Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has challenged opposition CCC party candidates to be on the ground mobilising and educating potential voters as well as fundraising for their campaign.
Chon’ono said it would be counterproductive for opposition candidates to sit back and relax saying the economy is campaigning for them. He said:
The most important things in the 2023 elections are Money, Voters’ Roll and Polling Agents.
The opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said he has Money (for) and Polling Agents.
As long as he has polling agents, he has won more than half of the battle to reduce rigging significantly.
The problem is with the Voters’ Roll.
What happens if a voter gets to the polling station on August 23 and their name is not on the polling station voters roll?
That is why voters must check their names when the local Voters Roll is released on the 2nd of August, without which they can be disenfranchised.
Now this is key, the nonsense that citizens must do their part is a statement by political amateurs who have never studied human and political behavior.
The one who wants the vote the most is the candidate, he or she is the one who has to fight and also educate the electorate and cajole them.
You should not have put yourself forward to be a candidate if you knew that you didn’t have the capacity to do what needs to be done, in other words, you are a chancer and opportunist, especially for the ones in urban areas.
For years I have been telling Nelson Chamisa to avoid candidates who only ride on his popularity, they must have their own brand locally and be able to mobilize, educate and fundraise.
I spent the last 5 years doing rap and educational videos on voter mobilization not because the youths didn’t know that they must vote, but because I understood human behavior and politics.
They needed to be encouraged and educated and reminded, that is how politics works even in first world countries.
Another silly idea is to assume that you don’t have to campaign because the economy is campaigning for the opposition, it is a ridiculous proposition.
You campaign to educate the masses about why they are poor, why they don’t have hospitals, how the corruption is done and how you intend to change that. Kuvasimbisa/ukubanika ukuzethemba.
ZANU PF pumps sanctions propaganda daily, that needs to be exposed and debunked.
So whilst the citizens can assist in every way they can, the candidates are the frontline warriors for this battle.
They shouldn’t subcontract their responsibilities to citizens.
The citizen’s number ONE job is to go and vote, that is what they should always be reminded to do by the candidates!
More: Pindula News