Zimbabwe 2002: Political Campaigning

Updated March 2002

Campaigning for the 2002 presidential election in Zimbabwe has been furious especially with regards ruling party ZANU PF and its main rival the MDC.

The ZANU PF campaign running on the ticket "Vote for Maturity, Experience and Wisdom" has relied quite extensively on mud slinging tactics.

Perusal through the Herald, ZANU PF's main conduit of expression, reveals that entire pages have been allocated to its campaign. One such page reads "What Would You Vote For? Plots to Kill or Plots to Till".

Another page in a reference to the underdog and the downtrodden depicts Tony Blair standing on the back of Morgan Tsvangirai who is on his knees. The caption reads, "When Tsvangirai Loses the Presidential Election...Who'll Cry?" Another such page depicts Tsvangirai, a waiter serving up land on a platter to the diner, Blair, and asking "is this what you want to have on March 9 and 10 Baas?" Blair's response "yes, yes my boy Morgan but keep some for the EU, Australia and Canada." The use of the terms "Baas" and "my boy Morgan" are unmistakable references to Zimbabwe's colonial era.

The following appears underneath the depiction: Don't let him sell your birthright, Don't let him sell your heritage, Don't let him sell your soul, Don't let him sell your country, Don't let him sell your land, Zimbabwe will never be a colony again.

This emotive appeal is compounded in another campaign advertisement that makes references to bible characters. Underneath a photograph of Tsvangirai and a cheque book appears this statement, "Some white people, the British Government and all traitors say 'if the MDC had not been formed, the land would not have been returned to the people' - What they are saying is similar to what Judas Iscariot said, 'if I had not betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver he would not have died for you.'"

Food has also been the subject of the ZANU PF campaign. A particularly eye-catching campaign advertisement leads with two photographs, one depicting bags of maize being loaded and another cobs of maize rotting. This is what we are told, "First they hoard food or burn it. And then they say there is a food shortage which they blame on the Government..."

Another such advertisement announces, "Vote For Price Controls". Under this announcement is a depiction of bags of maize seed and mealie meal, flour, sugar, cooking oil, meat and poultry, bread, fertiliser and cement.

The MDC campaign running on the ticket "Help Bring About a Better Life" has resorted to classic campaigning techniques. Appearing in the Daily News (rival to the Herald with regards political reporting) are three specific campaign pages. The first reads, "As President I will Protect You" and contains a photograph of Tsvangirai relaxed and smiling, holding a baby. The second reads, "As President I Will Respect You" and contains a photograph of Tsvangirai smiling warmly and shaking the hand of an old township woman. The third page contains a photograph of Tsvangirai dressed in a suit and tie surrounded by a group of executives - we are told, "As President I will Listen To You."

Another set of campaign advertisements focus on food prices. One such advert depicts the value of 100 dollars in 1985 where it bought the consumer a full trolley of groceries as opposed to the year 2002 where it can only buy the consumer a loaf of bread and a litre of milk. The image of a full trolley juxtaposed with a single loaf of bread and solitary litre of milk is effective.

The MDC campaign has also focused on the issue of land reform. A flyer entitled "Land Reform" claims that "An MDC government will achieve fair and sensible land reform within Zimbabwe's legal framework. This process will resettle landless Zimbabweans on seven million hectares of land in a peaceful, orderly and open manner."

Adverts appearing in the Zimbabwe Independent have focused on women and equal opportunity. The MDC states that, "We recognise that women make a large contribution to our society." Undoubtedly MDC campaigners have also recognised that women make up half the population.

Notwithstanding the typical campaign methods employed by both ZANU PF and the MDC, both parties have dealt quite well in a campaign sense with issues that promoted or affected them respectively. ZANU PF has marketed Robert Mugabe on the basis of "all the things" he has done for the Zimbabwean people. Among these is cited; giving land back, controlling prices of commodities, building new houses, building infrastructure and electrification of the rural areas. The MDC has categorically denied the charges of treason against Tsvangirai and emphasised that he has full legal standing to contest the election. His campaign promises that he will deliver jobs, stabilise prices and fund education and healthcare.