By Wilbert Mukori| If you want the reader to take you seriously then you must respect him/her by treating historic facts with respect.
“Former South Africa President Mr Thabo Mbeki’s record of pulling off political settlements against the odds is well known. As Sadc-appointed mediator to dialogue in our country, he delivered the Global Political Agreement (GPA) on 15 September 2008 between Zanu-PF, MDC and MDC-T, ushering in the inclusive government,” you said in your editorial.
“The talks were necessary to move the country forward as elections that had been done five months earlier had yielded a hung parliament.”
Everyone including SADC and AU, who have turned a blind eye to Zanu PF rigging elections in the past, rejected Zanu PF’s claim that it won the 2008 elections because the whole election process was marred by blatant cheating in the March 2008 vote followed by the wanton violence during the run-off. As a way out of the political impasse, SADC proposed the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
To therefore, claim the GNU was formed because the 2008 elections had “yielded a hung parliament” is a blatant lie! The GNU was formed because the elections had failed to produce a legitimate result.
Mugabe and Zanu PF were forced to sign the GPA agreeing to the implementation of the raft of democratic reforms designed to stop the cheating and wanton violence. Sadly, not even one meaningful democratic reform was implemented in five years hence the reason we had yet another blatantly rigged elections last year.
You failed to mention the failure to implement any reforms and hence the continued curse of rigged elections; a serious error of omission.
“He (Nelson Chamisa) does not deserve the preferential treatment he is demanding because he constitutes a minority against others in POLAD. MDC Alliance might be the biggest opposition party in the country but in the broader scheme of things, the party is just a minnow. They only hold 88 seats in the legislature and contribute a far smaller proportion at local government level. On the other hand, Zanu-PF holds 179 seats in Parliament and a larger majority at local government level. President Mnangagwa won the presidential poll by more than 300 000 votes,” continued the Editorial.
The error of omission is explained.
What is the point of Mnangagwa saying he won “by more than 300 000 votes” and yet no one can verify that result because the regime failed to produce something as basic to free, fair and credible elections as a verified voters’ roll.
Mnangagwa’s 300 000 become meaningless when viewed in the context of the 3 million Zimbabwean in the diaspora he denied the vote!
Zimbabwe is in this economic mess with the economy in total meltdown because the country is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs who have rigged elections to stay in power. By blatantly rigging last year’s elections Mnangagwa confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state contrary to his post November 2017 coup claims of a “new democratic dispensation”.
Zimbabwe is stuck in this hell-on-earth of our own making. The way out is for the country to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA. And since Zanu PF and MDC will not implement the reforms, nothing stop them getting this done during the GNU and beyond except the lack of political will and vision, the nation should appoint other people who will.
Zanu PF must step down, the regime has no political mandate to rule since last year’s elections were flawed and illegal and could not possibly produce a legitimate result. The rigging of the elections, the formation of POLAD, the invitation of former SA President Thabo Mbeki and, worst of all, the use of brute force to silence all dissent; these are all political machinations by Mnangagwa to legitimise his illegitimate government and extend his stay in power. Zanu PF is holding the nation to ransom; no nation on earth can ever permit that!
No doubt you, Chronicle Editor and your staff, know you have been helping Zanu PF in these treasonous pursuits of rigging elections, etc. act with your lies, omissions and brainwashing of the people. And to think that it is none other than the people who pay your thirty pieces of silver!
SOURCE: zsdemocrats.blogspot.com