Mupakati anokubirwa nomutsitsi; akakupa chisvanda, anopendedza nyika!” (A tyrant robs you by the bushel full; if he gives away a bowl, he will make a big song and dance of his generosity!) So goes the Shona proverb. It says all that needs to be said about this Zanu PF dictatorship!
Officiating at a police graduation ceremony last Thursday, Mnangagwa appeared to have the planned MDC demonstration in mind when he warned that people must not abuse their freedoms.
"The advent of the new dispensation and the Second Republic saw the expansion of democratic space in our country, as enshrined in our Constitution. This culminated in the holding of peaceful, free, fair and credible harmonised general elections,” President Mnangagwa said last Thursday.
"However, it is regrettable that some retrogressive, unpatriotic and selfish individuals are bent on abusing the democracy we now enjoy.”
1. Yes, this year’s elections were relatively peaceful - up to 1 st August shooting dead of seven unarmed civilians following the post elections protest - compared to the wanton violence and barbarism of the 2008 elections. President Mnangagwa knows only too well of the madness of that year as he was the Zanu PF pointer man behind it all. He has gone to town about how he has reined in the war veterans, party thugs and the various security services personal behind the violence in the past elections. To hear him talk about it one would think peaceful elections is not a right but a privilege we should all be forever grateful to Mnangagwa and his Second Republic for!
2. President Mnangagwa can claim the elections were free, fair and credible as often as he wished; the cold reality is he rigged the elections. EU, the Americans, the Commonwealth and even the British, who had supported him ever since last November’s coup, had no choice but to admit the elections were rigged. Whether President Mnangagwa likes it or not, his regime does not have the democratic mandate to govern the country, it is illegitimate. Worse still, Zimbabwe’s economic recovery will never happen because no serious investors will do business in a pariah state governed by corrupt and vote rigging thugs.
3. The shooting of the protestors soon after the voting day was a timely reminder to the nation that the relative peace up to voting day had exercised Zanu PF’s patience. The party’s patience snapped at the sight of protestors and armed soldiers were deployed with instructions of shoot to kill just to remind the nation that Zanu PF is still a party of violence ruling by fear and not the democratic mandate. “Zanu PF ndeye ropa!” (Zanu PF is a party of blood!) as the party members have often sung out boastfully!
4. As this talk of “unpatriotic and selfish individuals bent on abusing the democracy” is just an excuse to justify the regime resorting to the same tyrannical measures Zanu PF had used all along. The so called Second Republic, the new dispensation was a myth shrouded in smoke and mirror. Two events, the rigged elections and the shooting of unarmed civilians, have exposed the lie of the Second Republic. Last November military coup changed nothing much other than replacing Mugabe with Mnangagwa who is “Mugabe mark 2”, as British MP Kate Hoey rightly called him.
5. President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF junta are committed to one thing above all else, that Zanu PF must remain in power at all cost. “Zanu PF ichatoga! Igotonga! Imi muchingohukura! Nokuhukura!” (Zanu PF will rule! And rule! Whilst (those calling for free elections) bark! And bark!) Was the first thing Mnangagwa said to reassure his party members soon after last November’s coup. Zanu PF has established a robust political system to effectively deny the people their freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free elections and even the right to life. The party has certainly robbed povo by the bushel full and it sure makes a big song and dance of every bit of freedom or right the regime gives away, even if be for a short period.
6. If we are serious about reclaiming our basic freedoms and rights, about Zimbabwe holding free, fair and credible elections and restoring good governance and putting the nation back of a firm track of economic recovery; then we demand the implementation of all the democratic reforms. We must reject the bowl Zanu PF is offering us and demand the bushel full the regime stole from us!
BY JEFF KURAI CHAKANYUKA
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