WHICH WAY NOW

Another stalemate
Although I was very busy, to contribute to the ongoing election campaign in Zimbabwe, however I kept myself well up-to-date on the activities going on the ground. Just last night I had a long conversation on the reported violence and the implications of people not allowed to freely expressing their political inclinations. By and large there are people that still share social lives like drinking at the famous waterholes scattered across the country, discuss political issues and go home intact. However there are reports and indeed incidents of intimidation and actual harm, the most cynical part of this election runoff. There have been reports of fanatic groups from both side doing TOI TOI (jogging dance) on the streets with a lot of provocation and unruly behaviour. That kind of environment allows opportunists and hooligans to unilaterally exercise street justice should not be there
On the wider politics leadership, credibility and accountability, this environment set up by Mr Mugabe during elections is not new and I expect the opposition to come up with plausible plans to win such type of elections. I always feel that the opposition is letting down its enthusiastic supporters and the political climate. I always feel the MDC leadership runs the biggest opposition party as a pressure group. They have not gone beyond that and they always need to be persuaded to take part and finish competitions. The leadership actually wants to be led. It is my conviction that even if they did not campaign in this run-off they were going to win hands down. They got 47% and ZANU PF got 43% the 10% swing most of it coming from Matabeleland where ZANU PF wins the least. This would be job done, however there is too much selfishness and posturing in Zimbabwean politics. 47% of the voting population let down again and in that order the Run-off election is off, MDC wants the outside world to come and level the playing field before they can wear their suits to go into the arena to be voted for. Two months have gone by with this political violence and five days why did they not stop it earlier before all the reported deaths.