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PARTISAN jingles played on national radio and television by Zanu PF in an attempt to win back votes in preparation for next year’s elections could backfire as they remind the electorate of the violence and repression that characterised previous polls, analysts have said.
The jingles proclaim 86-year-old President Robert Mugabe as supreme leader and denounce the MDC-T as an unequal partner in the unity government.
Zanu PF recently ordered all Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) stations to play the controversial jingles, at least twice every hour, as it tries to lure back support ahead of the polls that may be held next year.
The jingles are from a compilation of eight songs on a CD produced by a local music outfit, Mbare Chimurenga Choir, with the assistance of Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu.
But political analysts see it as a feeble attempt to psyche up the masses for next year’s elections and assure them that Zanu PF’s political dominance is still intact despite the formation of the coalition government.
Analysts said it was part of a broader undeclared election campaign strategy that has seen increased cases of intimidation, harassment, torture and abduction of supporters of the MDC in recent weeks as the party gears itself for elections.
Attempts by the two MDC formations to have the jingles pulled off the air appear to have failed.
MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said Zanu PF was defying a recent Cabinet directive to stop playing the jingles.
“We will deal with this issue in the context of the inclusive government,” said Chamisa.
“These jingles poison the current atmosphere and it petrifies us when they celebrate an individual as if he is a representative of God here on earth.”
The MDC-T believes the introduction of the jingles on ZBC marks the beginning of an election campaign by Zanu PF, which started with the harassment of its supporters during the ongoing constitution-making outreach programmes countrywide.
But analysts said it appears Shamu, the architect of the jingles, has not read anything about Joseph Goebbels’s principles of propaganda which say: “A propaganda theme must be repeated, but not beyond some point of diminishing effectiveness.” Goebbels was Adolf Hitler’s chief propagandist.
They say Shamu has failed to establish that the jingles were actually alienating potential supporters instead of luring them.
They added the jingles were a grotesque reminder of the hateful songs that became synonymous with the era between 2000 and 2005 when Jonathan Moyo was Information minister.
Moyo’s music, instead of building political support for Zanu PF, helped build a groundswell of discontentment against Mugabe's rule, the analysts said.
One of the latest jingles called “Ndikusetere team”, says the Zimbabwean leadership team is headed by Mugabe, followed by vice-presidents Joice Mujuru and John Nkomo and no one comes after the three.
Efforts to get a comment from Shamu, who is also Zanu PF political commissar, were fruitless last week.
Political analyst Eldred Masunungure said the jingles were a “psychological appeal” by Zanu PF in an attempt to mobilise the masses, re-assure and demonstrate that Mugabe was still in control of national politics.
Masunungure believes the jingles would neither lure more people to Zanu PF nor change the perceptions Zimbabweans already have about the party.
“This is a psychological appeal in the absence of material goods to give away,” said Masunungure.
“But the years of symbolic politics are long gone. People want performers and not psychological politics.”
Masunungure said Zanu PF has engaged in an early election campaign without openly declaring it.
Another political commentator Ernest Mudzengi also believes the jingles were related to impending elections.
He said Zanu PF was very much aware of its waning popularity in the past two decades due to poor management of the economy and gross human rights violations.
“They are so desperate to win the hearts and souls of the people,” said Mudzengi.
“So they are trying to reposition themselves on the political platform but over-doing it in the process.”
Chamisa said besides Zanu PF abusing tax-payers’ money, the party was forcing people to listen to propaganda by foisting the jingles on radio listeners and television viewers who did not have any other alternative.
“This is an abuse of tax-payers money and listeners who are forced to pay for licences to consume Zanu PF propaganda,” he said.
Chamisa said instead of airing political jingles, the ZBC should be screening jingles promoting the constitution-making outreach programme and economic revival.
ZBC spokesperson Sivukile Simango refused to comment on matter saying the matter was being handled at a “higher political level.”
One political commentator who requested anonymity said playing hateful jingles to lure political support for Zanu PF was like playing a soft tune to revive a “decomposing corpse”.
“What they are doing is like playing soft music to a corpse in the hope that it will rise and dance to the nice lyrics,” he said. “They should try other strategies.”
Masunungure concurred saying chances that Zanu PF would be able to reverse “political migration” to the MDC formations that has been happening over the years were next to none.
Last week, Mugabe wore white robes at the Johane Marange Apostolic sect gathering in Manicaland in what commentators say is another attempt to lure them to his party whose support base is declining.
Members of the apostolic sect have become Mugabe’s captive audience for a long time as they are regularly commandeered to sing for him when leaving or arriving from international trips.
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
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