adminTHE sitting of Nomination Courts on Friday saw dozens of disgruntled Zanu-PF and MDC-T candidates filing nomination papers for the 31 July harmonised elections as independent candidates. It has been the norm for people who would have lost in primary elections to contest as independent candidates in the general polls. The same happened in the 2008 elections leading to political parties losing split votes.
Analysts believe that the filing of party members as independent candidates shows that some individuals do not want to accept defeat.
A number of Zanu-PF members among them former Manicaland provincial chairman Mike Madiro (Mutare North), Dorothy Mabika (Chipinge Central), Marian Chombo (Zvimba North), Daniel Garwe (Murehwa North), Richard Mavhunga (Marondera Central), Rumbidzai Mujuru (Chikomba Central), Machiri (Mutare Central), Shylet Uyoyo (Bikita South) and Jonathan Samukange (Mudzi South) successfully filed their nomination papers last Friday as independent candidates.
However, Cde Nyarai Chasi (Mhondoro-Mubaira) and Cde Madiro have withdrawn from the race.
MDC-T members who also chose to stand as independent candidates after losing in primary elections include Mr Geoff Nyarota (Makoni South), Gerald Chitsa (Gutu North), Moses Mare (Chiredzi West), Felix Magalela Sibanda (Magwegwe), Regai Tsunga (Mutasa South), Kidwell Mujuru (Luveve-Cowdray Park), Samuel Sandla Khumalo (Pelandaba-Mpopoma), Carlos Mudzongo (Marondera Central), Cleopas Machacha (Kariba), Tonderai Kusemamuriwo (Magunje), Nicholas Chigwende (Hurungwe Central), Enerst Mudimu (Chegutu West), Christopher Maonera (Mhondoro-Mubaira) and Severino Chambati (Hurungwe West).
None of the former MDC-T members has withdrawn yet. Mr Sibanda, former MP for Magwegwe in Bulawayo was breathing fire yesterday insisting that he would stand as an independent. He accused the MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai of surrounding himself with omafikizolo who are not people’s servants.
“I am a founder member of the MDC-T and I am fighting for the values of the party which are no longer being upheld. No one has the audacity to fire me and anybody who is claiming to be firing me is firing himself.
“The president (Mr Tsvangirai) is now surrounded by crooks and omafikizolo who do not know the party’s values and cannot even chant the party’s slogan. In Magwegwe, the party is represented by someone who is new and is not aware of what the party is all about. People are now using tribal cards to rule the province. I am not deserting MDC-T but I am putting MDC-T on track,” fumed Mr Sibanda.
Asked to comment on the announcement by MDC-T spokesperson, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, that he and some party members who filed papers as independent candidates had automatically expelled themselves from the party, Mr Sibanda said: “He (Mwonzora) cannot say that because as I speak I am in possession of a letter from Tsvangirai inviting us to come and correct the anomalies. When I get the resources I will drive to Harvest House (MDC-T headquarters).
“If he said that then it is unfortunate because we are in serious negotiations. He should not have said that because that is like putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
Speaking after her withdrawal from the elections, Cde Chasi of Zanu-PF urged party cadres to unite.
She said: “I am urging the people in Mhondoro-Mubaira to forget about the grievances they might have with regards to the primaries and focus on working together as a team. I love my party and let us work together with those who were against us in the primaries towards a common goal and use our experiences to bring a victory to the revolutionary party.”
Mr Sibanda and other four former MDC-T members who are standing as independent candidates in the forthcoming elections are expected to address a press conference tonight. He is said to be the leader of the rebel candidates.
Cde Psychology Maziwisa, a lawyer and Zanu-PF official, said members of the revolutionary party must remember that their common opponent is MDC-T and its leader, Mr Tsvangirai.
“It’s natural for people to be disgruntled when things don’t go their way. But I think politics has never been about the individual. It is and always will be about the people and it would be a big mistake if people failed to realise that,” he said.
“Fellow comrades in Zanu-PF are not the enemy, Tsvangirai is, and what better way to defeat him than by the party working together as one.
“Zanu-PF can’t afford to fight among themselves. The MDC-T is heading for a humiliating defeat so the revolutionary party should not surrender votes through unnecessary fighting.”
Professor Bhekimpilo Sibanda, a journalism lecturer at Nust, said the matter of defectors is a problem in Africa which has not been fully addressed.
Said Prof Sibanda: “This is a problem facing most countries in Africa. It also becomes very worrying and dangerous when people take politics as a career and not as a service. If politicians take it like teaching and nursing it will be a threat to democracy such people will not accept defeat. It is sad because these (independent candidates) are people who are in politics for their own benefit,” he said.
Prof Sibanda said another reason why some people were seeking election as independents was unfairness of internal election processes which sometimes deny people with grassroots support the opportunity to represent their areas.
In the MDC-T primary for Emakhandeni, for instance, Mr Prince Dube won but the party later imposed Mr Dingilizwe Tshuma to represent the party. In other constituencies, such as Nkayi South, Bulilima East and Umzingwane, Mr Tsvangirai himself imposed candidates, whom he said had to be rewarded for voting for MDC-T chairman, Mr Lovemore Moyo in the elections for the Speaker of the House of Assembly in 2008.
Mr Dumisani Mpofu, a Bulawayo based political analyst said: “What happened in Emakhandeni where a candidate who lost during primary elections is appointed as the party’s candidate shows there is serious lack of democracy within the MDC-T party.”
Online Reporter