SEVERAL local political parties other than Zanu PF have raised voices against the holding of elections in June saying the month was “cursed” in the history of Zimbabwe politics.
REPORT BY MOSES MATENGA
An election held in June, they said, could easily rekindle frightful memories of the June 29, 2008 political violence.
Addressing delegates at a public meeting in Harare on Tuesday where parties were debating the feasibility of holding elections in June, MDC-T national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said: “June 29 is as impossible as impregnating a man.”
“June as a month is associated with Harakiri (a ritual form of suicide, by slashing the abdomen, formerly practiced in Japan, and commanded by the government in the cases of disgraced officials; disembowelment). It’s an Armageddon month associated with a dark chapter and no one wants it to be associated with an election,” said Chamisa.
He said delaying the polls to a date after June 29 would, contrary to Zanu PF resistance, work in the party’s favour as the party was in disarray and needed more time to put its house in order.
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) representative Simba Makechemu also said the month of June was not ideal as it was associated with violence.
“As MKD our view is that elections can come but not in June obviously due to the violence associated with that month,” Makechemu said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
MDC99 leader Job Sikhala said: “There are no elections in June. They will come in September. Mugabe wants to present the UN an election without controversy, with all the leaders bowing before him together with a despot called (Zambian President Michael) Sata.”
However, Zanu PF deputy director of information Psychology Maziwisa said there was no going back on the June 29 poll.
“The MDC-T is in crisis,” he said. Harvest House is on fire. Surveys show that people have lost confidence in the MDC-T. Even residents say so; never mind several women in the country. People don’t eat media reforms or the so-called security sector reforms,” he said.
Contributing to the same debate, National Constitutional Assembly spokesperson Madock Chivasa said: “This matter does not even need to be discussed.”
“It would have been better to discuss what needs to be done between now and June 29. The people were fooled to believe that the constitution would guarantee violent-free elections and would provide media reforms,” said Chivasa.
“From a moral point of view, I will not expect anyone to say they need reforms.
During the referendum we said it was not good for people to be subjected to three weeks for them to go through the constitution. We are shocked some are saying two months is not enough. The issues they are complaining about are the same we raised as the NCA.”
