By Community Podium
In a poverty-stricken country like Zimbabwe, well-resourced candidates typically have huge advantages over those who are not as wealthy. However, the just-ended elections saw wealthy candidates who had spent fortunes in their campaigns lose.
Zimbabwe is a generally tokenistic society that largely expects to gain materially from those canvassing for votes. When politicians go out on rallies and campaigns, they are under pressure to provide regalia, food and other materials.
Notably, food and drink became a familiar sight at the ruling party’s rallies all over the country where attendees were treated to bread, chicken and fizzy drinks which have become a rarity for most Zimbabweans due to the harsh economic climate.
In Bulawayo, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube threw his hat into the fray to contest for the House of Assembly seat. His campaign was centred on development projects such as road refurbishment, providing funds for youths to secure driver’s licences nurse aid training, facilitating the building of a hospital, and free WIFI among other interventions.
Everything seemed on course for a rare Zanu PF victory in Bulawayo. So confident was the party that President Mnangagwa chose to conduct his Bulawayo star rally in Cowdray Park. However, young Pashor Sibanda of Citizens Coalition for Change brewed a shocker when he edged Ncube in the hotly contested seat.
Ncube polled 6 530 votes while Sibanda garnered 8 411 votes and was announced as the duly elected MP for Cowdry Park.
‘’Sibanda’s Door-To-Door campaigns proved more effective. He spoke to us directly and that meant a lot. The boy is a local who understands our struggles hence it was easy to relate with him. The last-minute Mthuli developments may have swayed some but most residents were clear that Pashor (Sibanda) was their man. We do not know Mthuli even though he has been doing some things for Cowdry Park, we knew that his party were responsible for most of our challenges,’’ said Zodwa Masuku, a Cowdray Park resident.
However, another resident, Patrick Gatsi said Cowdray Park residents will regret snubbing Ncube in the ballot.
‘’The constituency was on a development trajectory envied all over the country. I wonder why our people have chosen to disrupt that for someone like Pashor who has very little to offer. If we are honest as a community, Pashor can never do what Mthuli has done even though his heart is in the right place. We needed continuity of what Mthuli had started. The bane of Bulawayo in general, has been voting on party lines which is not based on the capability of candidates. The Chamisa wave also helped Pashor,” he said.
Hwange-based political analyst, Oswald Sibanda says defeats of wealthy individuals are proof positive that politics is not all about money.
“Money and resources are important in political campaigns but they are not most important elements of the campaign. More importantly, the candidate must be able to get through to the electorate. Vote buying on the eve of an election may not lead to success. People will receive what they are offered but they are not dumb. One needs a sustained intimacy with the electorate.”
I saw a lot of people celebrating Mthuli’s so-called development projects out of ignorance. Our Electoral Law frowns at vote buying but a lot of it happened all over the country under ZEC’s watch who did not take any action.
It does not make sense for a Finance Minister to provide funds for nurse aid training so that youths can leave the country to go and do care work in UK. He should be working with the government to create an environment conducive to the creation of economic opportunities,” said Sibanda.
Bulawayo South was another battleground in the election for MP. Incumbent, Zanu PF’s Modi Rajeshkumar Indukant who is also a deputy minister of industry and commerce went toe to toe with CCC’s Nicola Watson, an accountant. In 2018, Modi, a successful businessman won partly due to double candidates from the MDC-Alliance, Kunashe Muchemwa and Francis Mubvirimi.
In 2023, as part of his campaign, Modi established a youth innovation hub and a mobile computer lab for underprivileged children.
Watson won the election to become Bulawayo South MP after garnering 10 470 votes to Modi’s 3 742 votes.
Watson attributed the victory to a combined effort of the citizens and the CCC team as well as her personal affinity with people, integrity, empathy and honesty.
‘’Bulawayo South reflects the challenges that are faced by citizens across Zimbabwe which include poverty, insufficient formal employment opportunities failing service delivery through economic instability, its effects on pensioners and households across the board, lack of access to affordable healthcare insufficient educational institutions and social issues of drug and alcohol abuse, among others.
By creating synergies with my incoming councillors and through lobbying in parliament, I hope to find ways to start working on these challenges. My vision for Bulawayo South remains a constituency for all that looks and feels healthier greener and better to live in for all its citizens,’’ she said.
In Mabvuku-Tafara, Harare, wealthy gold dealer, Scot Sakupwanya who was implicated in the Gold Mafia documentary by Aljazeera lost to CCC’s Febion Kufahakutizwi. The latter polled 15 934 votes to Sakupwanya’s 12 038 votes.
Sakupwanya spent millions in rehabilitating the main road that links Mabvuku to Mutare road, drilling boreholes and flying in former American boxer, Floyd Mayweather to parade him in Mabvuku.
In Mutare Central, CCC’s Brian James polled 15 628 votes to beat transport mogul Esau Mupfumi who managed 5 010 votes.
