Kubatana recently asked citizens what question they would ask their councillors, MPs and presidential candidates. It is sad to note that the same tendency still exists in both political parties where councillors or MPs only resurface during election time. Thus many citizens want to ask them where their political representative has been hiding. And of course the Constituency Development Fund is the next question in line: What did you do with our money?

It is important that the electorate make the right decisions when choosing their leaders in their ward, constituency and country. But due to the fact the playing ground for all political parties and independent candidates is not level, we find that some candidates fail to reach out to the people. And the voters end up making uninformed decisions when choosing the candidate to vote for.

The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe and Combined Harare Residents Association are engaging in activities under the Right to Information campaign. They have come up with a newsletter, which will ensure access to information regarding the upcoming election. One broad area the newsletter will cover is the parties, candidates and their proposals. The first issue of the Election Special publication featured the five presidential candidates. Before one votes it is important they have full knowledge of what and whom they are voting for.

As I was going through the MDC and Zanu-PF’s manifestos I tried to pick up the stories being depicted by the pictures carried out in their manifestos.

Some pictures in the MDC manifesto look like they were downloaded on Google with a few where you get to question the nationality of the people in the picture. The policemen on the horse picture is surely an oldie goldie, going by the green trees. I don’t remember seeing such green and lively trees in Harare’s CBD. Well you can’t take away that the MDC had good images depicting their open palm party symbol which now has become synonymous with the party. The image of a woman working in a small to medium enterprise is worthy to take note of, not everyone is farming on a big farm but most Zimbabweans are surviving and earning living out of their small garden structures.

Zanu-PF’s manifesto seems to have really dug out their oldest archive pictures. It’s really sad to see Zanu-PF using a de-campaigning picture of their opposition MDC party in their manifesto! Truly if I am reading your manifesto I don’t want to know what the neighbours are doing, I need you to strongly convince me that you deserve my vote and you promise a better life for my son. And Zanu-PF too has some Google images. My thumbs up go to their choice of President Mugabe’s picture, a better reflection of his old age.

The fact that entrance into politics is now informed by financial rewards that accrue from that office more than anything else for me stands out as one the things that ought to inform how people will vote. But then, “now” seems a misnomer as public office has since independence always been viewed as a springboard to wild riches!

The bitterness that emerged from all political parties concerning who will present their respective parties is enough to point to the very bad turn issues of governance have taken in this country.

And many will readily say this is one of Zanu PF’s legacies that will continue to hound political space years for some time to come even with the coming into power of another political party.

True. Some say while Zanu PF extols itself for bringing independence (remember Chris Mutsvangwa’s SAPES outburst ), it should equally accept that it also institutionalized corruption, cronysim, thievery, where hard work is not a virtue.

I was puzzled the other week when a female MDC-T parliamentary candidate in Bulawayo said her ultimate goal is to become a government minister without any hint of sarcasm.

For one to actually say that openly does raise issues about why these people choose to enter politics in the first place.

It certainly has more to do with the perceived perks than serving God and country, and a person who harbours such ambitions will indeed punch their way into public office, no surprises therefore about the bloody nose some received during the primaries!

Another chap seeking re-election as an MP recently told the courts in a maintenance case hearing that he could not pay the monthly allowance his wife was demanding because parliament, his claimed sole source of income, had been dissolved.

And these are the same people who demand ridiculous allowances from the national purse, imagining that these resources are infinite. And they become career politicians.

That certainly should be a reminder to voters about politicians seeking their vote which these men and women must earn not just regurgitate condescending nonsense imagining they are dealing with an illiterate electorate.

It certainly is time voters interrogated issues, and the very fact that some of these political party manifestos are literally pies in the sky says a lot about politicians thinking voters will believe anything.

Kubatana continues to receive citizen feedback about the environment on the ground as Zimbabwe prepares for harmonised elections 31 July 2013.  You can read other comments and feedback here, here and here.

• Zanu PF is forcing business people to remove MDC-T posters from the walls of their shops in Gutu South at Nerupiri Business Centre, and threatening people saying they must vote for Zanu PF because there will be a computer inside the ballot box recording the names of people voting for MDC-T and those people will be beaten at the time of re-run.
• The way Zanu pf is reacting it shows that they now know that Tsvangirai is ready to rule.
• Could you please tell Mr PM to boycott for the sake of those who love him. We need peace.
• I was on a Zanu PF meeting in Tamandai Chipinge East with D Mutasa being the centre man. It was all about M Tsvangirayi, ‘achinzi pasi naye mbavha yevakadzi, hure revarungu. Akauya kuzoparadza dzidzo yakaunzwa na R Mugabe. Chipufkuto chakapinda muminda yatakapihwa navaMugabe 90 percent of the people where not of that area and 10 percent where all from MDC. They were saying vote for Zanu PF kuti nzara ipere.
• Hello Zimbabweans. Last week when i told you that political violence can start anytime in Mberengwa, some of you cried foul.  Look at what happens today. An Mdc-t supporter by the name Melusi Ngwenya  of  Matibini Village in Mberengwa North constituency was  chased from a funeral because he was carrying Mdc posters on his bicycle.  Sanson Mahwowa of Yorks resettlement  area and Edias Madhumera who are Zanu pf stalwarts  threatened Melusi with unspecified action before chasing him away. The fenural was at Matibini village where a respected old woman was being buried.
• Intimidation is rife from suspected CIO, soldiers and Zanu PF campaign agents in mission schools rural areas e.g. Murewa South. Newspaper vendors are being threatened not to display newspaper headlines that denounce Zanu PF or their leader.
• Can we please see a presidential live debate with all presidential candidates like most countries do before elections.
• Do you really discuss about the underdevelopment of Gokwe-Kana when you deliberate as cabinet/parliament & if so with what solutions?
• I’m worried about what  the media campaigning live but mdc no coverage it’s not fair
• Is it true MDC did it during the POLICE election.
• In Shamva MDC posters are being removed
• Pres Tsvangiraì mus consider de wishes of the pple 4 de pple know wat they want.
• Pamberi ne peaceful elections.peace is my responsibility.yo responsibility n our responsibility. Ngativotei murúnyararo.

There is an old, deep wounding that runs through our land
the pain of the torn flesh of old hatreds, bloodletting, abuse of power, colonialism and wars for ownership of land

However, 33 years ago our country gained independence
and we covered the wounds in an ‘agreed forgetting’
with the hope that the new dreams had the space to come in

but beneath the scarred skin,
the festering pain of the unheard stories continued

a legacy inflicted on our youth
old wounds – belonging times before they were born

and we used our children to bleed them back into the world
no longer in a battle framed by tribe or colour or religious ideal
but in the simple pursuit of personal greed and partisan political power

5 years ago
a ‘failed’ election left us with the dictator in control of the army and police, sharing the government with the opposition party
together they were tasked with creating a new constitution and putting in place a set of agreed reforms
to make way for a new election.

5 years with the hierarchy involved in a struggle
for the Mercedes/house on the hill/women/control of business/diamonds/ownership of land

5 years in limbo
as the country continued to suffer the abandonment of roads/schools/water systems/electricity/refuse collection
our children on the streets

for the people no longer counted in the way of things

5 years in which growing circles in communities across the country
have come to realize – we are on our own
and the survival of our communities is our own business
that peace will only come from our hands
that old wounds/new wounds could no longer buried
they had to be spoken before they could heal
and that they would only heal from the inside out

5 years in which we have grown to understand
that we have no place in battles that are not of our making
that the time is passed to ‘fight against’
that the time has come to ‘stand for’ something we believe in
for peace and truth and stability in our lives

This week we will have an ‘unconstitutional’ election
(the president fast-tracked changes to electoral laws agreed on by all political parties in cabinet and used a presidential decree to bypass Parliament)
almost 2 million of people under 30 years of age have been from prevented from registering
on a flawed voters role that contains the names of nearly a million deceased or departed
(we  surely have the largest population in the world of people between 100 and 120)
and 63 constituencies that have more voters than residents

We walk through a gateway of designed chaos
knowing that old men do not readily give up power

not knowing the next steps
other than that this time, we have something else to bring to our future
our own learning

tichaona – we shall see