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Zanu-PF unleashes 'mbinga power' in Nkulumane
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Zanu-PF intensified its campaign for the Nkulumane by-election on Sunday, unveiling an extensive array of resources at a rally in Bulawayo, where residents were promised 30 tonnes of food aid, 3 000 food hampers, 7 500 seed packs, 18 boreholes, repaired transformers, computers, WiFi kits, and a US$100 000 revolving fund.
The rally, held at Amavene Primary School, drew senior Zanu-PF officials including Jabulani Sibanda, politburo members Elifasi Mashaba and Molly Mpofu, ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera, Youth Minister Tino Machakaire, and Ward 20 Councillor Sandra Ndebele. It also marked the official launch of Freedom Murechu's campaign for the seat.
Beyond the display of resources, the event highlighted Zanu-PF's entrenched politics of patronage, often described by critics as a "culture of eating." Special Presidential Investment Advisor Dr Paul Tungwarara, known for distributing cash and grants across the country, arrived by helicopter in a dramatic entrance, reinforcing the party's reliance on high-profile benefactors to energise campaigns.
Youth Minister Machakaire openly framed the by-election around access to resources and patronage, telling the crowd that Murechu's election would ensure they benefit from state-provided assistance. He urged the audience to celebrate the arrival of "imbingas" and called on Freedom Murechu to be "a good father" in distributing resources coming from the President. His remarks were widely seen as a candid acknowledgment of Zanu-PF's internal patronage system.
National Political Commissar Munyaradzi Machacha announced the tangible support Nkulumane residents would receive, including 30 tonnes of rice, 3 000 food hampers, 7 500 seed packs, three repaired electricity transformers, road rehabilitation, 18 boreholes, ten computers, and ten Starlink WiFi kits. Tungwarara also introduced a US$100 000 revolving fund to support the constituency, further demonstrating the party's strategy of linking votes to access to development resources.
Murechu, portraying himself as a humble community son, appealed directly to voters, pledging to take their concerns to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and to ensure community-led development through oversight of the revolving fund.
Political analyst Mxolisi Ncube said the rally underscored Nkulumane as a high-stakes contest for Zanu-PF. "This show of resource power indicates that Zanu-PF has made Nkulumane a priority seat, especially against a fragmented opposition," Ncube said. He noted that the campaign's heavy reliance on material incentives and state-linked resources reflects a strategy rooted in patronage, consumption, and promises of access to wealth.
Whether Nkulumane voters respond to these enticements or reject them as transactional politics will be key in determining the effectiveness of what has been dubbed 'mbinga politics' in this opposition stronghold.
The rally, held at Amavene Primary School, drew senior Zanu-PF officials including Jabulani Sibanda, politburo members Elifasi Mashaba and Molly Mpofu, ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera, Youth Minister Tino Machakaire, and Ward 20 Councillor Sandra Ndebele. It also marked the official launch of Freedom Murechu's campaign for the seat.
Beyond the display of resources, the event highlighted Zanu-PF's entrenched politics of patronage, often described by critics as a "culture of eating." Special Presidential Investment Advisor Dr Paul Tungwarara, known for distributing cash and grants across the country, arrived by helicopter in a dramatic entrance, reinforcing the party's reliance on high-profile benefactors to energise campaigns.
Youth Minister Machakaire openly framed the by-election around access to resources and patronage, telling the crowd that Murechu's election would ensure they benefit from state-provided assistance. He urged the audience to celebrate the arrival of "imbingas" and called on Freedom Murechu to be "a good father" in distributing resources coming from the President. His remarks were widely seen as a candid acknowledgment of Zanu-PF's internal patronage system.
Murechu, portraying himself as a humble community son, appealed directly to voters, pledging to take their concerns to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and to ensure community-led development through oversight of the revolving fund.
Political analyst Mxolisi Ncube said the rally underscored Nkulumane as a high-stakes contest for Zanu-PF. "This show of resource power indicates that Zanu-PF has made Nkulumane a priority seat, especially against a fragmented opposition," Ncube said. He noted that the campaign's heavy reliance on material incentives and state-linked resources reflects a strategy rooted in patronage, consumption, and promises of access to wealth.
Whether Nkulumane voters respond to these enticements or reject them as transactional politics will be key in determining the effectiveness of what has been dubbed 'mbinga politics' in this opposition stronghold.
Source - Cite
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