Ahead of the Saturday polls, Zanu PF, which has a
commanding majority in Parliament, made it clear that it aimed to fish from the
opposition pond and maintain its stronghold in rural areas.
Results from the by-elections show the ruling party making
incremental gains as its policies gain traction across the country.
Led by President Mnangagwa, the governing party has
launched an urban renewal agenda that has seen roads being rehabilitated under
the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) and water challenges are
being addressed, in the short term through the Presidential Borehole Drilling
Scheme while construction of dams will offer a long-term solution.
Title deeds are also on cards for urban dwellers.
Central Government had to step in to fill the gaping void
in service delivery which was next to non-existent while officials from the
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) or MDC Alliance lined their pockets.
In 2018, the MDC Alliance candidates won in Epworth and
Mutasa South but the same candidates were on Saturday clobbered as the Second
Republic’s policies appear to be hitting the mark ahead of next year’s general
elections.
Altogether there were 28 constituencies up for grabs. Zanu
PF retained its seats in Gokwe Central, Chivi South, Mberengwa South, Murehwa
South, Marondera East, Mwenezi East and Tsholotsho North, while the opposition
won in urban areas but Binga North, however, with small margins.
In an interview yesterday Zanu PF Spokesperson Cde Chris
Mutsvangwa said the ruling “kept and solidified” its traditional support in
rural areas.
“The party of the Zimbabwe Revolution is most delighted
that it made fresh inroads in MDC-CCC urban strongholds.
“The internecine fights of the fractious MDC-CCC formations
handed Zanu PF a propitious chance to pick a few more national assembly seats
and thus increase further the two thirds absolute majority in Parliament,” said
Cde Mutsvangwa.
In the 2018 polls, the ruling party picked 145 seats
against the opposition’s 60, meaning that the revolutionary party now has 147
seats.
Apart from the two significant parliamentary seats, the
revolutionary party also harvested dozens of local authority seats in what
could be a harbinger of things to come in next year’s elections.
“It’s clear that two decades of MDC-CCC urban neglect,
feckless maladministration, screaming corruption, and putrid decay are all
finally beginning to invite the wrath of the long-suffering urban citizenry at
the expense of Nelson Chamisa and his acrimonious cohorts.
“Even more reassuring is the narrowing margins in those
seats Zanu PF lost. This speaks volumes of the resurgent support of the party.
Zanu PF is heartily encouraged by its catch from the MDC-CCC opposition ponds.
“The electoral jury is out. Come the 2023 harmonised
elections, Zanu PF envisages an electoral tsunami that will drown the foreign
-spawned opposition and its reliance on alien sponsorship,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.
While the ruling party made incremental gains in opposition
strongholds of Harare, Mutare and Victoria Falls, the combined CCC and MDC
Alliance failed to win a single ward in Zanu PF strongholds.
“There is a takeaway message for Zanu PF. The party of the
Zimbabwe Revolution is recovering its urban spunk and completing its portfolio
of the national socio-economic and political appeal.”
He also praised the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) for
remaining focused and hardworking notwithstanding needless distractions from
some quarters.
“Zimbabwe democracy once more proved its home-grown mettle.
Perhaps to the shame of the meddlesome West now preoccupied with the military
imbroglio in Ukraine.”
The incremental gains, Cde Mutsvangwa said, demonstrate
that President Mnangagwa’s message has found an audience among the urban
populace.
“President ED Mnangagwa has a reason for a measure of
smugness. His hopeful message of urban renewal is hitting the tuneful chords in
our towns and cities. The urban appeal of the mantra “Zimbabwe Is Open for
Business” is energising entrepreneurial flair. The electorate sees President ED
on a spree of ribbon cutting of revived factories and their expanded production
lines.
“President ED is hopping from one groundbreaking ceremony
to another as major infrastructure projects open up to global class investment
in oil and gas drilling in Muzarabani, iron and steel ecosystem in
Mvuma-Chivhu-Manhize, ferrochrome in Selous, coking coal in Hwange, Platinum
group metals on the Great Dyke and lithium deposits in Goromonzi and Buhera.
“The resultant infrastructure dividend is seeing ‘yellow
metal’ earthmoving equipment in frenetic activity. The whole landscape has been
converted into a huge construction site.”
Turning to the CCC’s celebrations, Cde Mutsvangwa said the
Nelson Chamisa-led outfit is celebrating a consolation prize.
“Nelson Chamisa, true to pettiness is gloatful at his
showdown with (MDC Alliance leader Douglas) Mwonzora. He is celebrating the win
of this consolation prize. Indeed, a
paradox underscoring the vindication of the undisputed ascendancy of Zanu PF on
the Zimbabwe political stage.
“He conveniently misses the point that the same election
process that awards him the self-adulatory win against his MDC-CCC adversaries
is the one that equally lands him a drubbing. Yet he has the temerity to
disparage ZEC each time he opens his lips. All because the sulking and
right-wing fringe political elements in post-imperial London and Washington are
bent on never reconciling with independent and assertive Zimbabwe.
“A final remarkable feature is the electoral ‘wash out’ margin
loss of the MDC-CCC in the historical rural bastions of Zanu PF.
“This forebodes a dark cloud for Chamisa in his superficial aspirations for apex national leadership. The
by-elections clearly indicated diminishing appeal.
“There is a movement of a swelling rural vote and a
gathering urban appeal for President Mnangagwa. Then there is apathy and
confusion on the part of the core of MDC supporters whose party has been killed
by a nondescript CCC.
“National plebiscites subsist on a game of numbers. President
EDM looks like a rider on an unstoppable winning streak come 2023.” Herald
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