Zimpapers Logo

The violence reportedly perpetrated on National People’s Party (NPP)leader Joice Mujuru and members of her party last week must be condemned by all peace-loving Zimbabweans. We urge the law enforcement agents to investigate the case without fear or favour and bring the culprits to book.

President Mnangagwa has made it clear that the forthcoming elections should be free and fair, devoid of any political violence. His message of a violence-free election has been welcomed throughout the world, including in capitals where our previous elections were being condemned.

Given the goodwill that has been generated on the word of the President, those who perpetrate violence on members of other political parties are obviously going against the grain. Such criminal acts should be nipped in the bud, and the Glen View incident should give us pointers to what awaits all those with such a criminal mind.

We expect people to be brought before the courts over this matter, just as an indication that Government means business when it speaks about a violence-free election. We cannot allow a few individuals, whichever political party they belong to, to spoil the trajectory on which President Mnangagwa has set the nation since his inauguration in November last year.

That trajectory includes respect of other people’s rights to associate with a political party of their choice. As a nation, it is time we start debating politics on the basis of ideas, and let the people choose freely those they think can push forward the country’s developmental agenda.

The real contest at an election should be the battle for ideas — where political parties sell their agendas to the electorate through manifestos. We are sick and tired of party activists, who think intimidating or causing bodily harm to their rivals is a ticket to get into public office.

These are petty politicians, who must be identified and shunned by voters at the ballot box. President Mnangagwa has since demonstrated his ambition to bring economic development to the country, and we have no doubt that he will resoundingly win the forthcoming election.

He has already endeared himself with the electorate based on his clear focus on turning around the fortunes of the people. Obviously, there will be a few bad apples out there bent on spoiling President Mnangagwa’s expected victory by turning to political violence.

It is such people that the law should deal with now, to send a clear message to would-be perpetrators that political violence has no space in Zimbabwe. We have noticed with concern that some political parties have rushed to blame the ruling Zanu-PF for the violence visited upon the NPP members. Until the law enforcement agents finish their investigations, it is too early to blame one political party for the acts of violence.

In fact, there are so many dynamics around the politics in both Zanu-PF and opposition parties that it could have been anyone from one of the political parties who acted in the unacceptable manner. Yet we should not wait until it is too late to start making people account for their actions when it comes to political violence.

The last thing this country needs at the moment is political violence. The burden cannot be on President Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF alone to call for violence-free election. A holistic approach is needed, with leaders of other political parties also sending the same message to their supporters that political violence does not pay. Political leaders who encourage violence should be shunned like a plague.

They spoil the good future of our country, and with that take us back to the days when we were viewed as an outcast among other nations. So far Zanu-PF is leading the way in strongly condemning violence. All politicians should join in instead of pointing fingers and pretending their supporters are saints.