The Financial Gazette

New brooms put bigwigs on notice

Clemence Manyukwe, Political Editor

THERE is unprecedented gnashing of teeth among ZANU-PF heavyweights who are running scared in their respective constituencies, desperately trying to mobilise support despite a standing instruction that campaigning should, for now, be held in  abeyance, as it emerges that the party’s structures are determined to revolt against the imposition of candidates with the volatile Mashonaland West Province setting a precedent.
ZANU-PF bigwigs had hitherto used their influence and financial clout to grab posts ahead of other members in the party’s rank and file, but even after manipulating the rules and procedures governing the conduct of party polls as witnessed in Mashonaland West last weekend, it would appear that their careers now hang by the thread as the old order gradually finds itself on the way out.
President Robert Mugabe is the only candidate whose post would not be contested after having already been endorsed to stand on ZANU-PF’s ticket in polls that are expected to be held either this year or next year. The rest of the party hierarchy faces an uncertain future.
ZANU-PF has had the culture of forcing its so-called household names on the electorate, a development that party strategists blame for its poor showing in the 2008 harmonised polls as the majority of its unpopular candidates lost to a resurgent Move-ment for Democratic Change (MDC-T), forcing the party to surrender its dominion over Parliament and reluctantly cohabitate with its archrivals in the troubled coalition government.
In what insiders described as changing political winds, at the weekend, in polls held in President Mugabe’s home province, those that turned out for the polls voted against candidates preferred by their leaders. Even Walter Chidhakwa, who had the support of influential politburo members in the province lost to the incoming chairperson, John Mafa, by a wide margin (over 700 votes).
The latter had been politically ostracised in a move that saw him being ousted from the post he had held, only to bounce back through the latest electoral victory.
In fact, Mafa had been removed from the post through a controversial vote of no confidence in January 2010 but a disciplinary hearing presided over by the party’s national chairperson, Simon Khaya-Moyo, cleared him of any wrong doing last year. Instead of reinstating him since there was an acting chairperson holding fort in the province and in line with due processes of law, the party pushed for the poll.
The elections were however, aborted on more than three occasions as those who were pulling the strings behind the scenes attempted to swing the tide against the ousted provincial chairperson.
Chidhakwa is understood to have enjoyed the backing of the Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, Ignatius Chombo      and Media, Information and Publicity Minister, Webster Shamu, who is also the party’s political commissar. Besides defeating Chidhakwa, who is also the Deputy Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals, Mafa also trounced the Deputy Minister of Regional Integration and Intern-ational Cooperation, Rueben Maru-mahoko who was the acting chairperson following the death of Robert  Sikanyika in a car crash last year.
Sikanyika was also superintending over the province in an acting capacity following the ouster of Mafa.
On the other hand, Mafa was backed by former provincial chairperson and property mogul; Phillip Chiyangwa. Chiyangwa has famously stated that Mafa’s election was a victory over “evil and provincial oppression”.
What was however, significant about the Mashonaland West election is that candidates who were backed by party heavyweights had thier dreams shattered. While there were irregularities here and there, including the reluctance to release the results, in the end the electorate spoke.
Pressure has been mounting in ZANU-PF over the imposition of candidates which, in some cases, resulted in split votes as disgruntled members stood as independent candidates or backed MDC-T candidates to spite their party rivals.
As part of their resolutions at ZANU-PF’s conference held in Bulawayo in December 2011, delegates adopted a motion directing: “the party to hold early, democratic, transparent, credible primary elections in the spirit of the founding principles of ZANU-PF and prohibit the imposition of candidates”.
The “debacle” in Mashonaland West, ZANU-PF’s long-held stronghold, could be a harbinger of things to come when the party holds primary elections ahead of fresh polls against an unpredictable MDC-T, led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvan-girai.
Sources said the failure of a cherry-picked candidate to clinch victory in Mashonaland West has emboldened other provinces that have long suffered due to the imposition of candidates by so-called king-makers in their respective provinces.
There is a general consensus that if ZANU-PF is to reverse the gains of Prime Minister Tsvangirai and his party, the revolutionary party should encourage democracy, which prevailed in Mashonaland West.
Assuming internal democracy prevails in ZANU-PF, which is highly unlikely, a nail-biting contest between the party and the MDC-T could be in the offing, either this year or in 2013.
This week, ZANU-PF secretary for information, Rugare Gumbo, said the party held democratic primary polls, but at some stage “things turned the other way”, forcing it to reaffirm the spirit of its founding principles. “We are moving with the times. The interest of the masses must be safeguarded, we think that everybody must be tested on the ground,” said Gumbo.
“But some aspiring candidates are already canvassing for support. In the course of that they are abusing their roles. There is a lot of vote buying, seeds, maize, money and that cannot be allowed. Some of them are going to be disappointed after spending so much money.”
The ZANU-PF spokesperson insisted that polls would be held this year, in spite of the fact that the party seems to be going against public sentiment.
Asked whether other members of the party presidium would also be subjected to primary contests, he said that the general feeling is that everyone must be put through the test. The ZANU-PF presidium comprise President Mugabe, his two vice presidents — John Nkomo and Joice Mujuru — and national party chairperson, Khaya-Moyo.
Gumbo, however, hastened to add that if there would be any exceptions it would come from the party.
Shamu could not be immediately reached for comment.
Political analyst, Ernest Mudz-engi, said the recent developments point to a picture where the whims of ZANU-PF heavyweights who held the people at ransom are being resisted and this might be replicated at the national level.
“The development confirms the fact that ZANU-PF system of dictatorship is crumbling, it is falling apart. John Mafa was persecuted for a long time and ZANU-PF heavyweights never wanted him but the interest of ZANU-PF people prevailed. This may point to greater loses at the national level for those who champion dictatorship,” said Mudzengi.