Norton has shown the way

By The NewsDay | Oct. 28, 2016 | 5 Min read

Can any open-minded and even-handed person accuse Temba Mliswa of lacking political guts?

That is why Mliswa took on the whole Zanu PF machinery and — against overwhelming odds — won by a wide margin the Norton parliamentary by-election last week.

echoes: CONWAY TUTANI

This was no ordinary achievement considering that the ruling Zanu PF party had, in the build-up, descended on the farming town with its heavyweights such as Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, with Saviour Kasukuwere (party commissar) and Ignatius Chombo (secretary for administration) in tow, among others, along with so-called hotshots like Kudzi Chipanga, the Zanu PF youth league leader.

But, people were cautiously optimistic when they saw the dramatis personae, the cast of players, lining up behind Mliswa: Mainly the opposition MDC-T, which has remained strong in urban areas, and war veterans, who, though ageing, have determination and zeal on their side. It is that combination that largely pulled it off.

That observation made, Mliswa has also shown that the MDC-T’s continuing boycott of by-elections has run its course and could have been most unwise in the first place. Why? Because it’s really illogical and self-defeating not to hold on to what you have, especially those urban strongholds that the MDC-T would have retained in by-elections, rigging or no rigging. Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC-T secretary-general, conceded this in a somewhat begrudging tone, saying of Mliswa’s win: “The MDC-T should actually get credit. We campaigned for Mliswa and our youths were on the ground with him urging people to vote.”

The high voter turnout in Norton was proof enough that the boycott does not have political purchase anymore among people that are now eager to reclaim their voices. Someone was needed to take up the cudgels on behalf of people eager to hit back at arrogant politicians who — instead of wooing voters — were threatening them at every turn with repossession of stands; who — instead of condemning corruption — used the occasion to defend their criminal colleagues. Said South African anti-apartheid campaigner, Desmond Tutu: “I am a leader by default, only because nature does not allow a vacuum.”

Enter Mliswa. Love or hate him, he is one person, who gets down to it. He will go it alone if need be. If you are not such a fighter, what are you doing in the harsh and hostile political arena in Zimbabwe?

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This is in stark contrast to armchair politicians, who are known for issuing Press statements than getting into the thick of things. Their idea of engaging in politics is criticising from the safety and comfort of their party offices. They project themselves as saints or oracles of sorts for “believing in the cause”. They post messages on Facebook pointing out the dire situation, but do little or don’t do anything at all about it. Well, Mliswa is not the type to stay at home and shout at the TV. On such a wild and unforgiving political terrain like the one in Zimbabwe, we don’t need weak, cowardly and unadventurous persons, who can’t stand up for themselves and for others.

So, the unfortunate excuse of a statement by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that: “We should be aware that Mliswa managed to win the Norton seat because of internal factional fights in Zanu PF, where even its candidate was imposed,” does not, in the least, take anything away from Mliswa’s victory. A win is a win, and one can build on that. Had PDP the political guts to contest for those 20 seats its members were recalled from by Parliament and boycotted by the MDC-T in 2014, there is a chance the party would be much bigger today, not be fast disappearing as members defect in every direction.

In that regard, the PDP ought to be reminded that they must not pull the cart before the horse. To have the leverage to call for the so-called National Transitional Authority (NTA), you ought to have a political presence on the ground. Failing that, there won’t be many takers for the NTA idea. You don’t build from the top. And you can’t sneak into power through the NTA backdoor. Otherwise, the NTA will be as much an undemocratic imposition as Zanu PF is.

But it became finger-pointing — instead of celebratory — time when the Norton poll results were announced. What went wrong — that is, for Zanu PF?

One, Chipanga’s abrasive, arrogant style is offputting in this day and age, where people know their rights, thus, take great exception to being commodified. To commodify is to treat something that cannot be owned or that everyone has a right to — such as the vote — like a product that can be bought and sold. Chipanga’s blatant vote-buying of dishing out stands prior to the by-election and threats to repossess those stands in the event Zanu PF lost made people indignant because it showed disrespect for them. People now know better than to hang on to Zanu PF’s every word.

Two, the unlikeability of Mnangagwa and Mphoko is now legendary. It might not be an exaggeration to say everything they touch crumbles into dust, instead of turning into gold. As it is, Mphoko has no political base to talk about.

He owes his position solely to President Robert Mugabe, who handpicked him, and he behaves with due sycophancy.

Mnangagwa’s threats last week against what remains of white farmers did not resonate with a largely urban electorate. The two have been variously described as unelectable. Along with them, the high-powered Zanu PF team — notably Kasukuwere — defended corrupt politicians and — by extension — corruption itself. This was sure to boomerang among people who are going for months — if not years — without pay and whose jobs have disappeared into thin air.

But have our compatriots, the war veterans, finally seen the light? Have they freed themselves from being blindly loyal to the regime? They have been loyal to a fault in as far as the regime is concerned. They have taken loyalty to the extreme, in the process causing much more harm than good. They have turned their backs on the very people they fought for. They virtually handed the reins of their lives to someone else. They cheered every excess of the regime without realising how much power they were giving away each time they compromised their principles and bent to the wishes of the regime, only to realise too late that the regime was intent on consigning them to the rubbish heap.

This has been mainly due to the regime’s subtle methods like ensuring the war vets would not see the bigger picture, not seeing beyond Zanu PF, that those rights of voting in a free and fair election that they (the vets) were taking from the people through intimidation and worse, would also, with time, be denied them, as the regime is now trying to impose leadership on the war vets’ association.

Now is the time to build and consolidate not just a new voting coalition, but a gutsy and winning one — and Norton has shown the way.

It’s not easy. It takes incredible energy and willpower.

Conway Nkumbuzo Tutani is a Harare-based columnist. Email: [email protected]