Wilbert Mukori |It is rich for someone like Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga to be rubbishing the Nation Transition Authority (NTA) when it is the only body that can implement the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging elections – the very task MDC leaders failed to do and Priscilla was one of the MDC ministers.
The main task of the GNU was to implement the raft of democratic reforms to ensure Zimbabwe’s next elections are free, fair and credible and not a repeat of the wanton violence and vote rigging the country had seen in 2008. The task on implementing these reforms fell on the two MDC factions in the GNU. The task was supposed to be completed in 18 months but in the end the GNU lasted 60 months, five years, and still MDC failed to get even one reform implemented.
There is no other logical explanation why MDC leaders failed to implement the reforms other than that they are incompetent and corrupt. It is no secret that Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office including a former white own farm and a $4 million mansion for the MDC faction leaders Welshman Ncube and Morgan Tsvangirai, respectively.
“… for some of us who were in the inclusive government, I am not interested in anybody telling me about setting something up, so it can do ABCD because, we had the support of the African Union, we had the support of SADC, we set up an entire government, we spent five years in it, we came out, we are still in that mess,” said Mushonga on Zimeye Live Blast.
“The debate that we should be talking about as Zimbabweans is how do we create a system, how do we create a coalition, that is so organised that it not only deals with its capacity to win an election over Zanu PF but its capacity to take over power from Zanu PF.”
This is truly sad and tragic that whilst she readily admits that we are still in a mess after the five years of the GNU; she has completely failed to realise that it was entirely MDC leaders fault that not even one reform was implemented. Even now, with the benefit of hind sight, she is still in denial that MDC leaders sold-out.
What the country needs is to implement all the democratic reforms, NTA is one possible body that can be instituted to carry out this task. We still need free and fair elections as the pre-requisite for electing good and competent leaders and thus government. What good to the nation is a coalition of corrupt and incompetent politicians?
Of course, MDC politicians betrayed the people by failing to get even one reform implemented, just as President Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs have betrayed the nation in dragging us into this mess in the first place. We will never get these MDC people to admit they made a mistake much less apologize.
Still, I will be damned if we should be found wanting in failing to hold them to account for the treasonous betrayal and greed. As for people like Misihairabwi assuming airs, it is to be expected of shallow-minded people like her.
I must say that I am really disappointed by the arrogance of MDC leaders, they are now as arrogant and patronising as Robert Mugabe himself. MDC had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms that would have ended Zanu PF’s corrupt and tyrannical rule forever.
MDC knew about the reforms because what democratic change did they want to bring if it was not these? SADC leaders did their best to remind MDC leaders to implement the reforms but were ignored. MDC leaders “were too busy enjoying themselves and forgot why they were in the GNU,” complained the SADC leaders in sheer frustration.
Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga was a cabinet member for Pete’s sake and she, like the rest of her MDC colleagues, was distracted by the trappings of high office and forgot about the reforms. She will be remembered for joining her follow MDC colleagues in singing the praises of President Mugabe. We all remember her of holding the tyrant in such awe, she was “speechless”, she said.
MDC leaders ow the people of Zimbabwe an apology for selling-out during the GNU. If not an apology then an acknowledgement that they betrayed the nation as a show of contrition, at least. It is therefore an insult that these MDC leaders should instead continue to behave as if they have done nothing wrong or that our suffering as a consequence of the betrayal is of no importance!
“For some of us who were in the inclusive government, I am not interested in anybody telling me about setting something up.” She said with such a condescending and dismissive finality as if being in the inclusive government made her a goddess the rest of us mere mortal cannot dare question! No wonder the country is in a mess, with a corrupt and murderous tyrant is State House and with a corrupt, incompetent and pompous opposition it could not be anywhere else!