adminIn some African countries such as Kenya and Nigeria, elections are won on tribal and regional lines. But in Southern Africa the story is a little different. For countries like Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Zambia to mention a few, their elections are divided between the urban and rural vote. True to this pattern our elections on 31 July confirmed that divide to some degree.
This, however, is not to overlook the fact that in this election, Zanu-PF’s strong performance almost led to a whitewash in towns and in the countryside. The revolutionary party took some seats in Harare, won Masvingo Urban, Marondera Central, Gwanda, Norton, among others. In Bulawayo, the city lost all seats but got more votes in places like Makokoba than it got in previous elections. But generally the party does poorly in towns.
In Harare, Zanu-PF managed to get six seats out of 24 and in Bulawayo the party failed to get a single seat as the MDC-T got all the 12 seats. In 2008, the situation was the same as the MDC-T won all the seats in Bulawayo. In Harare, the MDC-T had 23 seats with Zanu-PF getting Harare South.
While the urban vote is often hard to get for former liberation movements or sitting governments in Southern Africa, rural people overwhelmingly vote for the parties. In this year’s make or break elections, rural people voted overwhelmingly for the revolutionary party in Manicaland, Matabeleland South, Masvingo, Mashonaland East, West and Central.
Since the formation of MDC in 1999 and 2000 when it participated in its first election, the urban vote has been in their pocket and most if not all the results were predetermined. It is said don’t count your chicks before they are hatched but for MDC, the British-backed party at that time could accurately count them.
“The primary cause of these differences is that liberation movements in Africa that are still the ruling parties started mainly in rural areas hence they have a strong bond with rural people,” said Mr Godwine Mureriwa a political analyst.
“In Zimbabwe, people in Harare supported (the late Abel) Muzorewa with his party in the 1980s and when President Mugabe won the elections they shifted their focus to support him. Tekere (the late Edgar) formed his party Zimbabwe Unity Movement and people supported him too. Professor Lovemore Madhuku has formed his party and people (are most likely to) again flock to his party. They (urban people) also participate in politics like people who are inspired by fashion”.
In Zambia, President Michael Sata is the product of the urban vote. He managed to beat the incumbent Rupiah Banda of Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), the party which had ruled Zambia since 1991. The MMD was born out of the urban protest movement of the late 1980s, and its leader who later became president, the late Frederick Chiluba was a former trade unionist with a strong following among the working class.
MMD has been losing the urban vote in three elections but doing well in rural areas until their last blow in 2011.
Studies have claimed that competitive elections make African governments more responsive to rural than urban interests.
Dr Charity Manyeruke, a University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer argues:
“Rural people in most if not all African countries fought liberation struggles and they have bad memories of the wars. Some lost their loved ones and sacrificed a lot for their respective countries hence they still have a strong relationship with liberation movements. Most urban people on the other hand did not participate in the struggle.
“The other issue is that rural people thrive on unity and oneness unlike urban people.”
In support of Dr Manyeruke, Dr Lawton Hikwa a political analyst said the rural vote was based on loyalty and the strong historical bond between liberations movements and rural people cannot be taken for granted.
He said:
“In Zimbabwe, rural people would basically want to maintain a level of loyalty. Agricultural inputs, food for work and food relief programmes bind them”.
Mr Mureriwa said:
“Urban people think that they are more enlightened and progressive than those in rural areas. Urban areas usually give birth to technocrats who always oppose the Government as they think that they can manage the country better. Rural people cannot be easily convinced by new political players regarding issues they want addressed.”
Online Reporter