RYAN CHINGOCHE / LETTICIA MAGOMBO
The battle lines have been drawn between the governing party ZANU-PF and its traditional rivals MDC formations as they go out of their way to win the hearts of the Zimbabweans ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
The long drawn electoral drama will begin as earlier as March, when the political parties go into a by-election to replace lawmakers that were either recalled from their respective parties or have died.
Nomination for the by-election is set for January 26 with ZANU -PF and MDC-T scheduled to hold primary elections to select its candidates over the weekend.
A political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, Eldred Masunungure said the electoral season is the most volatile and combustible period and “regrettably, that season has started early this time around”.
“The reality in Zimbabwe is that its politics is marked by volatile fluidity and this volatility spills over into other spheres, including economics, hence deepening its fragility,” Masunungure told Business Times yesterday.
He said violence and intimidation throw Zimbabwe back into the dark era.
“It would be natural and OK if both parties are panicking as we march towards the March by-elections and the 2023 harmonised elections,” said Masunungure, “What is terrifying is when the parties convert their panic into violence and intimidation because this will have a damaging boomerang effect on the socio-economic environment. Many investors are easily frightened by politically-motivated violence and intimidation. In short, the impact of volatile politics is a volatile economy and this can easily reverse whatever gains have been made in the last year in addition to derailing the journey towards Vision 2030.”
Although the harmonised elections are more than 12 months away, first secretary of the ruling ZANU-PF party, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has already gone into election mode.
He told a recent politburo meeting: “The 2023 election cycle is upon us. Related programmes to mobilise the electorate towards voter registration, inspection, of the voters-roll and subsequent voter education should be heightened.
“The promising prospects of 2022 must carry our party to secure and conclusively deliver on the aspirations of our people as we march towards a resounding victory in the 2023 harmonised general elections.”
So is the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance and MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora.
But, there is bound to be friction and action in the opposition parties especially the quarrelling MDC-T and MDC-Alliance, as the two formations are trying to outdo each other in the race for voters and the symbol of the parties.
The MDC-Alliance and MDC-T have since promised to provide scope for some political drama. The wrangling was triggered by the latter’s ambitions to use the name MDC-Alliance in the forthcoming elections.
The disillusionment could cost both the MDC-T and MDC-Alliance.
MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere (pictured below) said the party was ready for elections.
“The MDC Alliance is very prepared for the by-election that’s going to take place in March 2022 despite the legal refalls that took place starting 2019,” Mahere said .
“(We) consistently remain rooted in the communities and the constituencies. …The message of the party is to resolve the crisis that Zimbabwe faces by ensuring that ethical leaders who have the people at heart are installed.”
Added Mahere: “We are people-centred. Because of this, MDC Alliance intends to run a campaign based on teacher remuneration, wealth increase for the people, job creation, installation of functional and accessible health care and bringing forth the end of corruption.
For 2023, we aim to attain six million votes along with a two-thirds majority in parliament. All this to be attained by achieving a clean sweep in urban areas and a majority in the rural district councils.”
Mahere said the party had already in place an internal process that was put forward by Chamisa in the selection of candidates for the March polls.
“All candidates are going to be chosen by the communities which they intend to represent. Currently, an internal process is underway to seek the consensus of the various communities in respect of the various candidates that will run in our by-election and as soon as that process is complete we will make announcements as to who will be representing those various communities. We are obviously balancing these with the need to respect those who are recalled,” Mahere said. MDC-T spokesperson Witness Dube said his party was 80% prepared.
“Most positions have been filled and there are just a few outstanding where primary elections are going to be done this week,” Dube told Business Times.
“For 2023 we set our campaign machinery in motion when we started with restructuring the whole of last year and we are going to a congress on March 5, 2022 . All that involves restructuring in our party and developing our policies so we can see how far we have gone in terms of preparing for 2023.”
Dube added: “The congress is an elective one and all positions will be contested for. All the positions from president to the last will be contested for.”
