adminELECTION fever has gripped Zimbabwe.
This is because the harmonised elections next Wednesday are extremely important not only to the political parties and independent candidates taking part, but to the electorate and foreigners with a stake in the country as well.
It is going to be a no-holds barred election. July 31 looks to be a judgment day for all contesting political parties and their leaders.
It should be clearly understood that all intelligent people vote for policies reflecting what a party stands for, what it promises it will do should it get into power. That is because power is a means to achieve certain objectives, and not an end in itself.
As the clock ticks to Wednesday, the electorate must weigh their options cleverly and decide properly. It is obvious that some political parties and candidates have not been doing well in their constituencies for the past decade or so and many are just opportunists dreaming of becoming the country’s leaders. Others have been there for the people all the time.
Zanu-PF is the party that has been seized with all that Zimbabweans aspire for. This is one among the several advantages that the revolutionary party has which puts it in good stead of winning this election. Also, it has been in office for quite some time so it is tried and tested. Its candidates have clean records of performance and achievements to present to the electorate.
Most importantly, the party has many pro-people policies and programmes. It can no longer be wished away that we are a people and a nation whose being is now defined by our pursuit of economic emancipation and attainment of prosperity through President Mugabe and Zanu-PF’s policies of indigenising its resources and economy.
Zanu-PF gave land back to the people, a critical resource which had been alienated from them during a century of British colonialism. It is the party that gave them their dignity and democracy in 1980. It wants to create a Zimbabwe in which Zimbabweans are in charge.
On the other side, dark times lie ahead of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T. Its future is in great jeopardy because the party is not geared to serve the people, but foreigners. Essentially because of this, the writing is on the wall. MDC-T is set to be buried in the important 31 July harmonised elections.
The plebiscite is indeed special and so decisive in many ways for the majority of the Zimbabweans. President Mugabe has described the elections as the “battle of our lives.” Certainly, it is a battle of every Zimbabwean’s life, an election in which they must defend their democracy, human dignity and self-determination.
Before they put pen to the ballot paper in choosing the party and leaders that would lead Zimbabwe, the electorate must ask themselves a number of questions. Question number one is: How many promises did the MDC-T pledge to meet for the electorate since its inception in 1999?
Question number two: What path would the MDC-T have us walk should it assume leadership of this nation?
What policies will Mr Tsvangirai and his party offer to fulfil Zimbabweans’ aspirations?
The answer to the first question is that MDC-T has made many promises which it has failed, or has not bothered to fulfil. The answer to the second is that MDC-T seeks to take us on a path to nowhere.
For the third question, the answer is Mr Tsvangirai has no policies at all, just plotting to remove President Mugabe and Zanu-PF from power and attacking the revolutionary party’s policies without proffering viable alternatives.
A scrutiny of the MDC-T’s JUICE manifesto confirms and exposes the party for its obsession with everything foreign, particularly western. When the party says if it wins it would re-look at the land ownership system arising from the fast track land reform programme, it is clear that it is saying it would reverse that revolutionary programme and give the land back to those who had forcibly seized it from us.
Mr Tsvangirai and many in his party, the likes of Mr Eddie Cross, has also been clear that he would reverse the economic indigenisation programme as well. Any politician who talks about reversing these landmark policies and programmes does not have the national interest at heart. Such a person does not deserve to be voted for.
One of the laughable promises MDC-T has made is that, in the unlikely event it is elected into power, it would create 1 000 jobs in 100 days.
Political analyst Mr Wilson Nyamunda dismissed the promise as a cheap vote-catching gimmick.
“This is a desperate way of luring votes. Creation of thousands of jobs within 100 days is irrational and a cheap vote-catching gimmick, people should think about this before casting their ballot,” he said.
Empowerment consultant, Dr Rodgers Gurajena, said another very big mistake that could result in Mr Tsvangirai losing the elections is that JUICE, as the MDC-T’s economic turnaround plan, lacks the “how” to go about it without local ownership of resources and means of production.
“Mr Morgan Tsvangirai speaks of the need for upliftment of the largely impoverished citizens of Zimbabwe, yet sees no rationale in placing Zimbabwe’s vast natural resources into the hands of those impoverished majority. It is a spectacular own goal that will bury the party forever,” he said.
While President Mugabe and Zanu-PF have pledged broad-based indigenisation and empowerment to guarantee the indigenous majority at least 51 percent of the economy, and ownership of resources, Mr Tsvangirai and his donor-driven party prefer to leave the economy in the hands of foreigners believing they will best guarantee us jobs and socio-economic prosperity.
It is important to note at this stage that Zanu-PF is not just making promises. It takes credit for educating the masses to an extent that Zimbabwe tops the literacy rate in Africa. Furthermore, it has delivered health to the people and other social services. The party’s land reform programme has benefited up to 300 000 formerly landless blacks.
Pursuant to the goal of economically empowering the majority, Zanu-PF is championing the reclamation of the economy through the indigenisation programme. More than 50 community and employee share ownership schemes are now operational in many parts of the country. Hundreds of employees have, thanks to the indigenisation programme, become shareholders and their own “employers.”
Communities in Shurugwi, Gwanda, Marange, Bindura, Hwange, Masvingo, Mhondoro and Zvishavane, have had their lives and prospects enhanced through the community share ownership trusts that are operating thanks to Zanu-PF’s thrust to empower the people.
July 31 is a special day that will see MDC-T being judged for its infamous support for homosexuality, opposition to the land reform and indigenisation programmes, their invitation of illegal western sanctions, and corruption in councils it led, the impractical, naïve and overly optimistic JUICE and Mr Tsvangirai’s womanising.
Online Reporter