Desperate Zanu-PF turns to celebrities

AFTER several electoral drubbings in Matabeleland, Zanu-PF is increasingly getting desperate and is now clutching at straws, as it reaches out to popular figures that it hopes could salvage some glory for it in the forthcoming elections.

In the past couple of years, Zanu-PF has reached out to young and popular figures, with reports that the party was courting former reality TV contestant Munyaradzi Chidzonga with a hope to lure the youth vote.

But it is reports that the party has invited football legend Peter Ndlovu to join Zanu-PF that has rocked the political scene.

Ndlovu's representatives have denied that there were ever any such overtures, although the former Coventry City striker is yet to comment on the matter.

Political analysts, however, warned that such celebrities risked their reputations, as their star power could sink if they did not win elections.

Besides Ndlovu, the party has reportedly courted a number of business people, academics and known foreign currency dealers.

Habakkuk Trust chief executive officer Dumisani Nkomo yesterday said prominent figures risked slipping from the "wall of fame to the wall of shame".

"What will happen is that those prominent figures will not change the fortunes of Zanu-PF but their fortunes as individuals will change," he said.

"Look at engineer George Mlilo who contested against (Japhet) Ndabeni Ncube for the mayoral seat; where is he now?

"The people of Matabeleland in particular have a certain opinion about Zanu-PF that will never change," he said.

"What will happen is that those figures will instantly change from heroes to villains."

Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial structures reportedly agreed to secretly identify and campaign for individuals they felt would win votes for the party.

Party insiders said Zanu-PF had introduced a provision in its primary elections regulations to apply a waiver on prominent individuals who wanted to contest on behalf of the party.

Matabeleland Constitutional Reform Agenda director Effie Ncube said while it was everyone's right to join any party they wanted, it did not make any political sense for them to align themselves with a sinking ship.

"I think it should be stated that everyone has the freedom to join a political party of their own choice. That is even enshrined in the Constitution," he said.

"However, for someone to be part of Zanu-PF today - given the party's history in terms of economic management, human rights and rule of law - it does not make political sense for a person to join an obviously sinking party."

Ncube said the obvious likelihood was that the prominent figures would fail to change the fortunes of Zanu-PF and their reputations would suffer irreparable damage.

Political analyst Trevor Maisiri said Zanu-PF needed more than the status of the celebrities to boost their performance in the elections.

"Zanu-PF must realise that it is not merely personalities that will win them elections, rather it is how they propose to address the bread and butter issues that Zimbabweans and the people of Bulawayo are grappling with," he said.

"People are expectant the next government will provide them with conditions for better livelihoods, jobs, economic opportunities, shelter and social services."

Zanu-PF provincial chairman Callistus Ndlovu said his party would not go out of its way to solicit people to stand for any position.

"We are not asking anybody to stand for Zanu-PF; and how do you know that these people are not members of this party?

"Zanu-PF allows any member to stand for any position," he said. "We have the right to recruit people into the party."

Popular musicians such as the late Andy Brown and Simon Chimbetu saw their careers plummet after they started singing Zanu-PF praises.