Nomusa Garikai | “The United States should make decisions on Zimbabwe from an informed position and stop reading only the text of opposition political parties that are afraid of elections, President Mnangagwa has said,” reported the Herald.
“He said the US, which last week proposed multiple prescriptive reforms as a precondition for re-engagement with Zimbabwe, should have an appreciation of the situation on the ground to make rational decisions.”
What the Americans are saying is if you, President Mnangagwa, are serious about holding free, fair and credible elections then you and your government must make sure you have a free media, you keep the Army out of the election process, etc., etc. Of course, the American are very well informed because these are the same reforms that SADC spelt at the beginning of the GNU and many Zimbabweans have been demanding for years.
The Americans certainly have a great “appreciation of the situation on the ground”. They appreciate that Zimbabwe will never get out of the economic mess and political paralysis the nearly four decades of Zanu PF corrupt and tyrannical rule have landed the nation into. Implementing the reforms to allow for the holding of free, fair and credible elections is the cure to Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and sickness of bad governance.
No one is being fooled by President Mnangagwa’s double talk. He has been promising free and fair elections and yet has refused to implement the reforms to make this possible.
Indeed, he has paid the Chiefs their traditional bribe so they can carry out their usual task of intimidating and harassing rural voters to make sure they vote for Zanu PF. He has appointed a well-known thug, Engelbert Rugeje, Zanu PF Political Commissar, deployed the war veterans and 2 000 to 5 000 to work with the Chiefs for the same purpose, etc.
If President Mnangagwa was not afraid of holding free, fair and credible elections then why has not implemented the reforms?
The attempts by President Mnangagwa and his apologist to link the lifting of Western imposed sanctions to implementing the democratic reforms and holding free and fair elections is an insult to every thinking Zimbabwean for four reasons:
a) Zanu PF has always dismissed MDC leaders as “puppets of the West”. Zanu PF must stop cherry; why is it when it comes to imposing the sanctions the puppet is now accused of pulling the strings.
b) When it comes to demanding the democratic reforms, it is not what the opposition say that matters but what ordinary Zimbabweans have been demanding but ignored by the regime for the last 38 years. The opposition, especially the corrupt and incompetent MDC politicians do not represent the common people; not since they sold-out on implementing regime during the GNU. The only reason many Zimbabweans are not aware that MDC leaders are sell-outs is because there is no freedom of expression and a free media.
c) Implementing the democratic reforms will restore the people’s basic freedoms and human rights including the right to free and fair elections and the right to life itself.
d) The right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country is the key to ending the Zanu PF dictatorship and getting a democratic and competent government. It is intolerable that Zanu PF has resisted all demands for reforms on the foolish notion that the regime “cannot reform itself out of office” as if it has a right to deny the people their freedoms and rights. The linkage of democratic reforms to sanctions is an insult; our human freedoms and right are inalienable rights not to be bargained over like mangoes!
No, President Mnangagwa it is you and your Zanu PF Junta who must understand that Zimbabwe is your personal property to do with as you please, just as Mugabe has done these last 37 years.
All those who hold public office are and must always be democratically accountable to the public, the people. The holding of free, fair and credible elections; in which the people have their say on who hold public office and, if they should wish it, have regime change; is the ultimate expression of that democratic accountability.
Mr Mnangagwa, if you and your Junta, fail to implement the democratic reforms to guarantee free, fair and credible elections; it will be because you want to hold on to the dictatorial power of the Mugabe years and thus hang on to the Zanu PF dictatorship. We the silent majority, the voiceless povo, demand an end to dictatorial rule.
If you do not implement the reforms to end dictatorial rule, then the elections will be declared null and void and some other administration appointed to implement the reforms. Be informed, President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe is not going to accept another rigged election and that is not negotiable!