Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe opposition lacks strategic intelligence, weak and indecisive
27 Nov 2016 at 16:31hrs | Views
...and Zanu-PF has quality expertise
The case of Norton clearly shows that we have a weak opposition which lacks the intellectual capacity to deal with an opponent. Come 2018 opposition will never defeat Zanu-PF because they don't have the strategic intelligence to deal with-PF. Tsvangirai is being hoodwinked into believing that everything is standard come election time Zanu-PF is going to have a clean sweep on everything. MDC-T will be lucky to get 30 seats if it is not careful. The problem with our opposition is that they rely much on information that is not authentic and factual.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FACEBOOK DOES NOT VOTE
The problem with opposition leaders in Zimbabwe they get hoodwinked by petty information, and they get excited. In 2013 they were fooled by Baba Jukwa, and they believed in him, and they became obsessed with his information. Zanu-PF is very alert, tactful and when they want to strike; they know how to do it. MDC-T, PEOPLE FIRST, and MAVAMBO they think aloud, they plan aloud, they talk too much, they don't know when to say things, and Zanu-PF knows when to say things and how to do it. Most of the Facebook fans, 95% of them they are not on voters roll and they don't even vote. In fact on a sad note 65% of Facebook fans they are in diaspora, they just participate in emotional politics while Zanu-PF is on the busy ground campaigning. If you look at the insults on Facebook, you will find that this is political immaturity. Zanu-PF is not moved by Facebook, Twitter, Skype politics. Hillary Clinton had the social media, and all other media outlets on her side and she thought everything was normal, come to Election Day she received shocking defeat from Donal Trump. MDC-T was fooled in 2013 when they pulled the biggest crowd ever since in 1980, and they thought they were going to state house, but it was a different song altogether.
ZANU-PF IS ON THE GROUND
Since from the day, one after 2013 elections Zanu-PF was already on the ground. Ministers, MPs, and councilors are busy in the rural areas campaigning while opposition leaders are on Twitter and Facebook. What is amazing is that most of these MDC-T, PEOPLE FIRST, PDP they spend the whole day on line on Facebook while Zanu-PF is busy having meetings in Chimanimani, Headlands, Chipinge, Chendambuya, Murehwa, etc. come election day Zanu-PF will win this election without any rigging machinery. The opposition should get to the ground, be visible, be factual, have simple and straight forward message, convince the electorate and have a clear message.
ELECTIONS NEED ENOUGH RESOURCES
The problem with our opposition they cry foul when elections are over and Zimbabweans want to change not tears after elections. Zanu-PF had a strong budget in the previous elections and came Election Day they got what they wanted. For example, Zanu-PF went into an election with a budget of $500 million and MDC-T went into an election with $2 million and honestly, how do you win in such a scenario? We need to be realistic on our issues. In the previous election, they were claims that Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma were given donor funds to buy resources for elections and the money never found its way to the party coffers. People are clever they can't vote for such leaders, and never under estimate Zimbabweans. There is a need to mobilize enough resources for the campaigns. In fact, by now the opposition should be on the ground visibly shaking Zanu-PF territories.
CLEAR MESSAGE
In 2013 ZANU-PF had a clear message "BHORA MUGEDHI" and it was enough for the electorate to understand what they wanted. MDC-T wasted money by engaging consultancy agents who came up with blue prints called "JUICE" instead of taking those resources for mobilization. People in the rural areas they don't know what JUICE means, what they know is Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe only. They need clarity on your message to convince them.
ZANU-PF IS THE BEST REGIME IN THE WORLD
Judging by events since 1980 till date Zanu-PF is the best regime which knows how to deal with an opponent. Most of the opposition folks they will busy day dreaming, planning, the ruling regime is already far ahead of them. When Zanu-PF went into the Norton election, they wanted to study the opposition and the ground to see if they are prepared of a coalition, and they got the message which they wanted. There are some countries which are coping how Zanu-PF does its things because it has set a record. What you need is to be strategic, intelligent and know how to deal with the opponent.
RIGGING CLAIMS SHOULD BE FACTUAL
Zimbabweans are tired of rigging issues; they want to change. In every election set up the opposition is known for rushing to press conferences to express their anger on rigging matters. What have you done on the ground? Who was on the ground campaigning? Where did you campaign? Who campaigned? How many resources did you put into the election? Was your message relevant? Who bought your message? Was it clear? Were you visible on the ground?
RALLIES DO NOT VOTE, BE VISIBLE ON THE GROUND
Judging by events, MDC-T and People First are crowd pullers, particularly Tsvangirai himself but those rallies have failed to transform themselves into votes. The honest thing is that MDC-T supporters, the majority of them are not on the voter s roll. In fact, if you go to an MDC rally and make this inventory you will discover that 70% of their supporters are not on the voter s roll, my question is then why having those useless rallies? I have heard the MDC leaders calling for their supporters to go and register in newspapers, daily news and Newsday. How many people read newspapers in the rural areas? These bunch of failures needs to wake up and face reality, and they must be politically mature.
RURAL VERSUS URBAN ELECTORATE
The rural constituency consists of 65% of Zanu-PF support base. People in rural areas are easily hoodwinked. You give someone in the rural area a $1 he or she easily convinced that indeed Zanu-PF can deliver. MDC-T has the remaining percentage 35%, and this is urban constituency, and that's where the difference is. What the opposition need to do is to take the message direct to the rural folk. People in rural do not have what's app, Twitter, Skype but what they know is a bag of fertilizer and inputs only. In rural areas there is no media, no newspapers and how do you convey messages in such areas? How many people in rural areas read about ZIMDEF saga, POTRAZ saga? The answer is clearly none of them, what they know is "VAMUGABE CHETE CHETE.
OPPOSITION IS SERIOUSLY INFILTRATED
Most of the decisions being made by the opposition, civic society are already at the hands of their enemy. What Zanu-PF has made sure is to keep informers on the ground. Tsvangirai is surrounded by informers and intelligence operatives around him, judging by the decisions he is making. For example, he was made to believe that Mliswa is for a change and he agreed, and today he was duped. Morgan needs strong advisors as well to counter that syndrome. What the MDC needs to do is to flush these suspected agents around them before elections. Amongst the crop of his three deputies, there must be one or two are seriously working with the enemy to counter any progress.
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Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as the Director of Mentorship Institute of National Development and Sustainability. MINDS is a civic society organization responsible for policy research, gender and development studies, public finance, sustainable development through Agriculture and rural development. He is also a consultant in Development and Capacity Development and Institutional Building. He can be contacted at greatorminds@gmail.com
The case of Norton clearly shows that we have a weak opposition which lacks the intellectual capacity to deal with an opponent. Come 2018 opposition will never defeat Zanu-PF because they don't have the strategic intelligence to deal with-PF. Tsvangirai is being hoodwinked into believing that everything is standard come election time Zanu-PF is going to have a clean sweep on everything. MDC-T will be lucky to get 30 seats if it is not careful. The problem with our opposition is that they rely much on information that is not authentic and factual.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FACEBOOK DOES NOT VOTE
The problem with opposition leaders in Zimbabwe they get hoodwinked by petty information, and they get excited. In 2013 they were fooled by Baba Jukwa, and they believed in him, and they became obsessed with his information. Zanu-PF is very alert, tactful and when they want to strike; they know how to do it. MDC-T, PEOPLE FIRST, and MAVAMBO they think aloud, they plan aloud, they talk too much, they don't know when to say things, and Zanu-PF knows when to say things and how to do it. Most of the Facebook fans, 95% of them they are not on voters roll and they don't even vote. In fact on a sad note 65% of Facebook fans they are in diaspora, they just participate in emotional politics while Zanu-PF is on the busy ground campaigning. If you look at the insults on Facebook, you will find that this is political immaturity. Zanu-PF is not moved by Facebook, Twitter, Skype politics. Hillary Clinton had the social media, and all other media outlets on her side and she thought everything was normal, come to Election Day she received shocking defeat from Donal Trump. MDC-T was fooled in 2013 when they pulled the biggest crowd ever since in 1980, and they thought they were going to state house, but it was a different song altogether.
ZANU-PF IS ON THE GROUND
Since from the day, one after 2013 elections Zanu-PF was already on the ground. Ministers, MPs, and councilors are busy in the rural areas campaigning while opposition leaders are on Twitter and Facebook. What is amazing is that most of these MDC-T, PEOPLE FIRST, PDP they spend the whole day on line on Facebook while Zanu-PF is busy having meetings in Chimanimani, Headlands, Chipinge, Chendambuya, Murehwa, etc. come election day Zanu-PF will win this election without any rigging machinery. The opposition should get to the ground, be visible, be factual, have simple and straight forward message, convince the electorate and have a clear message.
ELECTIONS NEED ENOUGH RESOURCES
The problem with our opposition they cry foul when elections are over and Zimbabweans want to change not tears after elections. Zanu-PF had a strong budget in the previous elections and came Election Day they got what they wanted. For example, Zanu-PF went into an election with a budget of $500 million and MDC-T went into an election with $2 million and honestly, how do you win in such a scenario? We need to be realistic on our issues. In the previous election, they were claims that Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma were given donor funds to buy resources for elections and the money never found its way to the party coffers. People are clever they can't vote for such leaders, and never under estimate Zimbabweans. There is a need to mobilize enough resources for the campaigns. In fact, by now the opposition should be on the ground visibly shaking Zanu-PF territories.
CLEAR MESSAGE
In 2013 ZANU-PF had a clear message "BHORA MUGEDHI" and it was enough for the electorate to understand what they wanted. MDC-T wasted money by engaging consultancy agents who came up with blue prints called "JUICE" instead of taking those resources for mobilization. People in the rural areas they don't know what JUICE means, what they know is Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe only. They need clarity on your message to convince them.
Judging by events since 1980 till date Zanu-PF is the best regime which knows how to deal with an opponent. Most of the opposition folks they will busy day dreaming, planning, the ruling regime is already far ahead of them. When Zanu-PF went into the Norton election, they wanted to study the opposition and the ground to see if they are prepared of a coalition, and they got the message which they wanted. There are some countries which are coping how Zanu-PF does its things because it has set a record. What you need is to be strategic, intelligent and know how to deal with the opponent.
RIGGING CLAIMS SHOULD BE FACTUAL
Zimbabweans are tired of rigging issues; they want to change. In every election set up the opposition is known for rushing to press conferences to express their anger on rigging matters. What have you done on the ground? Who was on the ground campaigning? Where did you campaign? Who campaigned? How many resources did you put into the election? Was your message relevant? Who bought your message? Was it clear? Were you visible on the ground?
RALLIES DO NOT VOTE, BE VISIBLE ON THE GROUND
Judging by events, MDC-T and People First are crowd pullers, particularly Tsvangirai himself but those rallies have failed to transform themselves into votes. The honest thing is that MDC-T supporters, the majority of them are not on the voter s roll. In fact, if you go to an MDC rally and make this inventory you will discover that 70% of their supporters are not on the voter s roll, my question is then why having those useless rallies? I have heard the MDC leaders calling for their supporters to go and register in newspapers, daily news and Newsday. How many people read newspapers in the rural areas? These bunch of failures needs to wake up and face reality, and they must be politically mature.
RURAL VERSUS URBAN ELECTORATE
The rural constituency consists of 65% of Zanu-PF support base. People in rural areas are easily hoodwinked. You give someone in the rural area a $1 he or she easily convinced that indeed Zanu-PF can deliver. MDC-T has the remaining percentage 35%, and this is urban constituency, and that's where the difference is. What the opposition need to do is to take the message direct to the rural folk. People in rural do not have what's app, Twitter, Skype but what they know is a bag of fertilizer and inputs only. In rural areas there is no media, no newspapers and how do you convey messages in such areas? How many people in rural areas read about ZIMDEF saga, POTRAZ saga? The answer is clearly none of them, what they know is "VAMUGABE CHETE CHETE.
OPPOSITION IS SERIOUSLY INFILTRATED
Most of the decisions being made by the opposition, civic society are already at the hands of their enemy. What Zanu-PF has made sure is to keep informers on the ground. Tsvangirai is surrounded by informers and intelligence operatives around him, judging by the decisions he is making. For example, he was made to believe that Mliswa is for a change and he agreed, and today he was duped. Morgan needs strong advisors as well to counter that syndrome. What the MDC needs to do is to flush these suspected agents around them before elections. Amongst the crop of his three deputies, there must be one or two are seriously working with the enemy to counter any progress.
----
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as the Director of Mentorship Institute of National Development and Sustainability. MINDS is a civic society organization responsible for policy research, gender and development studies, public finance, sustainable development through Agriculture and rural development. He is also a consultant in Development and Capacity Development and Institutional Building. He can be contacted at greatorminds@gmail.com
Source - Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo (Masters in Development Studies University of Lusaka Zambia)
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