The opposition MDC lost dismally to the ruling ZANU PF party in three ward by-elections held on Saturday, 9 November 2019. Here are the results:
Hwedza Ward 4
ZANU PF – 875
MDC Alliance – 65
Tsholotsho Ward 16
ZANU PF – 623
MDC Alliance – 147
Tsholotsho Ward 20
ZANU PF – 414
MDC Alliance – 21
Writing on microblogging site Twitter, a prominent journalist and government critic, Hopewell Chin’ono, urged the MDC to establish party structures in rural areas if it ever dreams of governing the country. He wrote:
The MDC needs to seriously introspect! They either want to gain power or they want to remain in perpetual opposition!
Elections in rural Zimbabwe are only won through building rural party structures and not here on Twitter. How do you govern when you can’t build structures?
… Why do you think political parties contest elections? To read the bible at Sunday school?
… You either demand REFORMS and stop participating in sham elections or you contest and take responsibly for your losses.
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Well said, Hopewell! This exactly why the MDC A lost the 2018 general elections – neglecting the rural vote. They predicted a 70% vote for their party in urban areas, but we have always said that Zimbabwe is a unitary state, not a federal one – Zimbabwe is not about urban votes!