‘I am in politics for money (not reforms)’ confess MDC-T VP Khupe and blissful ignorant applauded

“The MDC-T VP Thokozani Khupe has come clean and said she is in politics because of money,” reported Ray Nkosa in Zimeye.

“Addressing MDC supporters in Slough in the UK she declared that everyone is here because they want money. “We are in politics because of money and we use politics as a stepping stone to create a conducive environment for those who want to do business. The truth is ersonally I love a better life, and life is good when you have money,” she said to an applause from the crowd.”

Well there is someone finally being honest for a change. What she should have gone on to say but did not is that Mugabe bribed her and her fellow MDC friends with all the trappings of power to kick the reforms into the tall grass during the GNU. Even when it was self-evident that Zanu PF was going to rig the 2013 elections MDC leaders still contested the flawed elections for a chance to be back on the gravy train, David Coltart admitted as much.

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” explained Senator Coltart.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

Least we forget, MDC leaders were elected on a ticket to deliver democratic change; people have risked life and limp for this and not so that once in power these MDC leaders can pursue their own selfish agenda of enrichment at the expense of doing nothing regarding the reforms.

What did the MDC MPS and Senators accomplish in the last four years since the 2013 elections, other than giving the Zanu PF regime the legitimacy and enjoy the gravy train perks? Nothing. They have not managed to get even one reform implemented?

Ms Khupe knows with not even one reform in place next year’s elections will be rig just as readily as the 2013 elections. Yet she and her fellow politicians are as keen as ever to contest the flawed elections for the same reason the contested the 2013 elections – she loves money and is in politics for money.

There is no doubt that Tsvangirai, Khupe and the rest of the MDC leaders sold-out during the GNU because Mugabe bribed them generous salaries, allowances, ministerial limos, $4 million Highland mansion for Tsvangirai, former white owned farms for others, etc. So instead of them implementing the democratic reforms the nation has been dying for all these years they forgot.
MDC leaders “were busy enjoying themselves during the GNU they forgot why they were there!” remarked the SADC leaders after the rigged 2013 elections in sheer exasperation. SADC, as the guarantor of the agreement that led to the creation of the GNU, had spent the five years trying to get MDC leaders to implement reforms to no avail.

No doubt SADC leaders were disappointed by the ordinary Zimbabweans themselves’ failure to put pressure on Tsvangirai & co. to implement reforms during the GNU. It is tragic that many Zimbabweans still have no clue what the reforms are and why we need them much less that primary task of opposition politicians like Ms Khupe’s primary task is to implement the reforms, not to enrich themselves. Even now with the benefit of GNU hindsight these Zimbabweans still have no clue; they would have never applauded Khupe’s admission she is in politics to enrich herself!

SADC washed their hand of Zimbabwe after the rigged 2013 elections. If Zimbabweans allow the 2018 elections to go ahead with no reforms then the rest of the world will follow SADC and wash their hands of Zimbabwe and accept the Zanu PF regime as fait accompli!

In President Donald Trump we have the most inward looking, “America First!”, American administration in history. If America lifts all the target sanctions on Mugabe and his cronies, to hell with the human rights and free and fair elections, the rest of the Western countries will follow suit. America has lost a lot of political and economic ground to the Chinese and Russian, especially in Africa, in the past because it allowed its high morals affect their foreign policy, President Trump is putting America first, second and last in all his decisions.

Besides, Zimbabwe has had many golden opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship since the targeted sanctions were imposed in 2002 but have wasted them because the Zimbabwean people themselves could not be bothered to get the job done. If the cheering Slough crowd are happy with the status quo in Zimbabwe, why should the rest of the world be the one calling for democratic reforms!

It was relatively easy to implement the democratic reforms during the GNU with SADC and international community backing. At the end of the GNU the task of implementing reforms increased a hundred fold but if the next elections go ahead, and the international community give up on us, Zimbabweans will have to kiss good bye to democratic free and fair elections for several generations!

Stopping the 2018 election going ahead until reform are implemented may well be our last chance to save this nation from the chaos of decades of corrupt and tyrannical future regimes.

Ignorance is a curse. Still ignorant MDC supporters are blessed in that whilst they, like the rest of us, continue to suffer the consequence of the continued corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship they are blissfully unaware that it is their own party leaders who, because of their insatiable greed money, are keeping Zanu PF in power. Wilbert Mukori