Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa
The only free and fair elections Zimbabwe has ever had were the 1980 elections which brought Zanu PF into power, and Zanu PF, through the greediness and cruelty of its officials, is the author of all the suffering Zimbabweans have gone through. I therefore would like to warn Zimbabweans not to vote for Zanu PF candidates at all levels of the competition in the 2018 elections, particularly its presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa. My reasons for calling on Zimbabweans not to vote for Emmerson Mnangagwa are as follows:
1. Despite Zanu PF forcing some Western countries to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe because of Zanu PF’s corruption, political intolerance and violence on its political opponents, Mnangagwa at his inauguration ceremony made a demand that sanctions against Zimbabwe should be unconditionally lifted and Zimbabwe should be allowed back into the international community without question. Many people did not stop to think what Mnangagwa meant by this, or its implications on the suffering of Zimbabwe. What he did in that speech was to justify the brutality and suffering Zimbabweans had gone through under Mugabe. The result is that the international community will not lift sanctions on Zimbabwe. No meaningful attempts will be made to implement reforms that can result in credible elections, and naturally if Zanu PF supporters see that their party is losing the elections, will resort to violence to deny people their victory. The result is that investors will continue to shun Zimbabwe, unemployment will continue to rise while the Zanu PF top officials who have looted enough wealth for life will continue to enjoy life while the ordinary Zimbabweans continue to suffer
2. Emmerson Mnangagwa is a liar who has unashamedly tried to dissociate himself with Gukurahundi when his statements made at Zanu PF rallies are well documented, thanks to The Chronicle which quoted him verbatim during rallies, such as the one held in Victoria Falls in March 1983. We have been told the truth by Dydmus Mutasa that Gukurahundi was a cabinet decision. Besides, Mnangagwa was Minister of State Security, in addition to his statements quoted in the Chronicle, hence for him to try and dissociate himself with Gukurahundi is an insult to the intelligence of Zimbabweans. Anyone who was a minister and was part of the Gukurahundi decision as informed by Mutasa does not deserve a single vote, whatever post they are contesting for, in the 2018 elections.
3. Soon after taking over from Mugabe, Mnangagwa unconstitutionally appointed Provincial Resident Ministers, when one of the reasons for which Zanu PF wanted to impeach Mugabe was that he had disregarded the constitution of Zimbabwe on the creation of Provincial Councils. A leader who disregards the constitution should never be trusted. Additionally, he also thought he could get away with unconstitutionally appointing 8 people who were not members of parliament into the cabinet. Fortunately, analysts were quick to point out the anomaly, forcing Mnangagwa to reduce the number of non-parliamentarians to the required number of 5. But that shows what a schemer we have for a President. Certainly, such a schemer should not be allowed to run the affairs of the country beyond what the illegitimate crown inherited from Mugabe allows. Had alert analysts not voiced concern, Mnangagwa would have continued with 8 ministers who are not members of parliament.
4. Mnangagwa is trying to shield Lacoste leaders from embarrassment while humiliating the leaders of the G40. He has a list of the Lacoste officials who have externalised funds, yet cannot take immediate action against them as he has with the G40 leaders. He is giving some of them time to escape the country and enjoy their externalised ill gotten wealth. He should act on the names.
5. Emmerson Mnangagwa is cruel, to the extent that he said at a Zanu PF rally that if he was God he would starve MDC supporters of oxygen so that they would die. He is known to have created a youth group in Kwekwe which he sponsored to cause harm to MDC supporters, and late the G40 when factionalism pitting his Lacoste fanction and the G40 began in Zanu PF
6. His looting of diamonds in the Democratic Republic of Congo is well documented in the United Nations reports
7. Mnangagwa makes partisan decisions which do not carry the national sentiment. He declares 21 February, the birthday of Dictator Mugabe, based on the recommendations of bootlicking Zanu PF youths. Did he ever consider the feelings of the rest of Zimbabweans who have suffered under Mugabe, who he want to commemorate Mugabe’s birthday? This proves Mnangagwa continues to bootlick Mugabe even in his retirement. The little good Mugabe did to Zimbabwe does not count given that just three years after independence he was already killing innocent sons of the soil in Matebeleland and Midlands through Gukurahundi
8. Mnangagwa has unwittingly told Zimbabweans his regime will try to achieve some quick gains that will hoodwink people to trust him. His quick gains were well publicised in the media, including state media, but many people have not realised that the real intention is to try to fool people that he and his team are capable of turning around the economy because of some gains made in a short space of time. He will try to hoodwink people to forget about reforms which are the key to investment inflows. People of Zimbabwe, open your eyes wide and see Mnangagwa’s intentions. He will divert resources to areas where people will see some quick gains and steal the elections, and the suffering will continue after the elections. Zimbabwe needs broader reforms which will lead to credible elections for the economy to thrive.
9. Mnangagwa visited South Africa and addressed Zimbabweans based in that country. For him, it was important to only encourage them to come back home – obviously he thinks he has charmed enough to win their votes. Instead he should also have told them of plans in place for them to vote from the Diaspora, just as our Mozambican counterparts can vote from Zimbabwe during elections in Mozambique.
10. Mnangagwa unwittingly told the recent Zanu PF Congress that elections will be held sooner that most people expect, an indication that he, like Mugabe in 2013, will rush the country to elections while the quick gains are still influencing the people’s opinion, without real reforms that will unlock the country’s economic potential
11. Corruption is so entrenched within Zanu PF to the extent that Mnangagwa’s trusted Lieutenant Josiah Hungwe has argued that tenders should be given to private companies because all government enterprises are completely corrupt. And we know that all government departments and parastatal organisations are staffed by Zanu PF appointees. Voting out Zanu PF candidates is the only way to stamp out corruption.
Here are my 11 reasons from my observations and knowledge of Mnangagwa why Zimbabweans must vote out Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF out and give the country a new start. I implore all Zimbabwe not to ignore these reasons, and those with more evidence against Zanu PF should share to fully inform the electorate before they plunge the country into further chaos by voting in Zanu PF candidates in 2018</p
This is indeed a very passionate plea to convince oneself NOT to vote for Mnangagwa’s ZANU(PF) party into office in the 2018 national election! But then I hear no argumentation in favor of any one of the many opposition parties? Voters normally want to hear about the 101 reasons to vote for POLITICAL PARTY A and are seldom swayed about 11 reasons NOT to vote for POLITICAL PARTY B.
It is a fact seldom contested that ZANU(PF) was indeed winning elections in the 1980s and 1990s fairly and squarely because of the popularity of the ruling party’s policy slates. The political popularity of ZANU(PF) was destroyed when government adopted ESAP which worsened the economic hardships in late 1990s with Zimbabweans tasting their first hyperinflation following the massive payment of “compensation bill” to all ZANU/ZAPU war veterans and ex detainees. This first “coup-de-tat” that Comrade Hunzvi shrewdly waged against Mugabe’s government using the formidable power of the former freedom fighters and ex detainees regrouped into a united voice and formidable political force seeking a permanent share of the national gravy that was making unified ZAPU/ZANU ruling party Ministers filthy rich through corrupt means. This bloodless correction that Comrade Hunzvi spearheaded brought the former antogonistic ZAPU/ZANU war veterans complicit in the Gukurahundi skirmishes of the early 1980s to the same drinking fountain. Thus to this day those ZAPU/ZANU cadres who where directly involved in Gukurahundi skirmishes are happy to let bygones be bygones while sharing cabinet posts under the ZANU(PF)/ZAPU unity accord of 1988.
It is therefore confusing if not completely disingenuous for any scholar of note to argue today that ZANU(PF) of today must stand accused of Gukurahundi atrocities. ZANU(PF) of today is a product of unity accord that amalgamated Mugabe’s ZANU and Nkomo’s ZAPU into the current ZANU(PF) formation that has been in power from 1988 to the present. The terms of the Unity Accord agreed upon by RGM and JMN where never publicly debated by represented a private settlement of disputes between ZANU and ZAPU’s warring military factions. As JMN “Father Zimbabwe” once said, his singular motivation in signing the Unity Accord was to stop the bloodshed and unify Zimbabweans to enjoy the peace and freedom necessary for social and economic development.
Hence my Question to the author of the above piece of journalism: If not ZANU(PF) then whom are you suggesting that the learned peoples of Zimbabwe should vote for in 2018? As we prepare for national elections, we need positivism in our journalistic pieces to educate the voters on 101 REASONS TO VOTE FOR POLITICAL PARTY A, B, C and D.
Every Zimbabwean has his or her own 10 reasons NOT to vote for ZANU (PF), ZAPU(Dabengwa), ZimPF (Mujuru), ZimPF( not Mujuru), ZPP, ZDP, MDC (Tsvangirai), MDC(Biti), MDC(mangoma), MDC(Ncube), In all sincerity, what wold be the reason for voting for MDC or MDC Alliance in 2018? We cannot keep on justifying mediocrity by claiming that we need a broom to sweep Zimbabwe House clean of RGM. The Army did that for the country already. Now we need a battle of sound development ideas between contestants. On this scorecard, we can agree that EDM’s ruling party is winning the battle of wits and wisdom.
But one VP said soldiers removed Mugabe to SAVE their party, Zanu pf party from collapsing,so now we know why that was done,to protect their Zanu pf and not Zimbabwe.