http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in News,
Politics
PROSPECTS of a grand coalition of major political parties in the
country to
push President Robert Mugabe from power in this month’s elections
have
faltered because of fights over leadership positions, sources have
said.
REPORT BY PHYLLIS MBANJE
There had been moves by MDC-T, MDC,
Zapu, Zanu Ndonga and
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn in recent weeks to forge alliance
to enable the ouster
of the 89-year-old leader who has been ruling for over
three decades.
Sources said the grand coalition failed to materialise
because of
disagreements over the allocation of parliamentary seats and the
leadership
structure.
The MDC led by Welshman Ncube on Friday formed
and announced a separate pact
with Dumiso Dabengwa’s Zapu in
Bulawayo.
Speaking to journalists in Bulawayo last week, Ncube and
Dabengwa said they
were not closing the door on Tsvangirai but would only
“engage MDC-T in the
event of a presidential run-off”.
Dabengwa said
when Tsvangirai approached them he had a plan already, which
unfortunately
was “not acceptable”.
He also alluded to the fact that the MDC-T delayed
in approaching them with
the idea of a coalition.
‘leaders
short-change electorate’
University of Zimbabwe lecturer, Professor Greg
Lennington said it was a
pity that the parties were failing to form a solid
pact that would increase
their chances of booting out Zanu PF.
“It is
very disappointing that the parties will not stand as one large
group. This
is bound to split the votes,” said Lennington. “It is not fair
on their
supporters who have to stand and watch while their leaders make
such a
blunder.”
“We have been in discussion with Ncube since December and
Tsvangirai only
approached me four days after the Constitutional Court
ruling on elections,
surely there was no time for discussions,” he
said.
The court last week ruled that elections be held on July 31, in
line with
Mugabe’s proclamation.
Although there seemed to be a
general consensus to field Tsvangirai as the
Presidential candidate, other
posts like that of the vice-presidents have
remained
unresolved.
While MDC-T deputy president Thokozani Khupe has maintained
that she would
not relinquish her post to MDC leader Welshman Ncube, the
latter has
complained that as a senior member he should get a top
post.
MDC-T spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka said his party was very clear
on the
issue of “like-minded” individuals coming together for a common
purpose.
“My boss [Tsvangirai] has clearly said that for the benefit of
the
electorate, it is better for those of a like mind to rally
together.”
He, however, could not be drawn to shed light on the grand
coalition saying
he was reading about it in the newspapers like everyone
else.
A senior MDC-T official, who requested anonymity yesterday, however
ruled
out the possibility of a grand coalition before this month’s
make-or-break
elections.
“People should wake up to the reality that
there won’t be a grand coalition
involving Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube,”
said the official.
“The two have never attended a meeting where they
discussed that issue.
There is no agreement in place.”
The official
also dismissed reports that Tendai Biti would take over from
Khupe as MDC-T
vice-president.
“The reports by the State media that Tendai Biti will
replace Thokozani
Khupe as vice-president are hogwash. Khupe was elected at
congress and Biti
is secretary-general, I really don’t know where this is
coming from.”
MDC secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, in
an interview after
filing Ncube’s nomination papers, said no one had
approached them to talk
“about a coalition”.
“No one has approached
us to talk about a coalition. We have only been
reading it in the papers,”
she said.
But other analysts speculated that the Ncube-Dabengwa
mini-alliance was a
prequel to the grand coalition of all the five parties
which is to be
announced this week.
They said the two staged the
event to throw off the scent of their real
strategy.
Obert Gutu, who
announced last week he had been appointed Tsvangirai’s chief
election agent,
yesterday afternoon hinted that negotiations for the grand
coalition were
ongoing. He wrote on his Facebook wall: “And who said the
grand coalition
has flopped? Surely, surely the gods must be crazy! This
morbid campaign of
misinformation and disinformation will drive some people
nuts.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in News, Politics
DISGRUNTLED
Zanu PF and MDC-T candidates contesting the July 31 elections as
independents have little chance of winning or affecting the final outcome as
they are marginal vote getters, analyst have said.
BY PATRICE
MAKOVA
But others said although they rarely win elections, independents
can act as
spoilers and split votes, especially when the candidate is
strong, or when
the race between the two other contenders is especially
close.
At least four Zanu PF members are contesting as independent
candidates after
they were either blocked or allegedly robbed of victory in
the primary
elections.
These include Marian Chombo (Zvimba North),
Daniel Garwe (Murehwa North),
lawyer Jonathan Samukange (Mudzi South) and
Nokuthula Matsikinye
(Chimanimani).
A number of disgruntled MDC-T
members are also in the race as independent
candidates.
These include
journalist-turned politician, Geoff Nyarota (Makoni South) and
three former
legislators Moses Mare (Chiredzi West), Felix Magalela Sibanda
(Magwegwe)
and Samuel Sandla Khumalo (Pelandaba-Mpopoma).
Although most of the
candidates were beaming with confidence, analysts said
history has proven
that independents have never made an impact as they do
not have adequate
resources in a country where politics is largely
party-centred.
Since
Independence in 1980, only two candidates with strong links to Zanu PF
have
made it into Parliament as independents.
Political activist, Margret
Dongo won in Harare South in 1995, while
Jonathan Moyo won in Tsholotsho
North in the 2005 and 2008 elections after
Zanu PF had blocked
them.
Political analyst, Alois Masepe said independent candidates have no
place in
Zimbabwean politics where there was a contestation between the past
and a
new order.
“It’s either we maintain the status quo and vote for
the revolutionary party
[Zanu PF] which does not want to change or we choose
another party
[MDC-T]which is promising change,” he said.
University
of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure said
the
independent candidate’s phenomenon was not a big feature in the July 31
polls, unlike in 2008 when they constituted 13% of contenders.
He
said already a number of independent candidates including suspended Zanu
PF
Manicaland provincial chairman Mike Madiro (Mutare North) and his deputy,
Dorothy Mabika (Chipinge central) have chickened out, with indications that
more are to follow suit.
“Their ripple effect is not going to be a
whirlwind or political tsunami
because numerically they are in the minority
and therefore only a few
constituencies will potentially be affected by the
spoiler effect,”
Masunungure said.
Oxford University lecturer,
Phillan Zamchiya said the manner in which the
party primary elections were
held disadvantaged Zanu PF more than MDC-T when
it comes to independent
candidates.
Zanu PF allowed all card-carrying members to vote in
primaries, with some
losing candidates garnering up to 3 500 votes. The
MDC-T on the other hand
had a clearly defined small electoral
college.
“These thousands of people who voted for the Zanu PF candidates
carry the
emotional vote. They tend to be emotionally attached to a
candidate and can
again vote for him or her come elections,” he
said.
“For the MDC-T, there isn’t that emotional vote because an
electoral college
voted. Even the branches did not vote in the
primaries.”
Political analyst, Clever Bere said independent candidates
have performed
badly in previous elections, save for being
spoilers.
He said even the likes of political scientist Ibbo Mandaza, in
his Mazowe
backyard, only managed to poll 446 votes as an independent
candidate in
2008.
Law lecturer, Munyaradzi Gwisai, who ran as
independent candidate in
Highfield after being expelled by MDC-T, polled a
paltry 73 votes in a
by-election in 2003 compared to the 12 336 he garnered
in the 2000 polls
when he was the party’s official candidate.
“Given
this trend, and also the Zimbabwean political landscape in which
candidates
are mainly viewed not in terms of who they are and what they are
offering to
the electorate, but the party ticket they are carrying,” said
Bere. “I
foresee a continuation of the dismal performance of independent
candidates.”
However, he said although they have failed to garner
enough votes to win
seats, they have been spoilers. Bere said in
constituencies where parties
have fielded two candidates or where a member
decides to contest as an
independent, they have caused the splitting of
votes.
The political analyst cited the 2008 elections where the MDC-T
fielded two
candidates in many constituencies in the Midlands, resulting in
the party
losing 21 of the 28 seats in the province to Zanu PF.
“This
is the reason why parties in the GPA have adopted the position of
candidates
having to have their nomination papers signed by senior
leadership,” he
said.
Bere foresees parties trying hard to convince their members to pull
out
before July 12.
Politics a numbers game
Political analyst
George Makoni said the issue of independent candidates
should not be taken
for granted.
He said with the 50% +1 vote requirement as stipulated by
the constitution,
no political party or individual can afford to lose even a
single vote,
particularly in the Presidential race.
Makoni said in
the 2008 harmonised elections, Mavambo/Kusile leader Simba
Makoni who was an
independent candidate, got 8% of the total vote which was
in any measure
very significant.
“Independent candidates give the disgruntled electorate
an alternative and
usually party supporters prefer to give a vote to a
‘rebel’ for he/she
shares their frustration,” he said.
Makoni said
for some supporters, it was difficult to totally cross the floor
to the
other end, hence they preferred to cast the vote for someone who used
to
share the same ideology with them.
He said this would disadvantage
political parties especially in swing
constituencies, citing Bikita West in
2008, where 20 votes separated Heya
Shoko (MDC-T) and Elias Musakwa (Zanu
PF), with an independent candidate who
campaigned under the Simba Makoni
banner garnering 90 votes.
“If it had so happened that there was no
independent candidate, the result
could have been totally different,” said
Makoni.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in Local,
News
ZIMBABWE goes to polls in three weeks’ time with the scales tilting
in
favour of Zanu PF as no major reforms were enacted to level the playing
field since the violent and disputed elections in 2008, analysts have
said.
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
The confirmation by the Constitutional
Court (ConCourt) last week that
harmonised elections be held at the end of
this month effectively ruled out
the possibility of the reforms being
implemented before the polls.
It said the polls should take place on July
31 in line with a proclamation
by President Robert Mugabe.
The
analysts also said reforms were no longer possible because Parliament
was
dissolved last month before it had enacted a raft of democratic reforms
that
could have ensured that elections are held in a free and fair
environment.
The current environment, they noted, favours Zanu PF as
it controls the
electoral systems, State media and security forces that have
propped Mugabe
in past elections.
A Sadc summit held in Mozambique
last month directed that amendments to the
Electoral Act which had been made
into law by Mugabe using the Presidential
Powers (Temporal Measures) Act be
brought to parliament for debate and
adoption.
It also called for the
appointment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to deal
with implementation of
agreed issues on media reform, monitoring of hate
speech in all media and
that security forces publicly restate their
commitment to the rule of law
and adherence to the constitution.
There were supposed to be amendments
to the Public Order and Security Act
(Posa), Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa), the
Broadcasting Act and section 121 of
the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act
before the elections.
Most of
the recommendations of the summit were never carried out.
MDC-T
spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said the dismissal of applications by
the
Constitutional Court to postpone elections would disenfranchise a lot of
people as the time for voter registration was limited.
He said the
MDC-T wanted elections pushed further to ensure reforms were
implemented
before the elections.
“The main reason why the MDC was seeking an
extension was to allow
Zimbabweans to be allowed more time to register as
voters as well as to make
sure that reforms which would have a bearing on
the freeness and fairness of
the election were done,” said
Mwonzora.
Zanu PF has already ruled out the possibility of reforms before
elections.
Youth Agenda Trust (YAT), a local organisation that seeks to
enhance the
qualitative participation of youth in the political and
socio-economic
discourse of Zimbabwe, also expressed concern over biased
coverage of
political parties by the State media.
“We also note with
dismay the unprofessional conduct of State media which
has failed to reform
and has continued on a warpath with other political
parties that are not
Zanu PF,” said YAT.
“We feel that until there is fair media coverage in
the state media, there
is no credible election that we can talk
about.”
YAT said it was disappointed that Zanu PF continued to shield the
security
sector from undergoing democratic transformation.
It said
service chiefs continue to undermine other principals to the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) other than Mugabe.
Police Commissioner
General Augustine Chihuri and Zimbabwe Defence Forces
Commander General
Constantine Chiwenga have said they will not allow anyone
without liberation
credentials to rule the country.
“We maintain that all individuals in the
security sector remain answerable
to civilian authority and anyone who acts
contrary to the dictates of the
people is not fit for public office,” said
YAT. “We therefore feel that
unless there is security sector realignment,
there will be no free and fair
elections to talk about.”
But
Political analyst Shakespear Hamauswa believes that if campaigning is
done
in a free and fair environment, the reforms would not matter much.
“What
reforms do they [MDCs] want in two weeks when they failed to implement
them
in the past three year?” said Hamauswa.
But another political analyst,
Dumisani Nkomo said going for elections
without enacting reforms was a slap
in the face of Sadc, which has been
pushing for the changes to ensure free
and fair elections.
“It also undermines the credibility of the electoral
process and the
outcome,” said Nkomo.
Mugabe on Friday at the launch
of his party’s manifesto attacked Sadc saying
Zimbabwe would walk out of the
regional grouping if “it decides to do stupid
things”, a clear indication
that the 89-year-old leader has very little
respect for the
organisation.
In 2003, Mugabe pulled the country out of the Commonwealth,
protesting
Zimbabwe’s suspension from the group after an election widely
seen as
flawed.
Nkomo said Zanu PF was pushing for early elections
because it was banking on
the support of the security services.
“So
far, quite a number of soldiers and police officers have been asked to
apply
special votes which Zanu PF hopes to manipulate,” he said.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in Local, News
ZANU
PF’S 2013 election campaign manifesto which focuses on indigenisation
and
empowerment was launched on Friday but the theme appears to centre on
the
same old issues at the core of the party’s campaigns in the past few
elections.
BY PATRICE MAKOVA
The manifesto, themed Indigenise,
Empower, Develop and Create Employment,
outlines 22 key goals set to define
the party’s policies over the next five
years.
They include the usual
mantra of independence, sovereignty, respect for the
values and ideals of
the liberation struggle, patriotism, employment,
housing and economic
prosperity.
In the manifesto, Zanu PF also revels in past
achievements.
These include the attainment of independence, the signing of
the Unity
Accord between Zanu PF and the late vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s
Zapu, the
land reform programme, education, health, gender advancement and
security.
But the 108-page document, launched amid fanfare at Zimbabwe
Grounds in
Highfield, does not refer to the promises the party made in
2008.
The manifesto says the cornerstone of Zanu PF’s reform programme that
would
drive government work over the next five years is indigenisation and
economic empowerment.
“The essence of the policy is to take back the
economy by indigenising at
least 51% of the shareholding of at least 1 138
foreign-owned companies and
unlocking empowerment value from idle assets of
proven mineral claims and
others in the hands of parastatals and local
authorities to enable
indigenous Zimbabweans to own 100% of business
enterprises across the
economy,” reads the manifesto.
The document
says the direct beneficiaries were not well-connected
individuals or
political elites but employees of indigenising companies
through Employee
Share Ownership Schemes, communities hosting these
companies through
Community Ownership Schemes and the general public through
the Sovereign
Wealth Fund.
But despite these claims, evidence on the ground shows that
indigenisation
was benefitting only those who were politically
connected.
This is confirmed by reports of Zanu PF bigwigs grabbing
shares in
companies, mines and conservancies under the guise of
indigenisation.
Just like in the 2005 and 2008 elections, the 2013 manifesto
promised
government would build 1,25 million houses to clear the national
housing
backlog.
The promise has however to date remained a pipe
dream as no tangible
residential development has taken place since 2005 when
thousands of urban
dwellers were displaced under a so- called clean up
exercise dubbed
Operation Murambatsvina.
The manifesto promises that
Zanu PF would create 2,2 million jobs over the
next five years by unlocking
value from idle assets worth at least US$1,8
trillion of mineral claims or
reserves.
Zanu PF also promises in its manifesto to embark on special
projects, among
them a US$19,5 million Presidential Scholarship
Programme.
The party said the selection was national, non-partisan and
empowers
applications from intellectually, socially and economically
disadvantaged
backgrounds.
But the programme has reportedly largely
benefitted children of Zanu PF
officials while student movements have said
the resources should otherwise
be used to capacitate financially struggling
local colleges and
universities.
The manifesto also promises a US$300
million Presidential Agricultural Input
Support Scheme. It also promises to
establish a Harare Stock Exchange to
provide a platform for exclusive
participation by indigenous individuals and
100% indigenous
companies.
Zanu PF faces stiff competition from MDC-T led by Prime
Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai in the July 31 election.
If the party
wins, it remains to be seen whether it will deliver this time
around.
Party promises chiefs huge payouts
Traditional chiefs
have also been promised US$27 million from a Presidential
Support Programme
in recognition of their role as the custodians of the
country’s culture,
tradition and values.
Under the programme, each chief would be allocated
a Presidential Support
Fund of US$20 000 per year. Traditional leaders are
known for openly
supporting Zanu PF, but the new Constitution bars them from
being partisan.
In the past they have received vehicles, allowances and
other freebies amid
accusations that this was meant to buy their
support.
Zanu PF points fingers elsewhere in the face of failure to
deliver set goals
The manifesto also outlines several threats which it
says stand in the way
of achieving its 22 goals.
These include
Western sanctions which the party says are a threat to
national security.
The party claims that sanctions have cost the country
US$42
billion.
“The cost of sanctions in terms of their negative contribution
to political
tensions and polarisation of views in the country, economic
decline, the
deterioration of physical and social infrastructure, poverty
and
unemployment are incalculable,” the document says.
Zanu PF also
identifies what it calls “treachery” by over 3 000
non-governmental
organisations and religious groups which regularly organise
peace prayer
meetings, accusing them of embarking on a “Regime Change”
agenda.
“Particularly egregious in this regard is the fact that over
the last four
years during the life of the GPA government, some US$2,6
billion has been
poured into these NGOs to support nefarious activities that
have been
camouflaged by sanitised language of humanitarian and development
assistance
to cover up sinister regime change intentions,” reads the
manifesto.
“The US$2,6 billion has been disbursed via opaque parallel
budgeted channels
that are not accountable and which have been used to
damage national
accounts and Treasury process.”
Zanu PF also
identifies donor support to the education and health sectors as
a threat to
its goals. It accuses donors of pouring funds to the Ministry of
Education,
Sport, Arts and Culture and that of Health and Child Welfare
headed by Henry
Madzorera because they were controlled by former opposition
officials.
The party accused Education minister, David Coltart of
running a parallel
structure called the Education Transition Fund (ETF)
which it says has
received over US$200 million since 2009.
The
manifesto says the ETF has been used to bribe and corrupt headmasters,
teachers, and provincial and district education officials, some of whom it
claims, were now hostile to Zanu PF and openly supporting MDC.
But
despite the claims, evidence on the ground shows that both the health
and
education sectors stabilised under the leadership of Madzorera and
Coltart
respectively. Since they took over after the near-collapse of the
health and
education sectors, hospitals have been restocked with drugs,
equipment and
qualified staff, while schools now have teachers, books and
children have
gone back to school.
The Zanu PF manifesto says for the past four years,
the country witnessed a
sharp and worrisome rise of reports and incidents of
corruption in the
public, private, professionals, NGO’s and religious
sectors, including local
authorities.
But the document does not
mention allegations of rampant corruption by Zanu
PF officials which
prompted the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission to
investigate some bigwigs
and certain government departments.
The anti-corruption watchdog was
blocked by Zanu PF from arresting suspects
and making further
investigations.
Even President Robert Mugabe at Zanu PF’s annual national
people’s
conference held in Gweru last year admitted that some from his
inner
circles, including cabinet ministers, were corrupt to the core,
warning that
they faced arrest.
However, no action has been taken
against them over six months after the
threat.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in News,
Politics
FISSURES within Zanu PF continue to widen despite an impassioned
plea by
President Robert Mugabe for the party to unite as it prepares for a
“do or
die” battle on July 31.
REPORT BY OUR STAFF
Mugabe said
at the launch of the Zanu PF 2013 election manifesto on Friday
that his
party would only be able to “bury its enemy” in the July 31 polls
provided
its members maintain cohesiveness.
But sources said although most
officials were now agreeable to avoiding
Bhora Musango (protest vote), the
fallout from the recent primary elections
marred by allegations of vote
rigging and imposition of candidates continue
to unravel in the
party.
A politburo source said party officials from different factions in
Zanu PF
were using different foras to exchange unpleasantries over the
manner in
which their loyalists were unfairly treated during the
primaries.
“There are even allegations that the faction loyal to Emmerson
Mnangagwa
[Defence minister] used soldiers to prop up its candidates during
the
primaries and this has caused further acrimony in the party. These
allegations are however yet to be proved,” said the source.
The issue
of the two former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) senior staffers,
Munyaradzi
Kereke and Elias Musakwa, who were both nominated as Zanu PF
candidates for
the Bikita West constituency has further divided the party.
The official
said although party spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo last week said
Musakwa was
the sole party candidate, the issue was far from being resolved.
The
legal department headed by Mnangagwa and Justice minister, Patrick
Chinamasa
was allegedly summoned by the Presidium and instructed to write to
the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to withdraw Kereke’s nomination.
But
the Zanu PF official said the two allegedly explained that this was no
longer legally possible as it was the party which had authorised both
candidates to stand when the nomination court sat on June 28.
“What
is therefore likely to happen is that the two remain official Zanu PF
candidates, but the party will only provide financial backing to Musakwa,”
said the politburo member.
Kereke could not be reached for comment
yesterday, but last week a number of
Bikita-based organisations placed an
advertisement saying he was the true
representative of the party having won
the primaries by a wide margin as
announced by the provincial elections
directorate.
Kereke is allegedly linked to the Mnangagwa faction while
Musakwa is said to
be connected to a rival one loyal to Vice-President Joice
Mujuru.
But both Mujuru and Mnangagwa have repeatedly distanced themselves
from any
factions in Zanu PF.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Gumbo
said he could not talk as he was
driving.
But on Friday he confirmed
to our sister paper, the Zimbabwe Independent
that the issue of
irregularities in the primary elections divided the party
and impacted
negatively on the forthcoming elections.
He however said the party had
agreed that the problems were now water under
the bridge for the sake of
forging a common ground.
SUCCESSION BATTLE RAGES ON
A Zanu PF
official said fissures have also emerged over security sector
reforms with
some senior members clandestinely pushing for the reform of the
partisan
army, police and intelligence services.
“They fear that when Mugabe
eventually leaves power, they will not be able
to control these security
chiefs. That is why they are supporting calls by
other political parties for
security sector reforms. This has angered the
hardliners in the party who
want to maintain the status quo,” said the
official.
The official
said battle lines have also been drawn in the event that Zanu
PF wins the
elections, with one faction preferring 89-year-old Mugabe to
retire
immediately after elections due to old age and another favouring that
he
clings on to power.
He said although the new constitution stipulated that
the winning party
provides a nominee in the event of the elected President
retiring or being
incapacitated; the faction with the majority MPs would
carry the day as
Parliament would sit as an electoral college.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in News, Politics
The
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), has demanded US$165 000 in
order to
give a live coverage of the MDC-T party’s manifesto launch by Prime
Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera today.
REPORT BY MOSES
CHIBAYA
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka said the premier had
written to
the broadcaster requesting coverage for their party
event.
“Yesterday, we wrote to the ZBC in line with the new constitution
and in the
spirit of the ZEC regulations after we noted that they gave live
coverage of
[President Robert] Mugabe,” said Tamborinyoka.
Part of
the MDC-T letter to ZBC reads: “We would hope that you would also
attend our
launch at Rudhaka Stadium on Sunday. You would also give us live
coverage in
the spirit of impartiality and fairness.”
But in response, ZBC sent a
quotation of US$165 000 to cover the launch,
said Tamborinyoka.
He
said the premier turned down the quotation, arguing that the money that
was
being required did not meet the standards of ZBC.
“Thank you for
responding to our invitation, however, your invoice quoted
for US$165 000 as
coverage fee is in our opinion not competitive and grossly
unfair given that
as a State broadcaster, the constitution requires that you
give equal and
fair coverage to all political players at this time of
election
campaigning,” wrote Tsvangirai to ZBC.
He added: “We do not believe that
we are being treated fairly and equally
with other players in particular
Zanu PF as required by the constitution. We
are aware that Zanu PF did not
pay for the coverage of their campaign launch
at Zimbabwe Grounds on Friday
5 July 2013.
“The action by the national broadcaster is unacceptable and
totally
deplorable, your attitude towards us and your expectation that we
pay for
live broadcasting grossly and negatively affects the impartiality
and
non-partisanship expected of a public broadcaster.”
Tamborinyoka
said the attitude of ZBC showed the need of media reforms and
would affect
the freeness and fairness of the forthcoming election.
Meanwhile,
thousands of Zimbabweans are expected to gather at Rudhaka
Stadium to
witness the launch being held under the theme Moving to More.
MDC-T
secretary general Tendai Biti said the event marks the beginning of
real
transformation in Zimbabwe.
“The event is a historic event which is going
to set an agenda for action
for real transformation in Zimbabwe. It’s going
to be key, unlike the tired
mortuary situations that we witnessed yesterday,
we are going to see energy,
we are going to see clarity, we are going to see
commitment to delivery,” he
said.
Biti predicted that Tsvangirai
would garner 78 % of the Presidential vote.
The party’s national
organising secretary, Nelson Chamisa said everything
was now in place for
the event.
“All roads lead to Rudhaka Stadium. We are ready for the
occasion, our
structures are rearing to go. We are on the move; we are
moving to more;
moving to more jobs; moving to more hospitals and moving to
more
opportunities,” he said.
Chamisa said thousands are expected to
throng the stadium because “this is
the launch; this is the beginning of a
journey that will culminate in our
president being crowned the Head of
State”.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in News, Politics
ZAPU
yesterday launched its July 31 election manifesto at Stanley Square in
Bulawayo where MDC leader Welshman Ncube was a key speaker.
REPORT BY
SILAS NKALA
MDC and Zapu on Friday sealed an election pact that will see
the two parties
helping each other during the harmonised polls.
Zapu
president Dumiso Dabengwa said his party was ready to take over power
and
the forthcoming polls provided a perfect platform.
“Since our revival,
the so-called political commentators and the media have
tried to discount
us,” he said. “Even Baba Jukwa [a faceless Facebook
character] is saying we
are 1%,” he said.
“We are here to launch our manifesto. Zapu is there to
fight for people’s
will, which means under Zapu people must not be afraid to
express concern in
local authorities and government.”
Dabengwa said
Zapu members had been pushing for a coalition with the MDC.
“According to
what we agreed on, Zapu will support and vote for MDC
candidates in
constituencies where Zapu has no candidates and the same with
the MDC,” he
said.
“We have vowed not to leave each other, me and Welshman Ncube and I
told him
that if he does so, I will deal with him and if I do leave him, he
must deal
with me.”
Dabengwa said they also agreed that they would
not have any other coalition
with other parties without first agreeing as an
alliance.
“If there are some who want to join us, they are free to do so.
For instance
MDC- T and Mavambo/Kusile/ Dawn are welcome if they want to
join us,” he
said.
But Dabengwa revealed that he would not withdraw from
the presidential race
to support Ncube’s candidature.
“People did not
want me to step down even though I wanted to do so,” he
said.
“So we
agreed with MDC that whenever one of us wins and does not have an
outright
win prompting a runoff, the party of the one who lost will back the
winner.”
He said Zapu had 40 parliamentary candidates in the southern
region and six
in the northern region.
On the other hand, MDC has
about 200 parliamentary candidates across the
country and this means that
Zapu will back over 100 MDC candidates in the
elections.
“In Bulawayo
we have discussed with our candidates to see if they can step
down for MDC
candidates but most of them said they were prepared to contest
and only one
Rodger Muhlwa of Bulawayo said he respects the MDC candidate
for Bulawayo
East David Coltart and stepped down for him,” said Dabengwa.
Ncube told
the same gathering that his party shard the same values and
principles with
Zapu such as devolution.
“We know we got independence but we are still
not free,” he said. “We remain
in bondage in the prison called Zimbabwe. In
this election, we must free
ourselves.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in Opinion
With Zimbabwe
unavoidably entering a new era, there is a disturbing trend
which must be
nipped in the bud before it cascades into a new Zimbabwe. With
about a third
of Zimbabwe’s population now domiciled abroad for various
reasons, the main
one being the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, it makes
sense to be engaged
with this constituency.
Report by Tendai Kwari
Clearly it wasn’t
by choice that many of those languishing abroad find
themselves in that
predicament. Many long to be home with their loved ones.
Yet we are
witnessing a very pernicious cancer whereby those in the diaspora
are now
being considered a different people. They are not real Zimbabweans
anymore
by virtue of geography.
Despite the fact that many are entitled to
Zimbabwean citizenship according
to the new constitution, holding exiled
Zimbabweans with suspicion and
disdain continues unabated. Instead of
harnessing the skills and knowledge
gained abroad, Zimbabweans find
themselves demonised and antagonised; their
contribution is not valued.
Worryingly, this is vented not at a personal,
but mainly at institutional
level.
Recently, this trend has reached stratospheric levels. It started
with the
denial of the postal vote to the many Zimbabweans abroad.
Surprisingly, even
the so-called democratic forces including the MDCs could
not help to secure
the diaspora vote despite the fact that they are part and
parcel of the
government of national unity. As a result, many Zimbabweans in
exile won’t
be voting in the most important election post-independence. Just
recently,
the constitutional Court threw out a case filed by an exiled
Zimbabwean
trying to secure the diaspora vote. What is worrisome is that
even the
supposed democratic forces have become part of this
disenfranchisement ploy.
The fear and mistrust of the diaspora has
clouded the judgement of
Zimbabwean leaders and institutions to the
detriment of the country. The
chorus of just removing President Robert
Mugabe at any cost without taking a
closer look at those meant to replace
him might come back to haunt
Zimbabweans at some stage. Change at any cost
is not progressive.
Another victim of this syndrome has been Mutumwa
Mawere. After being
initially harangued for not having the right
identification papers, a case
he eventually won after going through a
lengthy process including through
the courts, we witnessed diaspora bashing
again when Mawere’s presidential
candidature was turned down through a
dubious technicality. Clearly, Mawere
has more means to sustain his bid than
some of the candidates.
We also witnessed the ill treatment of MDC
founding member Grace Kwinjeh in
Makoni Central. One can only feel sorry for
her having left Europe to try
and help her country. As I write, those
diasporas in the MDC-T who were
tired of being marginalised have grouped
together to form Zimbabwe Yes We
Can, an apolitical pressure group based in
the UK.
To conclude, as Zimbabwe approaches a new era, it is vitally
important that
Zimbabweans at home work closely with those in the diaspora
for the benefit
of our country. Viewing exiled Zimbabweans as terrorists
will not increase
the fortunes of the perpetrators but in actual fact
diminishes them as we
all suffer the negative consequences of such
treatment. We want to see
diasporas head hunted and included in the new
government of Zimbabwe after
the elections and also occupy strategic
positions in various institutions.
While there are various half-hearted
initiatives to try and engage the
diaspora, these are not doing enough due
to the reasons mentioned earlier.
Zimbabwe will benefit immensely by
including exiled Zimbabweans in its new
vision.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in Opinion
Youth
Agenda Trust (YAT) received the Constitutional Court ruling on the
holding
of elections on July 31 with shock and disgust and views it as one
that is
masked by a sinister political agenda and a serious assault on the
rights of
all Zimbabweans by denying them an opportunity for a credible,
free and fair
election.
REPORT BY YOUTH AGENDA TRUST
The ruling only serves to
show that the country’s judiciary is not
independent but one that is swayed
by the whims and caprices of selfish
politicians who want to ambush
Zimbabweans into a sham election motivated by
selfish political
interests.
The court verdict has confirmed widely-held beliefs that the
country’s
judiciary is being held to ransom by power-hungry individuals in
Zanu PF who
are not interested in a credible and transparent election but a
hurried
election that does not give the people an opportunity to unmask
electoral
fraud designed to steal the elections.
YAT insists that the
Thursday court judgement will go down in the history of
the country as a
black moment that marks the death of constitutional
democracy in the
country.
As YAT, we maintain that it is not possible for the country to
hold free and
fair elections on July 31.
The voter registration has
been deliberately designed to deny bona fide
citizens of this country their
right to vote. The voter registration process
has been one that has been
marred by poor administration and is custom-made
to frustrate potential
registrants. The time that has also been allocated to
register is not enough
as most people have either failed to cope with the
long and winding queues
and or have not had time to visit the centres in the
short period due to
other competing interests.
Despite the fact that elections are only three
and a half weeks away, there
has been no serious attempt by the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (ZEC) to
educate Zimbabweans on the impending
plebiscite and their right to vote. As
YAT, we feel that the information
blackout by ZEC has been deliberate and
meant to keep unsuspecting citizens
in the dark.
The country’s voters’ roll which is maintained by the
Registrar-General
remains the biggest fraud in the electoral history of the
country. It is
public knowledge that the country’s voters’ roll is a back-up
of the death
entry register where the dead are abused into manipulating
election results.
It is also in the public domain that the voters roll is
being used to mask
electoral fraud with a lot of people confirming that
their names are being
deliberately deleted from the list and replaced with
imaginary characters.
In short, the voters roll is not
credible.
Among the key reforms outlined in the Global Political
Agreement (GPA) are
the security sector and media reforms. YAT notes with
disappointment that
the Zanu PF side of government has continued to shield
the security sector
from undergoing democratic transformation. Service
chiefs who are civil
servants continue to undermine other principals to the
GPA by reiterating
that they will not cede power to anyone who is not from
Zanu PF. We maintain
that all individuals in the security sector remain
answerable to civilian
authority and anyone who acts contrary to the
dictates of the people is not
fit for public office. We therefore feel that
unless there is security
sector realignment, there will be no free and fair
elections to talk about.
We also note with dismay the unprofessional conduct
of state media which has
failed to reform and has continued on a warpath
with other political parties
that are not Zanu PF. We particularly refer to
the biased media coverage in
all news bulletins carried by ZBC and uncouth
articles that are being
published in The Herald, The Chronicle and The
Sunday Mail. We feel that
until there is fair media coverage in the state
media, there is no credible
election that we can talk about.
We also
note with disgust violence and intimidation that is being
perpetrated mostly
in rural communities by youth militia and state agents
who are openly
campaigning for Zanu PF. We feel that the use of force and
intimidation is a
serious issue that threatens the holding of free and fair
elections. Until
and unless there is peace and tranquillity in the country,
we cannot talk of
free and fair elections.
We have noted that Zanu PF continues to
monopolise state resources by using
them to further its interests. We saw
the party using officials from the
Zimbabwe Republic Police to conduct its
primary elections. We maintain that
as long as we have a partisan security
service and the manipulation of state
resources for political gain, we
cannot talk about free and fair elections.
It is because of the reasons
mentioned above that we believe we are not
ready to hold a credible
election. A free and fair election will remain a
pipe dream unless these
issues are addressed.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in Editorial
President Robert
Mugabe’s taunting of Lindiwe Zulu should not be dismissed
simply as hot air;
it is part of a grand plan which will become very clear
in the next few
weeks.
Report by Nevanji Madanhire
Zulu is the spokeswoman of the
Southern African Development Community
(Sadc)-appointed facilitation team
headed by South African President Jacob
Zuma. What she says obviously
reflects the thinking not only of her boss
Zuma, but also that of the
regional body that appointed him mediator to the
Zimbabwean
crisis.
In dismissing Zulu as “some stupid, idiotic woman”, Mugabe has
taken a stab
at Zuma himself and the regional body also. It’s simple; if
someone says of
George Charamba, Mugabe’s spokesman, he is “some stupid,
idiotic man” the
jibe cannot just end at Charamba.
Addressing
supporters who attended the launch of the Zanu PF manifesto at
Zimbabwe
Grounds on Friday, Mugabe cleverly juxtaposed his attack on Zulu
(and, as
corollary, Zuma) with praise for some members of Sadc whom he said
were
acquitting themselves well and therefore had “good sense”.
This
divide-and-rule approach to Sadc is all very common. The regional body
has
not been known to think homogenously; Mugabe has friends and foes in it.
It
is in his favour that the in-coming chairperson of Sadc is none other
than
Malawian President Joyce Banda who confessed to having been charmed by
the
old man during her recent state visit. His foes would include Botswana
President Ian Khama who is outspoken on the need for democracy in Zimbabwe.
The rest fall in between and can be swayed one way or the other.
It
would seem Zanu PF’s grand strategy is to prepare the nation for a
pull-out
from Sadc. This means Zanu PF wants to win the harmonised elections
at any
cost, pulling the country out of Sadc if the regional body
protests.
Mugabe said, “Let it be known that we are in Sadc voluntarily.
If Sadc
decides to do stupid things, we can move out.”
Mugabe pulled
Zimbabwe out of the Commonwealth in 2003 in similar
circumstances.
But what are the “stupid things” that Sadc could
do?
Sadc might insist the election roadmap, as agreed to in the Global
Political
Agreement (GPA), be followed to the letter and spirit before the
elections
are held, failure of which it could refuse to accept the result, a
precedent
it set when it condemned the bloody June 2008 presidential
election runoff.
At the summit in Maputo last month, Sadc reiterated the
importance of the
roadmap and had asked Mugabe to work towards an extension
by two weeks of
the period running up to the elections to facilitate the
implementation of
all reforms spelt out in the GPA.
Zanu PF has
refused to implement the reforms and has insisted elections will
be held on
July 31 with the playing field as skewed as it is. What this
means is that
the elections are already contrary to the Sadc principles
guiding free and
fair elections. Some of the hurdles to a free and fair
election are too
glaring for Sadc to ignore. The voters’ roll is in a mess
and hundreds of
thousands of people have been disenfranchised by a
frustrating voter
registration process whose duration was truncated to serve
a certain
purpose. Media reforms have not been made, meaning only Zanu PF
will have
limitless access to public newspapers, radio and television while
other
political players are blocked. The use of abusive language and hate
speech
against political opponents will continue unabated in the public
media.
Faced with such a lopsided playing field, competing political
parties —
especially the MDC-T — are sitting on the horns of dilemma: they
either
participate in the flawed poll or withdraw. Zanu PF seems to prefer,
or even
push for, the latter. The impunity with which they have treated Sadc
intervention so far indicates they are prepared to go it alone, hence
Friday’s
threat of a pull-out.
If they choose to boycott the
elections, competing parties — especially the
MDC-T — would have played
right into the hands of Zanu PF. If one of them —
say MDC-T — pulls out, the
elections could still have some legitimacy
because other parties would have
participated. Pulling out of the elections
could only work if all parties
competing against Zanu PF join the boycott;
hence Zanu PF is so afraid of
the mooted grand coalition.
On Friday Zanu PF was in panic mode when it
erroneously thought the grand
coalition had come to pass; state media went
into overdrive denouncing the
non-existent coalition.
But why is Zanu
PF so afraid of the grand coalition?
As stated above, the grand coalition
could pull out of the elections if the
playing field remains uneven, thereby
rendering the poll illegitimate in one
go in the face of Sadc, the African
Union and the world at large. This would
be a huge blow to Zanu PF’s grand
strategy of winning the elections at any
cost.
Zanu PF will therefore
encourage Professor Welshman Ncube’s MDC to keep out
of the grand coalition.
It seems to already have won Zanu Ndonga over to its
side. It would also be
happy to have former ally Dumiso Dabengwa run in the
presidential poll just
to give it a veneer legitimacy.
Another reason Zanu PF is afraid of the
grand coalition is that it would
surely deliver the whole Matabeleland vote
to Morgan Tsvangirai. This,
combined with what Tsvangirai would pick up in
Masvingo and Manicaland,
which he won in 2008, would make it very difficult
for Mugabe to win the
presidential election.
Recently held Zanu PF
primary elections showed the grand old party is deeply
divided. The idea of
an opposing coalition might be too juicy to resist for
some of its
disgruntled members who would happily kick the ball into the
forest (bhora
musango) during the match. Bhora musango is what affected
Mugabe’s chances
in March 2008 and history could repeat itself this month.
Zanu PF is
encouraged in its waywardness by events elsewhere on the
continent. The
weakness of the conflict resolution mechanism in Africa has
seen countries
as diverse as Madagascar and Central African Republic ruled
by rogue regimes
without any effective intervention. Only last week, all the
African Union
could do was to suspend Egypt in the face of an
unconstitutional removal by
the military from power of an elected
government. In Zimbabwe too, the
military element is very real and might
carry the day if the electoral
process collapses.
It is clear Mugabe and his party have something up
their sleeve.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw
July 7, 2013 in Editorial
Now that the
Constitutional Court has reaffirmed July 31 as the election
date,
campaigning for presidential, parliamentary and local government
elections
has officially started.
The Standard Editorial
On Friday, Zanu PF
launched its election manifesto in Highfield and the
MDC-T is launching
theirs today in Marondera. Other political parties are
also expected to
follow suit.
While Zanu PF and the MDC formations have co-existed
peacefully in
government for the past four years, that will count for
nothing in the days
to come unless politicians call for peace and avoid hate
speech and
inflammatory statements during their campaigns.
So far, it
doesn’t look good as President Robert Mugabe, who has preached
peace and
harmony in the past few months, has already reneged on his promise
and is
again ready to denounce his partners in government.
He chanted the
chilling slogan “Pasi neMDC” (Down with the MDC) when he
launched his
party’s manifesto. Without any provocation from Sadc, he also
shamefully
launched a tirade at South African President Jacob Zuma’s
international
relations advisor Lindiwe Zulu describing her as “some stupid,
idiotic
woman”.
Vice-President Joice Mujuru weighed in by castigating so-called
counter-revolutionaries and so did other Zanu PF politicians who denounced
the MDC formations.
What Mugabe and his protégés did was to set the
tone for a crackdown on all
those who are perceived to be anti-Zanu PF. When
political parties are
labelled puppets of the West, counter-revolutionaries
and other insulting
terms, party militias get an excuse to attack, harass,
beat up or murder
their supporters.
In the past, such inflammatory
statements encouraged militias, war veterans
and other youths to target MDC
supporters.
The new constitution guarantees people’s right to freedom of
assembly and
association. The President, as the chief upholder of the
constitution, has
an obligation to ensure a conducive atmosphere is created
for people to
exercise their democratic right to choose their leaders
without fear or
violence if we are to have an election whose outcome will
not be contested.
Hate-filled campaigns have no place in a democracy;
this is hardly the
message Mugabe sent out on Friday.
