MDC Alliance must break the fear factor in rural voters

THE 2023 polls, which both the ruling Zanu PF party and MDC Alliance want to win, will be determined by the rural vote.

With the majority of Zimbabweans generally resident in rural areas, Zanu PF always comes up with tactics to retain that vote.

The system of instilling fear in the rural voters is the biggest impediment to free and fair elections as voters are forced to cast their votes in favour of Zanu PF.

Fear of being beaten, murdered, tortured and fear of the unknown compel voters to vote for Zanu PF in the rural areas. This is what any serious opposition party must deal with in order to win the elections. Without that ,Zanu PF will continue to rule the roost.

There is so much fear of Zanu PF violence in the rural areas to the extent that people opt to vote for a clueless party for the sake of peace.

Fast-track land reform programme beneficiaries cannot freely cast their votes as they are always threatened with eviction if their polling stations record an opposition victory.

It is up to the opposition parties and other pro-democracy elements to deal with the fear factor and the ruling party propaganda which over the past four decades have turned rural areas into no-go areas for other parties.

If the opposition parties can capture the rural vote, Zanu PF will be booted out in 2023. There is no way Zanu PF can hit the political jackpot without the rural vote. In the urban areas they have always laboured in vain to produce positive results.

It is prudent for leaders of opposition parties to make frequent visits to rural areas so that people can identify with them.

People really look forward to see opposition party leaders in action across all rural wards in 2022 as they prepare to silence Zanu PF once and for all in the 2023 mother of all elections.