BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA
It’s nothing new to say that members of the ZANU PF and Opposition Parties will don’t see eye to eye. After all, there’s a reason they belong to different political parties.
But over the last few years, it really does seem that the dislike between the two sides has hit another level.It is more likely that in most Political violence cases it is the opposition turning against each other to the bewilderment of the ruling party. It has become common that some opposition members have been kidnapped and turned out that they have been kidnapped by themselves.
The Kidnap episode is part of a larger trend in Zimbabwean politics of patronage and one side seeing the other as the enemy and yet the enemy is within,though as much as MDC accused ZANU PF of hypocrisy, in the investigations none of them pointed to a comparable moment in which a MDC and now CCC member had executed or depicted the murder of a colleague. The percentage of Zimbabweans who strongly dislike the opposition party has gone up in just the last two decades mostly because the most reports of violence by the opposition are stage managed. Most cases are rehearsed for the purpose of the media and in this world of social media the plan and lies backfired badly.
You can see this very clearly in the numbers.
In the 1990s the opposition and ZANU PF were actually pretty OK with each other.
The last two decades, however, have seen the opinion of the opposition plummet.This was made worse by the realisation that the economic situation was engineered by the MDC this have rise to the indication that the dislike of the opposition is still growing and this time they dislike each other.
Perhaps more amazingly, the percentages of Opposition who flat out despise the other side of the opposition are almost unfathomable amount of rage.
In the past twenty years, opposition parties in Zimbabwe have been experiencing different levels of success in elections, despite similarities in the country’s electoral system and political history. While commentators predicts that the main opposition, with their members focused electoral system, will tend toward a two-party rivalry over time, despite the race to register several parties when its towards elections always two patties emerge and fights it through the gruesome electoral fight. The apparent collapse of MDC as a main opposition party following the break up by its several affiliates as well as the recent rise of third parties and present important questions about the direction of these Opposition democracies.
In Zimbabwe there are clear conditions required for an opposition party to win an election, drawing upon existing laws regarding resource and fairness. The advantage of dominant parties and incumbency advantage is actually bringing out that two conditions are required of opposition parties and their leaders to succeed in their electoral campaigns: 1) legitimacy as the leader of the opposition and 2) an appropriate and rational issue-frame that distinguishes the opposition party from the incumbent and panders to public opinion.
Chamisa has been fighting legitimacy since he grabbed the power at the funeral of Tsvangirai.
Despite the spring of reregistering of parties there is a visible absence of policies which is so misguided that they pose a serious threat to the country. Among Zimbabwean many adults believe Opposition Party policies are so misguided that they pose a serious threat to the country.
Instead of the opposition to unite and spear head their policies When you see stats like that, it’s no wonder that each party is at the other’s throat. colleague is beyond the pale. The MDC the then main opposition party had suffered crushing defeats in the 2018 presidential and 2018 legislative and council elections. Clearly, a lot has changed in the past few years—or has it? What variables account for the waxing and waning of the viability of opposition parties in these elections.
The opposition parties have differing levels of success in the elections despite feigning to be facing political challenges, democratic institutions and electoral systems.
It is the in-fight and the idea of splitting within a year to the elections which has made an opposition party nit electable in the past 20 years, and this has been a truthful history if the opposition so far. There is a long-time question in the field of Zimbabwean comparative politics: Why are the opposition and these so called maturing democracies are headed toward a Westminster model of functional, two-party rivalry, a consensus model of multiparty, coalition-based politics, or something else entirely. Is it the love of the West which makes MSDC measure the outcomes of elections with the Western elections.
What makes Chamisa’s party a joke is because they are aiming their arrows at Mwonzora. They will get great achievements if the outsmart Mwonzora.
The Opposition’s main role should be to question
the government of the day and hold them accountable. Opportunities for scrutinising the policies and administration of the Government are provided in Question Time, the Address- in-Reply debate, Budget debates, debates on legislation, notices of motion and No Confidence Motions. Members of the Opposition who are members of parliamentary committees have a further opportunity to scrutinise new legislation as part of the committee process.
The Opposition also utilises the media to reach the electorate with its views and to establish an identity as an alternative government.
So it is shocking that the MDC always blame the ZANU PF government for failing to execute electoral reforms.
It is the duty of the opposition to table the electoral reforms in parliament. It is their duty to convince other members of parliament to vote for their motion. This has never been done yet they stand uo and blame ZANU PF.
Through their leader the opposition must lead the Opposition in parliamentary and policy debate. It the duty of the opposition to hold the Government accountable and presenting the views of an alternative government;
The opposition must have a noble aim of leading and publicising the development of party policy all this the opposition does not have only to make it their purpose to oppose and oppose even if there is nothing to oppose.
Now Zimbabweans have been given a yellow party without a constitution or policies to buy.
The only thing opposition have successfully done was to boycott elections or participate under protest.
CCC has not shown anything but just wanting power at all costs. As we enter into the By elections Zimbabwe will vote for experience and consistence.
We have no helpful opposition but a mere group of thugs aiming at our throats
For all serious voters we need to rally behind the ruling party.
ZANU PF is all of us.
Vote wisely vote ZANU PF.
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