THE political silly season is upon us.
We have noted that political parties, especially the ruling Zanu PF and the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa, have started campaigning across the country for the fast-approaching 2023 harmonised elections.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has addressed a couple of rallies around the country, while Chamisa has been on a tour of provinces, meeting and addressing his supporters regardless of Covid-19 preventive measures.
Political temperatures in the country are going up and reports are abound of inter and intra-party violence across the country.
There has been serious infighting in Zanu PF during its restructuring exercise and in some cases in Kwekwe, Midlands, gun shots were fired to disperse youth who had come armed with machetes to disrupt a party meeting.
Earlier in the year, Chamisa’s MDC youth fought running battles in Nemamwa, Masvingo, and in Harare.
The MDC faction led by Douglas Mwonzora recently claimed that Chamisa’s camp had torched the home of one of its senior officials in Mashonaland East.
Many reports have been made of both inter and intra party violence and it’s worrying as to what will happen as the country draws close to the 2023 polls.
It is, therefore, the duty of all political leaders to preach peace to avoid bloodshed.
Party leaders must come together and come up with a pact that encourages peace and violent free elections.
The nation witnessed limited violence before and during the 2018 harmonised elections, thanks to Mnangagwa who was preaching peace. The August 1 shootings marred what was largely a peaceful election and that must never be repeated.
Campaigning for violent free polls should commence now and it’s the duty of every citizen to do so.
We need a countdown to the polls which is peaceful to entrench our nascent democracy.
Elections must be won on the basis of good proposed policies, not the might of violence. Manifestos should be the basis of our political engagements.
The country’s security service, especially the police, must have zero tolerance to any kind of violence and ensure perpetrators are arrested and left to rot in jail.
Selective application of the law should be discarded and perpetrators of political violence must be dealt with by the courts harshly irrespective of the party they belong to or who they are in society.
Our great country should say no to impunity!
