Secrets of a dying old man, moral and political bankruptcy and choices we have for Zimbabwe.

Some Zimbabwean politicians will never stop taking Zimbabweans for a ride. They publicly declare their allegiance to secrecy, corruption, lies and political bankruptcy. For example, there are too many lies about the president’s health, as details now emerge from his senior aides that the real reason for his much publicised Singapore trip was that he collapsed while taking a stroll in his garden. We hear that after collapsing, Vice President Mujuru was called to the scene where Mugabe was revived by his doctors and then secretly flown to Singapore for further treatment. Mujuru was present again at the airport welcoming Mugabe back from Singapore weeks later, something that raises suspicion that power could be handed over to her when Mugabe goes. While senior ZANU-PF officials at the time believed it was the end for Mugabe, the information about his collapse is heavily guarded within their inner circle in order to prevent it from escalating succession struggles if made public. This is bad for the country as people are kept in the dark about whether the country has a healthy leader who would spend time dealing with the country’s challenges rather than a dying jet setting Mugabe. In Malawi the failure to improve hospitals cost its president’s life while Mugabe gets around the failure of his government to make our health system better by wasting a lot of government money seeking treatment abroad.

Political bankruptcy and negative attitudes towards women

Last Sunday we observed Mother’s Day by highlighting the growing concerns over negative attitudes towards women held by some Zimbabwean politicians.  Joyce Mujuru recently declared that most marriages fail because married women fight other women who are reportedly seeing their husbands. Following her lead, we hear MDC T MP Thabitha Khumalo has joined the chorus by suggesting that

“..make a deal with your husband’s mistress – says VP”

wives must strike an understanding with their husband’s mistresses to avoid transferring sexually-transmitted diseases. Another idiotic and potentially dangerous comment allegedly came from MDC T Senator Morgan Femai who proposed that government consider a law that will ban women from bathing regularly. According to the Senator, dirty, chubby women are less attractive to men and therefore there will be less HIV/AIDS transmission. Addressing a parliamentary workshop on preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS he said “women have got more moisture in their organs compared to men, so there is need to research how to deal with that moisture because it is conducive for bacteria breeding and that there should be a way to suck out that moisture” – what a lot of crap from a public representative! It goes to show that our problems are far from over and I think we must treat these statements very seriously because they can lead to terrible abuses of women in our society. Sadly, this is the calibre of politicians that lead us. It will be left to voters in the next elections to decide whether we allow such idiocy to define our identity as a nation.

Dominated by selfish individuals

I have heard people saying the problem is that our politics is becoming dominated by selfish characters who show little concern for

Dirty Femai

the people they represent.  They say that the much of the political and civil space is occupied by greedy people who think only themselves deserve to lead and no one should question their integrity. We see this behaviour in the Military leadership and the so called hardliners in the ZANU-PF party who have continuously threatened people saying if they vote against ZANU-PF, there will be war. To me these are empty threats from political bankrupt minorities and I believe they are fighting a lost war. For years, they have been fighting to remove Jacob Zuma as the SADC mediator in Zimbabwe and they failed. They have been threatening to pull out of the GPA but they are still here with us. They threaten elections this year and reality is that this will not happen. So it is up to us as ordinary people to stand our ground, first by voting the crazy characters out of our political space and replacing them with sensible leaders. If this fails to work, we must then make a choice whether going through the cold winter without electricity (as we are told will be the case this year) is the life we choose or we revolt by any means possible to correct the imbalances of our society.

Dead or alive, Mugabe is now useless – ZANU-PF

ZANU-PF high echelons have finally accepted that Mugabe is now part of their history rather than their present as the man is apparently struggling to cope with the day-to-day demands of both ruling the country and leading ZANU-PF as a party. This reality-check seems to have been kicked off by the recent rumours of Mugabe’s Easter holiday illness. Senior ZANU-PF sources are worried that Mugabe, who was publicly seen struggling to deliver his 18 April speech, cannot deliver promises that he is making in his campaign for the next elections. They point out that froth was coming out of his mouth during the speech and he continuously had to use tissue paper to wipe away saliva. They all agree he needs rest but no one has the guts to tell him to quit. This is evidenced by the

"used tissue paper to wipe away saliva"

said two successors, Emerson Mnangagwa and Joyce Mujuru, who both recently denied any interest in replacing the ailing Mugabe. However, what is visible among ZANU-PF big shots is the urgency to loot the country’s mineral resources. Sources are saying ZANU-PF is set to benefit whether Mugabe remains or dies in power.

Where does the loot go?

Nobody seems to know where the benefits from the country’s resources are being taken. Evidence suggests the Ministry of Finance is not receiving enough mineral proceeds, suggesting only a few are benefiting. This is the case regardless of the Finance Minister’s recent calls to the West to uplift targeted sanctions which affect, amongst others, Mbada Diamonds Resources which is apparently used by senior ZANU-PF and Military personnel for personal benefit. Online newspapers recently reported that either Mugabe or his former pilot, Andy Mhlanga, who is also the current chairman of Mbada Resources, are developing a multimillion property in Durban’s most upmarket area (South Africa). Estimated between R200 to R300 million, the property apparently boasts of a house, two man-made dams, an underground bunker, bullet-proof windows and a helipad. If these reports are true, this property will be one of the many properties that Zimbabweans suspect is being paid for by money from corrupt dealings. Corruption is one of the biggest threats to Zimbabwean society and it is a major motivation for people who want a change of politics in the country. Also, the property in Durban validates rumours that the South African government is allowing ZANU-PF big shots to hide Zimbabwe’s loot in their country. For the past decade there have been calls to the RSA government to stop ZANU-PF members from using their country as a haven to hide Zimbabwe’s stolen riches. However, South Africa has not imposed economic sanctions on Zimbabwean politicians and thus for them, whether or not corruption is suspected to have played a part in monies that are brought into the country by Zimbabweans, they are just dealing with an “investor”. In a nutshell, Zimbabweans need to find out more information about activities of corrupt government officials and individuals. A future new government should then create an asset forfeiture unit which will ensure money obtained through corruption returns to the country to help rebuild our economy.

Powerless MDCs?

The MDCs combined have a majority of MPs in Parliament but somehow ZANU-PF still seems to be unstoppable. The looting of resources in Marange continues unchallenged and recently the PM declared himself satisfied with operations in that area even though we all know there is no transparency. Violence remains a major threat to communities and up to now several key electoral reforms have not been met as ZANU-PF continues to resist attempts to level the political playing field. While we recognise and appreciate the progress made in some areas by the GNU, it remains worrying that if the key reforms are not met the country risks sliding back to the pre-2008 elections environment.

ZANU-PF in a fix

We should be heartened, however, by the widespread panic and confusion with in ZANU-PF as they struggle with how to handle the issue of succession after Mugabe. Recent indications suggest a bitter fight between rivals. This situation is supposedly worsened by the military’s inability to command the majority of the force to participate in the ZANU-PF succession wars. Sources say the military will find it difficult to flex its muscles in Zimbabwe’s politics should Mugabe go because there are less that 100 senior officers who subscribe to ZANU-PF’s way of doing things. The rest of the army is apparently more interested in their personal struggles to make ends meet due to low salaries and certainly not interested in being used as party machinery. So what will happen if Mugabe goes? This question should not be left to ZANU-PF alone and it is high time everyone has a say!

32 years of political corruption, desperate voters and appalling service delivery – Is it time to fight back?

“Someone reminded me I once said “Greed is good”. Now it seems it’s legal. Because everyone is drinking the same Kool Aid.” – Gordon Gekko

Under 32 years of Mugabe’s leadership, city councils across the country have seen services deteriorate to unspeakable levels. Back in 1980, Bulawayo City Council boasted of massive infrastructure ranging from community clubs to fully equipped libraries, clean swimming pools and modern schools. This past Saturday, Zicorareported that Bulawayo City Council is likely to lose control of the city following reports that the local authority is failing to settle its US$4m loan to Kingdom Bank. This would put most of its properties including the Council’s “Tower Block” at risk of being seized by the bank. The loan was used to purchase 25 top-of-the-range luxury vehicles for senior council management. In the City Council’s confidential minutes dated 11 April 2012, it was apparently noted that the council failed to pay over US$3m by 31 March per an agreement with the Bank. As a result, Kingdom Bank is demanding title deeds for the city’s properties including the Revenue Hall, Princess Margret Rose Clinic, Matshamhlophe water reservoir and three other council flats. Worse still it was also revealed that some council workers have gone for up to 4 months without pay. Water

"..setting out a vision to neglect public services"

and electricity continue to disrupt life in Bulawayo’s townships as the council is struggling to pay for services from suppliers. I know that some people will point out that the Council in Bulawayo is led by MDC T but I believe it is Mugabe’s management style of the country that has set the precedence. MDC T councillors just joined the greed train and I am sure the voters will not spare them when it comes to next elections unless they have an explanation as to why their lifestyles must be a higher priority than voters who pay their salaries.

Why they do it?

It seems to me that the kinds of politicians we have today are those who say “if someone else is doing it, why I shouldn’t do it myself”. The collapse of Zimbabwe’s service delivery system has over the years been promoted by Zanu PF through corruption, violence and dictatorship. One example directly related to poor service delivery is that of the Minister of Local Government, Ignatious Chombo. On a Minister’s salary, Minister Chombo has to date failed to account for his vast wealth which includes dozens of residential and commercial properties spread across the country. Last year, during a trip to Zimbabwe by representatives of the Gates Foundation, Chombo apparently could not resist the temptation to brag about his American car, army of household staff and lighting that can brighten up a whole street.

Do good today and you will never see tomorrow!

Minister Chombo has been firing MDC Mayors left, right and centre with no clear reasons. Mutare Mayor, Misheck Kagurabadza, was fired by Chombo allegedly for misusing public funds but the mayor himself claimed he had been fired for showing United Nations special envoy Anna Tibaijuka the living conditions of people in Sakubva after Operation Murambatsvina. Another Mutare Mayor, Brian James, claims he was suspended for hiring external auditors to look at council books in his quest for transparency. A few weeks ago Gwanda Mayor, Lionel De Necker, complained about polarisation and meddling by the Minister and was immediately dismissed. It is clear from all these examples that the Zimbabwe we fought for against Ian Smith is one that promotes corruption and there is no chance people will enjoy their hard fought benefits as resources are limited to the connected few individuals.

Tower Block - Kingdom Bank wants it

32 years of desperate voters

As Zimbabweans celebrate 32 years of independence today, there are clear signs of desperate voters who will sacrifice many principles in order to remove Mugabe and Zanu PF from power. This desperation by voters threatens complete ruin of the country because the change we seek will continue to manipulate us. My view is that politicians across the board must be held to account for the power they hold for us. They must be pressured to make choices that serve us and if they defy these simple instructions voters must wield their unique power –the power of their vote– and choose someone else to lead. Greedy politicians will waste our time and before we know it, we will be gone to the gallows of deep debt and poverty. As Gordon Gekko speech in the movie Wall Street – Money Never Sleeps says: “…you are all pretty much F**ked, but you don’t know it yet”. He calls the listeners the Ninja Generation, one with No Income, No Jobs, and no Assets. Dominated by greedy bankers, the central question of Money Never Sleeps isn’t whether or not greed is good, but how to use whatever time it is we have on this Earth. Time, it concludes early on, is more valuable than money and so it asks us to consider how we’re using it, not just as individuals, but as a society. Thirty-two years is lot of time and while we’ve come a long way, there is still a long way to go. I suggest that we fight this political corruption and greed together as society through the power of “X”.

 

Is a dead Mugabe going to take with him the problems he created?

Easter holidays have come and gone and the Zimbabwean community celebrated the death and rise of Jesus Christ by trading news about Mugabe’s rumoured ill-health and even his death.  Official sources in Mugabe’s office have publicly denied these rumours as a hogwash but Mugabe’s disappearance during the Easter period and the fact that Cabinet meetings have been postponed are keeping these rumours alive. Adding to the mystery was the so-called prophecy of a Nigerian self-claimed prophet, TB Joshua, who apparently foresaw the death of a Southern African President. Well to his credit Bingu Wamtharika, the President of Malawi, died on April 5. As we continue with our Sunset politics in Harare, it’s now clear that we are obsessed with the death of Mugabe and we probably know reasons why. Personally I’ve been thinking about what will happen after Mugabe dies, seeing that Zimbabwean politics revolves around him. His age and ill-health are fast telling us that sooner rather than later the man will die and we should be preparing for a “life without Mugabe”. While we will certainly be out in celebration at news of his death, we need to acknowledge that it will present us with new challenges – ones that could threaten violence if not handled well, and that the country’s problems at hand could be further complicated by the succession struggles in ZANU-PF.

A glimpse of these problems!

Zimbabwe is preparing for elections and the battles between the ZANU-PF, MDCs and other political parties are intensifying. We all know of the reforms needed to make the elections credible and sadly, to date, none of these have a clear solution in sight. All hopes are being put on the SADC mediator Jacob Zuma who in reality can only apply pressure but not force implementation.

The Land issue was left in chaos because rather than returning land to local communities, farms were taken from white farmers and handed to  ZANU-PF politicians who had no local history. Worse, some individuals own multiple farms – the very thing we thought was a problem with white land owners. Mugabe seems to have closed the chapter without solutions as evidenced by the government’s complete inaction on the findings of the Buka Land Commission, which concluded that there was massive greediness with senior ZANU-PF officials owning multiple farms.

Corruption is one of the biggest threats to stability in the country and there seems to be no sight of substantial reforms to address it. The rush for natural resources like diamonds is showing us an ugly face of corruption and diamonds are widely known for their contributions to conflict as was seen in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.

Another program to watch that threatens possible future conflict is the indigenisation program pioneered by Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, where there is no clarity as to how local people are going to benefit from the shares that are being demanded from foreign companies. Also in this process, investment funding is being thrown out the window as investors feel they will be less protected by

He has died many times....

government laws which seem to change any time politicians feel like changing them. Massive political interest in business is a major scare, particularly given government failure in running the Parastatals, which calls into question its abilities to handle direct involvement in private business.

Another challenge on the cards is that of political temptations to reject people’s will expressed in the Constitution-making process. One such issue is the devolution of powers to the provincial level, which was raised by people who participated in the process, is facing rejection from ZANU-PF and Mugabe who claim it will divide the people and the country. If people want devolution, why is ZANU-PF interested in overruling people’s wishes?

If he dies, who is next in command?

Above and beyond these issues, the main concern at hand is that of Mugabe’s successor within his own party. I hear rumours that Mugabe has made a deal to pass the reins of power to the current Minister of Defence, Emmerson Mnangagwa. In Malawi, the Constitution provided for the Vice-President to take over and it was honoured. Is Zimbabwe prepared to honour its Constitution or is it the power of the gun that matters as suggested by the Mugabe-Mnangagwa affair? We need to think hard on these issues in our political structures in order to avoid further damage to the country we all love.

Gukurahundi victims and other political violence victims must go to Hell according to Patrick Chinamasa

It is one thing for people to talk about forgiveness and unity governments in future and it is another to ignore human rights abuses. I say so because there seems to be a cunning act by people in Zanu PF to ignore human rights abuses by trying to use the law to urge Zimbabweans to forget about the gross human rights violations they committed. A heated debate took place on Tuesday in Parliament

“Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere.” - MLK

where the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill was discussed. Section 9 (4) of the Bill drafted by Minister Patrick Chinamasa stipulates that the commission shall not investigate a complaint relating to an action or omission that occurred earlier than February 13, 2009. This was heavily rejected by some MDC MPs some of whom said they lost friends and relatives due to violence predating 2009. I think this is an insult to Zimbabweans, who for many years have suffered abuse including the brutal deaths of the Gukurahundi

I don't always kill my children, but when I do, I get away with it....

era and other violent acts that followed – including those during and after the 2008 elections. This is a move by people who continue to murder innocent civilians with impunity. I suspect that members of Mugabe’s Zanu PF know very well that they may be hunted and prosecuted when their rule finally collapses.  They are going around under the name of “land to the people” and “indigenisation” breaking laws, looting property and violating human rights in the process. By proposing the Bill with 2009 as a cut-off date, it is clear they are trying to exempt themselves from prosecution where they look forward to starting with a clean slate. They have accumulated wealth illegally and caused great suffering amongst people over the years and now they want order. As new owners of property, they seem to be suggesting a return to rule of law because they don’t want their own business to be affected by the same tactics they used to acquire it. This unfolding pattern is dangerous to human development in Zimbabwe and a warning should be given to whoever will take over after Zanu PF that people will not be silenced by perpetrators of violence. We must lobby our Members of Parliament to reject Chinamasa’s machinations.

Strong on laws that protect themselves and weak on laws that improve lives

One of the difficulties that the current government inherited from the former Zanu PF ruling party is the rot within government parastatals. Last month I wrote about how government was employing thousands of ghost workers who are probably still continuing to suck government resources which could otherwise be used to improve people’s lives. Now, we are told the rot is even worse in government parastatals. The Minister of State Parastatals, Gorden Moyo, recently said the National Railways of Zimbabwe is in a big mess and there is not yet a clear government response. This is a company that should be generating money for the country but today has a huge debt and has been operating without a properly constituted Board. If that’s the case, who are the people running NRZ and who appointed them? The Minister also raised concerns about the fact that there is no synchronisation between company activities and the number of workers employed. As citizens, we have entrusted government to run our affairs and the reality we are facing is that they are either not capable – or possibly not honest enough – to do so.

Hold your horses Zimbabweans; Mugabe and Zanu PF are not going anywhere!

“We have to navigate the middle ground between the victims of injustice and perpetrators of injustice for the greater good of the country” – Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

Not long ago, the Prime Minister told us how the security echelons of the country had warned him that they won’t let him rule the country even if he wins the upcoming elections. In short, they told him that they would consider a coup d’état. Now, it seems the PM has found a solution to this problem. At a dinner organised by The Times on Monday, the PM said he would form a government of national unity in the greater interests of the country if his party were to win elections later this year (http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/).

Why I hate GNUs

Again, not so long ago, the PM had written a long letter expressing his frustration about the current GNU giving the impression that this current one would be the last. This was good news for me because I strongly believe that GNUs are an elite creation in both formation and practice. We first experienced this in 1987, when ZANU and PF-ZAPU elites met and agreed to unite. In this new reality, ordinary supporters were reduced to spectators and blind worshippers while the elite gallivanted all over the world and country

"...If I win, you're in"

ushering in a new order in Zimbabwe. Just over 20 years later, when the country had reached a stalemate, South Africa’s Mbeki negotiated a GNU once again between Zimbabwe’s political elites. Although we might want to be sensitive when criticising this set-up, the question still remains, “Where do the supporters and the rest of the country fit in this arrangement?” This is not the same as a coalition arrangement in which two or more parties align within a democratically elected Parliament – instead it is an elite agreement on who should be entitled to represent government at the highest levels. While we had our own reasons to have the GNU, I think the fundamental problem here is that it does not reflect the will of the people as was indicated in the first round of elections in 2008. Then, Mugabe went on to make it impossible for the MDC to participate in the runoff and bullied the international community into accepting him as the leader of Zimbabwe. Materially some things are improving – we have food in the shops and fuel in petrol stations for example, but many others show little or no sign of progress. Some political activists are languishing in prisons while political criminals act with impunity. On the whole, the political elites from all sides are benefiting from this arrangement. At worst, some have had their revolutionary lingo suspended while some of them still survive in tough working environments.

We can rape, beat them, arrest them and still get a GNU?

In settling for a GNU or even seeing it as the only hope for peace after elections, I suspect that this could be a decision many will live to regret. Zimbabwe is a country where perpetrators of injustice know that they won’t be persecuted. We can even see today that ZANU-PF supporters are becoming more violent because they want to force us into a situation where we have to accept to live with them in fear. Some ZANU-PF supporters have beaten and intimidated people since the country’s independence and the majority of them are walking in our streets freely. Nowadays, they have found a new game that they are linking to the future. Some ZANU-PF people are benefiting in a massive way under the new indigenisation laws and for this they cannot see themselves leaving corridors of power, let alone observing the rule of law. What we are seeing in Zimbabwe is a challenge not only to justice but to future generations. If we are to live knowing that political power is tied to freedom from prosecution then we will have more people killing each other for it. Chances are that politics itself will never become an arena for ordinary citizens to have a say on how they are governed. Instead, people will pursue dishonest and undemocratic ways of politics with the sole hope of being the strongman of the country or community. It is for these reasons that I feel GNUs are a betrayal to democracy. While they may have been seen as a stabilising ingredient for our politics, new generations – especially the youth – must prepare for a complete departure from the way things are currently being done. They must aim for their voice to be heard not only as party machinery but as party all-rounders who seek to transform politics to reflect a healthy society where everyone is equal before the law. To some extent I agree Thabo Mbeki when he addressed a Youth Global 21 leadership meeting in Nairobi recently. In his words, he said, “To ensure that [the youth] actually exercises the leadership everybody rhetorically accepts and proclaims is its due; the youth must organise and ready itself to rebel, so to speak.”

Stop interfering or lose elections, Zimbabwe Defence Forces warn Zanu PF big wigs!

Evidence that all is not well in the relationship between ZANU-PF and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) continues to mount.

Senior Zanu PF figures addressing rallies in the provinces have been stating that there would be no party primary elections and that instead, ZANU-PF candidates will be imposed by the party centre at Jongwe House in Harare. According to ZDF sources, this is causing concerns amongst the rurally deployed ZDF officials, who have been complaining to their superiors. At a ZANU-PF rally in February in Mutare (Manicaland), Didymus Mutasa – seen as one of Mugabe closest allies – told attendees that candidates would be imposed for elections by the party leadership, which triggered many attendees to leave in protest. Already Manicaland is a problem for ZANU-PF – I wrote in February about how the provincial youth chairperson challenged Mugabe at to deal with corruption in the party during Mugabe’s birthday celebrations.

Many within ZDF acknowledge in informal exchanges that it will be key to ZANU-PF’s survival for the outcome of internal party primary elections not to be openly dictated by senior party figures. They also warn that if ZANU-PF ignores this advice it risks losing the next elections. There is also talk within ZDF of how the growing friction between old and young ZANU-PF, as well as ZDF representatives, is increasing the threat of violence during primary elections which could prompt ZDF intervention.

fight-fraud-in-voting

The relationship between ZANU-PF and ZDF may not yet be at the stage of implosion but we are certainly seeing widening divisions stemming from the fight to control minerals, the internal Zanu PF success squabbles and now disputes over election tactics.

In related news, the recently completed elections for Provincial Chairperson for Mashonaland West used new procedures, such as voting at District level rather than transporting all voters to one central Provincial venue, increasing from three candidates to five per District and voting by secret ballot. It seems that some ZANU-PF seniors are recommending that these new procedures should be used for the party’s internal elections, including primaries. However, while they may have seemed to work smoothly for electing one Provincial Chairperson they might not work as smoothly in an election in which all posts in a province are being contested, let alone for heavily contested ZANU-PF primaries. Moreover, in practice, a shortage of ballot papers caused significant delay and inaccuracies in the vote, which meant that only a fraction of those eligible within the constituency were in fact able to vote. In a typical ZANU-PF elitist approach, senior ZANU-PF officials seem unconcerned by the possibility that people would miss out on the chance to vote.

Certainly it seems that we are being presented here with two contradictory viewpoints from within ZANU – on the one hand the introduction of a new system supposedly designed to improve internal party democracy; on the other strong public voices within ZANU hinting at a rejection of the principle of party primary and open intra-party competition for candidates. These inconsistencies and divisions offer opportunities for other political parties to exploit if they are to defeat ZANU-PF in the upcoming elections.