Voters, toilets, frogs, baboons and donkeys

A leading member of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai displayed how arrogance cost the party the 31 July elections. He told the people of Insiza South that since he was a member of the national executive even if he got a person from the toilet, they had to vote for him.

According to a report by the Solidarity Peace Trust –End of a road- the 2013 elections in Zimbabwe: “LM came. He first spoke about devolution. In the end he introduced the candidate he imposed, and then we asked him- we asked him what kind of devolution he was talking about. Because you spoke about devolution first, and then you introduce your imposed candidate….? He then went on to say because he is at national level whatever he says goes. He said even if he got that person from the toilet, it was a must for us to vote for him. We said no! We don’t know that person. Things got messed up.”

The seat which was previously held by the Movement for Democratic Change led by Welshman Ncube went to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front whose candidate Malaki Nkomo polled 4 660 votes. Siyabonga Ncube, who previously held the seat polled 2 384 votes while the MDC-T candidate Nkululeko Sibanda won 2 007 votes.

At one stage three MDC-T candidates were vying for the seat.

Devolution is the process of taking power from a central authority or government and giving it to smaller and more local regions.

The arrogance displayed by the unnamed official, who was most likely the national chairman Lovemore Moyo, is reported to have cost the MDC several seats especially in Manicaland where the party which had 24 out of the 26 seats in 2008 ended up with only four.

The trend of imposing candidates and telling voters to vote for that candidate regardless of his or her attributes got worse after the formation of the MDC in 1999. After the 2000 elections then intelligence boss Nicholas Goche, said if the MDC had put a frog in any of the urban constituencies people would have voted for it.

Two years later, Vice-President Simon told the people of Chivi: “Even if we put a baboon in Chivi, if you are ZANU-PF you vote for that baboon.”

In 2008 a woman from Nkayi remarked: “Given a choice between a donkey and a ZANU-PF candidate, people would vote for the donkey.”

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