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Saxson Zvina

Correspondent

United States of America went to the polls on November 3, 2020 and the outcome of the elections was disputed as the incumbent Donald Trump alleged that the postal votes were used for rigging in favour of the Democrats candidate Joe Biden.

The incumbent refused to concede and launched lawsuits which were rejected. The supporters of Trump protested at the Capitol Hill on January 3 and these protests resulted in the death of four people according CNN, FoxNews, BBC etc.

The US 2020 elections exposed the double standards of the Americans who are always at the forefront of condemning elections conducted in third world nations and Africa in particular.

The November 3 election results were not announced promptly as has been the case with other elections in that country.

There were some incidents in States like Michigan where armed protesters stood outside vote counting centres.

This level of barbarism was unique especially coming from a nation which tries to portray itself as the measure of free and fair elections.

The national Guard (military) was deployed to quell riots in various cities and states during counting period, which exhibited that they are not democratic and as they were not allowing their citizens to exercise their rights, an accusation they always make against African nations and Zimbabwe in particular.

The refusal by the incumbent to accept the outcome is synonymous to many of the candidates which the US backs in Africa and this time around this was happening in their own backyard.

They had to use the military to bring order yet they are always at the fore front when African nations do so to maintain peace and order which their surrogates always disturb.

The US has been trying to dictate to sovereign nations what they can’t practice.

The events of January 6, 2021 should serve as a lesson to those who think that the US is Democratic. What transpired at Capitol Hill has not happened in any third world nation which they portray as being backward.

The Capitol Hill event was Stone Age politics which left the world shocked.

While the US preaches to the world that soldiers should stay in barracks and not participate in politics, the National Guard was ordered to restore sanity.

At this moment, the world discovered that the US democracy is overrated as they don’t practice what they preach. What is happening in the USA is like a teacher who sets an exam then fails the same exam. The potential for more demonstrations is high and 6 000 members of National Guard shall be deployed to thwart potential protests. I don’t remember any nation on earth being on knife edge like what is happening in the US.

Africans and Zimbabweans in particular should accept that our systems are better and we should develop our own governance systems at our own pace.

We don’t need anyone to impose their systems on us. Ironically, the same people are failing to practice what they preach.

Social Media platforms in US like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc have permanently suspended Donald Trump stating that he is inciting violence. When African governments take similar stance like shutting down the internet or gagging people who will be inciting violence, they will be accused of stifling freedom of expression.

In the US’ view, when one wants to cause chaos in Zimbabwe and Africa, then he is practicing freedom of expression and must be left to do so. When it’s in their own land then he/she has to be stopped by all means necessary.

We have had a deafening silence from those who view US as a doyen of democracy. The European Union has not issued a joint communiqué condemning the acts of barbarism taking place in the US, but are quick to condemn without verifying facts when it’s Africa and Zimbabwe in particular.

There is no need to invite the US to observe and monitor our elections here in Africa and Zimbabwe.

The idea of inviting those who don’t invite us to monitor and observe their shambolic elections should be reviewed.

We are both learning so no one should teach us. After all, we are doing better as our democracy is four decades old whilst theirs is bicentennial, but still lags behind.

What is happening in the US is fulfilling the biblical proverb that you reap what you sow. The US is reaping what they have been sowing.

What goes around comes around, let the US get a taste of their own bitter medicine, which they have been giving other nations.

They should stop acting like a world prefect as there is a God in heaven who humbles those who wants to victimize the weak. US now stands for “United States of Anarchy”.

Saxon Zvina writes in his own capacity and can be contacted on [email protected] or Twitter: saxonzvina2