The Sunday News
THE 2018 harmonised elections set for 30 July seems have like any other election in Zimbabwe, generated a lot of interest, but it looks like this year we are in for dramatic surprises, some of them turning out to be comical.
In very election in Zimbabwe especially since the turn of the century and birth of MDC, the opposition has always before the polls been fond of blowing its trumpet, promising its supporters clear victory without any basis at all. However, every time the opposition has always come second best and in frustration its actors gone on to engage in fights among themselves.
This year’s election also seems not different, but what has caught the eye is the desperation by those on the opposition corner who in a bid to bring down Zanu-PF have developed the habit of feeding the voters a daily coalition agreements, the latest reportedly being the former First Lady Grace Mugabe working to join the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance.
While we knew all along that opposition elements were desperate, we are shocked by the daily escalation of that desperation that even Mrs Mugabe whom we have no doubt is working with the full knowledge of her mentor and husband, former President Robert Mugabe has decided to join hands with perennial political loudmouths the likes of Chamisa, Tendai Biti and company in a bid to defeat the Government of President Mnangagwa that has made so much promise in reviving the country’s economy.
But this is just one of those combinations of desperate people whose only common denominator is their propensity to seek relevance in the wake of vanquish.
Our sister paper the Herald on Saturday reported that Mrs Grace Mugabe, after trying everything on her short sleeve, was now angling for Vice-Presidency of the Alliance.
We have always known that Mrs Mugabe and Chamisa know that their political stars are about to be crashed by the weight of Zanu-PF support and are trying everything to salvage something from their waning political careers.
Further, these are two politicians who can do anything to ensure that they get into power.
Operation Restore Legacy that was carried out last year, was triggered by Mrs Mugabe after she joined with her G40 acolytes Professor Jonathan Moyo and Mr Saviour Kasukuwere and mounted amateurish manoeuvres to dislodge tried and tested senior Zanu-PF members such as President Mnangagwa so they could seize power.
Mrs Mugabe went on a rampage, publicly castigating senior party members including latest revelations that she literally pushed Cde Oppah Muchinguru-Kashiri so she could seize the chair of Zanu-PF Women’s League.
Her ambitions were clearly written all over her vitriol especially at rallies, much to the dismay of many Zimbabweans.
On the other hand, we do not have to regurgitate how Chamisa also literally stamped on former MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s coffin on his way to grab power.
In a typical smash and grab move which can only be rivalled by Mrs Mugabe at least, Chamisa did not even wait for Tsvangirai to be buried before he declared himself the leader of the party.
The other two deputies, Thokozani Khupe and Elias Mudzuri were surprised but by the time they were still trying to think what had happened, Chamisa had already manipulated the party organs to claim leadership.
Although Mudzuri was left with no option except to follow Chamisa the other deputy Dr Khupe refused to endorse the shenanigans resulting in the fight that have seen two factions fighting for the control of the party.
But we wait with bated breath to see where this will go. Election day is still far and like what they say a day is long in politics. With more than 40 days before 30 July we wait to see how the coalition of the desperate will perform against the will of the people.
However, we are aware that Zimbabweans are watching the space with interest and they should be wondering on what common interests Mrs Mugabe and Chamisa share. This is because by nature coalitions are an alliance of individuals brought together by a common interest or goal.
In that interest the goals, methods, public identity, familiarity, loyalties should match so that there is compatibility and so we wonder whether this is an avenue of reviving the political careers of some people through the back door whom Zimbabweans in November last year retired. We wonder. We are in for interesting times indeed.
