ZANU-PF Heading For Victory In Zimbabwe Elections

Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit on March 27, 2010. The event was a rally to demand justice in the assassination of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah by the FBI on Oct. 28, 2009., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

ZANU-PF Heading for Victory in Zimbabwe Elections

President Mugabe given mandate for another term

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Millions of people in the Southern African nation of Zimbabwe went to the polls on July 31 for what was called “harmonized elections” to select the officials for local, legislative and administrative leadership for the next five years. Even though official results were not due until at least late August 1 or during the day on August 2, all indications point to a resounding victory by the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party led by President Robert Mugabe.

The elections were deemed free, fair and peaceful by the head of the African Union (AU) monitoring team former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. In contrast to previous years, there were no reports of violence or intimidation during the vote.

People lined up for hours to cast their ballot for five different presidential candidates and a host of figures seeking local and legislative offices. Surveys prior to the elections had predicted ZANU-PF, the party which fought for the national liberation of Zimbabwe leading up to independence in 1980, would win at the polls.

Other candidates challenging President Mugabe were Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai, which is a western-backed party and the favorite of the imperialist states; Welshman Ncube of the breakaway MDC-N, which split with the MDC-T after accusing Tsvangirai of being undemocratic; Dumiso Dabengwa of the splinter Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), whose parent organization had merged with ZANU-PF in 1987; and Kisinot Mukwazhe of the small Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP).

According to Reuters press agency, “A senior ZANU-PF source has claimed a resounding victory for Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe's presidential and parliamentary elections. The unnamed party official told the media that ‘We've taken this election. We've buried the MDC. We never had any doubt that we were going to win.’" (August 1)

Western-backed Opposition Rejects Results

As predicted the MDC-T leader and presidential contender Morgan Tsvangirai has cried foul, saying that the elections were rigged in favor of ZANU-PF. Tsvangirai claimed that the elections were “a farce” and called them “null and void” warranting an investigation by the international community.

Nonetheless, MDC-N candidate for the legislative assembly Paul Themba Nyathi conceded that he has lost the elections to ZANU-PF in Gwanda North. Gwanda was highly critical of Tsvangirai’s allegation that the elections were “null and void” and said that ZANU-PF won in a fair vote.

Gwanda told the New Zimbabwean that “Five days ago, I got a feeling that Gwanda North was unwinnable. People who used to come to our rallies and support us suddenly couldn’t look me in the eye. They started vacillating.

“We had a free and fair contest, everyone was free to canvass and the vote was peaceful. Hand on heart I think ZANU-PF beat us fair and square. There’s something that made people to fall in love with ZANU-PF again, and it’s not intimidation. I think Morgan Tsvangirai has spoken too soon, he needs a quiet corner to reflect and I think the right course is to concede and move on.” (August 1)

There are other areas around the country where ZANU-PF held a profound presence in the initial results. Indications reveal a strong ZANU-PF showing in Manicaland, Masvingo, Midlands, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North. The two largest cities of Bulawayo and Harare look hopeful for MDC-T.

Monitoring of the elections was done by the continental organization of the AU, which has 54-member states, and the regional Southern African Development Community (SADC), encompassing 15 nations. No outside monitors from the United States government, Britain or the European Union were allowed as official observers.

The 15-member Southern African regional bloc SADC will deliver its verdict on Zimbabwe's tightly-fought elections on Friday, an official said. "Tomorrow at 12 noon, SADC is expected to release its preliminary report on the 2013 Zimbabwe harmonized elections," said Leefa Martin-Penehupifo, a spokeswoman for the SADC which has been a key mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis. (New Zimbabwean, August 1)

Prospects for Zimbabwe’s Political Future

During the course of the campaign ZANU-PF leaders President Mugabe and Vice-President Joice Mujuru repeated that the election results would provide the capacity for the party to break its coalition government with the MDC factions. Disagreements over the outcome of the 2008 voting giving Mugabe the presidency and the MDC-T a majority in national assembly laid the basis for a Global Political Agreement (GPA) leading to a coalition government beginning in 2009.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki negotiated the terms of the GPA and the coalition government. Cabinet portfolios were divided up between ZANU-PF and the MDC factions where Mugabe maintained his authority as head-of-state and his party still controlled the defense ministry and other key organs of the state.

Tsvangirai was appointed prime minister and Tendai Biti, a leader in the MDC-T took over as finance minister. ZANU-PF officials have said during the campaign that the coalition government has stalled progress in the national development project aimed at consolidating the land reform program instituted in 2000 and the current process of Africanization in mining and manufacturing.

Western states such as Britain, the U.S., Canada and the EU maintained sanctions against Zimbabwe even after the coalition government with the MDC factions was formed. Sanctions were imposed after the government authorized the seizure of white-owned farms in 2000 some two decades after national independence.

Land was redistributed to millions of Africans who established small and medium-sized farms that have transformed agricultural production in the country. Productivity has increased over the last decade and incomes levels have grown under the new system of farming and distribution.

Zimbabwe under President Mugabe and ZANU-PF leadership developed the policy of “Look East” where relations with China and other Asian states were enhanced to work around the sanctions imposed by the imperialist nations. The regional SADC also continued to support Harare and defend the government within international forums.

The country is also increasing its mining of diamonds which are some of the largest deposits internationally. A failed attempt by the U.S. and other western states to prevent Zimbabwe from selling its diamonds several years ago was defeated with the assistance of SADC.

With polls showing that ZANU-PF was poised for a substantial victory in the July 31 polls, some western states have begun to re-establish dialogue with the Mugabe government. A special State Department envoy, former United Nations Ambassador for Washington during the Carter administration, Andrew Young, was sent to Zimbabwe for discussions earlier in the year.

However, it will remain to be seen what role the U.S. under Obama will play in the coming months in Zimbabwe. If they continue efforts through their ally Tsvangirai to discredit the elections, there will then be a political rationale for the continuation of sanctions and other hostilities towards Harare.

Ultimately it will be up to the Zimbabwe people to determine what their future will entail. With Africa enjoying increasing trade with China, other Asian and African states as well as Latin America—experiencing growth rates higher than the U.S., Britain and the EU—the continent is in a stronger position to set the agenda for greater independence in foreign relations and economic policies.