Source: Zanu PF warns opposition parties – DailyNews Live
Fungi Kwaramba 11 April 2017
HARARE – Zanu PF has warned opposition parties that they will face a rout
of epic proportions in the much-anticipated watershed elections next year
in which they are expected to participate as a coalition.
Speaking to the Daily News after retaining the Mwenezi East constituency
at the weekend, fit-again Zanu PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo said they
will bury the “disjointed” opposition with or without a coalition.
“The Mwenezi East by-election and previous by-elections send a clear
message to disorganised opposition parties that come 2018 harmonised
elections they would be buried forever.
“Instead of being cry babies and dreaming about a grand coalition they
should either disband and join Zanu PF or quit the world of politics
altogether,” Khaya Moyo told the Daily News.
“Zanu PF is a party on an irreversible mission. The landslide victory by
Zanu PF in the Mwenezi East by-election speaks volumes of a well-oiled
machine.
“Zanu PF is a people’s party with an eloquent history of liberating this
country. Under the tried and tested leadership of president Mugabe, Zanu
PF has delivered land to its rightful owners, the black majority of this
nation. Unlike the frustrated and disgruntled opposition parties, Zanu PF
has principles, sound policies and programmes which address people’s
lives,” added Khaya Moyo.
Zanu PF retained the Mwenezi East seat when its candidate, Joosbi Omar,
secured 18 700 votes against the poor showing of candidates from the
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and the Free Zimbabwe Congress
party who polled 482 and 386 votes, respectively.
The weekend’s mini-poll was marred by allegations of intimidation,
partisan food distribution and massive confusion on the voting day.
This led to opposition parties to warn that the chaos and irregularities
witnessed in the by-election – which had an unusually high voter turnout
despite the warring Zanu PF contesting against little known opponents –
were a bad omen for 2018.
“Zanu PF knows that they are deeply unpopular with the masses. So, what
the regime has done is to ring-fence rural areas and to use chiefs and
other traditional leaders as its political commissars.
“Villagers are commandeered into voting for Zanu PF to continue to stay
safely in their villages and to continue accessing food aid and other
assistance from the government.
“In other words, Zanu PF is abusing the people’s poverty and destitution
that it created. People in rural areas are vulnerable to intimidation
because they are constantly reminded of the June 2008 violence in which
many people were killed and maimed, but no culprit was ever brought to
book.
“The Zanu PF regime is now harvesting from this state of fear and
hopelessness,” MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said.
As if to underline the chaos which beset the Mwenezi East by-election,
where many voters were turned away, even Omar was among those who
struggled to vote on the day.
He was only able to cast his vote at the third attempt, after travelling
almost 20 kilometres from the original polling station that he had
visited.
The build-up to the by-election had also been sullied by allegations of
vote-buying – which forced one of the better known candidates, Kudakwashe
Bhasikiti, to withdraw from the contest.
Civil society group, Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) reported
“widespread confusion” at polling stations, leading to many voters being
turned away.
Zesn said most of the confusion arose as a result of poor voter education
on the polling station-based voters’ roll, which resulted in many voters
turning up at the wrong polling stations.
COMMENTS