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Blessings Chidakwa

Zimpapers Elections Desk

Surely, numbers do not lie. 

Chinorumba High School in Zaka will be remembered for ages for hosting a staggering rally where 124 000 people thronged the grounds, showing the world President Mnangagwa and ZANU PF’s mobilising might. 

Days after, the multitudes that teemed to this school in Zaka is still the talk of town and as the ruling party basks in its glory, analysts try to figure how one party can be so magnetic, while the opposition is in sixes and sevens. 

Even though this is only ZANU PF’s fourth provincial star rally, the colossal figures have tempted some people to already label it a “mother of all rallies”. 

Clearly, it is already in the bag for ZANU PF as party supporters endorse the leadership of the ruling party’s First Secretary and President Mnangagwa and its candidates nationwide. 

As for the August 23 harmonised elections, it is already a done deal, a forgone conclusion for the ruling party as evidenced by its support base which is growing in leaps and bounds at each and every rally. 

Even a CCC member failed to resist being part of the ZANU PF bumper crowds, with a picture making rounds on social media of a CCC regalia-clad member seen jostling among the party members to board a ruling party vehicle. 

As always, the gesture once again clearly demonstrated how accommodative and peaceful ZANU PF is, as it embraces everyone as witnessed by several opposition members defecting to the ruling party. 

In his own words, President Mnangagwa said the ZANU PF rallies are recording impressive numbers, since the revolutionary party launched its election campaign in Chipinge last month.

“I want to warmly thank you, the people of Masvingo. Surely your numbers have been hugely impressive. I can see people stretching for more than a kilometre,” he said while addressing the multitudes. 

“I want to speak of the figures. When we launched the campaign in Chipinge, we were anticipating 60 000 people, so we sent regalia for 60 000 people, but it was not enough.”

President Mnangagwa added: “Then in Bulilima, we were anticipating about 70 000 people, but the regalia we sent for that number was not enough. Then in Mashonaland West, in Magunje, over 75 000 people came. But here, I can see that people are stretching for over a kilometre, I think you are about 100 000. 

“In fact, I am being told now that our drone technology has counted you, and you are more than 124 000. Mavhenyengwa (Cde Robson Mavhenyengwa, Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Chairperson) and Chadzamira (Ezra Chadzamira, Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution) you have taken the crown.” 

The President took a jibe at CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa, saying he could not match up to ZANU PF’s mobilisation prowess, as the 15 000 that attended his campaign launch needed to be multiplied seven times to match the huge Zaka crowd.

The President, a champion of peace, said his Government is committed to creating a level political playing field, as all political parties must be accorded the platform to take their campaign messages to the people ahead of the polls.

“Every party must be allowed to campaign, but we want peace before, during and after the elections. The most important thing for the growth and development of our country is the maintenance of peace. Since we began this campaign, there is peace throughout the country. Today, I am aware that some other political outfit is having its launch in Gweru.” 

President Mnangagwa added: “I hope they will embrace the peace that is prevailing in the country. Every political party is allowed to campaign however they want, but they must do so peacefully, uniting people and not dividing people.” 

Even political analysts were charmed by the massive crowd at the ZANU PF rally, among them Dr Augustine Tirivangana who said deliverables by the party have made it win the hearts of the majority.

“The pointers towards a landslide victory for ZANU PF are far too many. The point has already been made that it has an overwhelming majority in the rural areas owing to its detailed action plan and the magnetic appeal of its manifesto,” he said. 

“The ruling party has palpable development projects on the ground, and when they speak, they do so to discernible outfits. The staggering difference owes to ZANU PF’s superior organisational and mobilising skills which are obscenely absent from their competitors.”

Dr Tirivangana said as for CCC, the point has already been made that their experimentation in choosing candidates could only do one thing to score their own goal because of the deep-seated grievances created by the opaque candidate selection processes. 

“The same scenario is likely to reflect on the urban vote too where there is growing impatience on the part of CCC supporters who question the idea of a party controlled literally by two megalomaniac individuals,” he said. 

“Besides, the majority of CCC supporters in the urban areas are hardly registered. ZANU PF supporters wherever they are, demonstrate a much higher level of commitment to register and to partake in the voting process.” 

Another analyst Mr Gibson Nyikadzino said numbers usually translate to political organisation and mobilisation which defines strongholds for political parties.

“Remember, ZANU PF did not launch its political campaign in an urban area, but in Chipinge, where it drew massive crowds. Now in Zaka, the numbers are more, even so, compared to the CCC numbers in Gweru,” he said. 

“Comparatively, the differences we are hearing in terms of numbers also tell us about the differences in the abilities of the political parties in terms of mobilisation and organisation.” 

Mr Nyikadzino said the organisation of ZANU PF is systematically anchored on mobilisation which CCC does not compete in that regard because it is rarely organised, internally, structurally and institutionally. 

“Also, when you consider that Zaka is a countryside area and Gweru is urban, it is indicative that the two parties command support in different zones of operation,” he said.

“Supplementary, ZANU PF has traditionally been a people’s party without categorisation, and lastly, the population census tells us that at least 65 percent of the population is in rural areas, where Zanu PF’s organisational capacity is visibly strong, by all indications, Zanu PF is going to be victorious.”

History will forever remember Zaka’s massive endorsement.