The apparently illegal and thoroughly provocative demotion of the young
and firebrand Nelson Chamisa by Robert Mugabe has solidified the notion
that the die-hard elements in Zanu (PF) are hell bent on ensuring that
the new political dispensation collapses.
Post February 13, 2009, Zimbabwe’s political landscape will never be
the same again. The days of Zanu (PF) political hegemony are over.
Not nave
These are the people who cannot accept the simple fact that on March 29
the majority of the voters voted for change and also that they chose
Morgan Tsvangirai as their leader.
As I have already stated, the MDC is not a naive political party. We are capable of deducing good from bad; God from Lucifer.
The argument has been put forward by some writers and political
commentators that the MDC has since adopted the policy of ”quiet
diplomacy” – Thabo Mbeki style. We are being blamed for not crying out
loudly against the obvious and apparent violations of the global
political agreement (GPA) such as the two examples that I have referred
to above.
Unfortunately and with due respect, this argument is premised on the
assumption that the leadership of the MDC is no longer concerned by the
total observance of the terms and conditions of the GPA simply because
we are now part of government and some of our colleagues are now
driving Mercedes Benz limousines accompanied by the usual trappings of
power.
This argument is as fallacious as it is ludicrous. We did not enter
into the all-inclusive government to get posh cars and the other perks
of high office. Some of us feel pretty insulted if it is argued that we
no longer care about the plight of the majority of the people simply
because we are now legislators and some of us have been appointed
ministers.
Our own Mercedes Benz
For the record, many MDC politicians, and that includes myself,
acquired our own Mercedes Benz vehicles long before the all-inclusive
government was formed. We joined this struggle because we love Zimbabwe
and we could not just stand by and watch whilst our beloved motherland
burnt to ashes.
Although we could easily have escaped into the relative ”comfort” of
the Diaspora, there are those of us who chose to fight on the home
front; literally taking the bull by the horns. And we do not at all
regret taking this decision.
We should understand that Prime Minister Tsvangirai has had an
unfortunate spat of family tragedies recently and quite honestly, we
should give our leader the benefit of the doubt. Prime Minister
Tsvangirai is a very humble man who is genuinely concerned about the
continued suffering of the majority of the people. I know him and this
is why I am making these bold statements of the kind of man that he is.
Farm invasion context
The recent farm invasions should be seen in their proper context. The
MDC does not condone these acts of thuggery and lawlessness. Finance
Minister Tendai Biti recently publicly stated that we cannot dream of
attracting outside help and financial assistance when farms are being
invaded and innocent farmers and their workers are being arrested and
locked up wily nilly.
Better still, we cannot cry out loudly for the lifting of ”sanctions”
when we continue to behave as if the whole world owes Zimbabwe a
favour. If we are unable to change our wayward and renegade conduct of
running affairs of State we might as well forget about obtaining a
bail-out package from those countries that have got the money.
Be patient
In the same breath, I humbly urge my compatriots to be patient and to
appreciate that the all-inclusive government is not the most ideal form
of government that Zimbabwe should have. But then we all know the
history behind its formation and it shall not be the agenda of this
writer to seek to open old wounds. Suffice to re-state that Zanu (PF)
is mortally wounded and that only a miracle will save it from total
political annihilation come
the next general elections.
Going forward, in the unlikely event that the all-inclusive government
collapses, then people should always be able to deduce that the MDC
will not be to blame for such a collapse. Change is inevitable in
Zimbabwe. Whether or the so-called securocrats like it or not, the MDC,
led by Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, is here to stay.
The MDC has not adopted Mbeki’s so-called ”quiet diplomacy”. Watch this space!
BY OBERT GUTU
Post published in: News