Last week I wrote on this space about politicians seeking to hurtle Zimbabweans into elections against their will – that our people are being asked to sacrifice on behalf of crackpot politicians who are bringing nobody any good.
The Sadc Troika on Defence, Politics and Security Co-operation decided last Friday that Zimbabwe could not go for elections without a new constitution, endorsed by the ordinary Zimbabwean through a referendum and that elections could only be held after the necessary reforms and a clear roadmap were put in place.
The Troika set the timeline for elections in Zimbabwe as within the next 12 months. Zanu PF is right in the simple interpretation that within the next 12 months meant even tomorrow or, within the partys own time line of before the end of this year.
It is, however, as clear as daylight that reality is that Zimbabwe is simply unable to put in place the conditions set by Sadc for elections to be held within the next six months.
It matters not, therefore, how many times some sections of the media seek to make it appear possible that elections can be held this year, because it just is not realistic, unless someone decides to throw the Sadc conditions out the window a prospect that is just impossible for obvious reasons.
It is no wonder President Robert Mugabe said with his own mouth, for the first time ever, upon arrival from Luanda, words to the effect that elections could not be held without a new constitution and more tellingly, that it could be next year!
There cannot be a clearer sign of capitulation a climbdown from the cast in stone Zanu PF position set by its many politburo meetings and congress that elections would have to be held in year 2012.
It becomes therefore a waste of effort to try and find meaning in the words of known Zanu PF so-called think-tanks and intellectual heavyweights that continue to parrot the now irrelevant and unrealistic 2012 election mantra.
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The insistence by Sadc on the conditions they set, which are nothing new but known and agreed terms by Zimbabwean political players, is obviously informed by the realisation that if Zimbabwe was to be allowed to go into elections without a clear roadmap, the country would no doubt head for a stolen election, broken bones and blood.
They may not have mentioned particular incidents, but the men and women that contributed to last weeks Troika decision on Zimbabwe had fresh issues such as the horrific murder of 67-year-old Cephas Magura on their minds.
Mugabes personal efforts in the form of envoys dispatched to sell his partys proposal to have elections this year were therefore sabotaged by members of his own party that killed that old Mudzi villager in cold blood.
Zambias Michael Sata, too, did not make Mugabes chances any better by his embarrassing, ill-timed Pamberi neZanu PF (Forward with Zanu PF) interjections during the Zim polls debate at the Sadc summit.
So, whether anybody likes it or not, Zimbabwe can only go for elections next year with a new constitution, electoral reforms and a clear roadmap acceptable to everyone. Such a roadmap will ensure there is no violence, that no one steals votes and that the voting process is as free and as fair as possible.
Sadc will be on hand to see to that. It is good therefore that Mugabe has spoken quite convincingly about the dark side of violence and urged the leadership in his party to allow people to choose parties of their choice.
And, just as Vice-President Joice Mujuru warned perpetrators of violence that they would stand alone in court for their violent deeds, it was also good to hear Zanu PF chairman Simon Khaya Moyo blast violence last Friday and actually saying he was happy that Zanu PF supporters accused of butchering MDC-Ts Magura were arrested.
These were three top Zanu PF officials all standing in public to condemn violence and stating in no uncertain terms that those found on the wrong side of the law would not be protected and would face the full wrath of the law.
What does it tell us then when that partys members continue with their violent ways unprovoked even? I would hate to think characters such as President Mugabe, VP Mujuru and Khaya Moyo could be so morally bankrupt as to stand up and say one thing during the day and turn out to mean the other at night.
It takes us therefore to the men and women that are charged with putting into practice what party leaders preach the MPs and councillors that live with the people out there. These are the men and women whose hands drip blood.
The Mudzi slaughter had fingers pointing at these characters the people that spent the entire five-year terms without contributing anything in Parliament or councils where they are elected to represent their constituencies.
What is more curious even, is that these MPs and smaller party officials make cross-party friendships among themselves while encouraging their supporters to beat and kill each other.
There is a humorous analogy equating politicians to a bunch of bananas when it comes to manipulating voters and using them like their own toys: they stick together, yellow to the core, slippery when stepped on, and not one of them is straight!
Simple villagers are used to kill each other for beer and other measly gifts. When the supporters commit these violent crimes, they are locked up and end up in prison alone.
As in the Mudzi case, Maguras killers are in police custody and may face the death sentence. Their families, just like Maguras family, have lost bread-winners, their children have lost fathers. It is this kind of political culture that has left many young children unnecessarily growing up as orphans.
The House of Parliament should put in place a mechanism where members implicated in violence are investigated and publicly punished.
We cannot continue to have a bunch of murderers sitting in the countrys august House, masquerading as peoples representatives when, in fact, they belong in prison.
