Bikita West: a hard lesson to ZimPF
on that fateful morning of 2017 when Karikoga Zhakata swept all awards contrary to Facebook polls. This was the same fate that befell opposition on that evening when results of a more than 11 000 votes margin came in from the rural Bikita West contrary to the popularity of opposition displayed only on social media. There was no way Zanu-PF was going to lose that election with the way its core supporters are disciplined and conservative, contrary to opposition who are bitter, angry and overly active on social media, only good at posting instead of meeting the people. So arithmetically, how on earth was opposition supposing a win in that territory, did they assume that suddenly the split votes of Kereke and Musakwa were going to skip camp? By now opposition should know the difference between a Zanu-PF member and a supporter.
These two are different and Dr Mujuru knows that pretty well. A Zanu-PF supporter is simply there for the benefits, such as youth stands, association with power and grabbing of opportunities if they so arise whereas a member is disciplined so much that even if Zanu-PF were to dismantle today, they would rather not join any party, these are the people who or whose families participated in the formation of Zanu-PF in their areas, whose political discipline is installed and engraved in their hearts, whose lives have been made better by Zanu-PF. I am talking about the war collaborators, liberation fighters and party thinkers. It is beyond any imagination to sway such people, yet opposition continuously makes the same mistake of assuming. Such “careless” assumptions by opposition are born out of their anger for Zanu-PF and it costs them repeatedly. On another note, Zanu-PF went to the ground. During the blame game stage in opposition, immediately after the announcement of loss, they admitted that Zanu-PF worked hard this time. The National Political Commissar, Comrade Saviour Kasukuwere together with a lot of party officials embarked on a door to door campaign, they met the masses, those who are members and even new cadres. This was least expected of Zanu-PF yet they shocked opposition and campaigned hard. As usual as it is, opposition, like in 2013, they admitted to the loss. They conceded that Zanu-PF had worked hard compared to them, but as usual, it embarrasses them that they continuously lose. It is no secret that opposition blames Zanu-PF for all the failures this country faces, yet they lose to it again and again. This should be embarrassing at all levels. Well, Zanu-PF changed its game plan in Bikita West, they went to the ground yet opposition mobilised its supporters over WhatsApp groups.
In as much as technology has taken the toll of livelihoods in this world, we severely overrate it when it comes to rural areas, particularly, the electorate. It is not the Facebook mongers who vote, it’s the elders as evidenced in Bikita West. They do not know what an emoji is, they have no idea of what poking is and here is someone who thinks they are way intelligent by online mobilisation, come on, wakeup Joice, learn from your former bosses, they always go to the people, speak to them, reassured and the people responded. In fact there is a difference between personal interaction and online chats, the expressions and rapport are different and that is why they receive different reactions. The online reaction was a pebble 2 300 plus vote and the door to door tiresome campaign brings you a 11 000 plus margin. Like Leornard Zhakata, Zanu-PF puzzled online activists, that should be a lesson for 2018, Zanu-PF will be meeting the people while opposition will be posting, hoping for more likes assuming they translate into Xs on ballot papers.
I am not surprised by the course opposition has chosen to defend their loss lately, the tired rhetoric of violence and intimidation. Kambe shuwa? In this day and age, repeatedly using the same defence of your failure. Politics of violence and intimidation are long over. If there are any to account for, they are not part of Zanu-PF campaign strategy, these are individuals with their differences and the party cannot account for each and every party members or supporters.
If politics of violence and intimidation were still in use then in Bulawayo, Zanu-PF wouldn’t be losing as it has been, Norton would have been won and anyway in 1985 elections when political violence was prime, the now defunct PF-Zapu won in the violence infested areas. Opposition is essential in a democracy, it ensures checks and balances but if we have a mediocre opposition then where are the checks in their camp. Conclusively, Zimbabwe has one party for now, until then, let’s forget about a possibility of a coalition.
Micheal Mhlanga is a research and strategic communication specialist and is currently serving Leaders for Africa Network (LAN) as the Programmes and Public Liaison Officer. He also administrates multiple youth public dialogue forums in Zimbabwe including the annual Reading Pan Africanism Symposium (REPS) and Back to Pan Africanism Conference.