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Zanu-PF is emerging from primaries that created some tension between contestants and at the base.

By their very nature, elections at whatever level are divisive. It is worse for primaries that must be held first and whose winners would need to recover their focus to be able to take on rivals representing other parties in a general election that is typically held immediately after the intra-party contests.  This poses a challenge for parties as well; for them to regroup to contest in the more important election as a united front.

The ruling party had its primaries between April 29 and early this month to come up with candidates to represent it for positions of councillors, MPs, Senators and in the women’s quota in the National Assembly.  A few challenges were encountered which embittered some cadres.  Complaints were therefore raised in a number of constituencies and are being looked into at national level.

With the experience they have, Zanu-PF anticipated the possibility of internal tensions bring triggered by the primaries so came up with ways to minimise their impact come election time.

The party ordered all the contestants to campaign together, moving as a team from one rally to the other.  Each of them was given a chance to address the same rally, articulating the reasons why the faithful must elect him or her.  The rivals were told not to chant slogans against each other.

In addition to warning against political violence, the party also ordered that losing candidates must become the campaign managers for the victors for the official campaigns that will start soon after the sitting of nomination courts when the election date has been announced.

These and other measures were designed to make sure that the party runs peaceful primaries and regains its cohesion immediately after.

Pursuant to that, the party has organised a healing and reconciliation workshop to be held in Harare tomorrow and on Wednesday.  All cadres who participated in the primaries for Senate and National Assembly seats are mandated to attend the event organised by the Chitepo School of Ideology.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa will address them on Wednesday.

In a circular to all provincial chairpersons, the Zanu-PF Department for the Commissariat said:

“The Commissariat Department, through the Chitepo School of Ideology has organised a healing and reconciliation workshop to unite all candidates who participated in the party’s primary elections for Senate and the National Assembly,” reads part of the circular.

“Provincial chairpersons are requested to invite all their respective winning candidates and losing candidates in the said primary elections to attend this very important meeting scheduled to be addressed by His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF Cde ED Mnangagwa on Wednesday 30 May, 2018.”

The revolutionary party continues to lead the way in dispute resolution and its quest for orderly politics.  We don’t think its opponents, who have fared much worse in their own primaries, have this in mind or have capacity to do so.

As we report elsewhere in this issue, Zanu-PF provincial chairpersons have welcomed the reconciliation initiative, emphasising the need for those who lost in the primaries to support those who beat them and focus on the forthcoming elections. They say there are no winners or losers in the primaries; the most important point being for the party to reunite to win in the general elections expected in July.

We saw at the weekend, Presidential Advisor and chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa, posing for pictures with Cde Langton Mutendereki, a junior cadre who initially beat the war veteran in a primary in Norton constituency in Mashonaland West, but voluntarily stepped aside for the former.  Cde Mutendereki has assumed the role of Cde Mutsvangwa’s campaign manager.

As Zanu-PF reconnects, MDC-T is in flames over its selection of candidates.  Initially, the party attempted to choose representatives through consensus fearing that primaries would tear it apart.  Members failed to agree in dozens of constituencies and wards countrywide.  Therefore, the party had no choice but to hold primaries in the areas.

Violence pitting youths has been the order of the day over the past few days.  Some candidates and their loyalists burnt ballot papers or ran away with them.  In many areas contestants have voiced unhappiness over imposition of candidates.

As a result of these irregularities there is widespread disquiet in the party, which has seen some, such as sitting MP for Harare West, Ms Jessie Majome quitting the primaries and stating they will contest in the harmonised elections as independents.

“There were several misdemeanors,” complained Mr Gift Chimanikire, the incumbent in Southerton who however lost.

“People who had voted would mingle with those that had not voted and they would swap party cards and ended up voting more than once.  Besides there was no register because a presiding officer refused to use it saying it was shambolic.  As a result people who were not party members were allowed to vote because they swapped cards.”

We doubt that MDC-T has the capacity to instill the necessary amount of discipline within its ranks for a full recovery to be achieved in time for the elections, only two months away.