THE ruling Zanu PF party has embraced bulk messaging as
part of its cocktail of campaign platforms to reach out to the electorate ahead
of this year’s general elections.
After recently launching the #EDhasmyvote campaign, the
ruling party opened a Twitter handle and Facebook page for its presidential
candidate, Emmerson Mnangagwa, with the bulk messaging platform targeting rural
supporters who would be provided with handsets incompatible with social
networking site, WhatsApp.
Bulk messaging and WhatsApp have proved effective tools to
win the hearts and minds of the rural electorate, according to the
parliamentary candidate for Chivi South, Killer Zivhu, who beat the incumbent
legislator, Mafios Wutete in the party primaries held recently.
And Zivhu, outgoing chairman of Chivi Rural District
Council (RDC), says he sold the idea to the Zanu PF commissariat and hoped the
party will adopt it for campaigning countrywide.
Speaking at a farewell for longest serving Chivi
councillor, Alderman Tafirei Mhosva last week, Zivhu said: “It is no longer a
matter of how much you spend on the electorate. Take the electorate seriously,
because money is not enough. You can spend money and slaughter a beast, splash
goodies yet you can still lose. That does not translate to votes. People just
come for the food and regalia and you will be shocked when the results come,
like what happened to many during the primaries.
“Now, it is about reaching out to the people, interfacing
with them, talking to them and convincing them in small manageable groups. You
do that through social media, creating WhatsApp groups for all the people in
the constituency. For those not using WhatsApp, you turn to bulk messaging.
“This is what made me win in these primary polls. I thought
of this strategy late after realising I was shooting in the dark despite being
on the ground and donating a lot. Bulk messaging worked for me. This is the
method we want to use. This method works. It’s effective and cheap. I appealed
to many people and you also talk to them and answer questions if it’s WhatsApp,
unlike at a rally where you may not have the chance to get people’s thoughts.
Those who do not know how to do group messaging, we will teach you.
“This is no time for complacency. Start convincing your
relatives, family and friends, don’t force them,” he said.
Mnangagwa is expected to slug it out against a record 120
other presidential aspirants, although the Zanu PF leader and his MDC Alliance
counterpart have been touted as the front runners. Newsday
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