ZANU PF MP Vows To Punish MDC Voters

Not just the MDC are experiencing problems within their party. ZANU PF is still smarting from the figurative bloody nose handed to them by the MDC in the parliamentary elections in 2008 which saw Mugabe's party lose the majority for the first time since 1980.

And the difference is that ZANU PF's reaction - three years after the event - are promising to root out those that voted for the MDC and 'punish' them.

Now, this is not the reaction of a 'democractic' government or party - something which Mugabe repeats often and loudly. How can the Mugabe party decide that the people need to be punished for their voting choice?

In a democracy, that is not an option.

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"ZANU PF politburo member and Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Stan Mudenge has promised his party leader, Robert Mugabe to hunt down and punish people who voted for MDC leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008.

Speaking during Mugabe's official opening of Zimbabwe Christian Church (ZCC) $2 billion multi-purpose Conference Centre at Mbungo estates in Masvingo North, Mudenge assured his ageing leader that party youths would fish out all the people who voted against ZANU PF and deal with them accordingly.

Mudenge, the local MP, blamed the locals for turning against their backs on ZANU PF leading to Mugabe’s embarrassing defeat Mugabe by arch-rival Tsvangirai for the first time in history."

Punish them 'accordingly' could be anything from a serious beating, eviction from their houses and districts, charging them with manufactured criminal charges, or even death. This is not the action of a remedial party. This is the action of an angered dictatorial deposed party...

The threat of violence is never very far away in Zimbabwe. And for an MP to make the promise publicly is the epitome of the ZANU PF remit.

They haven't yet worked out that a vote for the MDC is not a vote against the Mugabe party. The people, who have been disappointed and let down for 28 years, voted for their own choice - their democratic right - but Mudenge believes that those that voted for the MDC should be punished.

Just how they intend to do this witch hunt, I am not altogether sure, but they assure Mugabe it will be done.

Here in the UK, ballot papers are numbered and so there is a simple paper trail. I never voted once in Zimbabwe, so I do not know if papers are numbered or referenced. But I am sure there is a way to bring the evidence to show who voted for what.

"President, I want to tell you that some people in my constituency have rebelled and they voted against you in 2008. They are now supporting the puppet party MDC but I want to say that we will flush them out and deal with them until they come back to us and do things our way," Mudenge said.

Mudenge boasted that ZANU PF youths, with the help of the partisan Zimbabwe defence forces, would crack down on all those suspected of neglecting Mugabe in 2008 as a lesson to those who wished to do the same this year. "We have a very forceful and vigorous youth wing and our members of the armed forces who will make sure that no one loses direction again like what happened three years ago. Those who did it will be punished severely by our active young man and women who know the importance of keeping our leader in power," added Mudenge."

I find that the promise to crack down on MDC voters is just about as far from democracy as could be.

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man