As the rhetoric and clamour for elections gathers momentum, it is convenient to warn fellow citizens of the challenges that lie ahead. The formation of the inclusive government in 2008 masked deep-rooted decay in the politics of Zimbabwe and it is these challenges that haunt and will continue troubling citizens as we approach elections and thereafter.
It has been the suspicion of many within the opposition circles and outside that Morgan Tsvangirai defeated Robert Mugabe convincingly in the first round of elections in 2008, but was robbed of victory as the latter connived with Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to create a false scenario whereby none of the adversaries scored more than the 50% benchmark to have an outright victory, hence the need for a run-off. As Baba Jukwa's revelations on social media reveal, Tsvangirai did garner 67% of the vote compared to Mugabe's mere 28,7%. However, Tsvangirai was robbed of victory culminating in the run-off which he boycotted in protest of intimidation and violence.
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