The Financial Gazette

. . . as small-time politicians offer themselves for election

Njabulo Ncube, Assistant Editor

CONTROVERSIAL businessman, Raymond Chamba, last week declared his intention to run in the coveted race for Zimbabwe’s presidential polls likely to be held either this year or in 2013.
Chamba, a former ZANU-PF supporter, wants to slug it out against President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube (MDC), Dumiso Dabe-ngwa (ZAPU), Simba Makoni (Mavambo-Kusile-Dawn) and other presidential aspirants likely to emerge this year.
Chamba, who will be running on an independent ticket, said his focus was firmly on the presidency, declaring that he will give other presidential aspirants a run for their money.
While his character and staying power would be tested at the polls, he nonetheless joins a long-list of perceived small-time politicians who emerge once elections are on the horizon.
Job Sikhala, the maverick former legislator for St Mary’s, who is also eyeing the presidency under his MDC99, has been all over the show in the past months trying to make his presence felt in the country’s body politic.
Egypt Dzinemunhenzva, a cryptic politician, who normally surfaces from his rural base a few months from the election date, is still to throw his hat into the ring and so are Paul Siwela, Nesbert Mtengedzanwa and Reketai Semwayo — leaders of the Matabeleland Liberation Front, the rebranded African National Congress and ZANU Ndonga respectively.
The passing on of Justine Chiota, who committed suicide a few months ago after firstly fatally shooting his wife, and that of Isabel Mutangadura, who died recently, had the effect of eliminating candidates that had become permanent features on Zimbabwe’s election diary.
But questions abound regarding politicians that crop up every time when elections beckon.
Could it be that these politicians would be eyeing donor-funding under the disguise of furthering multi-party democracy when in actual fact these pseudo-politicians would be angling for free money to pay their debts and to enrich themselves? Could it also be that these fly-by-night politicians are party spoilers or proxies being used by shrewd politicians to congest the political field so as to confuse the electorate?
Whatever the case may be, the proliferation of political parties the world over is seen as a healthy sign for democracy.
In the case of Zimbabwe, whenever the presidential race gets crowded elections would be around the corner.
Zimbabweans are however, suspicious about some of the aspiring candidates because the culture of political opportunism has been prevalent in the country, thus leading to the emergence of so many parties just before elections.
Some students of political science argue that genuine political parties do not merely exist for elections; they are also active in-between elections.
They further argue that what Zimbabwe needs are genuine democracy-enhancing parties that can participate in elections.
Trevor Maisiri, a political analyst, said any Zimbabwean should feel free to contest in any election, provided they meet the criteria.
“If the proliferation of parties was to genuinely compete in elections then I would say that is enhancing democratic space”, he said.
Maisiri is however, concerned about the pre-election proliferation of political parties that are leader-centric and meant to fulfil personal egos rather than building the democratic architecture.
He said some of the political parties do not offer any meaningful difference in terms of their ideology, principles and values to the parties that are already established.
“This has led to the suspicion that they are mere implants of certain other existing parties”, he observed.
Reverend Useni Sibanda, the coordinator of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, said some politicians muddling the presidential race, specifically the likes of Sikhala, gave the nation comic relief, nothing else.
He said Zimbabweans should be guided by the principles of democracy, which gives room to anyone who wants to contest or participate in democratic processes.
“However, within the Zimbabwean context it has been the work of some shadowy groups to create smaller parties that will distract people or be used as channels for rigging elections.
“It would be easier for elections to be rigged if you have a proliferation of smaller political parties and politicians”, said Sibanda. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which is charged with conducting all elections in the country, including referendums, has on several occasions denied any vote rigging in the country’s past polls.
Consensus however, seem to be building around the fact that the existence of some of Zimbabwe’s political parties is motivated less by the desire to give effect to the principle of multi-party democracy and more by selfish and often financial considerations.
The result is that these fly-by-night parties are invisible, almost redundant between elections. This tend to undermine, in a very big way, their traditional role, which is to ensure checks and balances and to keep those in power on top of their game for the good of the nation.
Psychology Maziwisa, a political analyst, predicted that the battle at the next elections would pretty much be fought between the two main contenders, President Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s formation of the MDC-T.
Ncube’s MDC, according to Maziwisa, would not walk away entirely empty handed as the Industry Minister has worked tirelessly to make his party visible.
Maziwisa said while Sikhala wanted to project himself as a big political player, he was really a lightweight whose charisma and courage could only be more potently used within a bigger political establishment such as the MDC-T.
“Until that happens, his (Sikhala) relevance would be confined in police cells because he has a tendency to speak without considering the consequences of his words”, said Maziwisa.
Sikhala, together with Ncube, broke away from Prime Minister Tsvangirai in October 2005 to form a splinter group but the vocal former St Mary’s legislator later left the political grouping to form MDC99.
Sikhala however, begs to differ, saying his party “is the only hope for a new Zimbabwe”.
The next few months will however, tell whether Sikhala and the other small-time politicians to emerge before the polls have matured over the years.