Nepotism dents post-election period

Zimbabwe Open University academic Didymus Dewa recently said issues of nepositism, clientalism, patronage and loyalism affected the major political parties that won the elections in the August 23 and 24.

He said this destroyed the hopes of citizens that the polls would bring about economic progress and development in the country.

Dewa made the remarks in heis presentations titled: The post- electoral political and economic landscape in Zimbabwe: Implications on service delivery at a policy at a meeting conducted by the Public Policy and Research Institute of Zimbabwe (Ppriz) in Bulawayo late Monday.

"August 23, 24 elections the results showed that Zanu PF assumed control of the 95% of the rural authorities while Citizens Coalition for change took control of 90% of urban local authorities," he said.

"After the elections there were disgruntlements within the two major political parties with Zanu PF having concerns over Presidential votes in some constituencies being lower than those of the legislators."

He said after the elections all the parliamentary candidates who were allocated the vehicles were told to return the vehicles.

Dewa said there was a bit of some internal disgruntlements in Zanu PF where MP candidates would encourage votes to vote for them but not vote for the Presidential candidate.

"But all the same, various scholars talk about hegemony as a theory in political science. From 1980 up to 2023, we find the elections again in Zimbabwe allowing Zanu PF to continue with its hegemony because of the win,"  he said.

"In its victory, the neopatrimonialism, patrimonialism, patronage politics and clintelism is what shaped up the Zanu PF government formation after the elections while CCC entered into internal fissures."

"Since the Zanu PF won the elections and they had the right to form the government and when looking at the cabinet and ministry allocations, there were allegations of regionalism and tribalism on the allocation of ministerial posts with the famous statement that "Chinhu ndechedu" (it's our thing)."

Dewa said those who were claiming Chinhu are of a specific tribe and also allegations of them now saying it's our time.

"We are talking of the Karangas versus Zezurus within the Zanu PF establishment. We also find factionalism at play. If you look at the candidates that won the parliamnentary seats, shows that most of them were of the Zezuru clan yet the winning President was of the Karanga clan," Dewa said.

"This brewed political internal conflict and nepotism, clientelism and patronage based on loyalty, friendship and family hood were the key valuables in the selection, and appointment of ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries  those that assumed the authorities are alleged to have been as a result of  nepotism, clientelism, and patronism. He said the appointment of Zimbabwe Defence Forces Philip Velario Sibanda as ex officio member in Zanu POF was a sign that the state has since been militaries."

Dewa said this also unfolded in the CCC culminating in the recalls that were made by the alleged self-imposed interim Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu.

He noted in the presentation that almost the same issues that happened in Zanu PF affected it.

"They manifest themselves in the opposition. Centralisation of power, patronage, personification of the struggle, clientelism and loyalty issues. These are issues that led to what we are witnessing as the Tshabangu recalls," Dewa said.

"The personification of the struggle and centralisation of power on CCC leader Nelson Chamisa, clintelism in the opposition. The recalls have created another chance for Zanu PF to regain the two thirds majority in parliament considering the fact that by elections are usually marred by apathy."