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Politics of the stomach to determine poll outcome

News
Like many low-income African states, the politics of the stomach will determine the outcome of the polls as political players sharpen their campaign tools.

THE late American comedian Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx once remarked that politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.

Report by Bernard Mpofu

Like many low-income African states, the politics of the stomach will determine the outcome of the polls as political players sharpen their campaign tools ahead of what has been largely regarded as a watershed election.

Growing the economy or localising a stagnating one has become the talking point for Zimbabwe’s political parties as the country moves closer towards watershed elections, which are expected to mark an end to the inclusive government formed in 2009.

Job creation and a bright future has become the only rallying point for many Zimbabweans who have endured nearly a decade-long economic meltdown that was arrested in 2009 after the introduction of multiple currencies and the formation of the coalition administration.

With many companies folding each day leaving scores on the streets, many urbanites now look up to the government to bring food on the table.

Judging by numbers, Zimbabwe’s next general elections set for July 31 will likely be a two-horse race between President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF and the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC although analysts still maintain that presidential hopefuls Welshman Ncube and Dumiso Dabengwa should not be discounted as dark horses.

Already Zanu PF and MDC-T have in the past week launched election manifestos, promising to take millions of Zimbabweans, who have toiled every day, out of poverty.

Unlike in the 2008 election which came against the backdrop of a comatose economy, the next government would be tasked with quickening economic growth which has been on a positive trajectory since the formation of the inclusive government.

The Ncube-led MDC, which forged an alliance with Dabengwa’s Zapu, is expected to launch its policy proposal at the weekend.

Official figures show that 62,6% of Zimbabweans live below the poverty datum line and out of these 32,5% are women and 27,5% are children.

The post-July 31 period will prove whether Zimbabweans will be led by a party willing to take the country to the proverbial Promised Land or expose economic pledges made in the manifestos as nothing, but a Barmecidal feast.

For Zanu PF, what poses a threat to the post-election scenario remains the invisible hand purportedly plotting to weaken Mugabe’s 30-year rule.

Economic sanctions imposed on Mugabe’s henchmen, according to the party, may militate against the party’s post-election efforts. But analysts say failure by the party to effectively deal with corruption that has become a thorn in the flesh both in central government and the public sector could be a time bomb for the country’s political leaders.

Efforts by the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate graft in empowerment transactions during the tenure of the inclusive government hit a snag, raising questions on the Executive’s commitment to dealing with the problem.

“The threats to the goals of the people include, but are not limited to poverty, corruption, the illegal and evil sanctions and the illegal regime change agenda sought by founders and funders of reactionary political parties that do not have any programme of their own and which are essentially anti-people and pro-crisis not least because they have defined themselves as enemies of Zimbabwe’s heroic liberation struggle,” reads Zanu PF’s manifesto in part.

“The full implementation of the indigenisation and people’s empowerment reform programme by the people’s government under Zanu PF will tackle the scourge of poverty by enabling Zimbabweans to break out of its crippling cycle.”

Zanu PF has dropped the “we brought you independence” hymn as it tries to win the hearts of an electorate that has enjoyed some economic stability since the use of multi-currencies in 2009. The party will dangle the indigenisation carrot as an election trump card amid concerns that the policy could worsen the country’s economic fortunes. Already, major foreign-owned companies have partially complied with the empowerment law.

Yet MDC-T says Zanu PF ispast its sell-by date and cannot ignite new policies that can stimulate growth.

The party has rehashed its manifesto, dubbed Jobs, Upliftment, Investment Capital and the Environment (JUICE), which is anchored on increased foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows.

Critics have, however, already trashed the blueprint for relegating locals to economic bystanders as activity of multinational companies intensifies.

“The MDC-T economic plan, presented in our JUICE strategy, will elevate Zimbabwe into a stable, growing and inclusive economy based on the rule of law.

“The MDC plan is aimed at uplifting all citizens in all corners of the country and will create 1 million jobs by 2018 and a $100 billion economy by 2040,” the party said in its manifesto.

All said and done, many will wonder whether Zimbabwe should invest its future in the two parties or anchor hope on a third force?