via IBTimes UK – Robert Mugabe’s Election Fiddle Darkens Zimbabwe’s Future Further
Electoral tampering by Zanu PF paints even bleaker outlook for troubled Zimbabe, argues Daniel Molokele
By Daniel Molokele:
It would not be a Zimbabwean electoral process if it just came and went without any acrimonym now would it?
And so it happened that, just like controversial polls before it, the much anticipated 2013 general election brewed up another big shock. This one is being viewed by many observers as the most cunning of them all.
Zanu PF’s Robert Mugabe has been known since time immemorial as an ingenious electoral engineer but this time he might have even outdone himself. The 2013 election results are his most brilliant electoral masterstroke to date, and will go down in the annals of Zimbabwe’s political history as his ultimate coup de grace.
In the run-up to the elections, one of the most frequently asked questions centred on Mugabe’s return to his old sense of bravado and camaraderie. Even though it was a well-known fact that he had long lost his moral influence and political credibility among the Zimbabwean electorate, Mugabe was curiously keen for the polls to happen sooner rather than later. Many were puzzled and wondered aloud as to why he was brimming with so much confidence this time around.
Alas, unbeknown to his long-standing rival and hitherto coalition partner, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe had invested the five years of their so-called all-inclusive government in conjuring electoral magic. By the time election day dawned, Mugabe already knew that he had an ace up his sleeve that would guarantee him a crushing victory over Tsvangirai.
To all practical intents and purposes for wily old Mugabe, the 2013 elections were by no means a popularity contest. He already knew that he was no match for the much more popular former labour leader Tsvangirai. Instead he focused on tampering with the outcome of the electoral process and the manner in which the results were announced. Therein lay his trump card.
I was in Harare when the results were being broadcast to the nation and I can fully confirm that everyone was shocked by the so-called landslide. Neither the supporters of Tsvangirai’s MDC, nor Zanu PF, knew how to react. Curiously, despite the results showing that Mugabe had garnered an astonishing two million votes in less than 24 hours, there was not one bit of public celebration.
Zimbabweans fear for the future
Everyday life across Zimbabwe remained normal as if nothing had happened. The truth is that most Zimbabweans feared for their future. The word on the street was that Mugabe’s prolonged stay in power was not good for the political ir socio-economic prospects of the country.
But that will not cause Mugabe any sleepless nights at all. It seems he plans to continue in active politics until his last breath. All indications are that he will try to unite his heavily factionalised Zanu PF party and also preside over his succession process. On the other hand, he will continue to close any form of open democratic space against all his political rivals and the civil society voices. There are also fears of a police-led crackdown against all perceived enemies of the state in the next few months ahead.
Zimbabweans are a peace-loving people and have even been accused of being docile. Mugabe has gambled on the fact that it is highly unlikely that his stranglehold on power will ever be challenged through mass street protests.
Zimbabweans have tried this before and failed dismally. They have even failed to stage boycott actions such as the stay-aways. The few opponents who dare to express their disapproval on the streets will be rounded up and charged with treason. Nothing else will then happen afterwards.
Zimbabwe is stuck with Mugabe for life. Even worse, Zimbabwe may be stuck with Zanu PF for a long time if the party manages to successfully resolve the thorny matter of Mugabe’s successor. Buoyed by this hollow victory, Zanu PF will now confidently go ahead with its destructive populist policy of indigenisation and continue to destroy whatever little is left of the economy.
Most Zimbabweans will bury their heads in the sand and continue to try to make ends meet with or without the support of their government and state. Others will give up on the hard life in the country and reluctantly seek greener pastures outside Zimbabwe.
They will inevitably join the ever-growing numbers of the diaspora that is estimated at three million people. This is a huge figure when one considers that the 2011 census put the national population at around 13 million. To make matters worse for Zimbabwe, most of the people in exile have a lot of skills and work experience. This is the sort of human resource capital the country desperately needs to have any chance of reviving the economy.
Most Zimbabweans in the diaspora are unlikely to return to the country anytime soon. If anything, it now appears that some of them have given up on their hopes of ever returning.
Given these dark realities, it seems as if things will have to get worse first before they become better for Zimbabwe – that is if they will ever become better.
Daniel Molokele is a Zimbabwean pro-democracy human rights lawyer and international coordinator for the Global Zimbabwe Forum (GZF), a network for all organisations representing Zimbabweans living outside the country
COMMENTS
Dear Daniel Molokele I am a zimbabwean in the diaspora please do not speak on my behalf. I am in the process of returning to zimbabwe as i have lived here and comparing the two home is best. Had I been allowed to vote I would have voted for ZANU so stop assuming that we all support MDC. If you feel that because your party did not win you want to stay here and continue to be treated like a second class citizen let it be your choice. Not in my name whether ZANU cheated or not why did the MDC not hold them to account foe the duration of the GNU. If the MDC leadership was so concerned with our welfare why did they let ZANU circles around them. Why did they let ZANU “cheat/win”. All roads now lead to Africa it is projected to have the fastest economic growth in the next 50 years. So why would i want to stay here and miss out on the growing african economy. So please do not speak on my behalf
Osmond or Almonds or whoever you call yourself don’t react like a rabies infected dog that spoils for a bite. Nowhere in the above article was osmond or Desmond mentioned by Daniel, your reaction is typical of a ZANU – pfubvu operative. We, the people surely have no time for Robert Mugabe’s foot soldiers. People have scattered all over the world because of one tired, clueless,old visionless bloody thirsty & electoral thieving bastard Robert Mugabe. Go back and join your dear leader, we wish you well!!!
Osmond, why did you leave your beloved country in the first place? Secondly, why weren’t you allowed to vote? Now, don’t tell me that you honestly believe that a country whose people fought snd died for the right to vote is now keen to disenfranchise it’s people.
Takwez dzako Osmondo Mugabe
Usvute dziri nani mbanje pamwe ungapora
The problem with this kind of dialogue is that if Osmond does come back and I stress (IF)nobody will know if he has quietly slipped out again.He probably has a foreign passport by now so he will come to Zimbabwe,visit family etc. As soon as the lights go off his hosts will find his bags at the front door. Osmond adzokera kwake.
Osmond is right in expressing the truthful and practical concerns and raised very important questions while IBTimes (UK) continues to paint Zimbabwe via President Mugabe as a worse place to be in. Democracy was in play in Zimbabwe under clear and shiny light of days and everyone was given voices as well as voting choices. Can anyone name one country in the West (shiny example of democracies) where ANY elections were not marred with all sorts of irregularities and short-handing the voters and frauds? If so, please name one! Considering the lack of funding, lack of time, lack of planning and lack of genuine interest in working together as a nation under severe sanctions from the West designed to deprive Zimbabweans from electing the leaders they want instead the West wanted, Zimbabwe was no less a fair elections than any country of the West! In reality, this all boils down to the dirty tricks and games of the former colonists who would try any dirty tricks to somehow get back to Africa to loot the last oceans of wealth buried under its fertile land and keep the African masses suppressed and under slave-like “human rights” pretence to fool the world with their dirty old worthless criminal tricks. What does bible totting and howling preachers have to say about centuries of abuse and exploitation of Africa by these “civilized Christians”? What kind of justice did the bible totting “God fearing” Christians of the West rendered to the African people? Where’s their God and His justice for the last several centuries that was imposed on African people? So before Molokele goes yakking his mouth about his great England and its justice crap, look in the mirror and what do you see?
Zimbabwe and rest of the Africa is the last bastion of future economic hopes with its vast natural resources that the West MUST get its dirty hands on to resuscitate its dying economies for they have outlived their decadent life style at the expense of their former colonies. Less the West stoops down to its centuries old inhumane and cruel ways to forcibly take over Africa again, it would almost be impossible under international laws for the former criminals to try and force their way into Africa! Despite all the shortcomings of African countries that were designed deliberately by the former colonists, Africa is moving steadily towards a great future but be warned of the traitors within African sons and daughters who are pretending to be the patriots with concealed daggers in their midst with their evil intentions. Watch out for the sell-outs for they are the ones will bring pain and sorrow to Africa because all the tricks of the West are now know to everyone and only way the West can succeed is through the bought off and paid-for Africa’s own infiltrators and traitors within. Africa must and shall rise to its glory worlds has not yet seen or imagined for they call Africa the “dark continent” yet Africa has the brightest suns shining compare to any continent of this planet. So sit back and watch what greatness Africa would bring to its people first and then to rest of the world! Long live Africa and its resilient people! God walks with you Africa and it’s your time to run with this lighted fireball! God bless you all!
Osmond you are a congenital idiot.
Osmond you are a moron, just like Mugabe …. So it’s a case of the blind leading the blind , wake up you fool
Osmond is typical of zanu pf leaders have no clue that them robbing the country of elections have negative effects to the economy.its back to poverty
everyone knows that there are people paid by ZANU to post pro-Mugabe comments on websites…they spend hours waiting to make stupid and baseless comments idolising Mugabe..i know some of their names…check news24.co.za. they lie that they are in SA, UK etc when they are in Harare….dumbest of the dumb
You Osmond u ar equally stupid like your master. Mugabe What is there that can make a normal person go back to a country where water and electricity ar not there.You ar stupid.
The track record of zanu says it all, expect more economic contraction and lower standard of living.
“Everyday life across Zimbabwe remained normal as if nothing had happened. The truth is that most Zimbabweans feared for their future.”
Either that or nobody cares as much as they claim they do. I’s one thing to talk and another to act upon what is said.
In a 100 years time the dying remains of the Zimbabwean people will look back and agree that the current president of Zimbabwe was no more than a duplicate of Lobengula, who, in order to remain in power, had no choice other than to surrender the nations resources to the dominant world power of the time.In 1890 it was the British Empire in 2000 it is the Chinese. China didn’t rent the president their weapons in the so called struggle for freedom without the objective of seeing a return on their investment by way of it’s resources. The resources have never been for the people of Zimbabwe, the ruling elite merely work for their keepers in return for their personal wealth and not that of the nation. The 51% rule is merely designed to chase off Western interest so as to free up the resources.
The truth is that the country is still in shock and morning !!! So Osmond, why not come back back and loot the hard work of others so that when you are old your grand children can ask you , How did you get so rich Baba Sekuru? Oh we stole from others and paid our big US$ loans back in the new Zim $….we were very cleaver in those days…..CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT? WAKE UP!!!
The sole purpose of Zanu PF propaganda is not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better.
When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity.
To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself.
One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed.
Mugabe and his henchmen work on the principal that a society of emasculated liars is easy to control.
osmond please give us a break. u are being paid by Zanu PF to confuse people on forums like this. Manje everyone now knows the truth u evil person. we are tired of Zanu PF.
All you guys did you vote. Myself, my wife, my 3 children, our 10 farm workers all voted for ZPF. We were not intimidated. After the count the farm workers came to inquire if we had won. A sweat victory. You can do the computation if you did maths at school – 600 000 farm beneficiaries, with their wives, their children and their farm workers voting for ZPF. Dont under rate our intelligence by saying we were forced, some of us are MBAs.
Mashinga No doubt many of you have MBA’s which stands for – Mentally Below Average (MBA). And I wouldn’t even dispute the fact that many of you guys have PHD’s which stands for Permanent Head Damage (PHD) because can’t believe that anyone in their right state of mind would vote for a retard like Mugabe. Well I guess that birds of the same feather flock together because it simply takes a lunatic to vote for another lunatic. The blind leading the blind.
Kikikikiki!!! Well said John, Mashinga has admitted that some of them are MBA’s Mentally Below Average. No matter how educated these idiots are they will still go and vote for a Baboon candidate that the late Muzenda once talked about. So much for common sense hey?