Bad planning caused COPAC trouble

It was reinforced, in some people’s minds, by the disorders surrounding COPAC’s urban consultations. Some people are jumping to false conclusions based on wrong comparisons. Let’s look at a few agreed facts.

First, notice was sent around saying that COPAC was sending two teams to Mbare on Saturday 17 September. They didn’t arrive, although some police officers waited at Stodart Hall most of the day. They seemed to be expecting something.

Second, notes of apology appeared saying we’ll come on Sunday’. The Sunday papers, including The Zimbabwean on Sunday, which must have been printed on Friday, carried adverts saying two COPAC teams were coming to Mbare on Sunday.

Fighting broke out at Musika when Zanu (PF) thugs, who had mostly been bussed in, attacked people and some MDC youths retaliated. One COPAC team arrived, at Mai Musodzi Hall. They said they could not operate under those conditions, and promised to return the next day.

On Monday 19th, COPAC teams came to St. Peters school, Mai Musodzi Hall and the sports ground by Stodart Hall. Apart from a bit of shouting and blasphemy at the venues, the day passed quietly enough, though people complained that they were presented with a list of questions and asked to answer yes or no: no opportunity was given for people to make their own presentations. But at least, there was no serious disorder.

Now, considering these few facts, I reckon Sunday’s trouble would not have happened, or if there had been any disturbance, it would have been easy to control, if the two COPAC teams whom people were expecting had come. There is only a small number of disorderly youth available to recruit for political mischief. There is only a small number of buses available to carry them – and we know a number of them.

My interpretation of what we saw is that there were only enough thugs to break up one meeting. If the teams expected had arrived at both Stodart and Mai Musodzi halls, the thugs would have had to divide into two groups – and they were not enough to be sure that two smaller groups could intimidate people the way one big one could.

We might well ask why COPAC did not send the two teams they promised on Saturday or Sunday. They were able to do it on Monday. But that is an argument about history. I am more interested in lessons for the future.

Zanu (PF) have shown that they can still disrupt a local event, and they would be a serious nuisance if by-elections were to be held, because the small rent-a-mob could be concentrated on one place, where the by-election is being held. They would not, however, be able to distort the results of a general election that way because they don’t have the troops they did have in 2002 and 2008.

I don’t agree that we could not hold a general election for fear they would frustrate the people’s will as they have done in the past. There may be other good reasons against a quick general election, but that one doesn’t hold water.