Contestation for Political Office must not be for the Elites

Zimbabweans are all too familiar with the name Egypt Dzinemunenzva, leader of African National Party (ANP), perennial presidential candidate. The country has also encountered countless other candidates dismissed by people as dubious. These and many other individuals fed up with ZANU-PF misrule have sought to stop further suffering of people by vying for the highest political office.  

Some of those who have contested in previous elections, the likes of ZANU Ndonga’s Wilson Kumbula, the late Enoch Dumbutshena’s Forum Party, fiery guerilla leader Edgar Tekere’s ZUM, Wurayayi Zembe’s Democratic Party (DP) among a host of others could – could not sustain a fierce battle against ZANU-PF’s decades old rule owing to inferior resources.

While ZANU-PF and the two MDC formations are building massive support partially through state funding, the smaller parties are languishing in abject poverty.  This has only perpetuated the domination of Zimbabwe’s political space by elites, thus reducing the noble battle for democratisation to money rather than the merit of party ideology. 

The Political Parties Finance Act sidelines the poor and the ordinary candidate while promoting interests of political fat cats who can easily manipulate citizens for selfish interest. Allowing the country to continue using such a prohibitive and restrictive law is tantamount to declaring politics a privilege of the financially gifted.  Throughout the world, elitist politics have been dismissed on the basis that if elected into government, an elite leader will not dare listen to the voices of the ordinary men in the streets. This is one of the many reasons why former coal miners in England celebrated the death of Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher.

A closer look at the 2008 harmonized elections reveals that some political parties and candidates existed only on the eve of the national plebiscite, more accurately, on Nomination Court day! No party or candidate expects to win an election without campaigning. Campaigning needs both financial and human resources. It is imperative that Zimbabwe enacts laws that treat all political parties existing in the country as equal players.

ZESN argues that political multiplicity is necessary to strengthen democratic environment. In such a scenario, citizens – especially women candidates - must be exposed to skills of how to raise money, campaign, and build name recognition. Institutions like WIPSU [women in politics support unit]; WAFA [women’s academy for Africa] have to link women candidates to fundraising networks. Ideally, they must be given priority to funding quotas; otherwise the regulatory framework must impose mandatory limits on campaign funding.

Democracy is all about affording citizens varied and diverse choices during elections. Any political candidate vying for political office should be afforded equal opportunities to reach the masses and market his/her party manifesto. Different and diverse political parties, candidates and manifestos remain the only oil that fuels the democracy engine to flourish modern day politics.

 
By Thomas Madhuku