RSS 2.0 FeedDecember vol 28, Featured Articles, Parliament and Politics
Why WikiLeaks will not affect votes in Zimbabwe
Zanu PF is of the opinion that the leaked information from the Department of State, US, concerning Zimbabwe will or may assist its campaign of trying to influence the people of this country to believe that America and Britain are meddling in the internal affairs of this country and the not unusual “resist imperialism” and “sanctions” onslaught.
Zanu PF is of the opinion that the leaked information from the Department of State, US, concerning Zimbabwe will or may assist its campaign of trying to influence the people of this country to believe that America and Britain are meddling in the internal affairs of this country and the not unusual “resist imperialism” and “sanctions” onslaught.
And by so holding on to the evidence that the leaked information seems to give, hope that the votes when they finally come, will be in their favour.
It is not for me to say whether that reasoning is correct or false. What is for me is to observe certain facts. These then are they:
There are in this country and anywhere on the globe supporters of both MDC-T and Zanu PF who are so extreme, unwavering and unfaltering in their loyalty to their parties that whatever evidence of mismanagement, corruption, lack of capacity to govern or anything that would cause a moderate supporter to review his/her support, would not affect them in virtually any manner.
These are they that justify whatever blunders their leaders may make or if they do not justify, criticise in passing but vote for them nevertheless.
Most of MDC-T and Zanu PF supporters are like that. Therefore on this point alone, the leaks are insignificant to the vote.
Imaginations are to give way to reality. The issue on the ground whether Zanu PF accepts or declines to accept is this, most perhaps all, MDC-T supporters have long been convinced and remain convinced beyond doubt that Zanu PF information is full of unacceptable propaganda.
They virtually do not listen to anything Zanu PF says, no matter what sense it may make.
Their minds have effectively blocked anything from Zanu PF.
On this point alone the leaks are insignificant to the vote.
Supporters of the MDC-T support the party for reasons that have nothing to do with sovereignty, which reasons, even if it were proven beyond reasonable doubt that MDC-T was working with America and Britain, would still stand and propel them towards the MDC-T.
Issues like Gukurahundi, political murders, rape, arson, violence and force, allegations of ill-gotten wealth among Zanu PF bigwigs, do not suddenly sink into nothingness because some information has leaked.
An MDC-T supporter would not wish to protect his nation from imperialists together and in one accord with people she/he literally saw raping his mother/sister, killing his father/brother etc.
In any event if imperialists will cause the fall of such persons, they will embrace it of course hoping that after, they will be left alone.
On this point alone, the Leaks are insignificant to the vote.
To many of the youths who literally adore and glorify the Western world, I say so because of the manner the Western world seems to influence their dressing, hair styles, accent, music and generally style, the fact that America intends to control Zimbabwe is not as Zanu PF thinks, a threat.
It’s a blessing to these youths.
Whether they know the consequences or appreciate them is on the other hand.
Sovereignty and anti-imperialist utterances have been abundant for the past ten years.
They have formed the basic and bedrock of Zanu PF campaign. At times they have been repeated a record once-every-thirty-minutes.
MDC-T has right and direct in the midst of those campaigns received more and more votes for the past ten years at each election, including recently when they even forced a GNU!
This point speaks for itself. Let me add a little, how will leaked information in America affect voting patterns in Zimbabwe when broadcasting, (PM Morgan)Tsvangirai himself daily on ZBC TV, saying “cut our electricity . . .” failed to affect the vote?
Most people are convinced that after witnessing ten years of hunger, inflation and poverty when Zanu PF ruled alone, it is MDC-T that has brought stability, stopped hunger, inflation and poverty.
For they ask how it is that when Zanu PF was alone they suffered but after MDC-T joined government things got better.
So to them it must be MDC-T. And to an individual who went through the ten-year ordeal and agony, what’s crucial is the things coming, not where they are coming from or the intentions of who is making them come.
It will make no sense to such a person to tell him/her that the agony you suffered because you want/wanted to be sovereign is better to your life and children than the stability you are enjoying because it’s compromised.
That argument would or could pass where people appreciated issues of territorial integrity and where that suffering and agony was equally shared among them and Zanu PF bigwigs. On this point, the Leaks are insignificant to the vote.
Zanu PF boasts that the literacy level in this country is very high. There are two issues to that.
First, that literacy refers to the ability only to read and write and not to critically analyse developments and independent thinking, which makes people vote not after an analysis of events or some sustained critical thinking but by feelings and there are no feelings in leaked information but overwhelming feelings in hunger, suppression, violence etc, which the MDC-T stands against. The election results have been proving this.
Second, that literacy level may mean ability not only to read and write but to critically analyse developments and independent thinking, which if people are exposed to for a prolonged time in politics, will assist them in beginning to think for themselves.
The election results have been proving this. But Zanu PF, regardless of which way the literacy level goes, continues to view the people of Zimbabwe as illiterate and belonging to the mountains.
The leaks are a non-event. Let the MDC-T apply more pressure to things that affect or invoke feelings, including photocopying the full page of The Herald on (Local Government minister Ignatius) Chombo’s wealth and distribute it freely and extensively in the rural areas, and especially his constituency. Simple.
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