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Tafara Shumba Correspondent
ZANU-PF’s landslide victories in the Chirumanzu-Zibagwe and Mt Darwin West by-elections save to reaffirm that the revolutionary party is still the party of first choice in the Republic of Zimbabwe.

The party romped to victory by colossal margins in both constituencies. In Mt Darwin West, Cde Barnwell Seremwe bagged 18 315 votes while his counterpart in Chirumanzu-Zibagwe, Cde Auxilia Mnangagwa, garnered 16 092 votes.

Apart from reasserting ZANU PF’s formidability, there are a few other lessons to be drawn from these by-elections.

The by-elections have shown that ZANU-PF’s image was not dented a bit by the departure of some of its rogue elements that were fired for attempting to unconstitutionally oust President Robert Mugabe. The party is still very strong and capable of winning any election at any given moment.

There were speculations before the polls that the cleansing of ZANU-PF would dent its chances of winning overwhelmingly in the by-elections. The private media attempted to lend credence to this speculation by falsely reporting of voter apathy in the constituencies.

It is no mean feat to record 20 000 voters in a by-election, where it is known that the turnout is generally low. It is so because they are not game changers and as such, people do not attach much importance to them.

The private media have exposed themselves in this regard, unless these reporters are not clear about what voter apathy is.

The private media had their own agenda to set and they thought that they would give currency to their schema by posting live updates of the electoral process.

Despite internal tiffs, ZANU-PF has remained a people’s choice. People still have confidence in the revolutionary party and the leadership of President Mugabe. Some people thought that ZANU- PF would tumble in Mt Darwin West, which was previously represented in the lower House of Parliament by the deposed former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru.

These people thought the over 22 000 people who voted for Dr Mujuru in the 2013 harmonised elections would vent their imagined anger in the ballot. The biggest lesson that every party member must learn is that nobody owns people. All people belong to ZANU-PF and they are party supporters not individual supporters.

All party members who got into various elective positions did so largely riding on the popularity of the revolutionary party.

People voted for them because of the marketable party policies they sold during the campaigns. Even Tendai Biti conceded that ZANU-PF had tangible electoral promises. It was not anybody’s charisma that earned them seats in Parliament.

This must save as a warning to Mr Didymus Mutasa and Mr Temba Mliswa who think that the people who voted for them in the 2013 election will once again vote for them, notwithstanding that they stand as independents, Gamatox, Nyati or whichever party.

The fact that people voted for ZANU-PF in a constituency previously held by their factional principal, Mr Mutasa and his nephew, should purge their mind of the hope of winning a by-election in June 2015.

They risk embarrassing themselves at the ballot. ZANU-PF supporters are not that gullible to the extent of following a copse into a grave like a fly. They know when to stop. Even those who once saw Mr Mutasa as their godfather will not risk falling into a political grave with him.

Obviously, MDC-T should also take these by-elections as a dipstick to gauge the popularity of ZANU-PF in the face of the inconsequential internal squabbles. Hopefully, they will not continue to be misled by their mouthpieces which see voter apathy in a constituency that harvests 20 000 voters.

If the MDC-T thought the developments in ZANU-PF dented its popularity, they had better change their game plan.

The MDC formations alleged that Nikuv Projects International, an Israeli firm, assisted ZANU-PF in romping to victory in the July 31 2013 elections. Unfortunately, their Western benefactors swallowed this bunkum hook, line and sinker.

However, it strains credulity to believe that Nikuv was at it again in such a small project.

No sane political party can engage international “rigging machinery” in a by-election in which it is 100 percent certain that the results will be in its favour. Almost the same people who voted for the party in 2013 reasserted their support for the party in these by-elections.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) must have also used these by-elections to gauge a few things. The by-elections were a barometer to gauge the political mileage of his newfound party.

The learned professor must use the by-elections to determine the possibility of him being a serious politician. These by-elections must guide the future of his political aspirations.

However, I have grave doubts about the possibility of him being a serious politician. His party fared worse than the obscure Transform Zimbabwe (TZ) and Good People’s Movement (GPM).

In Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe, NCA candidate Mutodza Munashe pocketed a paltry 79 against 456 for Abigail Musambasi of TZ, 86 for Gadzamoyo Dewah of GPM and 257 for Willard Kanoti, an independent. In Mt Darwin West, NCA candidate, Reuben Matigu got 216 against 302 for TZ’s Fungai Kenard.

The NCA has been in the game for a while under the banner of civic organisation. One did not expect it to be eclipsed by the little known TZ and GPM. One is born a politician, thus, the law professor must leave politics and concentrate on pedagogy where his fortunes are better. ZANU PF’s massive popularity cannot be wished away, it is here to stay.