The upcoming referendum is the very last chance for Zimbabweans…

Posted by on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 in Featured, Wilbert on Wednesday, Zimbabwe politics | 18 comments

Wilbert Mukori

Wilbert on Wednesday transcript
Wednesday, 06 March 2013

Good Evening my fellow Zimbabweans!
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

I have evoked this prayer, not because I am religious, but because it encapsulated beautifully the three things I want to talk about today; change, courage and wisdom.
The upcoming referendum is the very last chance for Zimbabweans to achieve the democratic change that would propel us out of the desert of despair, dictatorship, into the green valleys of hope, democratic rule.

Zimbabwe is a de facto Zanu PF dictatorship and all political opposition has been routinely and ruthless silenced. The 2008 presidential run-off elections showed just how brutal the dictatorship could be when over a million Zimbabweans were internally displaced, hundreds of thousands were beaten and/or raped and over 500 were murdered.

The whole world was shocked by the wanton violence of 2008 and SADC instructed the Zimbabwe GNU to implement a raft of democratic reforms whose end product was very clear and explicit: to deliver free and fair election and to stop the repeat of 2008 violence.
None, not even one, of the reforms were implemented because Mugabe refused and MDC were too incompetent to force the issue. Although everyone could see there had been no change, still the people had accepted the hollow assurance from PM Tsvangirai that the coming elections would be free and fair and not a repeat of the 2008.

The nation’s false sense of security was shattered on Saturday 23 February 2013 when a 12 year old boy, Christpower Simbarashe Maisiri, the son of an MDC official in Headlands, was burnt to death after the hut the boy was sleeping in was deliberately torched by known Zanu PF thugs. PM Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC friends went into overdrive, revising their lies that the nation was heading for peaceful elections to acknowledging that the Zanu PF dictatorship was indeed alive and very dangerous!

“This election is going to be bloodier than 2008″ admitted the MDC Home Affairs Minister, Theresa Makone on S W Radio Africa Hot Seat programme. Well that speaks volumes! This is an admission that the party’s hair cut changes in the Copac constitution will not bring free and fair elections – free of violence.

MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti said the party was sending a dossier to SADC giving details of the intimidations, harassment, beating and even murders. This the first time the party has ever spoken of this dossier!

A high power MDC delegation was sent off to SADC “to discuss among other things, the need for SADC to deliver a free and fair election,” a report on the MDC party website read.

This is a knee-jerk MDC response; they not only run to SADC but, worse still, they blame the regional body for the party’s own breath taking incompetence. It is not for SADC to “deliver free and fair elections” but for MDC to implement the reforms by seeing to it that the required laws are passed in parliament. The MDC had the parliamentary majority so this should have been a breeze.

SADC have told P M Tsvangirai again and again, implement the agreed GPA reforms – follow the GPA roadmap – follow the yellow brick road. No doubt SADC will tell this high powered MDC delegation exactly the same thing – implement the agreed GPA reforms!
It was not until Christpower’s murder that the MDC maintained that the party would not brook boycotting the elections. On 31 January 2013 following a high level MDC party retreat in Inyanga Nelson Chamisa the party’s National Organising Secretary “The people of Zimbabwe have embraced the MDC and have placed their hope in the party; hence, whatever the magnitude of the persecution from which ever quarter, the people will vote in their numbers for a new beginning and real transformation which will be brought about by the MDC government.”

If we remove the political rhetoric and the pseudo machismo – we all know when the going gets tough Tsvangirai will once again have his mad dash for the Netherlands Embassy and the rest of the MDC leaders will disappear like mist in the morning African sun – we will have the chilling message: the MDC will drag the nation through another election regardless the cost in broken limbs and lost lives.

After Christpower was murdered, the MDC resubmitted the party’s old Conditions for a Sustainable Election in Zimbabwe (COSEZ), which include demands for a free media and the implementation of the reforms to dismantle the Mugabe dictatorships. And renewed the threat too; the party will not participate in any election unless the conditions are met.

Meanwhile on Saturday 2 March 2013 PM Tsvangirai was in Gweru for the launch of the “Yes” campaign on the referendum.

Let me help you unpack this MDC mess. Whilst the MDC accepts that it is impossible to deliver free and fair elections without implementing the reforms, hence the resubmitted COSEZ, what the party fails to grasp is the reality that if this Copac constitution is accepted in the referendum then the door to implementing reforms will be shut. It is nonsense to talk of amending a constitution that the populous has just adopted, particularly when those amendments are the very reforms Mugabe has resisted all these last five years!

If the truth be told, and it must be told, MDC are quietly reverting to their chilling position; they will drag the nation through another election regardless of the cost in broken limbs and lost lives!

I was watching a wildlife documentary about wildebeest migrating in search of good grazing. They had to cross this flooded river and the point they happened to arrive at had steep banks, 30 feet drop. The more savvy zebra would look for a safer crossing point and if the river is flooded they would wait 3 or 5 days if necessary. Not so with the wildebeest; it was tails up and jump. Many broke their legs, many were swept away by the strong fast flowing flood and drowned and those that made it across had the impossible task of climbing the steep and slippery bank on the other side. What a carnage!

Zimbabwe’s 2008 chaotic and violent elections were carnage!
By failing to have the reforms implemented the country’s political leaders had let the nation down. After five years of bickering amongst themselves and wasting billions of dollars the GNU had brought the nation back to the same political situation as in 2008, the same dangerous river crossing point!

The referendum is giving the people their chance to decide whether the critical reforms have been implemented. The need for implementing the reforms has not vanished, the reality of the repeat of the violence is still there and just because the GNU failed to implement them does not mean no one else can.

A “YES” vote in the referendum means people do not want the reforms and accept the politicians’ failure; it is yes to the violence; it is tails up and jump! There will be another carnage, a repeat of 2008 or worse!
A “NO” vote can be a demand for the reforms to be implemented, a demand for a safer crossing point. Surely this is the common sense position.

Tsvangirai is the madman Chandagwinyira who will sit before a blazing camp fire on a roasting hot day because that is what he has set his mind to do. This Copac constitution gives Mugabe dictatorial powers. It is nonsensical that anyone who believes in democratic rule would vote for such rubbish; the only reason Tsvangirai is doing it is because he has set his mind to do it. If the people are foolish enough to follow Chandagwinyira then they will pay dearly for their folly!

If this Copac constitution is adopted then this will constitute the crossing point for the nation for decades to come; Zimbabwe’s elections will be a chaotic and violence affair, a carnage, for years to come. Frankly the world is fed up with Zimbabwe’s failure to sort out its political problems, the sanctions will be lifted regardless of the level of violence and we will be on our own.

This is the list of those who attended Christpower’s funeral: Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, The Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai and his good wife, Mai Elizabeth Tsvangirai; the Right Honourable Deputy Prime Minister, Thokozani Khupe; “x” number of Ministers; ”y” MPs and “z” hundreds of thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans. A great tribune indeed given he was only 12 years old.

However the greatest tribute the nation can pay to Christpower, in my humble opinion, would be if by his gruesome death the nation was shocked into realizing the urgent need to address this Zanu PF culture of violence decisively once and once for all and thus vote NO in the referendum. Let the name of Christpower Simbareshe Maisiri be entered in the annals of history as the last victim of Zanu P’s wanton political violence! That will be some small recompense for this innocent life so ruthlessly and brutally cut short!
Good night.

  • Chimbwidos Warvets

    ‘SADC have told P M Tsvangirai again and again, implement the agreed GPA reforms – follow the GPA roadmap – follow the yellow brick road. No doubt SADC will tell this high powered MDC delegation exactly the same thing – implement the agreed GPA reforms’, said the political commentator for SW Radio Africa, Wilbert Mukori.

    You continue to flog the dead horse hoping it will arise from the dead to do your work again. The MDC had five good years in ensuring all parties to their contract had performed their part of the bargain but it failed dismally. What it failed to achieve during the last five years can not be achieved in the next three months when elections are projected to take place.

    • wilbert_mukori

      Listen we all know P M Tsvangirai is incompetent and Mugabe took full advantage of that so you do not have to give all that nonsense of MDC “performed their part of the bargain”.
      We both know a no vote will force the implementation of the reforms which is why Mugabe desperate, absolutely desperate to have the referendum wrapped up as soon as possible before the nation realize that they can still have the reforms implemented!

  • dumbu

    You are speaking thunderously my friend, it is true . Thank you.

    • Chimbwidos Warvets

      Usually there will be a bolt of thunder when it strikes but I see none when there are only three to four months before elections are held in Zimbabwe. Like the English say it is merely flogging a dead horse with the stupid hope it will arise from the dead to do the job again. SADC can never force but can encourage a sovereign and independent state to implement the agreed terms of the contract between the three political parties which have nothing to do with the entire nation. The majority of political parties in Zimbabwe have nothing with this one sided agreement between ZANU PF and the MDC formations who comprise the inclusive government. Reforms that have been agreed to by only three political parties that excludes over a dozen political parties in the country can never be characterised as democratic. We should simply forget about these and concentrate with the referendum where every citizen of this nation participated through the COPAC initiative.
      It should be realised that the referendum is to do with the entire nation and not only the three political parties, ZANU PF and the two MDC formations. There is a gigantic difference between the contract agreed between three political parties of the country and a referendum that is going to have the participation of every citizen of this country. Let us be clever enough to identify what is relevant argument and what is irrational and illogical argument. Of course, our political analyst, Wilbert Mukori, arguments are highly flawed and consequently can not be listened to by those who are a bit enlightened. Only the gullible people whose minds and brains are crippled in analyzing the situation in its proper perspective will agree with the above crap from Wilbert.

    • wilbert_mukori

      Thank you.

      Never mind Chimbwido, here is a man used to praising Mugabe’s rhetoric , flogging the West at every opportunity and blaming them for all Zimbabwe’s problems. The reality is the people in the West are free and they continue to prosper whilst millions of Zimbabweans have been reduce to a life of abject poverty and they are denied all the basic
      rights including the right to life. Over 30 000 Zimbabweans have been murdered by the dictatorship. Yet every time Mugabe speaks Chimbwido can hardly contain himself with excitement and praise!

      If I am flogging a dead horse then that horse must be Mugabe and the Zanu PF dictatorship. Trust me, it is not dead; it is only pretending to be. Judging from your hysterical response I think the flogging is beginning to get through and for my part I am just getting into the rhythm!

      There is going to be some serious flogging ahead! Watch this space!

      • Chimbwidos Warvets

        ‘The reality is the people in the West are free and they continue to prosper whilst millions of Zimbabweans have been reduce to a life of abject poverty and they are denied all the basic rights including the right to life’, our political analyst, Wilbert Mukori said.

        I always wonder what it really is that SW Radio Africa found interesting in this guys who does not know what he talks about each time he opens his mouth. I will explain why this guy is an idiot and foolish.

        First of all Wilbert should know that the West is not prospering at all as most countries in the region have experienced zero economic growth for years except Germany. Spain, Portugal, Greece and even the United States have been in the headlines of major news outlets where it is indicated that their economies have almost collapsed and some countries in the European Union are being bankrolled by Germany to keep their economies afloat. In the circumstances, the lives of citizens in these regions have been reduced to a life of abject poverty and degradation.

        I can not talk much about the so-called basic rights Wilbert always talks about as if he knows what they mean to a black man and black woman in Europe and the United States. For instance, in the United States, the so called Afro-American people whose ancestors helped in developing the country to be what it is today, are still not enjoying those basic human rights Wilbert talks about. It is common knowledge that the Afro-American people are still being discriminated against by their white counterparts. It is not a secret as this is well known and this is one of the grievances the black people of this country have against their government. Any political analyst worth his/her name should be acquainted with these basic facts. If in doubt, Wilbert should have audience with the black people in Europe and the Americas to find their views instead of just penning down nonsense that have no foundation.

        • wilbert_mukori

          The Zimbabwe economy shrunk by a staggering 84% in the six year period 2002 to 2008 a position from which it has not recovered. Unemployment is still seating at 80% plus. And yet you compare it to Europe as if the two are in the same league!

          The President of the USA is the son of a white mother and black father that is how far forward the blacks in America have gone. Hundreds of fellow Zimbabweans have been murdered just because they dare exercise their right to have a meaningful say in the governance of the country and you condone this; that is far backwards this Mugabe dictatorship has dragged the nation!

          Those who will not live by the law must die by the law before they destroy the law and the whole nation. Mugabe and all his thugs have chosen not to live by the law they must be arrested, tried and punished by the law. Yes, you Chimbwido, you have your appointment with the hangman; I would hate to see you miss it! It is my life time achievement.

          • Chimbwidos Warvets

            It is those who live by the sword who will die by the sword. I have no intention of fighting you because there is no reason to do so at all. My mission is educate people like you and not to fight unnecessary battles with you. I advise you not to seek fights when they should not be any fights but to try to find peaceful resolutions to problems, a sentiment that is too often forgotten but sorely needed in this world.

  • Yepec

    As has been said before and it will be said again in order to refute the falsehoods that you are airing. Chimbwido Warvet rebuked you by saying that “You continue to flog the dead horse hoping that it will arise from the dead…”. This statement could have been appreciated had it said, “You continue to flog the air as if it were a live horse but it is not, the image of a horse is all in your mind”. Could you state on this post what those “agreed GPA Reforms” which the MDC formations if they had implemented through the GNU would have delivered fair and free elections? Remember that an agreement is between/among parties. Can the MDC or formations implement any legislation independent of the President’s Office or position?

    The major part of the GPA roadmap for Zimbabwe, is the type of governance, crafting process of a home made Constitution and the creation of Commissions (Media, Human Rights, Electoral and National Security). Once a Commission is created, it is should and must be independent and non-partisan such that it does not fall under the influence of any Party. Additionally, the Principals were supposed to monthly meet with the Security Forces’ Chiefs in a meeting chaired by Mugabe; which agreed Reforms did the MDC fail to implement in Parliament despite their majority? Can the MDC create any legislation and implement it? Which majority in Parliament, is being referred here, could that be in the House of Assembly? Without the Senate which is in the hands of Zanu PF the Assembly does not constitute Parliament, Wilbert.

    It is not for the readers to tell you what should be in your prayer but only to advise you to be truthful to yourself, especially, when you are saying things to the public. Your article on SW Radio Africa titled, “The upcoming referendum is the very last chance for Zimbabweans…”, seems to fall into this category.

    • super mondo

      unless mugabe chooses the heads of the commissions or goveners then the purpose of that commission is disfunctional

      • wilbert_mukori

        Mugabe has used all manner of dirty tricks to ensure all these Commissions, ZEC, you name it are toothless and disfunctional including making sure they have no funds to do anything, there is so much red tape tying them up in knots, etc.

        • Chimbwidos Warvets

          ‘The President of the USA is the son of a white mother and black father that is how far forward the blacks in America have gone’, said Wilbert Mukori, the political analyst for SW Radio Africa. My response to this unfortunate statement is as follows:-

          A new paradigm is needed for you here now that you are the political analyst for SW Radio Africa, Wilbert. I will challenge you that the functioning of your faculties do not know what is going on in the United States. Did you know that President Obama has received more death threats than any American President has received in the history of this country due to racism and white supremacy? You need to realize that he dynamics of racism is all about the maintenance of white supremacy at all cost. They have made it clear that President Obama will not fly but remain ground at the White House with no meaningful decisions that he makes without the advice of the white administrators that surround him. You need to read and understand the American system of government. Obama has not managed to bring many black people into his administration not because he does not want to but he simply can not do a thing about it because his hands are tied. This has been done to prevent him from being what a black president can be if he is allowed to use his full faculties without hindrance. Obama has to be controlled at all cost.

          Of course, President Obama has made history in being the first Afro-American president of the United States but obviously a lame-duck one who has no mind of his own but is being controlled like a toy by his white administrators who surround him. These are the real people who are governing the United States, boy. I do not hate the white people but it is necessary to reflect on this for you to know that no all is well for this black president for the United States. This black American President is working and living in the most challenging times mate. As a black man, I feel for him.

    • wilbert_mukori

      The democratic reforms in the GPA were to restore the independence of institutions like the ZRP and Judiciary which Mugabe has corrupted and turning them into nothing more than another department of Zanu PF. We all agree that as long as the Police, for example, continue to act in their partisan manner it is impossible to see how the nation can ever hope to end the culture of political violence.
      It is not as if MDC is not aware of what these reforms are; what do you think the COSEZ are?

  • super mondo

    well wilbert i hope even if the uninformed people vote yes to this constitution and it goes through they enjoy the oppression and poverty it will bring

    • wilbert_mukori

      Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law, but when the State goes out of its way to ensure the people are kept ignorant then the world must step in and demand justice!

      • Chimbwidos Warvets

        Which world should step in and demand justice? When you ask the world to do something for you, what is it you give to the world in return? That is typical of supporters for the MDC who always want others to do things for them. There is no room for parasites as there is no such thing as free tea in this vicious world. What people have the world over is through their individual efforts, Wilbert.

        • wilbert_mukori

          Zimbabwe is not an island, SADC and the international community stepped in after the sham 2008 elections; they will do so again.

  • wilbert_mukori

    @ Adam

    Let me reply to your points one by one.

    Police are not governed by Copac but by Lancaster.

    You do not understand that the Lancaster House Constitution included amendment 19 which is the GPA and it calls for democratic reforms to be implemented. Those reforms have not been implemented and therefore it is nonsense to say what the Police are doing are in accordance with the LHC.

    A NO vote will be a YES vote for Lancaster i.e. the status quo.

    You are right there my friend, but let me explain it to you a bit. A no vote will mean we are back to where we were back in 2008 with the LHC and its 19 amendments i.e. to the GPA. In other words we have to revisit the tasks set out in the GPA and have them properly implemented.

    Police will continue doing what they are doing.

    Implement the democratic reforms and you will dismantle the dictatorship brick by brick and restore the independence of the Police, Judiciary and all the other institutions to do their statutory work properly. The Police will NOT, I repeat will NOT, continue to do what they have been doing all these years. That is why Mugabe stubbornly refused to have the reforms implemented. And it was stupid of Tsvangirai to let Mugabe get away with it and worse still drag the nation into another bloody election!

    A NO vote will mean elections are held under Lancaster.

    The LHC as it stands is very explicit and clear: implement the democratic reforms and write a new democratic constitution which will be approved by the people in a referendum and then hold fresh election.

    Constitution requires that elections be held

    Yes the LHC with the amendments calls for fresh elections but only after the reforms have been implemented and a new democratic constitution written so that the elections will be free and fair and not a repeat of the violence of 2008.

    Bob will simply ignore GNU agreement and push ahead with elections under Lancaster

    Mugabe cannot ignore the GPA and do as he pleases this is why he has stayed in the GNU all these last five years. A no vote will force very one to revert back to the GPA.

    A yes vote will say to SADC and the world at large that the people Zimbabwe are happy with the Copac constitution as the democratic constitution they wanted, they are happy with the implemented reforms and last but most important of all that they are happy the Copac constitution and the implemented reforms will deliver free and fair elections – free of violence.

    Once the Copac constitution is accepted and enacted then the LHC and the GPA will expire and have no authority. MDC or the people cannot appeal to SADC to apply pressure on Mugabe to implement the reforms or change anything. Since the Copac constitution has failed to create the political environment for free and fair elections, to end the dictatorship, to dismantle the dictatorship, etc.; nothing is going to change. The nation is stuck with this weak and feeble Copac constitution and defective political system!