Zimbabwe is in perpetual election mode because of disputed poll outcomes, analysts have said, as political parties start to run visible campaigns ahead of the 2023 contest.
Both the ruling Zanu PF party and the mainstream opposition
MDC Alliance have launched mobilisation campaigns as they seek to upstage each
other in what could be a hotly contested election.
A Zanu PF faction loyal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa has
been organising structures to endorse him as the party’s presidential election
candidate amid growing factionalism in the ruling party.
Blessing Vava, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition director, said
the Zanu PF factional fights have thrust the country into election mode.
“Election results in Zimbabwe have always been contested
and have largely failed the credibility test,” Vava said.
“So, Zanu PF is continuously on the ground through orthodox
and unorthodox means to influence electoral processes.
“Equally so, the opposition has been reactive and hence
creating the electioneering vicious cycle.
“The factional fights within Zanu PF have also plunged the
country into a perpetual election mode.
“So, even internal party processes that take place after
each and every election create another cycle of electioneering within political
parties.”
During the late former president Robert Mugabe’s last days
in power, Cabinet ministers and other government officials would spend time
attending Zanu PF youth rallies that were ostensibly meant to prop up a faction
loyal to the then first lady, Grace Mugabe.
At one of the campaign events named youth interface
rallies, Mnangagwa was allegedly poisoned.
Mugabe also used one of the rallies to announce his
intention to fire Mnangagwa, a threat he carried out, but incidentally sparked
a chain reaction of events leading to his ouster in November 2017.
Bulawayo-based commentator Effie Ncube said the contested
nature of the country’s election results often meant the fights went on
continuously through other platforms until the next election.
Under normal circumstances and in “normal countries”, once
an election is held, the nation moves together and rallies behind those who
have been elected.
“The focus shifts away from election to governance, from
the ballot box to the State House, parliament and city halls
“But Zimbabwe is not a normal society, where democratic
rules are adhered to,” Ncube argued.
“From election to another election, Zanu PF pays lip
service to the bread and butter priorities of the poor, but focuses on trying
to destroy the opposition.
“In such a situation, you can’t have a self-respecting
opposition party being loyal to an outcome of a rigged election.
“In the circumstances, very little attention is placed on
collectively dealing with pressing economic and social challenges.”
Zanu PF has been accused of dining with the Douglas
Mwonzora-led MDC-T in the fight for the heart and soul of the MDC Alliance led
by Nelson Chamisa allegedly to “destroy” the opposition.
Mwonzora recently laid claim to the MDC Alliance name.
“It is because our politics is too contested.
“The reason why it is so contested may be due to issues
like unemployment, which has led to the rise of political entrepreneurs of all
types and kinds.
“People are investing time with the hope of earning a
living out of politics,” South Africa-based scholar Khanyile Mlotshwa said as
he tried to explain why the country was always in election mode.
“This divides the nation and all these political
entrepreneurs seem to be pushing diverging and divergent visions of what should
happen.
“If they were competing or campaigning through service
delivery, maybe it would have been better.
“But they are competing through empty rhetoric, sometimes
divisive.”
A new political culture that puts emphasis on service is
needed to ensure nation building and the economy does not suffer, analysts
said.
Vava said civic society had a huge role to play in
resisting manipulation and doing away with polarisation.
“There is a need to do away with political polarisation
that has largely worked against efforts towards nation building,” he said.
“The above challenge is a call for CSOs [civic society
organisations] to mobilise citizens to coalesce towards nation building and
ultimately a better Zimbabwe for all.
“Citizens must be united for a common cause and this
certainly means coming together regardless of political or religious beliefs.”
Ncube added: “Also, free and fair elections and a governing
party that adheres to democratic norms and standards will bring the people
together and minimise the over-focus on elections.”
Independent election observer missions released a number of
recommendations after the 2018 harmonised elections, but there has been little
movement towards implementation to ensure the 2023 elections pass the
legitimacy test.
Economic commentator Stevenson Dhlamini said the economy
had suffered too much over the years owing to the country’s toxic politics as
he urged business to invest in political risk assessment strategies ahead of
the next elections.
“As we move towards elections, markets will react,” Dlamini
said.
“Business needs to invest in political risk assessment. It
needs to place a finger on the political pulse of the country and not base
their long term strategies on the prevailing political environment, but it
should invest a lot in actuarial services to anticipate any changes of the
political risk in our economy.
“Otherwise, we can never hedge away the political risk,
especially in a country that is characterised by high political risks like our
country
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