The voters’ roll and the voters’ role

ZANU PF pulverised rival contestants to win by a mile during the by-elections held on June 10.

ZANU PF pulverised rival contestants to win by a mile during the by-elections held on June 10.

It was sweet victory for Zanu PF as they managed to post unprecedented gains in urban constituencies.

Zanu PF had not done well in urban areas beginning in 1995 when Margaret Dongo won the Harare South seat as an independent in a stellar performance that tested Zanu PF’s invincibility.

There are a number of factors that played a role in Zanu PF’s convincing win.

Zanu PF may be finally realising positive returns from their well calculated and well orchestrated investments in urban areas.

The other reason could have been that Zanu PF won the race because they were technically the only able-bodied horse among a host of limping ones.

The third reason for Zanu PF’s flawless performance can also be attributed to a politically savvy electorate that will not give away much before the 2018 polls.

If Zanu PF won in urban areas on the backdrop of having finally managed to woo the urban electorate, how exactly did they do that?

The party’s investment in the urban constituency of Makokoba comes into mind.

Having perennially lost that constituency, Zanu PF’s retired Colonel Tshinga Dube found the winning formula by investing time and money in the constituency.

The man worked tirelessly and parted ways with his cash just to raise his profile in the constituency.

His role in the donation of a bus to Highlanders Football Club may have literally bought him crucial votes.

Undeniably, the bus donation was one such calculated investment by Zanu PF.

The question that remains unanswered is: “Will the donations continue to roll?” Zanu PF has to invest on the economy instead of donating a single bus to a football team once in 35 years.

Makokoba and other urban areas need a lot more than just a bus to turn around their current state of economic misfortunes. Sadly Zanu PF do not have the resources to turn around malaise.

Zimbabwe’s economic failure will continue to reverberate loudly in urban areas as dwellers continue to bear the brunt of Zanu PF’s recklessness with the economy.

Jobs are scarce, businesses are folding rapidly, economic infrastructure is on the brink of collapse and most urbanites have taken up street vending as a means of survival.

With economic problems mounting, Zanu PF would not have won the urban seats based on better economic prospects.

The party’s record with the economy is severely tarnished to a point it cannot attract any more urban voters beyond its army of diehard supporters in the ilk of Callistus Ndlovu and company.

Zanu PF won “resoundingly” in very unlikely areas due to the political cosmetics at play.

Most independent candidates crawled into the race with the hope that people would turn out in numbers to cast their protest vote against Zanu PF.

Zanu PF got into the sham rat race as the less physically challenged contestants.

Zanu PF assumed the stature of Oscar Pistorius the “blade-runner” with the other contestants resembling double amputees trudging along at tortoise pace without use of prosthetic legs.

Independent candidates failed to learn from the 2008 presidential run-off election.

The basic lesson is that when the opposition boycotts elections, Zanu PF mobilises all its supporters to vote in large numbers.

The lesson here is that a boycott by the opposition supporters does not translate to a boycott by Zanu PF supporters. The presidential run-off debacle should still be fresh in people’s minds.

The urban electorate posted a better understanding of Zanu PF’s documented response to pre-election elections.

Unlike the politically naive independent candidates, the majority within the electorate have learnt from the elections of 2000 and from the 2008 presidential run-off contest.

These two elections came against the backdrop of Zanu PF having tasted defeat. The party lost to the “no” vote fronted by the nascent opposition during the referendum of 2000 and also lost the presidential race by an undeclared margin during the harmonised parliamentary and presidential elections of 2008.

Zanu PF were incensed and reacted by treading obscene pre-election violence during the subsequent 2000 general elections and the 2008 presidential run-off polls.

The politically savvy electorate in urban areas has learnt not to give Zanu PF advance warnings of things to come.

The urban electorate was fully aware that Zanu PF’s loss during these by-elections would trigger the party’s animal instincts leading to a bloody campaign during the 2018 general elections.

It is a distinct possibility that the urban electorate went for self-preservation in preparation for the ultimate prize ahead. The electorate may have instituted a tactical withdrawal as part of the 2018 strategy.

It goes without saying that even a rat race has to be won. Zanu PF won and they deserve to be congratulated.

Losers and boycotters should exercise graciousness and magnanimity in defeat.

Boycotters should accept that some people will exercise their democratic right vote even if the polls are held under conditions that do not meet the requirement of being free and fair.