OPINION: ANC Envoy Leave After Meeting Zanu PF Only- Rightly So, What is There New to Say
10 September 2020
Spread the love

By Nomusa Garikayi| The ANC envoy has flown back to SA after meeting the Zanu PF leaders. They did not meet any other party leaders although they had said otherwise.

“ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule has announced that they will return to meet the opposition MDC Alliance, ZAPU and Transform Zimbabwe among other stakeholders who requested to meet with them,” reported Zimeye.

Frankly, as regards these SA envoys meetings, some people have made a mountain out of a mole hill! What is new that Zanu PF, MDC A, etc. can tell the envoy on the Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis that is not on the public domain already?

Even if there is something new that MDC A or any of the other stakeholders would want to tell our SA friends, they can still go ahead and say it. Let us have all the facts on the table so we have a well informed public debate on a matter of great national importance. No more of this “for your ears only” nonsense!

The South Africans knows already that Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A are gunning for a power sharing arrangement with Zanu PF where Chamisa and a few others will get cabinet posts, for example. Chamisa insists that this time, unlike during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, his party will implement “comprehensive democratic reforms to ensure future elections are free, fair and credible”.

Whilst the South Africans have Chamisa’s attention they would do well to ask why MDC failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 GNU? It would only be a rhetorical question because we all know the answer to that – MDC leaders sold-out big time.

Robert Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office; ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowance, endless overseas trips, etc., etc.; all rained down on Chamisa and company like confetti at a wedding. In return, the MDC leaders threw all the reforms out of the window!

“MDC leaders were busy enjoying themselves during the GNU, they forgot why they were there!” remarked one SADC diplomat in disgust at MDC leaders’ failure to implement even one reform in five years.

One would really have to be naive to believe MDC A will not sell-out again and implement “comprehensive reforms” this time, particularly when Zanu PF will have its 2/3 MP majority plus many other tramp cards beside.

To end Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis, one has to first acknowledge that Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections were rigged; to pretend otherwise is a waste of time. If you accept the elections were rigged, it follows that the country had no legitimate government post the July 2018 elections and therefore needs a transitional government to transition from the current illegitimacy back to legitimacy.

The primary task of the transitional government will be to implement the democratic reforms necessary to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible, producing a legitimate government and not a repeat of the flawed and illegal July 2018 elections.

Zanu PF and MDC cannot play a role in the transition government; definitely not. They were in the 2008 GNU that failed to implement even one of the democratic reform. They are plenty of other Zimbabweans, with the help from SADC and the UN, who can be entrusted this important task of implement the reforms.

The only reason President Ramaphosa would request a meeting with Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies will be to warn them that SA be endorsing the position that Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections were not free, fair and credible, that Zanu PF is illegitimate and must step down. That is bomb shell and it would only be kind to warn Mnangagwa before dropping it! As for the rest, Chamisa, etc.; President Ramaphosa does not need to meet every man and his dog!