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Reflections on the 2008 election
Silas Dzike
April 01, 2008

The election has come and gone.

MT -- Morgan Tsvangirai
AM -- Arthur Mutambara
RGM -- We all know who that is
UMP -- the most infamous Zimbabwean constituencies at election time

What can l say, whether some people are fickle, short-sighted, myopic or down right daft l don't know

Another tragedy that is emerging is the effect of MT's failure to put personal ambition and of those in his camp behind and mobilise all progressive forces behind one candidate. It has since emerged that where any MDC wins (whether MT or AM) the difference between the two MDCs is less than 200 votes, and as it were Zanu PF will be just a little bit behind. Where Zanu PF wins however, lo and behold, it is winning with a big margin (in UMP Zanu won by more than 14000 to combined MDC 3000)

The trillion dollar question therefore, is when you do the numbers, any election is about numbers right? then you have to ask the question: where either MDC wins, who did they vote for for president? If the same pattern reflected in the parly results is repeated, this would mean MT is winning with a very small margin of just under 500 votes against RGM as compared to Zanu's emphatic 14000 votes assuming wherever Zanu PF wins. Assuming also that where MT won people voted MT for president and where AM won people voted SM that spells a receipt for an undisputed defeat for MT. Would it be possible for AM candidates to vote AM parly rep and vote MT for president? highly unlikely especially in Matebeleland provinces.

Now asuming further (but without conceding) that there was no rigging, one would therefore place the failure of the opposition to win this election squarely on MT and his little cabinet who spanned the offer to join with AM. MT joining with AM would have prevented splitting of vote, and effectively MDC voter would not have been forced to think twice about voting for MT as opposed to SM.

l submit that until the opposition learn a lesson from Kenya during the time of the Rainbow Coalition that brough the mighty Daniel Arap Moi crumbling like a deck of cards, RGM's statements that MDC will never rule the country (at least not during his life time) might start to make sense. Then the job for the army and the state security agents would be made easier.

l submit further, that there is an extent to which one can rig an election, there is no science to it, its just fiddling a little bit with numbers. Now tell me what numbers one will fiddle with, if there is no number at all to fiddle with. Simply put, l humbly submit that MT gave Zanu PF an opportunity to rig this election, and if l want to be emotional about it, l will never forgive MT for putting us through another 5 years of hardship and suffering. Someone must tell these politicians exactly where the power lies - with the people.

And as a parting note; doesn't the MDC constitution say a president can only serve for a maximum of two terms as party president? l am lazy to go through it again, but if l am correct in this regard, maybe its time we start looking for another candidate to stand against Emmerson Munangagwa in the next election in 2012.

MT has played his part in the struggle, and due credit to him is in order, but we must run away from the percieved notion of personalising the struggle, cult politics.

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