Dear Editor
As the elections date draw closer, the country will elect the number one citizen to superintend over the country’s affairs for the next five years.
The campaigns are getting dirtier as everyday Zimbabweans hear complaints of unfair playing field levelled against the ruling Zanu PF, coming from Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC ), led by their maverick young leader, Nelson Chamisa.
It reports of banned rallies in Chiredzi, and other outposts all over Zimbabwe. It accuses the Zimbabwe Republic Police of heavy handedness towards its supporters and banning of its rallies as uncouth and poorly administered.
CCC also complains why Saviours Kasukuwere is failing to make it on the ballot on 23 August, and Kasukuwere appealed without success to the Supreme Court against his banishment of illegibility to run as a Presidential candidate in a country he left 18 months ago.
Some Zimbabweans also scoffed at Kasukuwere for taking them for granted, as he only drops his hat in the ring only a months before election day. How can people take him seriously or he is just someone who wants to spoil the stew (kubvongodza muto, kuseva kweakaguta); to split the votes in favour of the Nelson Chamisa.
When the Zanu PF, first secretary and President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa was holding a national rally on Sunday 16, July 2023 at Chinorumba Secondary School in Zaka, Masvingo, President Nelson Chamisa of CCC was also in Gweru, in the Midlands province, clamouring for attention as a suitable candidate to replace the incumbent ‘ Die Kroot Krokodil’.
He mentioned something to do with the contentious ‘ land’ issue at the Mkoba rally. And the Varakashi Cyberteam had a field day as they quoted him as someone who wants to reverse the land agrarian reform to the Rhodies. And also his Vanguard ran to his defence as they interpreted that he wanted to regularise the land issue by giving out title deeds to all the resettled new farmers.
In these days of artificial intelligence you can get the menu you like. Some geeks call it photoshopping and editing to meet the required adjustments. Some political analysts from both parties were giving each other jabs over the means of transport both parties used to ferry its supporters to their rallies.
The Vanguard had the last laugh as they allege that some Zanu Pf fanatics who came afar are stranded at Jerera and they are being taken care of by their supporters (CCC). It’s a world of politics, dog eat dog situation, who carries the day is someone who has the power to persuade.
The CCC supporters accuse anyone who follows Zanu PF as backward and archaic, as someone blinkered and not informed. They accuse the rural electorate, which is the Zanu PF strong hold as people who fear the war that would never happen.
As gullible as they believe anything that comes from the mouth of a war vet and FAZ ( Forever Associates of Zimbabwe) and their traditional chiefs. They also accuse rural voters as not sophisticated as they believe in CCTV cameras hidden inside the ballot booths.
If ‘ mhiripiri nyoro inovava'(song), was to be rehearsed in urban areas which now have sewer barriers, these urban groovers would find nowhere to hide. You will witness that Zanu PF means business in its campaigns. They fought in the Zambian, Tanzanian and Mocambican trenches to liberate Zimbabwe and the very people they fought against are coming back through the opposition parties, NGOs and some shadow human rights organisations.
CCC is an offshoot of the MDC , MDC -T, and MDC Alliance. In 1999, the late MDC founder Morgan Richard Tsvangirai had good friends of white commercial farmers who bankrolled him. After the land issue came the European Union sanctions against Zimbabwe for expropriating land from white farmers. It had nothing to do with the much taunted human rights abuse, it was about the dispossession of their kith and kin that irked them. George H.W. Bush also pushed the Zimbabwe Democratic and Economic Recovery Act( ZIDERA), through Congress, it was also a smokescreen of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.
And Zimbabwe deserved to be put in its right place. In 2007 and 2008, Zimbabwe’ s economy was brought to a standstill and supermarkets were just buildings with empty shelves. To say Zanu PF supporters have blind faith in the party is a misnomer, some have that bondage with its ideology that is very difficult to separate.
And for CCC to continue with its ageism campaign against rural electorate, it is also hardening them as they fear the youthful new rulers how would treat they them if they win. So, it’s the old ‘skool ‘versus the new ‘skool’ clash of ideology. Luckily the new skool generation has some apathy on voting, they wear T- shirts emblazoned with whoever they support but many are not registered voters. This trend is in both parties, Zanu PF and CCC. That was the reason why Zanu PF legislators were busy at the registry offices throughout the country registering their ‘ deserters’.
They were not cheating, they realised how these cunning youngsters can chant slogans like some freshman from Nyadzonia but nothing will come out of it. Register them to vote and reorient them to become dedicated cadres. Finish and klaar.
Zanu Pf supporters also accuse Change Champions of being blind followers of Chamisa, with his populist approach to good life. His chaotic selection of candidates and sidelining of Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti and finally his lukewarm approach towards Job Sikhala’ s indoor living at Chik Max is another blow to his populism.
The young president despite his Gutu South link with the writer had let power get into his head. He is the ‘ Don’, the Godfather of CCC, his ruthless leanings on his opponents can be openly expressed by Mayor Maboke of Masvingo and the Mayor of Chiredzi town.
The young President doesn’t like diversity of views, he has a phobia of sharp brains. The Chamisa Chete Chete brand must be left to revolutionary parties and himself as a new breed of tech presidents must choose something better. His primary elections had the same teething problems like Zanu PF, where imposition of candidates caused some dismay in some constituencies, resulting in independent candidates presenting their credentials to ZEC.
Zanu Pf supporters see a monarch in Chamisa and the Vanguard blindly following him. His promises of bullet trains, employment as something that he will offer cannot be argued as the Chief Treasuries, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, both American institutions can make that happen.
Nobody argues that, as long as they get what they want in the country; rare minerals without stringent control. Zambia now has a stable currency, as long as you call them ‘ baas’ your future is guaranteed and also your stay on the throne is secured.
Blind faith in any political party of your choice is enshrined in the constitution of the country. The writer supports Shakespeare Maya and it’s my right to like him. Tolerance is one word l want Zimbabweans to embrace and try to win support by brains and not by dog whistling.
Aaron Gono
