Norton by-elections a sneak preview of the 2018 elections

Under the prevailing political environment, Zimbabweans would require neither a rocket scientist nor voodoo mathematical models to predict the outcome of 2018 elections.  ZANU.PF has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that not only has it mastered the art of vote rigging, but is also prepared to shamelessly take Zimbabweans back to the stone age era where primitive manipulation tactics were used.

It boggles one's mind to actually comprehend what the cronies of the ruling party are saying at their Norton By-election campaign rallies. One would be totally exonerated for branding Zimbabwe a banana republic that is under the tutelage of self-styled comedians.

It is sheer desperation or typical ZANUPF mischief that a whole Vice President goes to great lengths to justify the looting of ZIMDEF funds, by asserting that the resources meant to cushion students on attachment were diverted to the ZANUPF million-man march simply because the country was under siege from opposition parties' civic action. Moreover, the Vice President's attempts at portraying Professor Jonathan Moyo as Zimbabwe's version of Robin Hood pilfering from the rich to aid the needy Tsholotsho people are to say the least, laughable. Vice President Mpoko and his ZANU.PF cronies believe it is prudent that students on work-related learning walk long distances to work and toil on empty stomachs for no pay. This is an insult to the suffering students, and not to mention companies arm-twisted to contribute to ZIMDEF despite choking under gross viability challenges ironically inflicted by ZANU.PF economic and governance incompetence.

As if this is not enough, ZANU.PF rallies are spiced with truckloads of grain publicly flaunted as bait for starving constituents. Minister Prisca Mupfumira responsible for social welfare, purportedly an empathetic and all-embracing mother figure, sees it morally right to selectively and fraudulently distribute this grain meant for orphans, widows and all other vulnerable communities at these partisan gatherings.

The classic act is that of ZANU.PF Youth Secretary, Kudzanai Chipanga proudly displaying a map supposedly as proof of location of housing stands for the youth, conveniently disregarding that this is State land which ZANU.PF had grabbed to use as its campaign trump card.  How the supposed impoverished youth beneficiaries are going to service and build on those housing stands, is not a factor as long as they vote ZANU.PF.

Worse still, the ZANU.PF DNA of violence and intimidation against those suspected to support other candidates, particularly independent candidate Themba Mliswa, has reared its ugly head. The torture and intimidation perpetrated on hapless women like Natasha Bakalia and Violet Masikinya provides a sneak preview of how far ZANU.PF is prepared to drive its violence machinery. The resuscitation of torture bases in Norton vividly brings back the unpleasant memories of the 2002 and 2005 youth bases where ordinary Zimbabweans were subjected to inhuman torture by the militia and war vets.

The trajectory of events in Norton provides a synopsis of the extent to which ZANU.PF is prepared to go in order to win in 2018. ZANU.PF's insatiable thirst for power has incapacitated its ability to draw the line between state and party resources. They are prepared to sleep with one eye open and dignify corruption despite its crippling impact on our country's economy.

Zimbabwean opposition parties should therefore stop bickering over trivia and fight this ZANU.PF cancer. Left unattended, it will eat away the moral and confidence marrow of the electorate. At this rate, the hopes of winning elections and displacing ZANU.PF misrule forever remain a castle in the air.

Ellen Shiriyedenga
MDC Director, Planning, Strategy and Implementation