×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Undemocratic political class kills national democracy drive

Opinion & Analysis
Political perception national surveys carried out since 2010 have consistently shown a steady confidence and belief in elections by citizens of Zimbabwe.

Political perception national surveys carried out by Afrobarometer, Mass Public Opinion Institute and Freedom House since 2010 have consistently shown a steady confidence and belief in elections by citizens of Zimbabwe, as a way of choosing a leadership of their choice.

Column with with Rashweat Mukundu

This is regardless of the equally consistent citizen concerns on politically-motivated violence, intimidation and the manipulation of the electoral process.

Sadly, however, Zimbabwe’s conduct of elections, be they at party or national level have consistently worked to undermine this citizen confidence.

The political class in Zimbabwe, be it in Zanu PF or the MDCs have demonstrated a disdain for internal party democracy and this disdain builds up to the national level and hugely influence, how elections are conducted.

The latest internal elections party fiasco in Zanu PF are not an isolated event, but are at the heart of the electoral tittle-tattle in Zimbabwe that starts at party level and influences how national elections are conducted.

Losing Zanu PF candidates for provincial leadership positions are unhappy just as the MDC-T and MDC-N are unhappy with the conduct of elections. For the first time since July 31, senior Zanu PF leaders, Members of Parliament and other officials are speaking the same language as the MDCs, that elections in Zimbabwe, be it at party or national level, are rigged, the voters rolls are in disarray and voters intimidated.

We also hear that in the ongoing Zanu PF elections, there is massive vote buying that includes monetary and material incentives.

In other words, if Zanu PF, which controls the State, moreso after its July 31 victory, cannot hold democratic elections to choose its own provincial leaders, what makes us believe that the same party can facilitate the holding of free and fair elections at national level, moreso against an external opposition? Others may argue that the national elections are not conducted by Zanu PF, but the question is who is not Zanu PF within the senior staff of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission?

The commission, as noted by numerous complaints in the past, is staffed by security agents and the involvement of the Registrar- General’s Office in the electoral processes has further undermined confidence in national elections. In any case, the voters roll is kept at army barracks so is the key infrastructure that enables national ID, voter and passport registration.

The whole electoral processes and relationship between the State and citizen is militarised, and despite all denials, national elections in Zimbabwe are still far from being free and fair.

It is imprudent to expect Zanu PF, as demonstrated above, in control of all electoral processes at national level, to then hold democratic free and fair elections in which it loses.

What Zanu PF practices at party level is what it executes at a national level. Voters are bought, there is intimidation, it’s a zero sum game, the voters roll are manipulated and dissenters are threatened with expulsion and other such actions.

The Zanu PF electoral manipulation syndrome has caught up with the opposition parties in Zimbabwe. Any frank and honest leader within MDC-T or MDC-N will tell you that democracy is a challenge within their own political parties.The jostling for political office is so intense that even now there are party leaders, some in Parliament and others out who are not on speaking terms.

These leaders who belong to the same party, MDC-T cannot sit in the same room without exchanging blows, least of all glances of hate. It is for this reason that we saw the rebellion within MDC-T-won councils where some opportunistic councillors voted for Zanu PF mayoral candidates against their own party candidates.

These rebellious councillors, far from being the exception, represent what in fact is the norm in the behaviour of Zimbabwe’s political class, that is self interest and self preservation.

Those the rebel councillors voted against probably did not grease their palms enough to “warrant” their vote.

So it could be in Zanu PF, MDC-T or MDC-N, the culture that influences elections is the same-cut throat competition, vote buying and manipulation of the internal voters’ roll.

We wait to see how the National Constitutional Assembly political party will conduct its own leadership elections. We wait to see if the NCA has already assimilated the party politics and culture of Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC-N. In all this, Zanu PF bears the greatest blame as the leader, if not manufacturer, of electoral manipulation.

Zanu PF is the party that introduced and nurtures this culture. In the final analysis if Zanu PF takes a lead in organising democratic internal party elections, that will also filter to the opposition and positively influence the conduct of national elections.

Citizens of Zimbabwe cannot expect to be led democratically when the political class does not believe in democracy.

Until that time when Zanu PF leaders believe that there is life beyond and after political office, then the rest of the country is in danger of being politically raped every election.

While citizens have maintained a belief in elections as a way of choosing national and local leaders of their choice, that belief is not matched by actions of those in charge of elections and those aspiring for political office.

Slowly, but surely, citizens will lose this confidence and that in-itself is the start of chaotic politics.

When citizens lose belief in peaceful political participation then we will see scenes akin to Syria and Egypt.

The political class, especially those in Zanu PF needs to be reminded that national peace is guaranteed by consent of the governed. Peace is never guaranteed by force of arms as we have been made to believe, as anyone can get arms and cause problems.

Rather, there is need to build internal political party democracy and national elections that engender a sense of belonging, participation and that this ritual called elections needs to be democratic and believed to be democratic to be respected. Elections, be they at party or national level, cannot be reduced to a process of legitimising a few, so that they can continue feeding either on their party connections or the State.

There is need for some electoral catharsis of sorts so that people realise that leadership is bestowed by people and not a birthright maintained by manipulation of all kinds.

I end by asking: Is there anyone in Zanu PF leadership who does subsist on the party and the State, please raise your hand?

Related Topics