By Patrick Guramatunhu- “As we have explained before, both Constitutional Amendments (No 1 and 2) Acts are unconstitutional and illegal,” wrote Professor Arthur Mutambara.
“The three arms of the state (Executive, Judiciary and Legislature) have been brought into unquestionable and dishonourable disrepute by irresponsible, reckless and self-serving activities of the junta.
“This is unacceptable.”
This is true but we must never ever forget that Zimbabwe had golden chance to implement the democratic reforms to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. And we are still stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF to this day because that golden opportunity was wasted. It was none other than Arthur Mutambara, Deputy Prime Minister in the GNU, and his fellow MDC friends failed to implement even one reform in five years. Why?
I will tell you why. Mugabe bribed Mutambara and company with the trappings of high office and, with their snouts in the feeding trough, they forgot about the reforms.
They not only sold out on implementing the democratic reforms during the GNU but have participated in flawed elections knowing that doing so would give legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF. They knew Zanu PF was offering a few gravy train seats as a bribe and that they could not resist.
Arthur Mutambara and company are gearing to participate in the 2023 elections and all this posturing and grandstanding against the two amendments is for one purpose and one purpose only to present themselves as the champions of good governance and of the suffering masses. What Zimbabweans should understand is that by participating in the flawed elections the nation would once again give legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF. How anyone can argue that is in the national interest, good governance and will end the suffering of the masses beggars belief!
It is clear Zanu PF will not implement any democratic reforms before the 2023 elections. The regime’s vote rigging juggernaut is already going through the gears. In September 2018 President Mnangagwa promised to restore the right to vote of the 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora stealth. He has done nothing about it. And so, 3 million compared to 5 million who voted in 2018, 38% of the potential voters, will once again be denied a vote.
In December last year ZEC announce the commission was starting “a massive voter registration exercise”. One thing is certain, there will be no verified voters’ roll for 2023 elections.
On Tuesday 25 May, President Mnangagwa handed the keys of the first bunch of new twin-cab Isuzu Trucks to the Chiefs. All 270 chiefs are going to receive the new trucks. This is nothing new, before the 2018 elections the chiefs got new twin-cab Isuzu Truck, down payment for campaigning for Zanu PF in the elections.
The cost of the twin-cab Isuzu Truck is US$300 000 and total cost of the 270 is US$ 81 million. Small potato considering the nation is losing US$1.2 billion per year from gold smuggling alone. The smugglers and looters are the ones bankrolling the regime’s vote rigging juggernaut.
It is clear as day that the Zanu PF has already rigged the 2023 elections, long before the first ballot is cast. The regime is counting on Mutambara, Chamisa, Biti and all the usual opposition opportunists convince their naïve and gullible supporters to participate in the election process and give the regime legitimacy. The party is dangling the usual few gravy train seats and already the opposition camp is a bee-hive of activity.
“Mnangagwa has shown an extreme lack of leadership – complete dereliction of duty,” continued Mutambara.
“In the midst of a global pandemic and economic meltdown, our country has been plunged into meaningless political shenanigans and a constitutional malaise.”
Shut up! Zanu PF is still in power today because MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform in five years of the GNU. What leadership did you lot show then!
Mutambara, Chamisa, Biti and the rest in the opposition will drag the nation into yet another flawed and illegal election, give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy just for the sake of getting back on the grave train. We cannot stop them participating but show them for whom they really are – corrupt, incompetent and sell outs whose greed knows no bounds. A totally discredited opposition!
Zanu PF is not going get legitimacy from the participation in flawed 2023 election by a totally discredited opposition.