In a shocking revelation the Movement for democratic Change (MDC) has admitted that the party cannot win elections in rural areas citing a poor “stategy” in convincing rural electorate.
This was said by Tendai Biti MDC vice president after the MDC candidate Dalumazi Khumalo for Lupane East lost the by-election to Zanu PF candidate Mbongeni Dube.
Writing on his microblog twitter handle Biti said
“It is true that there is a lot we could do better in terms of our rural strategy and rural effort. It is true that we may need to redefine our deployment strategy. But we lost Lupane East to an uneven and unequal electoral playing field. We lost to a selectorate, to coercion and capture,” posted Biti.
This confession comes at a time the MDC is accusing the ruling party for manipulating the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission by deploying military personel in the organisation.
Last month the MDC leaders and activists accused Health Minister Obadiah Moyo and Defense deputy minister and the Zanu PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda of trying to bribe voters by channeling medicine to Lupane Hospitals towards elections.
However, the recent sentiments by Biti on a public platform is a revelation of what the party has been discussing within their corridors.
The party lost the Bikita and Nyanga ward seats whilst winning the Mkoba council seat.
In Cowdray Park the party elections secretary Jacob Mafume blamed the loss to Chimanimani’s Cyclone Idai disaster, claiming the party had not campaigned fully as it dedicated all efforts to relief aid, whilst Douglas Mwonzora and other leaders blamed double candidature.
Whilst in Bikita East Ward 31 the party blamed the ruling party of intimidating voters by arresting the party vice chairman Job Sikhala.
The Lupane East seat fell vacant after the death of ZANU PF member of parliament Sithembile Gumba who died in a car accident.
One analyst said that MDC does not take by-elections seriously claiming they stopped fighting for electoral reforms after the 2018 harmonized elections leaving room for manipulation by the ruling party but will only cry foul after results are announced.
The recent loss marks the third time MDC is losing by-elections since the July 2018 elections.
