Professor Jonathan Moyo’s recommendations that Dr Thokozani Khupe withdraw from running against Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, as the latter has a better chance of developing Cowdray Park, have been ridiculed by the opposition and several analysts who believe Zanu PF is to blame for underdevelopment in the city.
Khupe will most likely represent the Citizens Coalition for
Change (CCC) for the Cowdray Park seat, a contest in which Prof Moyo stated
that she “will be well advised not to take a dive into” because “Prof Ncube is
the best possible candidate for Cowdray Park and the region.”
Without disparaging Dr Khupe’s candidacy, Prof. Moyo
contended that elections should be won by the most qualified and
well-positioned candidates, in this case, the finance minister.
“It is manifestly clear that Prof Ncube deserves support
from everyone not only in Cowdray Park but also across the region, including
and particularly from Dr Khupe. It is not an indictment of Dr Khupe but an
acknowledgement of the objective reality on the ground in Cowdray Park and the
region that there is really hardly much that she would be able to do differently
or better now for either the constituency or the region which she has not been
able to do since 2000, when she first went to Parliament,” he said on his
Twitter platform.
Prof Moyo’s notions were, however, disputed by CCC Bulawayo
Provincial Spokesperson, Swithern Chirowodza.
“Ever since Jonathan Moyo made an offer to train polling
agents which the CCC was slow to respond to, he has been acidic on social media
and continues fighting with the CCC,” he said.
According to Chirowodza, there are some manipulative
elements that could lead to a Zanu PF victory in Cowdray but not on the basis
of merit.
“If Zanu PF had any
chances of winning Cowdray Park, it would be due to the allotment of stands
through the Garikai/Hlalali Kuhle housing saga, which gave stands to Border
Gezi recruits and the army. After Murambatsvina, the government pretended there
was a housing programme that benefitted citizens but it was designed to cushion
the army and Border Gezi graduates,” he claimed.
The displacement of people’s names on the voter’s roll said
Chirowodza, also reversed the gains made in trying to democratise the vote and
bring polling stations closer to people since voters previously travelled long
distances.
“Now the displacement of voters which looks deliberate is
something we think may bring false patterns and also the transportation of
voters from the rural areas to urban areas where they are not resident is most
likely to change patterns. Those are the most likely reasons that can cause an
upset in the voting patterns in Cowdray Park,” Chirowodza said.
“To suggest that Khupe will lose per se is to say Mthuli
Ncube has a better brand than Khupe. Ceteri paribus (all other things being
constant), if we, as CCC were to field a donkey against Mthuli Ncube, the CCC
donkey, will win because of the brand CCC.”
Political analyst, Bernard Magugu, felt Prof Moyo was
losing focus as development in the southwestern part of Zimbabwe had not come
under Zanu PF.
“Prof Moyo is an indirectly interested party because he
supports Zanu, so would always speak on their side. The idea in Bulawayo,
Matabeleland and Midlands provinces is to keep Zanu out of those provinces
because Zanu has been a great impediment and albatross in the development of
this country,” he said.
Magugu stated Zanu PF has been in power since 1980 but
“nothing has come out for people in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, Matabeleland,
Midlands and other provinces.”
“To allow Zanu to creep into power, there is a problem
there. Khupe must assist to keep Zanu out of Cowdray Park. Mthuli is keeping
civil servants hungry by paying them in RTGS when he himself does not pay
himself such.”
Another political expert, Effie Ncube, noted that Prof Moyo
was contributing to an ongoing, uncomfortable and “very” hard debate about the
politics of Matabeleland regarding the debilitating poverty, hunger and
unemployment in the region.
“This is a question that has been asked again and again,
albeit in hushed voices. Independence has not served the people of Matabeleland
and every election since has not delivered for the poorest of the poor,” Ncube
said.
“For example, independence brought the Gukurahundi genocide
and immense economic dislocation. The question is whether politics in the
region is responding to those lived realities or it is now responding to
external pressures and guidance at the cost of local interests.”
Ncube said every political party and people of Matabeleland
themselves must answer this question, of which at the top of that question was
the role of Zanu PF.
“The vote for Zanu PF in Matabeleland North and
Matabeleland South has not translated into development, freedom and justice
either. Needless to say, it is under the leadership of Zanu PF that
Matabeleland is at the tail-end of development. The poorest districts are in
Matabeleland. Extreme hunger and poverty are highest in Matabeleland. This is
not a result of opposition politics but rather a product of misgovernance at
national level,” he echoed.
“That said, thinking and acting locally in order to
influence nationally is a global trend. Local interests must come first. Any
politics that does not is useless politics.”
A local activist, Mbuso Fuzwayo, said it was unfortunate
for Prof Moyo to suggest that Prof Ncube will bring development to Cowdray Park
when the central government through Murambatsvina created the chaos seen in
that constituency.
“After causing chaos, they later handed it to council.
Mthuli, as the manager of the government purse, has failed to repair national
roads. The health sector is failing l don’t understand how he will develop a
constituency which must be developed by the local authority,” he said.
Critical studies scholar, Dr Khanyile Mlotshwa said he
could follow what Prof Moyo is trying to say but it was “nonsense considering
that Mthuli has failed to do anything for the people of Zimbabwe as Minister of
Finance.”
“What has he achieved? At least Dr Khupe managed to have
maternity fees waived at some point as Deputy Prime Minister. The women have
not forgotten that,” he said.
On the other hand, another commentator, Patrick Ndlovu said
Prof Moyo is “completely on point” and questioned what Dr Khuphe achieved for
Bulawayo since she went to Parliament over 20 years ago.
“It’s just a means of living for her and her family. Mthuli
hasn’t been in Parliament as a representative before. He has shown that he has
the financial muscle to do something for his constituency,” he said. CITE
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