Zanu PF set for a historic feat

Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
ZANU-PF is set for a historic feat in Bulawayo as the party is poised, for the first time in 15 years, to hold majority seats in the province after the December, 19 Nkulumane constituency by election.

The Parliamentary seat which fell vacant following the death of MDC-T legislator Thamsanqa Mahlangu last month, will be contested by Zanu-PF candidate Killian Sibanda who is expected to win.

The troubled Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC-T reeling under widening divisions, has once again shied from the polls under the false banner of no reforms no polls mantra.

The newly formed People’s Democratic Party and the Professor Welshman Ncube led MDC have also indicated that they would not contest the polls.

This is a significant development for Zanu-PF in Bulawayo as the party will hold majority seats in the province for the first time since the formation of MDC in 1999 which has since splintered into many formations.

After the December 19 polls, Zanu PF will have six constituencies with Nkulumane adding to Makokoba, Luveve, Lobengula, Pumula and Mpopoma –Pelandaba constituencies while the MDC-T will remain with 4.

The other five seats were won during the June by elections after Tsvangirai caused the expulsion of 21 rebel members of Parliament led by former MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti who broke away to form MDC Renewal and later PDP.

Tsvangirai, with a false sense of authority, is on record saying they would win back the polls in the 2018 elections arguing that Zanu PF was only winning the seats because his party was not contesting.

The events happening in Tsvangirai’s backyard, however present a different picture. Firstly there is doubt that he will represent the fractious party in those said polls with two emerging factions fighting to replace him as the followers have lost faith in the former trade union leader.

Tsvangirai is presently haunted by the seemingly rise of the party’s former organising secretary Nelson Chamisa who is said to be leading a faction that wants to remove the MDC-T leader from his position before 2018 polls.

On the other hand there is a faction led by Tsvangirai’s deputy Thokozani Khupe, though ganging up with Tsvangirai to purge Chamisa and his allies,  the faction has also lost faith in the party’s leader and feel that he would not pose a strong challenge to Zanu PF.

Here we have hapless Tsvangirai facing revolt from two factions led by influential figures in his party but he is still under the illusion that he is still in control.

With donor fatigue having caused the collapse of most regime change machinery in the country and even affecting MDC-T as well, there is an almost certainty that Tsvangirai and his party would not be a factor come 2018 elections.

The challenge now is for Zanu PF to maintain the majority seats in the 2018 polls by campaigning vigorously to win the remaining seats and smoke out the MDC-T from Bulawayo.

The province to achieve that needs a lot of self introspection and honest conversations between members to maintain this historical feat going forward.

When the First Lady Grace Mugabe visited Bulawayo in the run up to the 6th Zanu PF National People’s Congress last year, she castigated some elements in the province for causing factionalism which she attributed to the party’s poor performance in polls.

Cde Mugabe said frustrated party members were voting the MDC-T because of imposition of candidates that did not have the interest of the people.
The First Lady said the leadership in Bulawayo was not showing unity of purpose hence the divisions.

“You are not uniting people. I do not think baba Nkomo is happy where he is. If he was happy, you would be winning. He is saying ‘why are you undoing the things that I left in place,” said the First Lady while addressing party supporters at Amazulu Sports Club.

“Factionalism is rampant in Bulawayo. Whether you like it or not, you can see that elderly men do not even greet each other. Even if they greet each other, you can tell from body language that they are not in good books.”

Cde Mugabe called on the party’s provincial leadership to unite the people.

After the congress, party national political commissar Cde Savior Kasukuwere visited the Bulawayo provincial structures in January and echoed the First lay’s sentiments.

Cde Kasukuwere castigated the province for spending too much time on rumour mongering and personal fights at the expense of the party calling on the structure to put its act together and start mobilising for 2018.

He said he was baffled that the province claiming to have 112 wards only garnered 20, 000 votes in the harmonised elections.

The same issue was also raised by party secretary for administration Cde Ignatius Chombo when he singled Bulawayo as among provinces who gave fictitious numbers of its membership saying such conduct affected the party in terms of planning.

Cde Kasukuwere said it was time for the province to organise themselves and start winning elections like other provinces.

By the hand of God, Tsvangirai expelled 21 MPs and gave Zanu PF a golden opportunity to win back 16 Parliamentary seats, five of them in Bulawayo.

With the sixth seat almost confirmed in the coming bye election, the Bulawayo province needs to take the advice of the senior leadership to increase their winning margins and constituencies in the 2018 elections.

With Tsvangirai’s party collapsing under the weight of infighting, the provincial leadership needs to know that the only thing they need to worry about is organising the party and uniting members to totally eradicate MDC-T from Bulawayo.

The task is not very difficult especially considering that the MDC-T MPs that have been elected since 2000, have nothing to show for their years in   Parliament.

The Zanu PF Bulawayo MPs’ challenge is to make a difference between now and 2018.

The ongoing party restructuring exercise comes to the aid of the province with party secretary for youth affairs Cde Pupurai Togarepi, overseeing the process in Bulawayo, recently saying that there were more Zanu PF supporters outside the present                                                                  structures.

Cde Togarepi said after restructuring, he was confident that the party will win all seats in Bulawayo.

The three critical issues to address are fostering unity among members, selection of proper candidates who would not only inspire the people but also carry their aspirations and lastly making sure that the structures are intact.