You can read through all the available Zimbabwe 2018 elections reports, none has ever attributed Zanu PF’s landslide victory to slogan. NewsDay, is claiming MDC A’s new slogan for the 2023 elections is a game-changer guaranteed to deliver electoral victory for Chamisa!

“I have always argued that in all its failures, Zanu-PF is excellent when it comes to creating jingles, slogans and songs for elections. It knows how to connect with people using jingles, songs and dance,” wrote NewsDay.

“The slogan #GodIsInIt as a campaign slogan in 2018 was no match of the largely infectious and well-thought-out #EDPfee.”

If this was written as a piece of satirical humour; it turned out a satanical piece. It is hard to find humour in Zimbabwe’s repeated failure to hold free, fair and credible elections given the tragic human sufferings and deaths the failure has brought. Especially when the piece was heaping praise on MDC A’s slogan for the 2023 elections!

“Those who may not be aware of this slogan, must be living under a rock somewhere out of Earth. Well, the phrase is “Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana” (NHM) (let the boy enter), a slogan recently introduced by the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa,” argued NewsDay.

”It has brought renewed hope, optimism to Zimbabweans across the political divide. As Steve Biko would say: “People must not give in to hardships of life, people must develop hope”.

“I have had discussions with people across the political divide about slogans. The MDC Alliance supporters may not be ready to admit that their campaign slogan for 2018 was a disaster; more so that it was in English. That did not make the slogan any better. Politics is a game of understanding your audience. MDC Alliance failed to understand its audience.”

Very few people familiar with Zimbabwe party politics will doubt that the ordinary Zimbabweans are a naïve and gullible lot easily moved by empty rhetoric and meaningless slogans. Party meeting much more so rallies are about empty rhetoric and meaningless slogans; nothing of substance is ever discussed. Nothing!

This is why most MDC members, both senior leaders and much worse the wildebeest herd, cannot name even democratic change they want, for example; and yet they consider themselves champions of democratic changes.

It is no surprise that MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when the nation had its best opportunity ever to implement reforms. How can they implement something they do not know!

The MDC herd, for their part, have remained as faithful to the party leaders as a dog; they are suffering the consequences of the failure to implement the reform in that we are still stuck with the corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF. The herd do not blame MDC leaders for the betrayal because they don’t know, even to this day, what the reforms are much less the dire consequences of failing to implement them.

Still, it is utter nonsense and insulting to even suggest the people of Zimbabwe ignored the economic reality of the total economic meltdown and voted for Zanu PF because they were mesmerised by “the infectious and well-thought-out #EDPfee” slogan. The people are naïve and gullible and ignorant but they are not stupid – at least, not that stupid not to have realised by now that Zanu PF leaders are corrupt, incompetent and the murderous tyrants who have landed the nation in this economic and political mess.

The people of Zimbabwe would have voted Zanu PF out of office decades ago; they have not done so because the party rigged elections, denying the people a meaningful free, fair and credible vote. The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding the party would bring about the democratic changes that will stop Zanu PF rigging elections. These people will have understood what these changes are, was it for the country’s asinine political system stuck in empty rhetoric and meaningless slogans.

If Zimbabwe was implemented the democratic reforms and thus transform the asinine political system into a robust free and dynamic political system, the country will have an informed and diligent electorate. The people will know Chamisa and company failed to implement even one reform in 22 years, 5 of which in the GNU. They would never ever vote for such a bunch of sell-outs. Never!

With not even a token reform implemented since the 2018 rigged elections; it is obvious history will repeat itself, Zanu PF will blatantly rig the 2023 elections. To get legitimacy, Zanu PF needs the MDC A and the rest in the opposition camp to participate in the 2023 elections.

Nelson Chamisa and company know Zanu PF is rigging the elections and claimed to have all manner of “winning in rigged elections strategies”. In the 2018 elections Chamisa said “MDC A has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!” Of course, he was lying. The Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut was not going to be stopped by a few twigs barring its way.

Fast forward to the morning after Voting Day; ZEC results will show the usual Zanu PF landslide victory. Chamisa and company will be complaining that Zanu PF rigged the elections; the very thing they are claiming to have strategies in place to stop.

As for the “Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana (NHM)!” slogan the results will prove it was just another meaningless slogan. NewsDay will conveniently forgot they ever promoted it as the game-changer!

Of course, it is insane for anyone to participate in these 2023 elections on the basis the meaningless slogan will stop the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut. Participating will give Zanu PF legitimacy for the umpteenth time and thus frustrating initiatives to implement reforms and end the curse of rigged elections.