News / National
Zanu-PF wants to capitalise on the March 'referendum wave'
09 Jun 2013 at 09:05hrs | Views
It cannot be ruled out that Zanu-PF wants to capitalise on the March "referendum wave", where voter turn-out was very high in areas the party commands a lot of support, particularly in rural areas.
The party allegedly force-march-ed people in some rural areas and housing co-operatives in Harare to go and register as voters for the elections.
Those who tried to resist were threatened with eviction from the areas they live or reminded of the horrors of the 2008 elections, in which the MDC-T claims that at least 200 of its supporters were killed by State security agents.
Zanu-PF is said to be least prepared for elections and the party's empty bravado was a result of the belief, that the MDC-T brand had been tainted by corruption and poor services delivery in most local councils that eroded its support in its urban strongholds.
But Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo insisted that the party was ready for polls as soon as the election date was proclaimed.
He said the lack of money could not affect the preparation for the party's election manifesto.
"We are finalising the manifesto and the rules and regulations for primary elections," Gumbo said.
Late last year, the UK-based Zimbabwe Vigil, said the MDC-T was likely to lose the elections because of rampant corruption within its leadership. Freedom House and Afro-Barometer surveys also predicted Mugabe's electoral victory.
Basing on the referendum voting patterns, National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairman, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Tsvangirai's former ally, also said Zanu-PF was headed for victory in the elections.
But other commentators dismissed Madhuku's prophecy saying his predictions were motivated by sour grapes.
Political analyst, Dumisani Nkomo said the fact that Zanu-PF had postponed holding its primary elections because of factionalism, was a clear indication that it was not ready for elections.
The party allegedly force-march-ed people in some rural areas and housing co-operatives in Harare to go and register as voters for the elections.
Those who tried to resist were threatened with eviction from the areas they live or reminded of the horrors of the 2008 elections, in which the MDC-T claims that at least 200 of its supporters were killed by State security agents.
Zanu-PF is said to be least prepared for elections and the party's empty bravado was a result of the belief, that the MDC-T brand had been tainted by corruption and poor services delivery in most local councils that eroded its support in its urban strongholds.
But Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo insisted that the party was ready for polls as soon as the election date was proclaimed.
He said the lack of money could not affect the preparation for the party's election manifesto.
"We are finalising the manifesto and the rules and regulations for primary elections," Gumbo said.
Late last year, the UK-based Zimbabwe Vigil, said the MDC-T was likely to lose the elections because of rampant corruption within its leadership. Freedom House and Afro-Barometer surveys also predicted Mugabe's electoral victory.
Basing on the referendum voting patterns, National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairman, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Tsvangirai's former ally, also said Zanu-PF was headed for victory in the elections.
But other commentators dismissed Madhuku's prophecy saying his predictions were motivated by sour grapes.
Political analyst, Dumisani Nkomo said the fact that Zanu-PF had postponed holding its primary elections because of factionalism, was a clear indication that it was not ready for elections.
Source - newswires
