Following defeat in last weekend’s general election, President Mugabe is set to step down before the MDC opposition chief Morgan Tsvangirai is formally declared winner by Zimbabwe’s electoral commission (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/ 7325286.stm). Predictably Mugabe is playing tough and using cronies to deny any deal and whether he will accept defeat is anybody's guess.
After playing delaying tactics in which he ordered ZEC to announce piecemeal neck-to-neck presidential votes’ results to stem celebrations and conflicts, President Mbeki has finally convinced Mugabe to step aside after the electoral humiliation. Mbeki’s prompt action in chairing a meeting with Mugabe’s advisers, military chiefs and the opposition leaders has saved Zimbabwe from going the Kenyan way.
Political dinosaurs
And that marks the political demise of another dinosaur. It only a matter of time before Africa gets rid of all despots who rape their countries I the misplaced belief that they fought for independence and ruling is a right by any means. Poor Tsvangirai has eventually realized his long fought dream. But the basket case country he inherits will challenge his capabilities to the hilt.
Poor Mugabe! The old man should have seen it coming were it not for his selfish cronies and so-called veterans who blinded him from reality. He didn’t have to wait for such an unceremonious exit. But again that is the language dictators know best. Following the collapse of the Berlin wall 20 years ago, Africa is on a swing to rid herself this decade of all despots.
Update 1:
Meanwhile minister for information has denied existence of any deal. Similarly the MDC has refuted reports of entering in any deal before ZEC announces official results. Exuding confidence demands to know from who has won. Well, the denial ritual sounds so familiar. All the speculation indicates something is cooking. It won't be long though before the truth comes out.
Meanwhile releasing results showing close contest sounds so Kenyaish. Birds of a feather or age mates sharing inverted wisdom?
The South African Government has few minutes ago denied that such meetings have taken place. I hope this is just a diplomatic reasoning and not true. It's time for Mugabe to leave so the people of Zimbabwe can move forward.
ReplyDeleteThe stupid Mwizi Kifaki will one day face the full force of the law for having stolen the votes and plunged the country into misery.
ReplyDeleteWHO CAN TALK TO THE POLITICAL THIEF IN KENYA?
ReplyDeleteAFRICAN HERO?
ReplyDeletebbc
As he cast his vote on Saturday, Mr Mugabe said:
"If you lose an election and are rejected by the people, it is time to leave politics."
Neither Mr Mugabe nor Mr Tsvangirai have been seen in public since the election.
As bad as Mugabe may be perceived I will still hold him in higher regard than Kibaki if he steps down. Also if Mugabe steps down it will definitely make Kibaki look even worse than he does physically and that is saying something. It's unfortunate Mbeki could not intervene in Kenya and maybe get better results than what we were fortunate enough to get from Annan then we would have a legit government in place by now and thousands of lives may have been safed. Hindsight is always 20/20 though.
ReplyDeleteTaabu, if this is not an April fools joke you've conjured up in concert with BBC, then it is fair to say that Kibaki is not only a terrible thief of votes but a also an extremely very bad teacher.
ReplyDeleteNow that he has failed in exporting his legacy to southern Africa, Kibaki, our very own icon of election theft, should follows the footsteps of Mugabe and resign to the sunset.
Little did we know that we could actually learn something from Mugabe. Oh! how Kibaki has shamed us.
lets wait till the man (mugabe) hisself says he's stepping down
ReplyDeleteits not over till its over.
but the real problem here is the conduct of institutions (ECK). why are they so "scared" or prone to manipulation from the executive that they simply cannot dare announce unfavorable results?
SFO rules out further inquiry into Vodafone's Kenyan partner…...the SFO said that it was refusing to investigate the company for reasons of "resources". "[The SFO director Robert Wardle] has the task of allocating resources, taking into account the prospects of success against the demands on resources.
ReplyDeleteSo investigations into the dealings of Safaricom have come to an end. The way I see it, money has been poured.
Tnk, the ball-less institutions of Kenya are truly the voluptuous 'matitis' that nurture and sustain ogres like Kibaki in power.
ReplyDeleteWhen numskulls like Kivuitu, Gicheru and Ringera continue to earn millions of Kenyan shillings per month, one is left to wonder what type of hope lies in the future. You see, one day, the NSIS will catch up with me. They will want me to explain why I have been consistently calling the head of state a nutcase. Do you imagine that I will get justice?
All parties have denied there are talks going on for Mugabe's "safe" exit. See BBC's website for the latest.
ReplyDeleteKenya - can anyone shed more light on the protests against a bloated cabinet that were dispersed using tear gas today?
The question is who's better Mugabe or our Mboshoo Kifaki??
ReplyDeletekalamari
ReplyDeletethat NSIS will have to catch 4.3 million kenyans, and counting
add to Wako to that (dis)honourable list of f(sh)ame
Zim, did not have "intrested parties" that were scared of the opposition. Mugabe did not have the "assistance" of Colin Bruce. I am sure that the World Bank country rep is not Mugabe's tenant.
ReplyDeleteIF MUGABE STEPS DOWN THEN KIBAKI MUST GO!! WITH HIS HARDLINER MP'S AND MUNGIKI THUGS!! NO MORE DEAL HE HAS BEEN SLEEPING AND REFUSING THE POWER-SHARING DEAL WHEN KENYANS GAVE HIM A CHANCE INSTEAD OF SENDING HIM TO CENTRAL LESOTHO- NOW TIME OUT HE SHOULD PACK UP AND GO TO OTHAYA!!
ReplyDeleteHE MUST STEP DOWN!! ODM WON THE ELECTIONS WITH MORE SEATS IN PARLIAMENT EVEN AFTER KIBAKI AND HIS CRONIES ASSASSINATED MP WERE AND PAID THAT COP (PAID BY MOI) I HERE SO THAT KIBAKI CAN PROTECT HIS BILLIONS!!
KIBAKI MUST TOKA HE HAS TO STEP DOWN IF SOMEONE LIKE MUGABE AGREES DEFEAT THEN THAT SHOULD BE THE FLAG TO PROCEED IN ALL AFRICA!! KIBAKI OUT!!!!
Ati it's only a matter of time before Africa gets rid of all despots who rape their countries...
ReplyDeleteGuys, guys, wtf are you all drinking? We got rid of Moi and replaced him with Kibaki who proceeded to drive us to the brink of distruction the likes never seen before.
Get rid of pne despot and replace him with another despot. That is the African way. People whom one thought had common sense and decency and stood for human and equal rights, all of a sudden turn to the loudest defenders of the sitting GK ala Karua and Kalonzo!
Please, don't even wake me up over Mugabe stepping down. Until he has safe passage and immunity ala Moi, he will not go anywhere.
kumekucha?? why are you afraid to post here our sentiments?? surely if mugabe steps down then kibaki has no business being in office?? he rigged the elections and kenyans and the whole world is aware of this- to add to the insult he is acting like he won the elections by refusing the power-sharing to be put in place equally- so kenyans are ready to go to the polls to remove him properly this time- we do not need one year- put the constitution in place within 6 months and see what happens- we are tired of corrupt governments
ReplyDeleteif it means standing on line to vote again kenyans are ready- the future of our children is more important than to accepting a peace meal deal that is going nowhere!!
I hope you post this on your blog this time-
Off topic but if (President) Kibaki and PM-designate Raila Odinga do not form a LEAN AND PROGRESSIVE cabinet, things could spiral. If this power sharing or deadlock? If Annan is called in, it will not inspire confidence. Kibaki talked of using the crisis as a springboard. We're still waiting...
ReplyDeleteIf it is true, then too bad for one Sally Mugabe, i guess she will soon go and get a man who is good enough for her!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnon 4:56 i think i will also stand to vote again, and again and again until the day kenyans will be rid of this Tyrannical ruler.
Kibs must be feeling really cold, maybe he was just waiting for Mugabe to rig so that they console each other up there!!!!! ole wake...
Ati kibs to vet ODM ministers, what mandate does he have? we still remeber the mungiki meeting held in statehouse.......
Ivy
Just got this from a friend
ReplyDeleteSorry to lower your expectations. Take another look at Zimbabwe. It's similarities with Kenya are astounding.
1. Both have 210 constituencies
2. Both have 3 presidential contenders with Mugabe(Kibaki) and Morgan Tsavingirai(Raila) being the main contenders. Simba Makoni is like Kenya's Kalonzo Musyoka (both christened 'Mr 8%' in opinion polls)
3. Like ODM, Morgan's faction of MDC has already declared victory while Simba Makone behaves like Kalonzo Musyoka.
The Zimbabwean electoral commission still insists on not releasing the election results just like Kivuitu waited until he sprang 'Kibaki has won' followed by 'I don't know who won' when his money was safe in the bank.
The patterns are so similar, I do not think for one minute Mugabe is gonna heed his people's will.
Like the powerful and mostly criminal elements of the Kikuyu mafia that literary dragged Kibaki and swore him president after he lost, the Zanu PF sympathisers will not accept an opposition victory. Both the heads of the army and police have declared they will not accept an opposition win. Like in Kenya, the army and police supported Kibaki's rigging of the elections. Mugabe has been a daring dictator. I see no reason why he can not steal this election.
At worst, he could invite Morgan into a grand coalition? Kibaki lost the elections but will be Kenya's president for the next 5 years. I bet Mugabe will hang on for another 6 years!
If Mugabe accepts defeat and steps down, it will be the surprise of the century.
Ivy
Not to mention the fact that last night BBc had MDC up by about 30 seats in parliament with some 50 seats undeclared. Right now ZANU has cut that lead to about 5!!! If Kibaki could make up a million votes in 9 hours of darkness, sembuse (Mugabe making up) 30 seats in parliament? Achekwe!
ReplyDeleteGuys, am telling you the only African president to ever sacrifice his body and mind for the better good of his country was nelson Mandela. The rest are just villagers who hunger for power at whatever costs. Starting with Museveni by altering the constitution to Kibaki by topping up and garnering over 99.9 % of the vote in central ( who somehow happen to be the majority in Kenya but not more than Nyanza and Wetsern/Riftvalley combined). In our neighbourhood, only TZ has proved to have the political maturity to leave power.
We can only pray for our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe not to go the Kenyan way - Greed + arrogance +intolerance = death and destruction.
ReplyDeleteTaabu, I told you from the beginning not to pre-judge and compare Mugabe to Kibaki. To me, Mugabe is some sort of a hero and Kibaki is every negative word you can find in English and more. That has being my position and don't see anything to change it. Let us wait and see.
ReplyDelete