Memories  of  2013  divided  vote     A  divided  opposition  vote  saw  dramatic  losses  for  the  opposition  during  the  2013  election,   particularly  in  both  Matabeleland  North  and  South.  Nationally,  17  seats  were  lost  to  ZANU  PF  on  a   divided  opposition  vote,  13  of  these  being  in  Matabeleland.  In  Matabeleland  South,  a  total  of  8  out   of  13  seats  were  won  by  ZANU  PF  because  of  a  divided  opposition  vote.  Similarly,  in  Matabeleland   North,  a  united  opposition  would  have  won  11  out  of  13  seats,  instead  of  which  ZANU  PF  won  7,   and  control  of  both  provinces.  Bulawayo  remained  solidly  opposition-­‐won,  but  disillusion  over  the   failure  of  the  opposition  to  learn  from  this  experience  of  dividing  the  vote  remains  prevalent  in   these  three  provinces.         Degeneration  and  in-­‐fighting  in  the  opposition     During  discussions  with  more  than  a  dozen  civic  partners,  it  became  clear  that  when  trying  to  raise   interest  in  registering  to  vote,  civic  activists  in  Bulawayo  were  told  there  was  no  point  in  registering   when  there  was  no  opposition  in  particular  to  vote  for.  The  following  complaints  were  made  about   the  political  opposition.       •   There  are  now  more  than  70  registered  opposition  parties:  while  maybe  no  more  than  six   could  be  considered  ‘serious’  parties,  even  this  large  number  is  disheartening.     •   There  is  continual  in-­‐fighting  within  the  opposition,  and  their  failure  to  form  one  grand   coalition  in  the  interests  of  providing  a  cohesive  option  for  the  2018  election  has   disillusioned  many  possible  voters.     •   There  is  no  clear  understanding  of  what  the  oppositions,  singly  or  collectively,  actually   represent,  or  what  their  policies  are,  particularly  since  Mnangagwa  has  usurped  much  of  the   neo-­‐liberal  economic  policy  propounded  by  the  MDCs  previously.     •   The  MDC-­‐T  that  has  had  support  from  Bulawayo  voters  for  years,  has  since  2013  in   particular  behaved  in  ways  that  have  made  Bulawayo  feel  marginalized  and  un-­‐consulted.   There  have  been  well-­‐publicised  struggles  between  Thoko  Khupe,  Vice  President  of  the   MDC-­‐T,  and  the  National  Executive,  over  the  fact  that  decisions  have  been  made  about  the   MDC  alliance  and  how  seats  should  be  contested  in  the  next  election  that  have  excluded   consultation  with  Bulawayo  MPs.  Another  split  in  the  MDC-­‐T  could  be  imminent,  or   alternatively  the  expulsion  of  some  Bulawayo  and  Matabeleland  senior  party  members.87     •   The  fact  that  Morgan  Tsvangirai  is  very  ill  makes  it  hard  to  believe  in  him  as  a  presidential   candidate  and  the  lack  of  ability  of  MDC-­‐T  to  settle  its  own  succession  issues  is   disheartening.  There  is  furthermore  a  perception  that  it  is  also  likely  that  when/if  this  is   settled,  the  long-­‐standing  Matabeleland  Vice  President  Thoko  Khupe  will  not  take  over  the   presidency,  because  she  is  Ndebele  and  a  woman  –  even  though  she  has  held  the  party  vice   presidency  for  more  than  a  decade.88     •   The  internecine  fights  in  MDC-­‐T  had  escalated  by  10  February,  with  serious  threats  being   made  against  Vice  Presidents  Khupe  and  Mudzuri  and  Secretary  General  Mwonzora  by                                                                                                               87 88    https://www.newsday.co.zw/2018/01/khupe-­‐faces-­‐mdc-­‐t-­‐expulsion/    https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2018/01/12/tsvangirai-­‐succession-­‐mdc-­‐t-­‐faces-­‐implosion/   27