CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken political parties as they cannot hold rallies and meetings amid fears the lockdown would disrupt operations of political parties, analysts said this week.
Zimbabwe is under an extended lockdown instituted last month to contain rising Covid-19 cases and deaths.
The country has reported more than 33 000 cases and more than 1 000 deaths since March last year.
ZANU-PF, MDC-Alliance -a coalition that included MDC-T and other smaller parties and other minor parties, contested the last general elections in 2018.
There were more than 20 presidential candidates in the 2018 elections, which ZANU-PF and President Emmerson Mnangagwa won.
“The Covid 19 has had a two-pronged effect on the political parties with some small parties being completely finished as they are no longer able to have meetings with their members.
(Some) could be taking advantage of the Covid-19 as they appear to have nothing to offer to the people anymore,” University of Zimbabwe lecturer Eldred Masunungure told Business Times.
Another political analyst, Ibbo Mandaza, agreed with Masunungure saying the Covid 19 outbreak had made all the political parties irrelevant.
“Since the outbreak of Covid 19 there has been no major political programme started by any political party,” Mandaza said.
The resurgence of the new Covid-19 variant has seen the government putting in place strict lockdown measures which have resulted in political parties in Zimbabwe suspending their political programmes.
ZANU-PF was forced last December to cancel its annual People’s Conference which was supposed to be held in Mashonaland Central Province.
On the other hand, the MDC Alliance also postponed its conference.
The other MDC T faction led by Douglas Mwonzora was, however, given the green light to hold its elective congress last December.
During the year Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, barred the holding of by- elections.
Consequently, some political parties have also cancelled their physical engagements with the majority of them holding virtual meetings.
ZANU-PF, on its part, has only been inviting the top five leaders of their 10 administrative provinces for Central Committee meetings since the outbreak of the Covid-19 last year.
