The Bankruptcy of Mugabe's Electoral Campaign

By Levi Mhaka

Published on March 5, 2008

A political campaign is an organized effort which to influence the decision making process within a specific group.

Any political campaign is made up of three elements i.e. the message, money, and machine. The message is a concise statement saying why voters should pick a candidate. Fundraising techniques include having the candidate call or meet with large donors, sending direct mail pleas to small donors, and courting interest groups who could end up spending millions on the race if it is significant to their interests. Finally, 'machine' represents human capital, the foot soldiers loyal to the cause, the true believers who will carry the run by volunteer activists. Successful campaigns usually require a campaign manager and some staff members who make strategic and tactical decisions while volunteers and interns canvass door-to-door and make phone calls. Large modern campaigns use all three of the above components to create a successful strategy for victory.

On February 21, 2008, President Robert Mugabe had a birthday interview on ZTV. Among the questions asked by the interviewer was "Why should I vote for you". The very long answer he gave was not good enough to convince his supporters. He then made tasteless, uncouth and vulgar remarks about Simba Makoni. Robert Mugabe is supposedly a family man and statesman for that matter.

Since then, he has been insulting other candidates. If he was a man competing for a woman or a marketer competing for customers he would have failed dismally. ZANU PF has been running full page colour adverts in the newspapers under the Zimpapers stable full of insults, personal attacks and negatives because the party knows that it has a dismal record. Everyday, the Herald and its sister newspapers publish stories quoting some ZANU PF luminaries to make personal attacks on Simba Makoni as if Simba is competing with Robert Mugabe for his wife's (Grace Mugabe) attention. Is Zimbabwe a personal possession?

After Robert Mugabe, the candidate, participated in the liberation struggle against colonialism, led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, 'delivered' land to the people and is now aged 84, what more does he want to deliver? What more can he do when he is past the retirement age by 19 years and will be 89 at the end of his term?

You wonder why his message is not about renewal or fixing the economy. It lacks a proper understanding of the economic challenges faced by the country. Basic commodities shortages, escalating of prices on a weekly basis, unemployment due to the shrinking economy that has led companies to operate unprofitably, reduce productivity and are now shedding off labour or paying uneconomic salaries, and unbelievably a high number of economic refugees in South Africa, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Ironically, as result the South African industry and commerce has benefited considerably from our man-made economic woes.

The questions is "Why should it be just him to lead this country?" ZANU PF's message is that of during the liberation struggle against colonialism. The presidential candidate of the ruling party has not trasformed itself to deal withe post-colonial challenges.

He lacks a culture of selling the message as a marketer. He does even think of himself as a person at the same level with fellow candidates. He is so arrogant!

Mutumwa Mawere wrote "Citizens are understandably angry at the state of the nation and instead of locating the blame at the leader; the tendency has been to blame the party. President Mugabe's world view of politics and the economy has not changed since the liberation struggle and it is evident that nothing will change his philosophy to suggest that Zimbabwe will be visited by a brighter day under his extended stewardship."

The language being used ZANU PF and its presidential candidate is a clear indication of dirty tactics being used against opposing candidates away from the glare of the media and public attention.

Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans deserves better than this dishonourable political behaviour and crassness i.e. so crude and unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility.