The Sunday Mail
We congratulate ZANU PF for running a smooth and well-coordinated election.
The primary elections are a true illustration of democracy in motion.
As expected, the polls are bitterly competitive, and rightly so.
The ruling party can only expect to deploy tried and tested candidates, who would have gone through a rigorous selection process underwritten by the masses.
And this is exactly what we witnessed yesterday.
There has been stiff competition for the right to represent the party.
This is how things should be.
Only candidates selected by the party’s grassroots can credibly stand a chance of representing the revolutionary party with distinction later this year.
History has taught us that candidates imposed on the electorate rarely do well when faced with stiff opposition.
We can only hope that those who will be declared winners will represent the revolutionary party with distinction right into the future.
There are many lessons to be learnt from the ongoing polls.
The first one being the importance of leaders staying connected to the grassroots.
Those who remained plugged into the communities they wish to represent over the last few years had
very little challenges in their campaigns.
Those who, on the other hand, “disappeared” for five years, only to return on the announcement of the primary election dates, will most likely reap a harvest of thorns.
Secondly, we witnessed an interesting development during the campaigns, where candidates deployed a range of contemporary campaign tactics never before seen in Zimbabwean elections.
These strategies included stylish social media campaigns targeted at their constituencies, especially the young virgin voters.
Such tactics will be key again during the harmonised elections.
Thirdly, the quality of candidates who stood for election yesterday was top-notch, testament to President Mnangagwa’s declaration that the ruling party is home to all Zimbabweans.
Prominent businesspeople, artistes, sports personalities
and religious leaders were all in the running for a ticket to represent
the party of Zimbabwe’s
revolution.
Indeed, ZANU PF is a home to all.
Ahead of the announcement of the results, we call on all candidates to exercise patience, restraint and
caution as the party’s electoral machinery finalises the remaining processes.
Those who may feel aggrieved should make use of the party’s well-articulated internal processes put in place to facilitate dispute resolution.
We call on those who may not make it on to the final list of candidates, when the winners are eventually announced, not to lose
heart.
Instead, they should redouble their efforts and campaign aggressively for the winners and, indeed, the party’s sole candidate in the
Presidential election, Cde Mnangagwa.
Unity after such bruising internal elections should form the cornerstone of the ruling party’s campaign for the harmonised elections.
History is replete with examples of how discord among cadres can be a source of underperformance and doom.
Such a scenario needs to be avoided at all costs.
Both the winners and the losers must speak with one voice.
They must speak development, unity, peace and defence of the country’s sovereignty.
Given the long list of successes scored by the ZANU PF Government over the last five years, chances are the ruling party is set for another landslide victory.
It will take a miracle of monumental proportions for the opposition to eat into the ruling party’s clear popularity.
The elections are there for the taking.
Given the above, the party must now gear for yet another protracted campaign for the harmonised elections with a view to mobilising for over five million votes.
What will be key over the next few months is unity of purpose. Zimbabwe is now on a firm growth trajectory that demands we be united as a people, as we march towards Vision 2030.
ZANU PF primaries well co-ordinated
The Sunday Mail
We congratulate ZANU PF for running a smooth and well-coordinated election.
The primary elections are a true illustration of democracy in motion.
As expected, the polls are bitterly competitive, and rightly so.
The ruling party can only expect to deploy tried and tested candidates, who would have gone through a rigorous selection process underwritten by the masses.
And this is exactly what we witnessed yesterday.
There has been stiff competition for the right to represent the party.
This is how things should be.
Only candidates selected by the party’s grassroots can credibly stand a chance of representing the revolutionary party with distinction later this year.
History has taught us that candidates imposed on the electorate rarely do well when faced with stiff opposition.
We can only hope that those who will be declared winners will represent the revolutionary party with distinction right into the future.
There are many lessons to be learnt from the ongoing polls.
The first one being the importance of leaders staying connected to the grassroots.
Those who remained plugged into the communities they wish to represent over the last few years had
very little challenges in their campaigns.
Those who, on the other hand, “disappeared” for five years, only to return on the announcement of the primary election dates, will most likely reap a harvest of thorns.
Secondly, we witnessed an interesting development during the campaigns, where candidates deployed a range of contemporary campaign tactics never before seen in Zimbabwean elections.
These strategies included stylish social media campaigns targeted at their constituencies, especially the young virgin voters.
Such tactics will be key again during the harmonised elections.
Thirdly, the quality of candidates who stood for election yesterday was top-notch, testament to President Mnangagwa’s declaration that the ruling party is home to all Zimbabweans.
Prominent businesspeople, artistes, sports personalities
and religious leaders were all in the running for a ticket to represent
the party of Zimbabwe’s
revolution.
Indeed, ZANU PF is a home to all.
Ahead of the announcement of the results, we call on all candidates to exercise patience, restraint and
caution as the party’s electoral machinery finalises the remaining processes.
Those who may feel aggrieved should make use of the party’s well-articulated internal processes put in place to facilitate dispute resolution.
We call on those who may not make it on to the final list of candidates, when the winners are eventually announced, not to lose
heart.
Instead, they should redouble their efforts and campaign aggressively for the winners and, indeed, the party’s sole candidate in the
Presidential election, Cde Mnangagwa.
Unity after such bruising internal elections should form the cornerstone of the ruling party’s campaign for the harmonised elections.
History is replete with examples of how discord among cadres can be a source of underperformance and doom.
Such a scenario needs to be avoided at all costs.
Both the winners and the losers must speak with one voice.
They must speak development, unity, peace and defence of the country’s sovereignty.
Given the long list of successes scored by the ZANU PF Government over the last five years, chances are the ruling party is set for another landslide victory.
It will take a miracle of monumental proportions for the opposition to eat into the ruling party’s clear popularity.
The elections are there for the taking.
Given the above, the party must now gear for yet another protracted campaign for the harmonised elections with a view to mobilising for over five million votes.
What will be key over the next few months is unity of purpose. Zimbabwe is now on a firm growth trajectory that demands we be united as a people, as we march towards Vision 2030.
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