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As MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai faces an uncertain future after his crushing defeat, we have noted with concern and dismay how some in our midst would want to cash in on his loss by demonstrating reckless abandon and sheer irresponsibility. They are surrendering to their natural impulses without restraint. They do not even care about the final consequences of their reckless actions and behaviour.
This recklessness has resulted in the peddling of massive falsehoods in order to cause disenchantment among the general populace, with the sole hope of discrediting the election result, which has been accepted by Africa and other progressive nations around the globe; and also with the hope that people will take to the streets and protest Egypt-style.
The so-called private, international and social media have been in cahoots to disturb the peace and quiet that has prevailed in Zimbabwe before, during and after the election. They are beating the war drum for Tsvangirai through lies. They are hoping against hope that the people of Zimbabwe will feel so disenchanted even before President Mugabe’s inauguration and force them to protest.
We are also seeing how some Western governments are searching for every conceivable reason to discredit the election results. There is a calculated move by the anti-Mugabe media to spread falsehoods on basic issues that affect people on a daily basis.
Soon after President Jacob Zuma endorsed the poll results by congratulating his counterpart President Mugabe, the rumour mill was awash with the story that South Africa would re-introduce the visa regime for Zimbabweans that stay in that country for more than three months. With an estimated 3 million Zimbabweans residing in South Africa, and thousands more going to do business in that country on a daily basis, it is clear that the story was meant to create panic.
Responding to the speculation, South Africa’s Director General of Home Affairs said: “The visa situation for Zimbabweans remains the same, and there has not been any changes. All changes and policy positions are published on the Department for Home Affairs website at <http://www.dha.gov.za/>. However, the Minister of Home Affairs has not issued any such statement, nor do we intend to do so. Please inform your readers that the visa situation remains the same.”
Although the rumour and speculation was widely reported on pro-MDC websites, the South African government’s position was not.
The other weapon of massive deception was the story carried by the “private” media on fuel price increase, a move some media outlets claimed was necessitated by the results of the harmonised elections. On Monday, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority had to dispel the report and state that “Zera views such reports as trying to instigate unnecessary fuel price hikes . . . and are not in any way linked to the outcome of the just ended harmonised elections”.
MDC-T and the international media are also trying unsuccessfully to play the violence mantra by making wild claims of their supporters being attacked by Zanu-PF supporters. Instead of going to the police, they make their reports to the media and on social media.
There was also some hype about Zimbabwe Stock Exchange plunging 11 percent on the first day of trading after the announcement of results. This was as if this was unique. We have seen stock exchanges in countries such as the United States reacting similarly soon after an election. This was meant to say that President Mugabe would not be able to rein in the economy.
With this litany of untruths being leashed by people who know full well that the MDC-T suffered dismal defeat, we want to ask the MDC-T leader, his Western handlers and the media outlets that sympathise with him how low they are prepared to let Zimbabwe sink in their muck? Why are they so hell-bent to ensure that our nation remains under the curse of neo-colonialism? Why are they so selfish to think that the few thousands who enjoy the bread crumbs from donor funding represent the generality of Zimbabweans? With a country so richly endowed, why do they want the people to remain hewers of wood and drawers of water?
Why is Tsvangirai refusing to display statesmanship by accepting that the people of Zimbabwe have chosen President Mugabe and Zanu-PF to form the next government?
The moment Roy Bennett called for mass action, Tsvangirai had the responsibility to stand up against that. Zimbabwe and Africa hoped he would call on Bennett and his social media followers to retract their statements, and desist from taking the law into their hands.
Why does he also believe that he is the best man for the job when the truth of the matter is that the tide has been against him, three times in a row? Why does he also think that Westerners are God’s greatest creation to mankind and Zimbabwe will not move an inch – economically – without assistance from them?
Tsvangirai should do what his friend Raila Odinga of Kenya did, concede defeat. He can still challenge the result, because that is his constitutional right, but to try and take Zimbabwe with him on this wild-goose chase is asking for too much.
Electioneering is a process. People want to move on: work and earn an honest living, instead of being ransomed by people who have evil agendas for this nation. Like the children of Israel who were told at Mount Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain”, Zimbabweans feel the same. They want their lives back. They want to move on from the election mode.
Online Reporter