Luke-ing the Beast in the Eye: Key lessons from the by-elections

Today is Fools” Day; but that a 61- day old party thumped a 59-year old supposed political behemoth is no Fools Day joke.

Indeed, it’s no April Fools day jest that the number of days since the formation of the CCC on 24 January 2022 is almost the same as the years since the formation of Zanu PF on 8 August 1963.

The other reality is that the CCC prevailed in a sham perforated by so many irregularities that have to be tackled before the watershed plebiscite next year. The reform agenda is the urgent business that confronts this nation for the next few months.

There is no reason to be needlessly excited by the reality that Zanu PF lost to a political baby some of whose rallies were banned; a freshly minted political outfit without a Constitution, without even a proper leadership but only with citizens’ champions who shepherded the campaign on behalf of the citizens.

The citizens won against all odds, which odds must seize all our minds to ensure that we hold a truly credible election next year. Indeed, the citizens largely retained the people they voted into office in 2018; their cardinal lesson to purchased politicians that they should never tamper with the citizens’ vote without permission.

On the eve of the announcement of the results, ED panicked with the CCC’s palpable political traction on the ground that he plucked a line from our 2018 election manifesto and promised free primary education.

But the horse had already bolted.

Winning a charade

Last week, this column wrote that whatever the outcome of these by-elections, they remain a charade. That position remains. But then the citizens were always committed to doing a WIRE (Winning Rigged Elections). And last Saturday they did it.

But like I said last week, if one survives a poisoned meal, they should not decide to make poisoned meals their staple diet. We must robustly confront the issue of rigged elections and continue to highlight the shenanigans, even on the eve of the polls.

Other colleagues have warned—and probably rightly so—that we have to walk a fine line by balancing the need to speak out on the massive irregularities with the very real prospect of causing voter apathy by doing so.

The genuine fear was that by harping on the fact that the election was a farce, we were making voters stay at home.

Fair and fine. But electoral rape is rape and we certainly have to holler and fulminate about it, whatever the decibels. And the perpetrators of the electoral abuse are ZEC, Zanu PF and State institutions such as the police.

I perfectly understand the need to strike a balance between harping about rigged elections with the need not to cause voter apathy by so doing. But there are times when the truth has to said as it is.

If a marauding rapist is raping women at the village borehole, we have to shout out that there is a rapist on the prowl, though some would call for the striking of a balance between the noise about the rapist prancing about the village borehole and the community’s dire quest for water.

It appears some thought shouting too loud about the rapist at the borehole would cause apathy on the numbers of trooping to the borehole, never mind the danger lurking there. Sometimes one has to look at the bigger issue between the need for water and the sexual violence at the borehole.

In fact the poor might not even get the water but simply get abused, much like fearing for apathy when even the cast vote will not be made to count!

The shenanigans, the heinous violations witnessed on the trip to our electoral borehole, included the murder of Nyasha Zhambe and Mboneni Ncube, the massive unilateral transfer of voters by ZEC, dubious polling stations, overtly biased public media and banned CCC rallies, among other irregularities.

Yes, it was a poll tainted by dead bodies and I join those who are saying the CCC victory in Mnangagwa’s backyard of Kwekwe and Mbizo should be dedicated to Mboneni Ncube who was brutally murdered by Zanu PF thugs in the mining town. May his dear soul rest in peace.

The CCC is like an innocent woman who was sexually harassed at the borehole and fended off the rapist, somehow survived and walked away with her head held high.

It is only natural that she wants an assurance and a guarantee of her safety at the borehole before her next trip there. The rapist has to be arrested and in our case, the assurance is that all the noted irregularities have to be arrested!

The implementation of a comprehensive electoral reform package is key to ensure that the citizen’s vote is safe at the electoral borehole.

The safety at the village borehole has to be assured before any woman steps out of her compound in 2023!

Indeed, these by-elections taught us a few lessons and the following are some of the tutorials delivered by the 26 March event:

1 . ZEC can’t run credible *elections

ZEC was seriously exposed in these by-elections, not simply because of a chaotic voters roll and unilateral transfer of voters but the overtly biased coverage by the public media, which acted like Zanu PF’s propaganda wing throughout the election.

Live coverage was exclusively granted to Zanu PF while other players, particularly Nelson Chamisa, received scant coverage, if at all. ZEC has yet to say anything about this blatant violation of the Constitution. Instead, they are demanding a law to have anyone who points out electoral irregularities to be prosecuted.

ZEC, as currently constituted, is not fit for purpose.

2 . The ZBC is irredeemable under this dispensation

The ZBC ran biasedly wild, only in tow of Mnangagwa and Zanu PF candidates. The ZBC was embarrassingly partisan and its chief correspondent Reuben Barwe, once elected into Zanu PF’s DCC structure in Rusape, remains the face of the corporation’s unConstitional deportment.

The ZBC’s conduct throughout these elections was as if section 61 and section 155 of the Constitution do not even exist.

3 . WIRE …. But lets insist on reforms

Yes, the citizens may have temporarily prevailed in this sham of an election and their expression could have been louder were it not for the massive irregularities. But the key issue for now is the implementation of a raft of reforms to ensure our elections do not continue to breed contested outcomes.

Reforms. Reforms. Reforms.

4 . Nhepera , Muchengeti and the utility of spooks

I pointed out in a recent column that Gift Muchengeti, the former director responsible for administration in the CIO, is now the Director-General of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe while Aaron Tonderai Nhepera, the former deputy Director-General of the CIO, is now the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In these by-elections, we learnt of the utility of these two deployed spooks in serving the Zanu PF electoral agenda. Nhepera, whose ministry had initially promised an ID blitz in the month of March just did not meet the timeframe, in the process ensuring all those who lost their IDs and who were banking on the rollout before 26 March ended up being prejudiced of their right to vote in these by-elections.

The lie was deliberate on Nhepera’s part. He was simply fulfilling his spooky mandate in the ministry of Home Affairs.

Zimbabweans bank much on the social media for information because of the regime’s stranglehold on the media industry. Social media was going to be key particularly last Sunday in respect of citizens exchanging information, pictures and results on a crucial day of the elections.

On his part, Muchengeti sabotaged the citizens by ensuring that internet services were slow on the day. That too, is his mandate at POTRAZ.

As we brace for 2023, the utility of these two spooks in furthering of Zanu PF interests is going to be intensified.

5 . Mwonzora , the undertaker of a once – formidable party

The recent by-elections etched Mwonzora’s place in history as a celebrated turncoat. indeed, his purchased political soul has ensured that the MDC, a party with a rich history, is now an empty shell.

Thanks to Mwonzora, the competent undertaker, the MDC brand is now sufficiently dead and buried. Thank God, he has also been buried.

The lesson learnt is that if you are a surrogate, the citizens will bury you with your principal.

6 . Accept the trinkets but deny them your vote

The citizens taught the world that it is prudent to take the trinkets of the dictator but make it a point to deny them your vote.

In Binga, they took the bicycles and voted wisely. In Chitungwiza, they ululated for the water but denied the regime the vote. In Maromdera, they took the mealie-meal and ran away from the rally!

Prudent lessons from the citizens.

7 . Team Pachedu — Together We Can

Thanks Team Pachedu for the vigilance. We learnt that it is worthwhile to keep ZEC on their toes.

Keep up the good work. As we inch towards 2023, continue to pore your eyes in every nook and cranny. Indeed ZEC must continue to feel the heat.

8 . Vintage murderous Mnangagwa should be watched

Given what we saw with Nyasha Zhambe and Mboneni Ncube, we have learnt that we could be on the eve of a very violent election.

Henceforth, murderous Mnangagwa must vigilantly be watched.

9 . Keeping the hope

The slightly positive outcome of this election has taught us to stay positive. Yes, it is important to keep the hope.

Hope is a sweet chariot. It is hope that carries us from a despicable lived moment to the fancy of our desires. As we continue to press for reforms, these by-elections have taught us that it is possible. If a 61-day old party can defeat a 59-year old institution, even in a rigged contest, then the David/Goliath story was no fluke.

These by-elections taught the citizens that change is possible in Zimbabwe.

Conclusion

So yes, this has been yet another eventful year of lessons…. gore revidzidzo. But perhaps the biggest lesson of all is that this country cannot afford yet another sham. Disputed legitimacy bred from disputed polls has been the albatross, nay the millstone around the country’s neck.

For the sake of the citizens and for the sake of national progress in all its forms, we must hold a credible election in 2023.

We have two options; either to reform or to reform!

Luke Tamborinyoka is a citizen and a Presidential Affairs champion in the Citizens Coalition for Change ( CCC ). He writes here in his capacity as a citizen and can be contacted via his facebook page or his twitter handle @luke_tambo.