By Paul Nyathi|The ruling ZANU PF party is basking in glory of an early election lead after winning 46 local government election wards uncontested.

With 123 political parties registering to contest elections with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, it came as a shock to many when all the opposition parties including the main opposition MDC Alliance failed to field candidates in the 46 wards.

Zanu-PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo said the head start showed that the party meant business.

“This is a sign that Zanu-PF is a mass party and is everywhere while other parties are sprinkled here and there,” he said.

“We must take heed that this foretells what is going to happen during the elections. This is because Zanu-PF is a party with history, which liberated this country from the yoke of colonialism. Despite the hardships the country has gone through by the way of imposition of sanctions after the execution of our land reform programme, the party remained resilient and has moved on and indeed has very clear policies and programmes which are in sync with the people’s aspirations.”

Khaya Moyo added: “There is no doubt that the new dispensation has indeed opened another chapter which gives hope to the people under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa.”

Association of Rural District Councils president Dr Killer Zivhu said Zanu-PF was driving a lot of developmental projects in rural areas and opposition parties would not win any ward.

“The majority of Zimbabweans are in the rural areas,” he said.

“They are the ones who fought the liberation war and they understand what independence is and why it should be protected.

“This means they understand why Zanu-PF should continue in power. There is no violence and intimidation and the revolutionary party is winning uncontested and this shows that it is a people’s party. Moreover, there are a lot of improvements and developments taking place in rural areas. People feel they have to give President Mnangagwa more years to drive them to prosperity.”

Political analyst Mr Tafadzwa Mugwadi said failure by opposition parties to field candidates in some wards showed that Zanu-PF was the only national party.

“It can contest any post in every part of the country while all other parties are quasi-sectarian movements that are urban-oriented instead of being national,” he said.

“Equally, it is clear that Zanu-PF and its presidential candidate are poised for a clear and indisputable victory because they have a foothold in 46 wards where opposition presence is patchy. That is why some opposition parties are throwing spanners in the works in a desperate attempt to solicit for sympathies ahead an imminent defeat. Strategically, the opposition has failed to coordinate themselves ahead of the elections because they have no presence across the length and breadth of the country.”