NAKED TRUTH

THIS is a continuation of the piece I posted two days ago concerning the matter of the Suedes offering assistance to Zimbabwe on the condition that the ruling party Zanu PF and MDC put aside their differences.  But the  problem is the leadership of the political parties has polarised issues and made it hard to create grounds for dialogue and rapprochements. It’s the case of the grass suffering on account of two elephants fighting. For example Chamisa’s refusal to recognise ED as the President of Zimbabwe, insisting the elections were stolen. And coining new political verbiages such as the People’s President, or President elected by the people while ED is president elected by the courts. Where does that strategy take us next as a starting point for dialogue?  It’s dead before is started. On the other end, ED argues that he created the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) in May 2019 as a platform for national dialogue, and Chamisa and MDC (who refused to participate in it), should jo

RECENT media reports which suggest that Sweden offered to assist Zimbabwe’s efforts towards re-engagement with the international community only if, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC President Nelson Chamisa call a truce are worrisome. They reveal Zimbabwe as a country to whom a different set of rules are applied rather than a universal practice. These conditions also reveal that there has been a failure to grasp the reasons standing in the way of dialogue, which has largely to do with the internal approach to issues and the huge egos at play in the country.  One could even posit that the differences are irreconcilable yet very legitimate.   A case of mixed/double standards When I first heard of the news I thought this  could be a great idea, but to place this as a condition   to  supporting a troubled country  to find its  feet is very unusual, patronising, and certainly not the way to deal with another sovereign state.  Much as I  realise the need  to get the Zimbabwe dom

The late former President Mugabe and I at the Harare International Airport  on June 29, 2011. Picture Credit; Tsvangirai Mukwazhi I received the news of former president Robert Mugabe’s death with indifference. I had no idea on how to feel about a man who had ruled over Zimbabwe with an iron fist leaving behind a trail of blood, tears and economic destruction. This is a rather strange feeling because he was an icon of the liberation struggle and was the first prime minister and president of Zimbabwe who affected my life in many ways. My reaction is similar to many of my countrymen. People don't know whether to mourn or to celebrate his demise. The reaction is  evidently mixed as there are those that belong to and celebrate the liberation struggle  will mourn and forgive him for all the evil he committed and there are those who were victims of his brutality, political opponents who will not miss him. Then, of course, there are the ‘born free’ youths who were born after

.....MDC -T Primary Elections: A Bad Omen MDC  Leader Nelson Chamisa at a rally recently, pic credit villagerreflections.wordpress.com THE  outcome of recent primary elections in both Zanu PF and MDC-T makes one question whether the process is not a new frontier for political corruption. Increasingly, primaries are now characterized by violence, rigging, intimidation, manipulation, all designed to sideline foes and promote candidates that are in favour with the political establishment of their parties. It could be one of the most devastating political ironies that such a democratic process is made an instrument of undemocratic practices. For the record, primary elections, whose origins are in the United States, are supposed to be a democratic way by which a political party chooses the best candidate that will represent it in a constituency, and will face off with the best  put forward by other contesting parties. These candidates should be competent enough to secure

ZIMBABWE heads to elections in a few months’ time, and the ground is set for a historic election since 1980. It is especially significant in the sense that it will be the first election without both former president Robert Mugabe and the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who dominated the post-independence political scene in the country. Their departure, coupled with the post-Mugabe political developments and direction, has unleashed a new and unprecedented excitement that carries both hope and risks. Hope in the sense that both major contestants are preaching peace and a free election, and they carry similar messages on the Zimbabwe they want to see, but risks in the sense that political temperatures can rise anytime if not properly managed. The electorate is left wondering what to make of this contest. Voting patterns may have less to do about the message and the promises than about the personalities and the perceptions of what they have to offer. Therein lies the strengths as

...Can Mnangagwa and his team walk the talk Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa(picture credit, Kampalapost.com) FOLKS, it’s that time again where we get bombarded with the Zanu PF manifesto as political parties get ready to face off in the plebiscite expected sometime in August. Political parties will try to come up with blueprints just to outshine the other but the question that remains unanswered is whether they have the political will to execute their plans. Looking at the Zanu PF manifesto unveiled over the weekend under the theme Unite, Fight Corruption, Re-engage, Develop and Create Jobs, there is no doubt that it does address the issues that Zimbabweans are faced with today and I must say it is brilliant! But the million dollar question is, is the manifesto worth the paper it is written on? Truth be told; Can Zanu PF which has been in power for the last 38 years of the hell Zimbabweans have been living under walk the talk? Can they be trusted to imp