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Mugabe spoiler for Mnangagwa

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Emmerson Mnangagwa (Picture: AFP)
Emmerson Mnangagwa (Picture: AFP)

Zimbabwe’s former leader, Robert Mugabe, might have been ousted from power, but his influence is looming large ahead of the July 30 election, and analysts believe his allies who were ousted from Zanu-PF will help determine the power balance in the parliamentary poll.

Since President Emmerson Mnangagwa promulgated July 30 as the date for fresh polls, the run up to the election has been characterised by controversies and disagreements over the electoral framework, and the contestations between political parties are intensifying.

So close is the race that a survey report released by Afro Barometer on Friday showed that by early this month, the contest for the presidency “had tightened” between Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.

“Among citizens who were registered to vote and likely to vote, 40% said they would vote Zanu-PF and 37% said they would vote MDC Alliance,” said the report.

Although his name will not be on the ballot paper, Mugabe is emerging as a key influencer in the electoral race.

His allies have entered the fray, seeking to spoil the victory party for which Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF is gunning.

Several former Zanu-PF parliamentarians have criticised the party’s leadership for the imposition of candidates, saying this will work against Mnangagwa and the party.

“People like Sarah Mahoka and Godfrey Gandawa [both ousted when Mugabe was removed from power] could have been rehabilitated, not eliminated. Leadership must be elected, not imposed,” said independent parliamentarian Temba Mliswa, who is also a former Zanu-PF member.

Mliswa is contesting against Christopher Mutsvangwa, special advisor to Mnangagwa, who lost in the Zanu-PF primary elections.

Political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya told City Press on Friday that the ousted allies of Mugabe would play a key role in shaking up Zanu-PF’s bid to extend its power.

“There are quite a number of Mugabe allies in the MDC Alliance and a host of others contesting as independent candidates. If you look closely at people like Walter Chidakwa in Mashonaland West, Shadreck Mashayamombe in Harare and others such as Gandawa you will see they are big mobilisers with the backing and sympathy of their constituencies. They will shake up Zanu-PF in a big way,” said Ruhanya.

Gandawa, the former deputy higher education minister, has openly revolted against Mnangagwa, calling on people not to vote for him.

This comes as a campaign against Mnangagwa, code named Bhora Musango (kick the ball off target), in which parliamentarians will encourage Zanu-PF members not to vote for the incumbent, is intensifying.

Gandawa told a campaign rally in his constituency in the Mashonaland West Province that Mnangagwa did not deserve their vote.

“He sidelined me and did not stand by me. He doesn’t deserve our vote. There are many other candidates for the presidential election we can vote for,” fumed Gandawa, who will contest as an independent candidate.

He is believed to be one of the allies still close to Mugabe. Other Mugabe allies, such as Chidakwa, from the former president’s rural Zvimba area, are also standing as candidates.

Villagers in Zvimba, about 100km west of Harare, say they are still bitter about the forceful removal of Mugabe so they will support Chidakwa.

There are reports inside Zimbabwe that the National Patriotic Front, linked to Mugabe and which has joined Chamisa’s MDC-Alliance, is partly sponsoring campaigns for the opposition.

Chamisa has refuted this, saying he has not met Mugabe or his wife, Grace, who was said to be pushing for a senior position in return for the funding.

Apart from facing pressure from disgruntled Mugabe allies, Mnangagwa is also being pressured by the opposition to force the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to be transparent on key electoral reform agendas.

The ZEC is accused of acting to manipulate the vote in favour of Mnangagwa, who has said the government does not have the power to influence the decisions and operations of the electoral body.

Church leaders have been pressuring contestants to conduct their campaigns in peace. There is still apprehension about the outbreak of violence and the involvement of the military.

Zimbabweans continue to worry the election will not end well. More than four in 10 expressed concern that incorrect election results would be announced, that the armed forces would not respect the result, and that post-election violence would occur, Afro Barometer said.

Fears about the credibility of the poll have been buttressed by data analysis of the voters roll carried out by specialists this week which showed irregularities on the final copy of the roll.

Chamisa has since declared a deadlock over the electoral framework, but the ZEC is adamant the final copy of the roll is clean.

“The 2018 voters roll does not have double registration, dead or ghost voters,” ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba said during the week.

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