PRESIDENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA’S stance on who to invite (or not) to observe our elections in future must make those who believe they have the divine right to lord over smaller States think again.
There is always feverish interest in Zimbabwe’s general elections, which many countries are eager to observe, especially those from the West.
To them, invitations to observe these elections is a given.
Zimbabwe is going to have its national harmonised elections between July 26 and August 26.
Already would-be observers from these countries are having their laptops and travel documents in order. Why not, when the expected invitations are supposed to be on their way.
But wait a minute!
These same countries have had their general elections, but never had the courtesy to invite us.
“In future, only those countries that invite Harare to observe their own elections will be invited in return,” the President has declared.
We believe this stance should not be limited to Zimbabwe alone, but should be adopted by the rest of Africa.
Africa has already shown the US that it does not tolerate its condescending attitude towards small nations by standing with Zimbabwe over the illegal unilateral economic sanctions. Africa’s Anti-Sanctions Day, in solidarity with Zimbabwe, is a demonstration that the continent has the capacity to react to an injustice.
Food for thought.
Zimbabwe is a sovereign State and definitely not less sovereign than those countries that think their statuses make them automatic invitees to observe our elections. Last year, the Americans unilaterally invited our own Blessed Mhlanga to observe the US’ mid-term elections as a Zimbabwean representative.
We see this as the height of disrespect.
The Americans, with a horrible record of killing national leaders (Saddam Hussein immediately comes to mind) had no right to invite Mhlanga, not necessarily to observe but on the pretext that they were teaching him how elections are carried out in a democratic country.
The US and the West, in general, have no right whatsoever to teach us, a people they once considered their chattel, democracy.
We went to war against colonial racist forces in oder to bring democracy. Instead, we can teach the Americans and their cousins in the West what democracy is all about. The recent ZANU PF primary elections, without any Western observers, clearly demonstrate how mature our democracy is.
This exemplary internal democracy is indeed a macrocosm of what should be our national harmonised general elections. But unfortunately, because of outside influence, the discourse generated by the losers will present a distorted picture.
That is why we think it is justified to be careful with whom we invite to observe our future general elections. Normally, observers are expected to be neutral and record their observations without bias.
Regrettably, this has not always been so.
In fact, with some of these Western countries, the term ‘observer’ is a misnomer. They take themselves more as supervisors superintending the whole election process, with a predetermined winner in mind.
We know the main culprits since their embassies are notorious for their big brother attitude of interfering with our internal affairs, with impunity.
They are not even ashamed to be identified with the regime change brigade. It’s better such countries, especially that they are openly hostile, keep away from our electoral processes.
The dye has been cast and our national harmonised general elections are upon us.
We expect genuine observers, even those whose favourite horse would have lost, to respect the democratic will of the people.