“Thinking that the military are just wearing overalls (military gear) for Chamisa to just rule, fear God” George Charamba tweeted.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms including reforms of the military, Police, CIO and Prison Services; sadly, the golden opportunity was wasted because not even one reform was ever implemented in five years. Zanu PF was gloriously happy that no reforms ever saw the light of day and have since been boasting about their dictatorial powers.
Can Zimbabwe ever have free, fair and credible elections without first implementing the democratic reforms designed to cut the umbilical cord tying Zanu PF to the Army, Police, etc.? The answer has to be an emphatic NO!
SADC leaders advised Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends not to participate in the 2013 elections without first implementing the democratic reforms. The MDC leaders did not listen and have participated in Zimbabwe’s flawed elections, so flawed the MDC never had any real chance of winning the majority for them to form the new government. MDC leaders participated to give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and a share of the spoils of power in the form of a few gravy train seats, as their reward.
When Emmerson Mnangagwa seized power from Mugabe in 2017 he was cocksure he was going to kick-start the Zimbabwe economic. He was cocksure investors would flood into the country is answer to his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” clarion call! No investors came because they are shrewd lot who know that the musical chair challenges following the November 2017 military could had changed nothing in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe was a Banana Republic ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs before the coup; the same thugs were in power after the coup. Nothing had changed!
Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation means Zanu PF will have to resort to the same wanton violence as that seen in 2008 to force people to vote for the party. Charamba’s tweet is a shot across the bow!
The truth with 49% of the population now living in abject poverty, the nation’s education and health care services all but totally collapsed the nation is desperate for change.
Desperate people will do desperate things, the threat of the country descend into chaos and civil protests in now a matter of time.
The nation is now deeply regretting the wasted opportunities to implement the democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship. This is not the time for feeling sorry for ourselves and cry over spilt milk. However, this is the right time to finally acknowledge that MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent and, most important of all, to acknowledge they are the last people the nation must look up to, to get out of this mess.
The way forward, the sure way to manage both the Zanu PF threat of violence and the threat of civil violence through street protests, is to demand the implementation of the democratic reforms designed to end Zanu PF’s draconian powers.
The 2023 elections must be postponed until the reforms are implemented. Both Zanu PF and MDC would want the 2023 elections to go ahead with no reforms in place; this is just foolish designed to give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy with nothing of substance to be gained as the 2013 and 2018 elections have shown.
An interim administration must be appointment to implement the democratic reforms. The very fact that MDC and Zanu PF failed to implement any reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU does not mean the reforms are not important; they are important. Indeed, we are up to our eyes in this mess precisely because it was folly to have kicked the reforms down the road all these years.
Just because MDC and Zanu PF failed to implement even one reform does not mean there are no men and women who can do this; there are plenty who can!
Time is of the essence; we must appoint the interim administration a.s.a.p. or the events on the ground will overwhelm us all!