ZANU PF’s behind the scenes moves to have the courts bar exiled minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, from contesting the 2023 elections has been laid bare after it emerged the ruling party advised South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) to do the same to former president Jacob Zuma linked Umkhonto weSizwe in that country’s May elections.
This emerged during a summit of regional liberation movements held in Victoria Falls recently.
The meeting was meant to craft strategies on how to push back against the opposition parties and remain in power.
Zimbabwe, as the chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) liberation movements, was hosting the summit.
The summit was attended by secretary generals of Zanu PF, ANC, People’s Movement of Angola, South West Africa’s People’s Organisation of Namibia, Botswana Democratic Party and Chama Cha Mapinduzi of Tanzania, Mozambique’s Frelimo.
Informed sources said Zanu PF warned the ANC on the side-lines of the summit to employ lawfare on Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) the same way President Emmerson Mnangagwa did on Kasukuwere.
Zanu PF warned the ANC that if it allowed MK to contest, the opposition party would chew into its support base and deny that country’s ruling party an outright victory.
Sources said Zanu PF officials warned the ANC that it was facing a tough electoral contest and advised the country’s ruling party to use lawfare to bar the MK from contesting the polls.
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It is alleged that Zanu PF drew parallels with how it barred Kasukuwere from contesting the 2023 elections after intelligence reports revealed how he was going to deny Mnangagwa an outright victory.
The insider told The Standard that the Zanu PF delegation discussed how Kasukuwere could have destabilised a Mnangagwa win.
“They estimated that Kasukuwere’s supposed percentage to have been within 10% and above 7% with more than 5% coming from Zanu PF,” a source said.
Mnangagwa won narrowly to former Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa in a contested poll discredited by the election observers.
“Minus the 7% that Kusukuwere could have snatched, Mnangagwa could have been denied that narrow outright win,” an informed source said.
“With regards to South Africa, the ANC was warned that the MK would get at least 13% of the votes with 10% coming from the ANC.”
According to a poll conducted in February and March, the MK could become South Africa's third party with significant support in Zuma's home province of KwaZulu-Natal, where it is expected to gain ground.
The ANC has since gone to court to have the MK deregistered and barred from contesting the polls.
Zuma has been extremely critical of the ANC of his successor, current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa much the same way Kasukuwere has been critical of Mnangagwa.
It is alleged that the ANC was advised to target churches for votes.
South Africa’s May 29 elections are expected to be the most fiercely contested in years due to the dwindling support for the ruling party accused of destroying the economy of Africa’s one of the most powerful states.
Already, surveys indicate that ANC will win not more than 50% of the vote for the first time since 1994.
The MK infuriated the ANC by naming itself after the ANC’s disbanded armed wing Umkhonto weSizwe.
Zuma has thrown weight behind the MK in its election battle against his former ANC party.
The ANC has responded by suspending Zuma as tensions boil over ahead of that country’s polls.
The ANC is challenging the use of the name uMkhonto weSizwe and a logo that bears a striking resemblance to that of its former military wing.
Zanu PF is said to have advised ANC to use lawfare and make sure that MK did not contest if it was to realise a chance of getting back to power and used Kasukuwere’s case as an example.
