Flawed Electoral process needs to be challenged

The current electoral process leading to the March elections is embarrassingly flawed and tilted in favor of ZANU PF. This is the reason behind Robert Mugabe's declaration that he is "raring to go and fly."Commentators and independent observers have always been exposing the obvious bias of the electoral commission which is handpicked by Mugabe himself, the delimitation commission which came up with constituent boundaries without the parliament debating the merits and demerits of this contentious issue, the lack of freedom of association and expression for the opposition, the denial of the diaspora vote, the flawed voter registration process, and the warped electoral act among other litany of imperfections.

Tragically, the South African Foreign Affairs minister, Mr. Aziz Pahad, believes that elections which are going to be held under the current environment will solve Zimbabwe's crisis or to quote him, "save Zimbabwe." It is interesting to note that he agrees with the popular sentiment that Zimbabwe needs salvation. Generally, the belief was that the SADC-initiated dialogue was the panacea that Zimbabwe needed and ironically Mr Pahad's government was tasked with facilitating that process. Sceptics, pessimists, optimists and everyone else agree that South Africa failed dismally as the talks between the MDC and ZANU PF collapsed without an agreement being reached by the protagonists and antagonists. Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, even remonstrated with Thabo Mbeki to be courageous and confront Mugabe's obstinacy.

The question which arises for the progressive movement is "whither to?."The answer to this enquiry lies in, a sustained and concerted campaign against this electoral process through a myriad of strategies that include: the current ZINASU approach of demonstrations, court challenges, lobbying strategic institutions such as SADC, AU, EU, UN, etc, media sensitization,public forums, urgent appeals and petitions among other viable strategies.

The timeline for this campaign is determined by the immediate need to curtail Robert Mugabe's endless quest to rule Zimbabwe by hook or crook. Therefore, a timely intervention is required to avoid the proverbial cry over spilt milk. This is not the time to repeat the same old headline, "Mugabe wins a controversial election."

This writer is appealing to all progressive Zimbabweans to summon their organizational capabilities and infleunces and work towards discrediting the current electoral system so that Zimbabwe's political future
wont rest in Mugabe's unilateral, personal and selfish vision.

Makoni's arrival much ado about nothing

The announcement by Simba Makoni that he is presenting himself as a candidate for the 2008 Presidential Elections is a non-event unless he joins the momentum which had already been generated by the Movemennt For Democratic Change (MDC). In other words, Simba Makoni will be genuine if he became part of the movement towards fundamental social transformation which the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai represents.

There is nothing special about him because only yesterday he was the secretary for finance for the same ZANU PF which is responsible for the hyper-inflationary environment currently bedeviling our economy. Simba Makoni is a proud ZANU PF member who will be " expelled from the part by due process", if this writer can use his own words.To refer to T. Kapuya's analysis of Makoni's arrival, he(Makoni) just like Jonathan Moyo and Dumiso Dabengwa who were both responsible for the demise of media freedom and freedom of association and movement respectively, cannot be absolved from directly creating the current political and economic malaise.

His emergency will only be beneficial once he reconciles his intentions with the aims and objectives of the democratic movement in Zimbabwe.

What is crucial is the fact that ZANU PF is experiencing an implosion which should become a reason for re-energising the MDC towards achieving the total destruction of dictatorship in Zimbabwe.

The people of Zimbabwe should not be tempted to disregard the gains made by the MDC for the past seven years solely because of the emergence of Simba Makoni. The MDC has consistently been exposing the failures of ZANU PF and clamoring for fundamental social, political and economic changes.

Simba Makoni's arrival therefore serves to reverse the gains of the social justice movement and to uphold and protect the status quo.