Khupe’s recalls a drain to the fiscus

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) last week disclosed that it required about US$18,5 million to be able to run by-elections, a process that should be done by December 5.

Most of the by-elections are being triggered by Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T, which is busy recalling MDC Alliance MPs and councillors for refusing to recognise her as the bona fide party leader.

The Zec estimates were made before the MDC-T made further recalls of councillors on Tuesday. The total number of councillors now recalled stands at 82. This means most councils are unable to run their local affairs properly.

The recalls show a poor understanding of the reality on the ground by the Khupe-led MDC-T; believed to be working with Zanu PF to decimate the Nelson Chamisa-led party.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s sole crime is to refuse to recognise President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory after a heavily contested election whose results had to be confirmed by the Constitutional Court. He also refused to be part of Mnangagwa’s Political Actors Dialogue.

If Khupe cannot realise that her actions are not only coming at a cost to the country which now needs to fork out several millions of scarce dollars to run by-elections, then there is something wrong with her.

About US$18 million was needed, and now with further recalls, the cost is set to double. How many health institutions would have benefited from such a large amount which is going to waste just to massage some politician’s ego?

Voters voted for individuals not parties and as a result, how many voters have been betrayed by the recalls?

Furthermore, these factional battles come at a time councils are struggling to deliver on their core mandate due to prolonged currency volatility and a lack of virtually everything.

Most councils are also making budget consultations and this is the time councillors are needed most. The new wave of recalls has all but created a leadership vacuum and this will come at a cost to ratepayers.

Rationality should be applied in the recalls and leaders need to put people’s interests first. Surely, such actions will trigger voter apathy in the next elections because elections will have lost their purpose.

Citizens are struggling and the US$18,5 million Zec wants to splash on by-elections could better be used to address pressing national issues, rather than flush it down the drain as it were.

The recalls, which come as Khupe’s presidency is being challenged in court, are not only thoughtless, but an affront to the rule of law.