How Robert Mugabe is buying your vote

There are a few certainties in life. Firstly, and unfortunately, money talks.

Secondly, Robert and Grace Mugabe need to be in positions of power at all cost, and will do almost anything to retain it.

We know that while the Mugabes no longer have an army or paramilitary force, political power or massive support, they still have money.

Their remaining leverage is being put to good use in these elections, even though the Zimbabwean people are in large unaware of it.

For a while now, it has been public knowledge that the campaign of the MDC in general and its leader Nelson Chamisa in particular are under serious financial strain. This was apparently compounded by a recent court decision which demands that Chamisa release funds that he thought was his to his rival Thokozani Khupe totaling almost $2 million.

This was an extremely heavy blow for Chamisa and his allies, so much so that it led to a dramatic and unlikely last-minute U-turn to try and make amends with the former MDC-T Vice-President. Unfortunately, for Chamisa, Khupe spurned this obvious and desperate ploy.

So Chamisa had to look elsewhere for the lost funds, cue Robert and Grace Mugabe and their deeper pockets.

Around the same time as the devastating court decision, it has been rumoured that Chamisa made a deal for $2 million with the Mugabes.

Basically, the Mugabes were reportedly lining the empty pockets of Chamisa for the amount that he desperately needed. Nevertheless, nothing is free in life and the money transferred by the Mugabes to the MDC has come with some pretty heavy strings.

The Mugabes will not be mere bystanders in this election, but have essentially bought a candidate and his ticket in the upcoming elections. Their ticket is Nelson Chamisa and their destination is power, relevance and control within the portals of State House.

They will not have paid $2 million to sit on the sidelines, but will have bought something significant with their millions and the thought of Grace and Bob constantly whispering in the ears of Chamisa, should he win, will send a shudder down many Zimbabwean spines.

Whatever one thought of Chamisa before this deal, his partners in power will hold significant sway over him in everything that he does.

Zimbabwe will once again fall under the long and dark shadow of the Mugabe couple and all that entails. Any chance of reform or change will have vanished, and the Zimbabwe where we have been able to breathe more deeply, speak more openly and have a voice and a say in our own affairs may be a mere distant memory.

With this triumvirate in power, Zimbabwe could once again be isolated because few nations in the world would want to pump money back into a country which has a Mugabe with their hand in the public purse.

Any thoughts of return to the Commonwealth and expunging our pariah status will quickly be destroyed.

The Mugabes wouldn't care. They didn't care for many years about ruining our country and they would not care equally now. They only care about themselves and maintaining power, influence and control.

They have potentially bought themselves all of this in their deal with Chamisa. They have bought themselves the votes of millions of Zimbabweans, most of whom will be completely unaware that their vote was bought with money courtesy of the Mugabes.

It is a deal that makes sense for the Mugabes, and it is good for Chamisa who is desperate for funds.

However, it is a nightmare for Zimbabwe.