-armchair supporters cost CCC
SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO-Respected political analyst and Great Zimbabwe University lecturer, Professor Fidelis Duri has predicted a comfortable win for President Mnangagwa if the current results trend is anything to go by.
Prof Duri said Zimbabweans were voting for political parties in the Wednesday harmonised elections and not candidates and the ruling Zanu PF party is leading in most provinces implying therefore that their presidential candidate is likely to win with a margin of +50% to avoid a rerun.
He also added that most of Citizens Coalition for Change who support Chamisa did not vote because some were not registered or were affected by the glitches experienced in Harare and Bulawayo which are the party’s strongholds.
“The rural and urban divide in this election is very prevalent, where the CCC is continuing with its grip on the urbanites and Zanu PF’s grip in the rural areas is quite clear.
“The margins with which Zanu PF is winning in the rural areas is too wide as compared to CCC in the urban areas, for example in Chiredzi North Bhila polled 19 000 against CCC’s 2 000.
“In Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, Zanu PF polled 6 000 compared to CCC’s 8000, a difference of 2 000. These margins have a big implication on the presidential vote because the CCC winning margin is too thin as compared to Zanu PF.
“The other handicap for CCC is that their supporters take things for granted and do not go and vote or don’t even bother to register at all yet they attend rallies in big numbers.
“Some of the CCC supporters are those who roam around the streets or touts who were frustrated by the ZEC debacle in Harare and Bulawayo and these are not patient enough, which played into the hands of Zanu PF as they did not bother to go back and vote, costing CCC a lot of votes.
“Some of them are no longer employable because they have never experienced a formal working life hence don’t see the need to change things for the better,” said Prof Duri.
He also added that it is becoming clear that Zanu PF’s power base is shifting from Zvimba to President Mnangagwa’s ethnic group in Masvingo and Midlands which are worryingly registering large votes for the ruling party.
In Mashonaland East, Prof Duri said because of the Vice President Chiwenga factor Zanu PF is doing very well just like in Matebeleland South where Zanu PF Vice President Kembo Mohadi comes from.
Social commentator Shelfer Phiri from Harare concurred with Prof Duri and said the youth and armchair supporters are the biggest let down for CCC.
“There are too many sympathizers for CCC who are not registered or who simply do not bother to go and vote for various reasons. Some believe that things will just work out on their own just because they love Chamisa, instead of getting their hands dirty by voting for their preferred candidate they abstain from the very important exercise.
“For example I have four relatives some of them teachers who are always commenting positive about Chamisa in our family group, but they did not vote and these are the people who give Chamisa false hope because they don’t do what matters most,” said Phiri.
Prominent pharmacist from Masvingo who could not be named for professional reasons said if Chamisa loses it would be because of ZEC’s shenanigans where they frustrated urban voters especially in Harare and Bulawayo where he commands huge following, but was.
“Chamisa has a slim chance of winning the elections because most people voted for the councillor and MP and for the president candidate most voted for Chamisa if you check the statistics at most polling stations even in the rural areas where Zanu PF commands a huge following,” said the pharmacist.
