Zimbabwe’s fractured opposition have been urged to resolve their differences and come together in order to defeat the ruling Zanu PF party in the 2023 election.
The call was made by former Deputy Prime Minister in the
inclusive government, Arthur Mutambara, last Thursday during a virtual public
discussion hosted by the Southern Africa Political Economy Series (Sapes) Trust
under the topic The stampede towards 2023 Elections: Is history about to repeat
itself again in Zimbabwe?
Mutambara said the most important part of unity was its
mobilising effect. “When you are divided, you provide plausible rationale for
rigging. Don’t give the regime plausible rationale for rigging. Unity is more
than just adding the votes of your supporters,” he said.
In his analysis of the 2008 presidential election results,
where the late former President Robert Mugabe garnered 43,2%, the late MDC
leader Morgan Tsvangirai got 47,9%, and Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn’s Simba Makoni got
8%, Mutambara said Makoni’s votes could have guaranteed Tsvangirai outright
victory.
He said the divided opposition played host to a plausible
rational for a rigged outcome, adding that the difference between President
Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mugabe was the “violent politics exhibited by Mnangagwa,
who is quick to employ excessive force when confronted by a situation”.
The former Deputy Prime Minister said this was evident
after six civilians were shot dead on August 1, 2018, during post-election
protests and another 17 civilians shot during the January 2019 fuel riots,
according to human rights organisations.
“Mnangagwa believes in violence using falsified military
intelligence and they are using the same strategy against the opposition.
Mnangagwa is a man of limited ability and talents in every respect with
profound insecurity,” he said.
“He is a President who used to be a violent hatchet man for
Mugabe and now he is a hatchet man for himself who is an unimaginative,
primitive tribalist steeped in clansman politics.”
Mutambara said the opposition should push for effective
electoral reforms to guarantee free and fair polls.
Former Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo said
Zimbabwean elections since 1980 always had a disputed outcome.
He said the November 2017 military coup would have an
impact in the 2023 elections.
“There has been a very systematic programme by the
securocrats to shift politics from everyday engagement and contestation to a
security-driven process, where fear grips the nation. The State does not want
citizens to engage in political life,” Moyo said. Newsday
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