Mutumwa Mawere
26 March, 2008

Who would have imagined that a liberation war hero and Zimbabwe’s only leader, President Mugabe, since independence some 28 years ago would be accused of transforming post colonial politics into a game of insults. As the decision day draws closer, it is opportune to pose and reflect on what this election is all about.
The future of the country is at stake and yet the issues that appear to occupy the contestants’ minds are really about who can draw more crowds and who can throw how much dirt on a perceived competitor as if to suggest that politics is about throwing political dirt into a sink with no regard to consequences.
The market for trading insults in Zimbabwean politics seems to have grown with each day. Will kitchen sink politics work this time for incumbent President Mugabe? President Mugabe and his colleagues in ZANU-PF are in a do or die situation and the strategy of unleashing verbal violence at opponents seems to be the only viable option in view of the sorry state that the economy is in.
In such a situation where the President cannot be satisfied that he is blameless, the politics of risking all and throwing all in the sink with the hope that it will all wash away appears to be a rational strategy for anyone with no clue about the way forward irrespective of the costs to nation building. This leads us to the question whether the President, in fact, is interested in lifting the country from its humanly created quagmire.
The emergence of Simba Makoni as a candidate apart from shocking President Mugabe has unfortunately exposed the bankruptcy of ideas about how to fix the political and economic crisis that confronts Zimbabwe. Instead of helping to create an environment where citizens can look forward to participating in politics, the main candidates in this election seem to relish the thought of crowding out any other alternative.
When the political space is restricted in any society it should be a sad day for democracy. Why would it be politically expedient to seek to box Makoni in a political ZANU-PF straight jacket? When will politics of Africa be about ideas and solutions rather than tearing opponents down?
The Mugabe machine is at best when it is targeted at opponents rather than problem solving. The Zimbabwean people deserve better than the tired political games that do nothing to solve the complex challenges that face the country.
When the political storm is over who will be standing. If President Mugabe emerges the winner, what would such victory represent in terms of building a democratic culture of tolerance and healing? The manner in which the candidates have positioned themselves does not permit any post election collaboration rather it will perpetuate the political bickering that has defined modern day politics of the country.
An opportunity seems to have been lost for Zimbabweans to think deeply about what kind of country they want to see after the elections and engage constructively with the contestants on their respective visions. Instead, a cynical political fraud seems to have been orchestrated by President Mugabe in a transparent effort to distract attention away from his administration’s record.
The Zimbabwean electorate is now being forced to decide on who is more patriotic and nationalistic rather than who is best suited to lead the nation out of the current economic morass. Only President Mugabe could have the genius to change the goal post and Zimbabweans will end up the losers if they were to be persuaded to look at the past rather than the future.
President Mugabe is fighting for his political life and it is evident that a loss will mean a lot to his legacy but should the country be allowed to go down with him. President Mugabe’s state assisted election machine may in all likelihood be the deciding factor in this election. The state propaganda machinery has mastered the art of political combat with incredible savvy and even Makoni’s gentlemen style may not work in such a polluted environment.
President Mugabe and Tsvangirai have helped define the perimeters of this election and it is evident that Zimbabweans will ultimately have no clue about what will change after 29 March. Will a Tsvangirai presidency mean than reformists like Makoni will have no role to play in nation building? Will a re-election of President Mugabe mean that the politics of winner takes all will continue?
If Zimbabweans had to speak what would they say about what they want to see when the storm is over. Should Zimbabweans continue to be labeled ZANU-PF, MDC, ZPP, etc or should they be judged on the content of their character and interest in participating in the political process.
In conclusion, as people make their choices about who should lead them; it is important that they think carefully about the implications of a continuation of kitchen sink politics on nation building and progress.

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