Zanu-PF propagandist at his nonsensical best, sun rising from the West

In his latest article the Zanu-PF Columnist, Nathaniel Manheru, dismissed the forthcoming ad- dress by Dr Morgan Tsvangirai at Chatham House, London on "The Future of Opposition Politics in Zimbabwe", as a none event. It is true, of course that, after the debacle of failing to implement even one reform, Tsvangirai is himself a spent force, an empty bullet casing, in Zimbabwe politics. But is a twist of fate, so too is Mugabe and Zanu-PF.

It is hardly a year since the rigged July 2013 elections and already Mugabe and Zanu-PF's hold on political power is decidedly shaky. The regime political sun is setting and Manheru knows it; his piece was a pathetic attempt to put on a brave face of business as usual to bolster sagging Zanu-PF moral. I say pathetic because he is talking of the Zanu-PF sun rising from the west.

"We worry less about the temporary structure (GNU) the elections ended, concern more about the substantive outcome and certainty it gave the country," said Manheru. He was trying to underline why the July 2013 elections were a positive development.

It is very true, on 31 July 2013 Mugabe and Zanu-PF were glad to see the end of the GNU and very pleased with their own handwork of rigging a crashing defeat of Tsvangirai and MDC. When Tsvangirai said he was going to challenge the election rests in court the tyrant was fearful that might led the regime being forced to produce the voters roll, the smoking gun in the vote rigging. So everyone in Chibuku house heaved a big sigh of relief - the building itself heaved - when Tsvangirai, with his characteristic blundering incompetence, withdraw the court challenge.

With the contrived 62% electoral mandate and more than two thirds parliamentary majority Mugabe and Zanu-PF certainly expected to rule the country with the same arrogance of the past. The only things certain in this life are tax, death and that nothing else is certain. In rigging the elections to secure for himself strong electoral mandate Mugabe created for himself a credibility deficit which was to haunt him!

The chaos seizures of the white owned farms, the wanton violence and vote rigging which were now the hallmarks of Zimbabwe's election culture all cemented Mugabe and his Zanu-PF thugs' reputation of lawlessness thugs who could not be trusted to up hold the rule of law, to pay back borrowed money and to do anything right. And so none of the donors Mugabe was hoping would fund his ZimAsset recovery plan contributed even a dollar. The would-be investors too stayed away.

Mugabe was able to rig the Zimbabwe elections because he controlled the whole electoral process; he manufactured voters, votes, Polling Stations, etc. and so manufactured a Zanu-PF victory. He could not conjure out of thin air donor funding or investors.

So the real and unwelcome certainty Mugabe was has had to accept these last 12 months is that he could not rig economic recovery!  The consequences of the continued economic meltdown was the poverty; government itself has struggled to pay civil servants in the face of falling revenue and the ordinary people have suffered the ill effects of having no running water and millions are living on less than a dollar a day.

"We are not tearful about the so-called "government of national unity": that cheap attempt at deodorizing an unrepresentative and unworkable coalition of three contesting parties," continues
 

Manheru. In reality the regime will be tearful with happiness if the GNU could return because it knows something worse is coming.

After a year of staring at that empty ZimAsset begging bowl and with poverty spreading like a raging forest fire Mugabe and Zanu-PF have already acknowledged the need to hold nationwide talks on how to stop the economic meltdown and poverty. They are hoping for another GNU but deep down they know the international community will not accept another fudged Zanu-PF regime in all but name as was the case with the 2008 to 2013 GNU.

The only real option on the table this time is implementing the democratic reforms and then holding free, fair and credible elections. There is spontaneous dropping of the jaw and wailing in Chibuku House and everywhere by Zanu-PF loyalists at this because they all know the party will not win free elections. Free elections will be followed the dreaded regime change as sure as day follows night!

Manheru is putting on a brave face and rally the Zanu-PF foot soldiers into believing the party
won the 2013 elections and it is business as usual in much the same way Josef Goebbels tried to rally the Nazi foot soldiers with the Russians just outside Berlin city gates. He knew the Nazi regime's bacon was fried; the Russians were not there for a cultural visit and they were taking no prisoners either!

Manheru knows Mugabe and Zanu-PF's reign of terror is over! The end is certain; what is at is- sue here now is whether Mugabe will end up being hunted down, cornered and killed as happened to his fellow dictator Gaddafi. Whatever happens, Zimbabweans cannot wait for that day when they will finally heave a large sigh of relief!