Electoral vote-buying in MDC-T caused Chamisa's demise

The formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999 was seen as a milestone in the political system as people thought that this political party has brought democracy which they thought ZANU PF was failing to adhere to. People thought that this new labour-backed political party would bring in a new political dispensation in the country.

Zimbabweans were misled into believing that the MDC would bring democracy into the country and the people nearly dumped ZANU PF thinking that if the MDC is given the mandate to run the country they would see new things. People were not aware that democracy is just a name coined to appear real; yet it is difficult to attain and practice even by those who claim to be democratic.

Recent developments in the MDC-T, which caused the political demise of Nelson Chamisa in the recently held MDC-T elections, revealed that democracy is not cheap to practise. This has shown that the MDC-T, which was formed in the pretext that it would be democratic, is not at all democratic as shown by the exchange of money in a vote-buying spree. Money was allegedly used to buy positions in the run up to the MDC-T congress. Senior members, who were vying for positions, splashed a lot of money to their subordinates in a move that was meant to get supporters.
 
Nelson Chamisa, who was trounced in elections by Douglas Mwonzora for the post of the Secretary General, claimed that vote-buying was used to manipulate the voters in favour of Mwonzora. It was further alleged that those who were against Nelson Chamisa's candidature, who also included senior members of the party, made sure that Chamisa is defeated through vote buying  of some supporters who voted against him.

Chamisa failed to appreciate why he was beaten by Mwonzora when the odds seemed to be in his favour before the actual elections. In actual fact, Chamisa was nominated by more than nine provinces to stand for the Secretary General's post against Douglas Mwonzora who had only one provincial nomination. This nomination criteria made Chamisa to believe that he was the point man poised to take over the seat left vacant by Tendai Biti who left the MDC-T to form his MDC Renewal Team.

However close analysis and examinations of the whole MDC-T electoral system by this writer revealed that Nelson Chamisa contributed a lot to his downfall because of his failure to read what was written on the wall. It was clear from what the people were saying that the same former MDC-T Organsing Secretary planned for his demise by misusing his position. Chamisa made sure that he placed his preferred people in some positions of importance in all provinces as a way of making sure that he gets more support than anyone else.
It was further revealed that before the MDC-T Congress was held, elections for provincial positions in Masvingo were reportedly won by people aligned to Chamisa the same as in other provinces. This view was confirmed when James Gumbi and Takanai Mureyi were elected as the Masvingo provincial chairperson and treasurer respectively. The two were reportedly supporters of Chamisa and it was even confirmed by MDC-T supporters in Masvingo that the two and others were ardent supporters of him. It was later alleged by one party district organizer that Chamisa was manipulating elections to ensure that those who backed him for the position of national secretary general took up positions before MDC T's national congress.

So, when it came to the nominations procedures for the Secretary general's post Nelson Chamisa got an upper hand against Douglas Mwonzora because as an Organising Secretary he had made sure that all provincial posts were held by those backing him. This scenario prompted Douglas Mwonzora to seek the assistance of the top MDC-T leadership who also thought that Chamisa's elevation would be a threat to Morgan Tsvangirai's reign, hence, vote-buying bloomed within that party.

Chamisa failed to appreciate that his manipulation of grassroots politics and the vote-buying exercises, which he did during the provincial elections, created more enemies against him than friends. The fact that he got more nominations than Mwonzora made him think that the deal was already sealed; not knowing that those whom he managed to hoodwink into nominating him  were fewer than those who were going to vote during the congress.

For that reason it was clear that Nelson Chamisa managed to dig his own grave with easy. He also failed to understand why Douglas Mwonzora was going ahead to compete with him when in actual fact he had received fewer nominations.

 Chamisa disadvantaged himself when he rushed into showing his MDC-T presidential aspirations which led Job Sikhala to warn him about being ambitious for leadership. His leadership ambitions raffled Morgan Tsvangirai's feathers, leading him to join hands with Mwonzora in a clandestine campaign that dethroned Chamisa. Chamisa failed dismally when everyone was thinking that he was going to win. The power of money was alleged to be at play to sway voters in favour of Mwonzora.

The MDC-T senior members' vote-buying shenanigans, which characterised the whole process from provincial elections into national elections within this once powerful opposition party, left a lot of people wondering whether that party is fit to substitute ZANU PF from power. So the issue of democracy, which the MDC has been preaching since its inception has proved to be a fallacy and only the gullible, would continue supporting this party.