Makoni to contest in Presidential race

Zimbabwe-Former Finance Minister, Dr Simba Makoni, has thrown his weight into the Zimbabwe presidential contest scheduled for March 29.

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The 58-year-old holder of a doctorate degree in Medical Chemistry earned at Leicester Polytechnic in the United Kingdom, has sidelined himself from President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party over policy differences.   Makoni, who has a high profile CV and was once Executive Secretary of the then Southern African Development Coordination Community, now Southern African Development Conference (SADC) from 1984-1994, had a fallout with 84-year-old President Mugabe after the latter assumed candidature to represent the party in the forthcoming elections for a record 28 years. Mugabe has been in power since 1980 when Zimbabwe gained political independence from Britain.   Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Makoni said....”let me confirm that and share the agony and anguish of all citizens, over the extreme hardships that we have all endured for nearly ten years...Further I share the wish.....that the extraordinary Party Congress of December 2007, would usher in such change of leadership....Therefore following very extensive and intensive consultations with party members (Zanu PF) and activists countrywide and also with others outside the party, I have accepted the call and hereby advise the people of Zimbabwe that I offer myself as candidate for the office of President of Zimbabwe.”   Makoni, an architect of a free market economy had his tenure as Finance Minister cut short after he fell out with President Mugabe over policy issues. He had called for the devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar to save the country from economic collapse. Mugabe, however branded him “an enemy of the state.”   The former Minister, who has suddenly become big news both on the local and international scene mainly because of his “political appealingness,” has in less than a week changed the political climate in the face of the forthcoming harmonised elections. After his announcement, news of his political position suddenly became the talk of the day in the streets of Harare. The state media, particularly the much government-controlled broadcasting sector on Tuesday castigated the presence of British and American diplomats when Makoni made his announcements. They quoted unnamed political analysts alleging the presence of these foreign officials and “raised suspicion of an invisible hand” in Makoni’s political ambitions.   A staunch Zanu PF apologist based in Zimbabwe’s third largest city, Gweru, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal said:”I have been moving around urban centres. Most people seem to have bought the candidature of Simba (Makoni). They are obviously frustrated by the circus in the two factions of main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and their failure to deliver.”   “But what should be understood is that the urban constituency has never been a decider in the final outcome of the Zimbabwean election. It is the rural constituency that decides. Unlike the urban constituency, rural folks are not worried about political ideologies. Theirs is the politics of the belly and the ruling party (Zanu PF) has been able to provide in that regard.” Critics have however over the years accused Zanu PF of politicising food aid, especially in rural areas where they easily intimidate the electorate.   The Zanu PF stalwart was, however quick to point out that one could not rule a strategy hatched by Mugabe to completely wipe the opposition from the political scene.   “This is not completely new in the history of Zanu PF. I think Mugabe has deployed a Trojan horse to completely bury MDC. And that Trojan horse is in the name of Simba Makoni. Who knows, maybe its Mugabe who gave a nod for Makoni to contest. It might to nail the coffin and bury MDC once and for all.. Makoni has more political clout than the two factions of the opposition. If he contests, he will come second and that is the end of MDC.”   However chief proponent of a new constitution and chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Dr Lovemore Madhuku, was quoted in a national weekly independent, The Financial Gazette dismissing Makoni’s move.   “Where was he when the democratic forces were being brutalised? I think he is an opportunist who sees that President Mugabe is now at his weakest.” The fact that Makoni does not have the blessing of civic society could cost him  the popular vote.”                                                             Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) President, Mr Matthew Takaona has ruled out the possibility of a free and fair election. Speaking at a Gweru press club meeting this Thursday, on the role of the media before, during and after elections, Takaona said as long as the opposition continue to be denied access to the public media, any talk of fairness is invalid.   “Our position as ZUJ is that there is not going to be a free and fair election on March 29. The opposition is being denied access to public media. As long as the ruling party continues to enjoy media coverage monopoly in public broadcasting, then any talk of a balance in freedom of expression is a pipe dream. The only time we see or hear Tsvangirai, Mutambara and of late Makoni on television or radio is when they are negatively portrayed left, right and centre. ‘The state-controlled broadcasting will probably continue to denigrate Makoni before, during and after elections until they are satisfied that he is politically finished.”   Zimbabwe is currently facing its worst economic crisis. Agriculture, the backbone of the country’s economy, has been on the downturn since Mugabe seized productive land from the white minority farmers to give it to landless blacks. Critics however argue that though land reform is necessary, the way it was done was chaotic and that it was used for political gain. Mugabe blames the bad state of the economy to sanctions imposed by the western countries allegedly led by Britain and America. Independent analysts, however blame his populist policies for the economic meltdown.

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