MDC-M chickens come home to roost

Indeed, some of the members of the MDC-M have been very patient and tolerant of their leaders, to the extent that their party has largely been viewed as an ally of the dying Zanu (PF) party. But with the new constitution now being written, and the possibility of national elections looming in the foreground, the chickens are coming home to roost for the beleaguered break-away party.

In my view, there is very little that can be done to salvage whatever political support that the MDC-M still has. The current in-fighting about who is to be elected president of that formation at the partys congress next year is indicative of the decay and rot that infested that formation from the beginning. The 12 October 2005 split from the MDC-T was an unfortunate tactical error on the part of its perpetrators.

Then it was hoped that there would be some form of rapprochement that would result in the two formations reconciling, but this was not to be. Instead, a third formation, a breakaway from the MDC-M itself, the so-called MDC99, emerged a few weeks ago, adding to the confusion. It is not known whether the MDC99 has any membership beyond Job Sikhala himself. If it does, then the total membership is about one hundred people, at the most. I will be surprised if anyone from that party will be able to stand for the next elections and recover their deposit from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission after the contest. But let us return to the party of the hour, the MDC-M.

It is quite unfair for Welshman Ncube to threaten to oust the good Professor so soon after pleading with him to abandon his dignified and lucrative robotics practice and come and lead the banana split called the MDC-M. Ncube is well aware that Mutambara does not stand a chance against him at the partys congress next year. But as they say, in politics there are no permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests.

Having served his constitutionally stipulated 10 years as secretary general of his party, Ncube has indicated that he will be available for deployment to another position of leadership. This has created a serious problem for Ago, who now has the unenviable and humiliating choice of approaching either Morgan Tsvangirai or Robert Mugabe for some crumbs from their tables come elections 2011 or 2012. Although Mugabe would welcome the good professor into the fold, however cold, Tsvangirai is likely to be very reluctant to do the same given the Deputy PMs unpredictable and politically embarrassing outbursts since the formation of the GNU.

Watching all this closely is the recently revived PF-Zapu, currently led by the experienced and courageous Dumiso Dabengwa. PF-Zapu (I am not sure whether they actually use the PF prefix) is likely to grab all manner of political support from virtually all the existing political parties, including Mugabes Zanu (PF), MDC-T, MDC-M and MDC99. By the way Mugabes Zanu (PF) recently became Zanu-Ndonga, after the old man was undressed by the VaPostori and dressed in their white garments holding a nice Ndonga (staff). Whichever way things fall for these numerous political parties, the Zimbabwe electorate will have ample choice of candidates to choose from at the next election. Zimbabwe is a free and democratic country after all.