Opposing smartly: the business of political reforms

Political commentator Alex Magaisa has said the MDC ran a great campaign, based on the SMART manifesto and at the moment, despite the legitimacy deficit, there is at the very least a de facto government.

He said it's important to turn the Smart governance doctrine into smart opposition. This calls for strategic thinking & planning.

"The fact of the matter is that ZANU PF is in power and it must be held to account. Going forward, one must look closely at the impeding that affected the democratic legitimacy of the outcome & find strategic ways to ensure that there are real & substantial political reforms," Magaisa said.

"ZANU PF will focus on finding economic solutions. They might find them. But they might not. History reminds us that economic failure does not necessarily lead to loss of political power. So waiting for failure is not the answer. If anything the opposition has to show it is a firm alternative."

He said more important, in my view, is to work on solutions that create an even political landscape.

"There's a chance here because for ZANU PF to fix the legitimacy deficit it must pay attention to political reforms. Here the international community has some leverage which the opposition can use," he said.

" If we don't get political reforms in this window, we might never get them as we get closer to the next election. They can be achieved while Mnangagwa is keen to secure democratic legitimacy. Smart opposition means focusing on the winnables and push for them vigorously."