By Wilbert Mukori| Some of us castigated Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa, Welshmen Ncube, David Coltart and the rest of the MDC leaders as “breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent” as far back as 2010; when it was already clear they were not going to implement any of the democratic reforms. For that we were roasted alive by the myopic MDC supporters who only saw everything in the narrow context of party politics and would not see the issue of implementing the reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections as a national issue.
Just to prove me right, MDC leaders are advocating doing the same stupid things they did during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, even with the benefit of hindsight, proving beyond all doubt just how breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent they are.
In an article titled “History repeats itself in Zimbabwe”, fortuitously, Tendai Biti explained the events leading to Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, the formation of MDC, Zanu PF’s blatant cheating and wanton violence in the 2008 elections and how SADC stepped in to force the formation of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. He explained how hyperinflation had soared to 500 billion percent in December 2008 and how he, as Minister of Finance had “tamed” the economy.
“Regrettably, ZANU–PF seemed to forget the lessons of the unity government as soon as it regained power in 2013. After winning an election marred by intimidation and manipulation of the voter rolls, among other electoral swindles,” he continued.
Biti is writing today 2019, with all the benefit of hindsight, and still he failed to grasp the reality that it was him and his MDC friends who had learned nothing from the GNU years. The question he should have asked himself is why was Zanu PF able to rig the 2013 elections with easy? After all the primary purpose of the GNU was to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the Global Political Agreement of which Tendai Biti was the principle negotiator for the MDC-T party.
And it was not as if MDC leaders were not warned of the need to implement the reforms; they were warned repeatedly but chose to ignore the warnings.
“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have learnt to enjoy the trappings of high office; they will not rock the boat!) Zanu PF cronies boasted, when asked why MDC leaders were not implementing the reforms.
“The 2018 general election offered a golden opportunity to reverse course. But instead of the free and fair election that Mnangagwa promised, Zimbabweans got one that international observers called “deeply flawed” and that was followed by a brutal crackdown on opposition politicians and their supporters,” commented Tendai Biti.
How ironic that MDC has failed to come up with a definitive position of its own on the elections in which they were the main challenger! Worse still, even after the international observers told MDC leaders the elections were “deeply flawed”, the party is at sixes and sevens as what to do. MDC has accepted the results of the parliamentary races regardless of the flaws and illegalities.
However, the party claims Chamisa is the winner of the presidential race although neither ZEC nor MDC’s figures could be traced and verified. ZEC did not produce verified voters’ roll although this is a legal requirement. And about 10% of the V11 forms, the polling station summary of vote count for each candidate, were never released; this too is a legal requirement.
“Ten years ago, forming a unity government offered a political solution, albeit a temporary one, to the crisis of hyperinflation. A solution to today’s economic crisis must be similarly political. More precisely, it must address the legitimacy deficit of the current administration, which stems from the military coup that brought it to power and the disputed election that kept it there,” Tendai Biti explained MDC’s proposed way forward.
“A political deal must also provide a framework for the reforms needed to right the economy. Most urgently, it must offer a path away from the multiple quasi-currency regime and back to the U.S. dollar.
“A transitional government arrangement, akin to the unity government of 2009–13, has to lead the reform effort. To bring one about, the IMF and other major multilateral organizations should offer ZANU–PF incentives to come to the negotiating table—not reward it prematurely as the IMF did with the staff-monitored program. Zimbabwe needs help from its international partners, as well as from neighbouring countries and regional blocs, to stave of total economic collapse.”
For the umpteenth time Mr Tendai Biti; Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF regime’s (not just Mnangagwa) illegitimacy arise from the very fact that last year’s elections were “deeply flawed”. It is very presumptuous of the MDC to believe it can “address the legitimacy deficit” in return for the spoils of the rigged elections.
You are proposing the formation of new GNU, whose powers are weak and objective are vague, in which the same players who failed to implement even one reform are one again the key players and you expect the new GNU to take Zimbabwe out of this mess! How naïve! The old GNU achieved nothing and so will the new GNU of recycled rubbish. History will indeed be repeating itself!
What Zimbabwe needs is a clean break with the failed past. Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections the regime is illegal and this time it must step down. We need an interim administration manned by competent men and women we can trust to implement the reforms and finally put an end to this curse of rigged elections.
If the breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders had implemented the democratic reforms when they had the chance during the last GNU Zimbabwe would not be in this mess still. It is MDC’s failure to condemn last year’s elections that is helping keep Zanu PF in power. MDC leaders have lost all political credibility was it not for the myopic party supporters who refuse to see the leaders for the breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent individuals they are.- SOURCE: zsdemocrats.blogspot.com