A former MDC-T legislator has bucked the trend in his party, saying President Robert Mugabe will win the next election, despite his failing health and age because of a combination of people-centred policies and use of fear.
BY SILAS NKALA
Norman Mpofu told Southern Eye yesterday that Mugabe had managed to retain power by unleashing fear on his opponents and rolling out well-choreographed policy statements ahead of each election hence he would easily win the 2018 elections using the same modus operandi.
“People are saying Zanu PF rigged the election, but they are the ones to blame because they allowed Zanu PF to cheat them, by presenting powerful policies such as the community share ownership scheme, which lured people, mostly from Matabeleland to believe the scheme would benefit them,” he said.
“People were not alert. If you see people in Matabeleland, who are victims of Mugabe’s government’s ill-treatment voting for Zanu PF, what more people in Mashonaland, who have been benefiting from his rule for a long time.” While Mpofu seemed in awe of Mugabe’s policies, he said, as long as he was still President, there was no hope for economic revival.
“There is no hope as long as Mugabe is alive, there is no way. He is the most feared leader. He is like a lion, which even when dead, people will not feel comfortable to go close to it, thinking it is alive and may attack them,” he said.
“You will be surprised that as finished and frail as he appears, if he contests the 2018 election, I tell you, he will win.”
Mpofu said Mugabe was revered across Africa, as a fighter for people’s freedoms and rights to rule themselves.
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Recently, former United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Bruce Wharton described Mugabe as “a lion of Africa.
“Robert Mugabe is a lion of Africa. He has dedicated his life to create a free and independent Zimbabwe. He is a leader, not only of Zimbabwe, but he helped bring down apartheid in South Africa,” Wharton was quoted as saying.
Mugabe’s wife, First Lady Grace Mugabe recently declared that her 91-year-old husband would continue in office even if it meant conducting government business on a wheelchair.
The Zanu PF leader has already been given a fresh mandate to represent the ruling party in the 2018 elections.
