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- Written by: Tendai Ruben Mbofana
- Category: Take2Zimbabwe
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Published by Tendai Ruben Mbofana and reprinted with permission: Link to his article at end.
Flawed elections can never be a ‘closed chapter’!
Let me make this abundantly clear from the onset. Zimbabwe’s August 2023 elections roundly condemned by various international observers as not free, fair, and credible.
There is no way a flawed electoral process can simply pass by and be forgotten without its severe repercussions haunting the nation for a very long time to come.
Therefore, it becomes a fallacy and pure self-deception for anyone to believe that a country can get away with a corrupted election, just because those in power declared that it is now a ‘closed chapter’.
Thinking that way is not only delusional but also akin to the proverbial sweeping our nasty deeds under the carpet.
They will sooner or later inevitably rear their ugly heads.
It is like a man who is foolish enough to actually believe that the infidelity he committed against his partner recently – which she discovered and is seriously angry and aggrieved – is now a ‘closed chapter’ simply because he declared so.
He will soon learn that life does not operate that way!
In other words, pretending that all is well in the nation and everyone is happy over stolen elections has dire consequences – if not downright extremely dangerous.
This is a lesson that I wish those in authority in Zimbabwe would learn – and learn very quickly.
One cannot just wish away the ramifications of the grossly and unashamedly rigged, fraudulent, and shambolic 23rd and 24th August harmonized elections.
Is was quite unsettling and disconcerting hearing both the information minister Jenfan Muswere and his ruling ZANU PF counterpart Chris Mutsvangwa throw tirades at the EU EOM (Election Observer Mission) final report that was released yesterday (17th November 2023).
As to be expected they were at pains defending an election that was similarly discredited by various other election observers – such as the SADC, AU, COMESA and Commonwealth – as falling short of local laws and regional/international guidelines governing democratic elections.
It was even more ridiculous hearing the two men’s unashamed attempts at forcing the matter shut – by deceptively asserting that the country had moved on from elections and now focused on economic development.
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- Written by: Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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When a country needs a donation of a parliament building, then it has hit rock bottom!
Yesterday was certainly one of those days when I felt a deep sense of shame and embarrassment for my own country.
Zimbabwe’s new parliament building was constructed by China for US$200 million.
What is even more tragic is that, it is not a rarity to feel this way – but it has become disturbingly too often and frequent to find myself feeling greatly ashamed at who we have turned into as a nation.
It is as if we have become accustomed to and now accept as normal being ‘marombe’ – good-for-nothing, directionless, and disgraceful people. An unsavoury character finds it so easy to embrace ‘hurombe’ such that, over time, he is unable to see anything wrong with it.
In fact, he may come to perceive it as ‘cool’ and some sort of status symbol that makes him appear special and important. Yes, there are actually people who come to a place where they perceive ‘hurombe’ as something to be proud of!
Take, for example, a man who fails to adequately fend for his own family.
Yet, in all this, he chooses to show off within the community – as he dons expensive designer wear, drinks and dines only the most exquisite meals, and loves driving around in a range of posh cars.
Yet, his own children walk around with tattered old clothes, are emaciated due to hunger, and do not attend school on account of unpaid fees. As a result, well-wishers end up chipping in to buy this man’s children new decent clothes, ensure they have adequate food to eat, and pay their school fees for them to finally resume their learning. In all this, their father being a ‘rombe’, regards himself as some special person within the neighbourhood – who is so popular and well-loved that he has all these people doing all these things for his family!
In his own twisted mind, he perceives what the people are doing for his children as a sign of his importance and fame! As a matter of fact, all this makes him boast and inflates his sense of self-worth even more.
That is exactly what we witness occurring in Zimbabwe, most particularly pertaining those in power.
- Yesterday, when I was watching the main news on state television, I could not find a rock large enough, behind which I could hide in utter shame.
- There was a whole head of state and government feeling so good about himself as he received a donation of a parliament building from the Chinese Government.
- I could not help but wonder why a country as ours – so endowed with the world’s most sought-after minerals, earning the country billions of dollars annually – could not construct its own parliament building.
- In fact, it had become such an embarrassing sight as 280 House of Assembly Members and 80 Senators crammed into that tiny building along Samora Machel Avenue in the capital Harare.
- This was constructed way back at the very dawn of colonialism in 1895 as a hotel for white settlers, and was later converted into a parliament in 1898 – which was, from 1937, gradually expanded to accommodate 100 legislators.
- From the time Zimbabwe attained her independence in 1980, it is beyond comprehension why the post-colonial ZANU PF regime never saw it fit to construct a totally new parliament building.
This would have been an unambiguous statement of our independence and break from colonialism.
Furthermore, as time progressed with a marked increase in the number of legislators, common sense would have dictated this imperative. Surely did we not feel embarrassed as a nation when 360 people crammed themselves like sardines into a tiny 100-seat parliament building? The new parliament building seats 650 people.
Why would a country boasting of possessing the largest reserves of lithium in Africa, the second platinum deposits in the world, the seventh largest producer of diamonds, and the second largest gold reserves per square kilometre behave like a ‘marombe’?
What difference is there between this and the children I highlighted earlier who went around with old tattered clothes – some maybe bought ten or so years back?
Should a thing as a parliament not be a nation’s identity and a symbol of national pride and sovereignty?
So why had the government elected to act the fool by humiliating the country in such a way?
It does not stop there!
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- Written by: Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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....as economic chaos becomes the order of the day; 20-hours no electricity and no more tap water. HARARE
--Can anyone surely wake up in the morning, take a bath, don his suit, put on his scarf, and look himself in the mirror with a satisfied smile, calling himself a leader - when the country he leads goes for hours each day without electricity or tap water, whilst the citizenry cannot afford basic commodities, as the local currency flies through the roof? What manner of a person can be happy being referred to as 'Your Excellency', when it is clear that his leadership is nowhere near excellent? Where is the 'Excellency' in someone who fails miserably to lead and govern a small country of only 391,745 square kilometres, and 15 million people - which is three times smaller than South Africa, in both area and population? Yet, Zimbabwe is endowed with some of the most sought-after mineral wealth on the planet.
Surely, can there be a larger monumental failure than failing to provide a simple thing as electricity, water and affordable food to the people whom one claims to be the head? Most assuredly I say, had this been me failing to provide such basic necessities to my own family, of whom I am also the head - they would have dumped me as a loser a long time ago.
Oh wait, actually it already did happen - when in 2006, the mother of my son ditched me in the midst of the worst economic crisis to hit Zimbabwe - as I failed dismally in taking care of their needs. As a matter of fact, the main reason I have never faulted her for leaving me, nor ever harbored any ill-will against her, is because what she did is perfectly logical and understandable. Anyone, especially in a position of leadership, who cannot adequately perform or fulfill his duties, and deliver on his mandate, has absolutely no business being in that office.He should be removed, rejected and ditched!
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- Written by: DMRNO, ZIP, ZHRO, ZEM and Chief Felix Ndiweni
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Diplomatic Action against Zimbabwe Politicians implicated in Gold smuggling and Money Laundering involving individuals, local Financial Institutions, acts promoting lawlessness in SADC, noting failure by SAPS to comply with 30 October 2014 High Court ruling on human rights abuse in Zimbabwe. {Download the Written Petition HERE}
Zimbabwe Integrated Platform, Disabled Migrants Rights Networking Organization, Africa Integrated Platform, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, Zimbabwe Economic Movement, Zimbabwe Youth Alliance and stakeholders partners are bringing to your attention, and seeking enforcement and implementing the 2014 ruling by High Court, into Act for rule of law. We prevail with the possibility to curb an influx of migrants fleeing violence, intimidation and harassment into South Africa.
We understand that Gold Corruption, and Money Laundering by Al Jazeera involving politicians, individuals and local financial institutions should be investigated and perpetrators charged accordingly.
It is also noted that Human Rights abuses are being enacted due to dividends earned from Money Laundering and Gold smuggling syndicates.
On 30 October 2014, the Constitutional Court of South Africa handed down its judgment in a landmark case for international criminal justice.
- The appeal related to the responsibilities of the South African Police Service (SAPS) under domestic and international law to investigate acts of torture, as a crime against humanity, that were allegedly committed in Zimbabwe.
- The decision, by South Africa’s highest court, reaffirms the obligations set out in the South African Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002 (ICC Act) regarding investigation and prosecution of international crimes.
- The case, which is the first to be brought in terms of South Africa’s ICC Act, provides substantive and practical content to South Africa’s Rome Statute obligations. The Constitutional Court found that South Africa’s prosecuting and investigating authorities ignored South Africa’s international and domestic obligations in their initial refusal to investigate.