By Wilbert Mukori- MDC Alliance in yet another political U-turn! A few weeks ago the party resolved that its MPs and Senators would boycott parliamentary activities to protest the recall of some of their members by Dr Thokozani Khupe faction.
Fearful of being recalled too, the seating members ignore the party’s instruction and the resolution was quickly reversed. Now the party is making yet another U-turn and, as usual, offering a feeble excuse for it.
The MDC A party spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere has just announce the party’s MPs and Senators, who until now have disrupted parliamentary proceeding attended by Mnangagwa, will not disrupt this Thursday’s Minister of Finance supplementary budget presentation even if Mnangagwa attended.
“The MDC Alliance notes that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa may be present at this event. We maintain that Mr Mnangagwa is illegitimate and the total collapse of the economy under his imposed tenure is evidence of this. However, given the grave humanitarian stalemate Zimbabwe finds itself in, it would be imprudent for us to let his presence quash the voice of the people at this critical time. The centre is failing to hold,” said Mahere.
Yes, Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF regime are illegitimate and the thin veneer of legitimacy the regime is hiding under is derived from none other than Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A colleagues. By participating in the flawed and illegal July 2018 elections MDC A gave the process some modicum of credibility and, by extension, modicum of legitimacy. What is so annoying here is that MDC leaders knew this was a Zanu PF trap, as David Coltart admitted in his book.
In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe, David Coltart, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear the elections would not be free, fair and credible.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” wrote Senator Coltart.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
A number of MDC factions and other opposition parties did unite to form the MDC Alliance before the 2018 elections but boycotting those elections was never ever raised even though it was evident Zanu PF was going to rig the elections. They were all as determined to take part in the elections as in 2013 for the exact same reason – greed.
Indeed, MDC leaders were so determined to contest the July 2018 regardless of the glaring irregularities and illegalities, they even claimed to have ways to stop the rigging. “MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” claimed Chamisa.
Having agreed to take part in the July 2018 elections knowing that ZEC had failed to produce something a basic as a verified voters’ roll, Chamisa could not challenge Mnangagwa’s victory of the same election flaws and illegalities. The Constitutional Court would have asked him why he had ignored these things and participated?
Chamisa’s Constitutional Court challenge of the July 2018 presidential result was subtle but foolish. He challenged ZEC to produce the V11 forms, the summary of the vote count at each Polling Station, to prove were they had obtained the Mnangagwa votes. ZEC had 10 987 V11 forms and 10% or so were missing hence the reason ZEC had three different figures of Mnangagwa’s votes. Chamisa’s challenge was foolish in that he asked the Court to declare him the winner although he too did not have all the V11 forms to prove where his 2.6 million votes came from.
Chamisa and Mnangagwa are two peas out of the same pod; they do not care that the election process in not free, fair and credible as long as they are declared the winner! This is why both Zanu PF and MDC are now not only irrelevant in the nation’s quest to implement the reforms and end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance; they want to retain the status quo and thus a serious hindrance to progress.
Yes, the Zanu PF regime’s, and not just Mnangagwa’s, illegitimacy is the root cause of Zimbabwe’s total economic collapse. Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous tyrants. 40 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness have left Zimbabwe in economic ruins and it is near impossible to conduct any lawful business activity in such a country.
What Zimbabwe needs is to bite the bullet implement the democratic reforms, the pre-requisites for free, fair and credible elections, and thus end the curse of rigged elections and pariah state. MDC leaders are the ones who have allowed Zanu PF to rig elections and maintain the pariah state by failing to implement the reforms and by giving the regime legitimacy by participating in flawed elections.
“It would be imprudent for us to let Mnangagwa’s presence quash the voice of the people at this critical time!” By blatantly rigging the elections Zanu PF quashed the people’s voices and it is nonsense to suggest the mouse’s voice of the few opposition sell-outs can ever be the people’s voice.
During his recent e-rally, Nelson Chamisa promised “to stop the 2023 elections until reforms are implemented”. No doubt, MDC will participate in those elections and give “the prudent need to give people a voice” as the excuse for that U-turn! MDC leaders have perpetuated the Zanu PF dictatorship out of greed and only use concern for the people’s suffering as a thin veneer to hide their greed.
Zimbabwe has been stuck with a corrupt and tyrannical system of government for 40 years and counting all because of greed. Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies’ greed is well documented and Chamisa and his MDC leaders’ greed is equally well documented but few people appreciate that it is just as poignant and damaging.