By Patrick Guramatunhu: “The influence of the military in Zimbabwean politics is reported to be on the ascendancy in politics, economy and government while the army generals have also been reported to be heavily involved in mining and fuel sectors as they increase their control under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule,” reported a local publication.
“This is an assessment contained in a study titled: “Assessing Continuity and Change After Mugabe”, authored by Alexander H. Noyes and released this month by the US-based Rand Corporation.”
This only confirms the reality many of us knew but did not want to admit in the hope it will all go away.
Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous Zanu PF thugs. All promise by Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe turning over a new page following the November 2017 military coup, promise of holding free and fair elections, promise of a new dispensation, etc. was all hot air.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic recovery. The worsening economic meltdown is set to continue.
“Even where limited progress has been made, such steps appear to be largely cosmetic, a mere box-ticking exercise. In other words, Mnangagwa is attempting to have his cake and eat it too, paying lip service to reforms in the hope of securing international support but staunchly refusing to implement any measures that might harm his and his closest supporters’ political and economic interests,” said Noyes in his report.
“To help the country repair from years of mismanagement, corruption, and State violence, international actors – including the United States – would be wise to push the government in a coordinated fashion to implement genuine political, economic, and security,” he advised.
The international community can help but Zimbabweans themselves must stand up to the demons amongst us!
Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies have always viewed Zimbabwe as their own personal property to exploit and dispose of as they wish. In the 40 years of the country’s independence they have enjoyed absolute power and grown addicted to being the top dogs, have lived in extravagant comfort and luxury and, to establish and retain the de facto one party dictatorship they have had to shed many innocent lives.
Giving up power now is simply unthinkable for these Zanu PF thugs; there is their addiction to power, they stand to lose the fabulous loot and then there are all the skeletons from the past bound to be uncovered if they lost power.
The price the nation has paid for Zanu PF rule has been astronomical in terms of looted wealth, lost opportunities and tyrannical oppression. Whatever debt of gratitude the nation owed to Zanu PF leaders for liberating the country from white colonial rule, has been repaid thousands of times over in silver, gold, tears and human lives.
Enough is enough! The madness of Zanu PF rule must now be brought to an end!
It must be noted that ordinary Zimbabweans have risked life and limb to elect the late Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends into power on the promise they would help implement the democratic reforms designed to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship. MDC has failed to implement even one reform in 20 years including the 5 years in the GNU.
When MDC leaders got into power, the promptly forgot all about implementing the reforms. “Takatuma mapete kumukaka!” (MDC leaders are the fabled cockroach who forgot what he had been tasked after tasting milk!)
If we are ever going to dismantle the Zanu PF autocracy then we must first acknowledge that MDC leaders are not up to the task. Second, we must be more diligent and scrupulous in our selection of leaders in we are to avoid repeating the same mistake of elections thugs and/or sell-out cockroaches!