A new baby or a New Yellow baby Suit??
Nelson Chamisa claimed that the party he had formed was a new party. This was despite the fact he remained an unelected leader of the new party. The MDC Alliance leadership was and is the same CCC leadership. The CCC stance and narrative on sanctions echoed the MDC Alliance calls. The confusion to the voter was apparent.
The confusion manifested itself in Sakubva . Although Nelson Chamisa claimed to have filled the Sakubva Stadium, the majority of people in ward 4 voted for the Zanu-PF candidate. The people actual voted the same in Mutasa South where Regai Tsunga lost about 2000 voters as compared to the 2018 elections.
Of Supporters, Floating voters and Members
It is important to note that the floating voters affect the bye-election. The floating voters are the sympathisers. These are the voters the politicians prey on. These are people whom we see being given freebies by politicians. The freebies can be money, food and t-shirts.
It is a fact that CCC has sympathizers and supporters while as ZANUpf on the other hand has members. Supporters and floating voters have little or no conviction to participate in elections. They need to be incentivised while members can easily be mobilised to vote through their organisational structures. Members who are mobilised have a duty to vote.
The floating voter is the CCC advantage in urban areas and is a ZANUpf disadvantage in urban areas. Membership and coherent structures are ZANUpf's strengths in the rural areas and CCC's weaknesses. Chamisa has no structure to talk about in rural areas.
This was reflected here in Manicaland in the Dangamvura/Chikanga and Mutasa South by-elections
Old Habit And Wrong Candidates selection
The choice of candidate does matter in an election. It is folly to put up an unpopular candidate like Isau Mupfumi. He is a perennial loser and also a bad loser. The ZANUpf leadership were fooled at the primaries. Mupfumi lost the primaries and there was no way he could win the by-elections.
The CCC leadership also used its undemocratic "consensus" to impose Regai Tsunga on the people of Mutasa South and cost them the elections.
The Mutasa South residents supported Misheck Mugadza who had won the ZANUpf primaries free and fairly. The ZANUpf candidate is well known as a community developer and hence loved in the area.
The outgoing CCC MP lives in the urban part of his constituency and is rarely seen in the rural parts of his constituency.
Who won the Elections?
As a parting shot, ZANUpf won an extra Member of Parliament seat in Manicaland. Democracy won the by-elections. Imposition of candidates by consensus or threats lost the elections. That is the lesson for 2023 Elections.
