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Stephen Mpofu Correspondent
With 14 days to go to the harmonised elections, many patriotic and concerned Zimbabweans and sympathisers abroad must be wondering as to what route this country will take after July 30. To be sure, people must be asking whether this election period is the time to gather the harvest or to cause mayhem as threatened by the MDC-Alliance presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, no doubt causing the hearts of peace-loving Zimbabweans to skip a beat, as it were, on listening to the man’s combative rhetoric against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission which he claims did a shoddy job preparing for the polls.

Is it not tragically ironic that out of 23 Presidential candidates only one has been busy in the run-up to the elections telling the people, prospective voters, what he intends to do if he and his party are returned to power on the D-Day now engraved on the minds of the millions of potential voters?

Women Affairs and Community Development Minister Mrs Sithembiso Nyoni three days ago said that the ruling zanu-pf’s Presidential candidate Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa’s new dispensation administration is people-oriented and action-driven as evidenced by developmental projects that it has undertaken since coming into power last November, when former president Mr Robert Mugabe resigned his post at the onset of Operation Restore Legacy by the defence forces.

His campaign rallies across the country appear to confirm Mrs Nyoni’s remarks.
This is not a campaign pitch for the zanu-pf Presidential candidate.

This pen does not write his political speeches and the electorate will cast their votes on the strength of their conviction about what they believe the candidate has to offer if given another chance to rule.

Likewise, Mr Chamisa’s threats of mayhem will impact Zimbabweans depending on their political maturity or otherwise vis-a-vis the need for law and order to underpin unimpeded economic and social development in the country.

As to the rest of the Presidential candidates, it remains a mystery, so to speak, why they behave like mummies. How, for instance, is one expected to vote for the name of a political party, however, fancy it might sound?

A communicologist at a local university, whose identity is withheld here for his protection, may have put it more succinctly when he said the elections “have come too soon” before some candidates knew what to say to woo voters.

As to those intent on causing political havoc the law of the land is surely ready to take care of them.
No one, however big or small, educated or otherwise, is above the law.
Which should assure peace-loving and law-aiding citizens of a successful poll.

The harvest is ready, but sadly enough there are too few gatherers of the crop for those on the other side of the political — a sad commentary on the political maturation of the people of our nation.

All the same cool heads must prevail in the run-up to the elections and after the results are known so that whatever the outcome this country is not brought to a standstill, but will instead march on resolutely into a brave new future.