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‘Vox populi, vox Dei’: Voice of the people is the voice of God

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By Tafadzwa Masango

‘VOX POPULI, VOX DEI’ is Latin for ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’ and in Zimbabwe, the young and old all have come to recognise this as the call made to them in November 2017 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he took the reins of power in what became the first steps to the Second Republic.
The voice of the people of Zimbabwe is often embodied and entrusted in their leaders.
These span the great chiefs, the likes of Rekayi Tangwena and Chingaira Makoni as well as spirit mediums such as Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi who led the people of Zimbabwe in their fight for liberation against the oppressive colonial settler-regime, to their political leaders, Herbert Chitepo, Joshua Nkomo, Josiah Tongogara, Robert Mugabe and many others who fought in the Second Chimurenga.
So, when President Mnangagwa re-affirmed that the voice of the Zimbabwe people was indeed the voice of God, he was reminding Zimbabweans that, as it has always been, the people are the driving force not just of political power, but for economic development in the country, and what they say stands as the ultimate which charts a way forward for the country.
On July 30 2018, the people of Zimbabwe spoke and chose President Mnangagwa to be the oracle of the land, the man through whom their aspirations, dreams, fears and plans for future generations are expressed.
On August 24, the highest court in the land, the Constitutional Court, affirmed that the voice and the will of the people carried the day as it ruled that the people of Zimbabwe made a choice and had the constitutional right to be heard and their will respected.
It was the voice of the people that won the Constitutional challenge and not the whims and caprice of a politician who has, since the election season, proved that not only is he immature and unstatesmanly, but is ‘in it’ for his personal gain.
Why President Mnangagwa won
The Zimbabwe electoral outcome did not come as a surprise to those who had carried out proper research and surveys. While the presidential contest was largely between ZANU PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and the opposition MDC Alliance’s Nelson Chamisa, most analysts tipped the ZANU PF candidate to win.
The resignation of former President Robert Mugabe and the death of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai bought to the fore two new protagonists: President Mnangagwa and Chamisa, while opening a new chapter for democracy, political dispensation and the country’s faltering economy.
Events surrounding the last days of both former President Mugabe and Tsvangirai in the political arena, and the actions of their successors in the run-up to their nominations as the preferred presidential candidates greatly hinted on who would win the elections.
President Mnanagwa rejuvenated ZANU PF as a political party both at home and abroad.
As he was rebuilding ZANU PF, Chamisa was destroying the already fractured opposition, as he fought for control with Tsvangirai’s longtime deputy, Thokozani Khupe.
As with any power struggle, the main opposition lost key allies both within and outside the party.
The power struggles also diverted the opposition’s attention from voter mobilisation efforts at a time it was selling a new candidate to the electorate.
When the dust settled, Chamisa emerged with no real message for the electorate.
He sought to use his youthfulness as a selling point that made him a better leader than the preferred ZANU PF candidate.
His use of a youth militia to silence dissent did not sit well with voters and, at the end of it all, most voters indicated that age was just a minor factor when it came to governance issues.
His rallies were quintessential addresses characteristic of a new comer to national politics.
Punctured by a burst of overexcitement and the eagerness of a child who cannot believe he has been given a place at the grownups’ table, Chamisa said whatever came to mind without really processing the consequences of his words.
As the campaign period wore on, it became apparent that he was not only a misogynist, but had contempt for anyone who did not embrace his views.
He played the jig of a lightweight fighter who is in the ring with a champion and punched with neither tact nor strategy.
His promises of bullet trains and airports in rural areas, coupled by his failure to articulate his policies, unmasked his lack of depth.
When it came to dealing with the international community, Chamisa was working on the premise that as an opposition leader, he enjoyed some political currency because ZANU PF was a political pariah.
He failed to understand that ZANU PF had reformed itself from within and had turned a new page.
Most damaging to his electoral prospects was a trip to the US, where, together with another opposition leader Tendai Biti, they lobbied for the continuation of the sanctions regime on Zimbabweans.
The ordinary Zimbabwean understands the consequences and effects of these sanctions and did not take kindly to this approach by the opposition.
The opposition’s woes further mounted as key funders such as USAID pulled funding from civil society organisations that had previously acted as opposition surrogates.
Over the years, civil society groups have been used as the foot soldiers to canvas support from the opposition during election times, complementing the MDC’s efforts on the ground.
However, like any project where those in charge are more focused on results and not on processes leading to the results, civil society organisations began abusing the funds intended to harness support for the MDC.
When this abuse became rampant and could no longer be swept under the carpet, USAID had no choice but to stop all funding of the rogue organisations.
This translated into a direct hit on the MDC’s electoral efforts.
Meanwhile, in ZANU PF, the rise of President Mnangagwa’s power opened doors for a new breed of potential politicians who bought into his vision of a Zimbabwe that is ‘open for business’.
Industrialists, academics, businesspersons and minorities who had previously shied from main stream politics within ZANU PF threw their hats into the ring.
The end result was that President Mnangagwa was leading a team of candidates who spoke a language that the majority of Zimbabweans understood and supported.
At home and abroad, President Mnangagwa was the face of a new Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwe full of potential — and this drew many to him.
By the time Chamisa was done fighting internal wars and positioning himself, the train had left the station.
Chamisa’s solution then, and as is now, has been to play the villain.
His favourite phrase and message, since it became apparent that he would not win the election, has been that he would muddy the waters for the next five years and make Zimbabwe ungovernable for President Mnangagwa.
The day after the election
There is conformity among most election observers that Zimbabwe’s elections were free, fair and transparent.
A sample of those observers’ reports testifies the electoral processes were conducted in a manner that meets required standards and practises.
The largest election monitoring civic society organisation, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), in its July 31 statement said: “ZESN found that the political environment was largely clam and peaceful.
The ruling and opposition political parties were able to campaign freely across the country with the MDC Alliance and ZANU PF holding the majority of rallies during the campaign period.”
In his statement post-election day, the chairperson of the SADC organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, His Excellency Joao Lourenco, expressed ‘his solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe for conducting themselves in an exemplary manner during the voting day on July 30 2018.’
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), in its statement, also endorsed the elections, lauding the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for ‘effectively conducting the elections’.
It added that: “The closing (of voting) and the counting processes took place on time as scheduled, in adherence to the laid own ZEC procedures and in a calm and peaceful environment and in the presence of agents and observers.”
In its summary of key findings, the African Union (AU) Election Observer Mission stated: “The elections took place in a generally peaceful and calm environment with no major incidents of violations and restrictions on the activities of political parties and candidates observed.”
Going forward
In his inauguration speech, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe has turned onto a new path, “…a path full of freedoms, democracy, transparency, love and harmony.
A path of dialogue and debate. A path of unity, peace and development.”
This is the vision for Zimbabwe.
This is what the people of Zimbabwe want, and as our oracle, President Mnangagwa has proved that indeed he can walk the talk.
Next week, when President Mnangagwa makes his inaugural speech at the United Nations General Assembly, it will be the voice of millions of Zimbabweans that will be heard and not the voice of one man.
He will tell the world that not only is Zimbabwe open for business, but that it is ready to be part of the international community in every way.

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