power for two reasons:
1) VO like ZLHR have directly challenge the party's human rights abuses by challenging the regime's excesses and defending victims of abuse
2) Even when the VO has confined themselves to helping the poor with food and medicine; the regime has stepped in demanding that the assistance must be given out by Zanu PF officials or not at all. Zanu PF would rather see the poor starve to death then let them receive help from someone else. The party would rather see Zimbabwe in ruins than let anyone else rule it!
Like it or not, Zanu PF is once again blatantly rigging the 2023 elections. The election process is so flawed and so illegal the "obvious" thing is to boycott the elections until reforms are implemented. Sadly, the country's corrupt and incompetent opposition will, as usual, participate in the elections regardless out of greed as David Coltart confessed.
In, David Coltart, former MDC - Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear the elections would not be free, fair and credible.
"The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious - withdraw from the (2013) elections," wrote Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
"The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility."
The MDC has gone on to participate in the 2018 elections although four of the main MDC factions, joined by three other opposition parties, had formed the MDC Alliance. There was no talk of boycotting the elections then, greed had once again prevailed.
"Mr Mnangagwa knows the real threat that lies ahead if Chamisa wins the elections such as exposure of their human rights abuses going back to 1980 and so they are prepared to do anything to stranglehold on power. As we go towards the next elections, I see more efforts being done to prevent the will of the people triumphing," commented Coltart on the passing of the PVO bill.
Chamisa, Coltart and the rest of CCC (MDC rebranded) leaders are all hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that the democratic space in Zimbabwe has shrunk to a singularity point a long time ago. Zanu PF is rigging these elections and participating will only give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF legitimacy.
The nation's hopes and dreams to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance are, once again, being sacrificed to gratify the insatiable greed of the few. It is for the people to open their eyes and minds to the political reality that there will be no free elections as long as Zanu PF and CCC remain in power. The two cooperating to maintain the status quo and sharing the spoils of rigged elections.
"In December alone, critical developments that undermine democracy have unfolded. Most notably, the draconian Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Bill was passed by Parliament," read the report.
"The discredited law will give the government unfettered discretionary power to over-regulate and interfere in non-government organisations' operations."
Zimbabwe is a de facto one-party dictatorship, a failed pariah state, masquerading as a multi-party democracy. Why we continue participating these flawed and utterly meaningless elections after 42 years of rigged elections is a mystery!
In 1983 to 1987 Zanu PF instituted the Gukuhandi Massacre for the sole purpose of forcing its main political rival, PF Zapu, to capitulate and join Zanu PF. The late Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu friends did capitulate and signed the Unity Accord and paving the way for the imposition of the de facto one party state. And ever since, Zanu PF has ridden roughshod over the people denying them their freedoms and rights. And the party has been ruthless in its dealings with anyone or organisation that threatened in any way its strangle hold on power.
One of the ways Zanu PF has retain absolute power was by making the people powerless, the more vulnerable and helpless the people have become the more effective the party's carrot and stick tactics have worked.
Zanu PF has always viewed Voluntary Organisation as a threat to the party's strangle hold on power for two reasons:
1) VO like ZLHR have directly challenge the party's human rights abuses by challenging the regime's excesses and defending victims of abuse
Like it or not, Zanu PF is once again blatantly rigging the 2023 elections. The election process is so flawed and so illegal the "obvious" thing is to boycott the elections until reforms are implemented. Sadly, the country's corrupt and incompetent opposition will, as usual, participate in the elections regardless out of greed as David Coltart confessed.
In, David Coltart, former MDC - Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear the elections would not be free, fair and credible.
"The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious - withdraw from the (2013) elections," wrote Coltart in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
"The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility."
The MDC has gone on to participate in the 2018 elections although four of the main MDC factions, joined by three other opposition parties, had formed the MDC Alliance. There was no talk of boycotting the elections then, greed had once again prevailed.
"Mr Mnangagwa knows the real threat that lies ahead if Chamisa wins the elections such as exposure of their human rights abuses going back to 1980 and so they are prepared to do anything to stranglehold on power. As we go towards the next elections, I see more efforts being done to prevent the will of the people triumphing," commented Coltart on the passing of the PVO bill.
Chamisa, Coltart and the rest of CCC (MDC rebranded) leaders are all hell bent on participating in the 2023 elections knowing fully well that the democratic space in Zimbabwe has shrunk to a singularity point a long time ago. Zanu PF is rigging these elections and participating will only give SADC the excuse to grant Zanu PF legitimacy.
The nation's hopes and dreams to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance are, once again, being sacrificed to gratify the insatiable greed of the few. It is for the people to open their eyes and minds to the political reality that there will be no free elections as long as Zanu PF and CCC remain in power. The two cooperating to maintain the status quo and sharing the spoils of rigged elections.
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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