There may well be so-called heavyweights leaving the zanupf-Mugabe sinking ship and running to a new home in the zanupf-Makoni faction. Who wouldn’t leave this sinking ship? With self inflicted inflation running at 100,000% and rising, exponentially collapsing exchange rates, empty supermarket shelves, 95% unemployment, widespread starvation, a refugee crisis of massive proportions and so many other world record negative catastrophic statistics, it’s quite logical to see the writing on the wall. In any event, it can be safely assumed that there is little left at Mugabe’s patronage trough because these so-called heavy-weights have already licked it dry. It’s time to re-invent and time for a facelift. The pigs are looking for a new sty and a new trough in which to feed.

Enter the new face of zanupf and the new love-child of some in the diplomatic circuit. Enter Simba Makoni.

So why are they punting Makoni, who after all, has held very senior positions in both the regime itself and the highest decision making body, the politburo, right from the very beginning? These are the structures and men that have destroyed every Zimbabwean’s hopes and dreams and laid waste what was once prosperous country.

What do Zimbabweans really think about all this? What are the realities on the ground?

It’s a numbers game, so let’s look at who is getting the numbers on the ground. In Zimbabwe, election rallies tell a completely different story to the newsflashes in current circulation.

Over this past weekend, Simba Makoni held 2 rallies, his launch in Bulawayo (Zimbabwe’s second largest city) and Harare, the capital. The attendances were a dismal 4000 and 2000 respectively.

A week before, Morgan Tsvangirai launched his election campaign in the rural town of Mutare in the Eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. 60,000 people attended this rally. This past weekend he held rallies in the small rural towns of Bindura and Shamva. The attendances were 15,000 and 3000 respectively.

What’s happening is that Makoni’s new zanupf home isn’t translating where it counts - support on the ground. Tsvangirai hasn’t gone near the major centres yet he gets 3000 to a rally in the hick village of Shamva. Makoni’s zanupf faction isn’t going to see the light of day come election time if this trend continues.

What seems to be completely misunderstood and certainly not being reported is that the people of Zimbabwe are sick and tired of Mugabe and his zanupf. They are tired of the dictatorship and they are tired of the violence and abuse by this regime. In whatever shape or form zanupf attempts to morph in to, it’s not going to wash anymore.

The people want change and would have got change years ago if past elections weren’t rigged. This time, they are taking no chances and they know that rigging is going to be much harder this time round. Many outsiders may be fooled into believing what has undoubtedly become fashionable in diplomatic circles, dubbed “The Makoni Factor”. It’s almost like a Clint Eastwood western. But what’s missing is something significant is being overlooked. It’s people on the ground that really matter. The people can see the Makoni mirage for what it is. It’s just another zanuPF get-out-of-jail card and an insidious attempted facelift for zanupf to stay in power. At the end of the day, it’s all about trust. Mugabe, zanupf or any combination thereof is no longer acceptable.

If will of the people prevails, Tsvangirai will be Zimbabwe’s next President. The writing is on the wall already.

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