July 30 election a fake, waste of time

When Moses was sent to approach Pharaoh to demand the freedom of the Israelites, Pharaoh was adamant. He would not let them go.

Every evidence was there that Egypt was not their land and that they were under heavy oppression.

It had to take up to 10 plagues to have Pharaoh concede to God's demand to have his people freed.

The final plague was so excruciatingly painful to Pharaoh and his advisers that he actually gave an order for the people of God to leave Egypt immediately.

He could have avoided this of course if he had consented to God's demand earlier.

Nine times, God gave him reprieve and he still changed his mind even after seeing that each subsequent plague was of a higher intensity than foregone one.

Even then, he had his whole army killed in pursuit of a powerful God who had humbled him in the sight of all his people.

He could not give up until all his army was destroyed. His power was rooted in his army.

Under Zanu-PF hegemony, Zimbabweans have faced many afflictions, all of them which could have been avoided if Zanu-PF system would loosen its grip on the people.

First, it was under former President Robert Mugabe, for 37 whole years, with encouragement and full support from his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Under the two, people living under the poverty datum line increased to above 70%, unemployment rose to 80%, infrastructure got worn out and the health delivery system deteriorated.

With Mugabe forcefully removed, Mnangagwa himself is the new face of the same old Zanu-PF oppression system.

Opposition parties and others should have read in between the lines when Mnangagwa says "economy over politics".

He is saying that politics do not come first before economy. In fact, he is relegating politics, meaning that we should concentrate on economy under his lead.

Mnangagwa is saying Zimbabweans must not choose a leader; he is the de facto leader.

No politics, but economy only, that's exactly what he is saying. Elections are just a waste of time, according to the current "President".

He portrays that he doesn't think that he should be mandated, he mandates himself, to run Zimbabwe's affairs, even if they are unwilling or even suffering under his self-imposition as their ruler.

Politics determine the economy. Politics ensure that people are afforded a chance to choose the best leaders to realise socio-economy success.

But Mnangagwa insists on the backdoor to the success of our political economy. Elections were being manipulated in the old dispensation the same way they are being manipulated in the old-new dispensation.

Imposed leaders are less accountable as far as running the economy is concerned.

But he knows also that he must have some face of democracy to be accepted. So he carries out below minimum conditions for democracy, a very sham election, an election presided over by an army and intelligence-staffed Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), whose arrogance mirrors Zanu-PF's and is derived from it.

What we are going to have in Zimbabwe on Monday is just a fake election. The elections are just a pretence to fool the electorate and many foolishly ambitious presidential candidates, who will still contest even if the electoral play field is 100% skewed.

Opposition should not participate in an election whose sole purpose is to give Mnangagwa a mandate.

There is no chance of winning for any other candidate because the Zanu-PF system closely controls and monitors Zec.

It will be foolhardy for any opposition party to contest for presidential position in the 30th of July elections. It's solely meant and predetermined for Mnangagwa.

But his days as President mean Zimbabwe's crisis has actually worsened. Nothing has improved, corruption has also increased.

Mnangagwa has nothing to show to woo voters, except his arm-twisting strategy by Zec to have him re-imposed.

But Zimbabwe's plagues won't stop; they will keep multiplying, until they get unbearable for him.

Zimbabwe plagues will stop when Zimbabweans have a leader chosen by the people willingly, and works in tandem with them, and acts according to their wish, on how that economy should be repowered. But the imposter is just power-hungry and shies away from free election.

It is totally absurd for any opposition party to contest and thereby be instrumental in giving Mnangagwa a chance to embezzle a mandate to misrule Zimbabwe again.

I repeat, no opposition leader will win the presidency under the current election settings heavily skewed in favour of Mnangagwa.

Instead, all parties should avoid the election and demand that conditions for free election prevail.

As for now, the only one election outcome will entrench Zimbabwe's captivity under Mnangagwa.

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Zanda Shumba writes in his personal capacity