Move over MDC, Enter Vox Populi

By Vusumuzi Sifile

AN unusually large number of newly-formed fringe political parties have emerged since the beginning of the year, all promising to turn around Zimbabwe’s fortunes once elected to power.

In the past month, leaders of the United Democratic People’s Constitution (UDPC), Zimbabwe Integrated Party (ZIP), Voice of the People/Vox Populi (VP) and the Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP) knocked at The Standard doors to announce their arrival on the political scene. All the parties have, somewhere in their manifestos, symbols depicting fingers.

The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) was launched in Harare recently. It is led by William Gwata. The Zimbabwe Progressive People’s Democratic Party (ZPPDP) has been advertising its manifesto in this newspaper over the past two months.

Except for Kisinoti Mukwazhe, the president of ZDP, the leaders of all the other parties have no known political background. Mukwazhe is a former Zanu PF member. He was defeated in the Zanu PF primaries for Masvingo Central in the 2005 elections.

In September 2004, he called for the indigenisation of the name of the country’s currency, changing it from Dollar to Ivhu (soil).

While all the party leaders insisted there were genuine, there is some suspicion in some circles they could be are part of a grand plan by Zanu PF to create the impression of a healthy multi-party system.

This, say analysts, would make Zanu PF’s victory more genuine if the main opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) boycotted the election.

But in separate interviews, the new parties’ representatives said they were entering the elections, even if they are yet to be officially launched.

Mukwazhe said his ZDP was formed in December 2006 and spent last year laying the groundwork for its campaign.

"Our delay is strategic," he said. "In fact, it was deliberate. We want to launch a surprise attack. If you look at African opposition parties that ended up in power, you will realise that only those launched just before an election were successful.

Despite the "strategic delay", the party still has no offices. Its structure so far has only three members: Mukwazhe, his deputy, Jansen Mudzadzavara, and organising secretary, Facemore Museza.

UDPC leader Tasunungurwa Mhuruyengwe said a "struggle starts any time; it doesn’t need years of preparation".

"I know there is limited time," said Mhuruyengwe. "But it would be stupid for me not to participate. The trick is to use a different approach, that has not been used by the other parties."
Mhuruyengwe, an army deserter, would not explain his "different approach".
The party is still to register with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The party’s leadership currently comprises Mhuruyengwe, who claims he was jailed for two years for desertion from the army.

Vox Populi president and secretary general, Moreprecision Muzadzi said the party was formed in January 2006 by Zimbabweans living in Botswana and South Africa. Muzadzi said their membership was drawn mostly from members of Pentecostal churches.

The ZIP chairperson, Fanuel Zimidzi, said he was not even aware of the existence of a party with a similar name. The first ZIP was formed by mathematics professor Heneri Dzinotyiwei over a decade ago. It started off as a pressure group for the involvement of rural Zimbabweans in the decision-making process for their development. Zimidzi appeared unaware of a number of key issues on the current political landscape, raising doubts about his political credibility.

Apart from the new parties, there are older ones rising up from their slumber as election draw closer.

The Zimbabwe People’s Democratic Party (ZPDP), led by Isabel Shanangurai Madangure, has bounced back on the internet, with a colourful website. Although it was not immediately possible to contact Madangure or any of the party’s leaders, information on the party’s website indicates that ZPDP "is focusing its efforts on developing its capacity to provide Zimbabweans with a viable opposition choice in 2008".

The leader of the African National Party, Egypt Dzinemunenzva, a perennial loser in all presidential and parliamentary elections, says this year his party "means business". Dzinemunenzva has, since 1995, been among presidential candidates, and always contests by-elections.

Since independence, only few opposition parties have been able to mount a meaningful challenge to Zanu PF. There was PF-Zapu,, led by Joshua Nkomo. In the 1985 parliamentary election, the party retained most of the seats it had won in the 1980 election.

In the 1990 election, Edgar Tekere’s Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) scored well in the presidential election, where Tekere lost to Mugabe but was generally said not to have been disgraced.

In 2000, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) provided the stiffest challenge to Zanu PF, winning 57 seats. No other opposition party had performed so well since independence.

There have been unconfirmed reports that the proliferation of new parties this time around may part of an intelligence ploy to create the impression of a multiplicity of opposition parties.

First published in The Standard, 10 Feb 2008