To be or not to be?

Indeed, some would say there is no change that is taking place at all since the inauguration of the government of national unity (GNU). For example, fewer than 20% of the provisions of the global political agreement (GPA) have so far been implemented. It is clear to most Zimbabweans that Mugabe and Zanu (PF) are desperate to prevent the full consummation of the GPA since that would result in meaningful power-sharing. It is obvious that whatever power is shared will be power that is lost to Zanu (PF). One school of thought is therefore of the idea that Tsvangirai and the MDC should abandon ship and get out of the slow-moving GNU. The other school of thought is that the MDC should stay put and fight on until real change is attained. Getting out will be tantamount to returning the nation to the year 2008, and no sane person would like to see that happening.

The MDC, however, needs to continue to apply pressure on the despotic regime of Robert Mugabe until a democratic constitution is written and adopted as the nations foundation law. This could happen by the end of this year, and new elections could be held early 2011. Zanu (PF) is aware that it has no realistic chance of winning the forthcoming elections, unless they rig them thoroughly, something they have become quite good at over the thirty years of Zimbabwes independence. It is, however, true that the GNU has effectively compromised the MDCs ability to perform its role as an opposition political party. For example, being part of the GNU has meant that the MDC can no longer engage in any meaningful authoritarian regime erosion.

On the contrary, some of the governance activities that the MDC has been required to perform have tended to politically benefit Zanu (PF). One only has to listen to Ago Mutambara speaking about Mugabe to realize that something has gone terribly wrong with Zimbabwean politics. No one in their right mind can eulogize Mugabe the way Arthur does whenever the opportunity arises. The man is digging a deep hole for his little political party to sink in when the next elections are held. That is one of the several reasons why Mutambara is not keen on the holding of elections in 2011.

The MDCs exit from the GNU would effectively mean that the nation will be thrown back to the violence and social strife of 2008. The national economy will also collapse further and the social sector will crumble in the manner that we have seen before with schools, clinics and hospitals closing down. More Zimbabweans will again be forced to leave the country in search of greener pastures and personal security. Zanu (PF) does not care any more about this country and its people. The former ruling party is aware that it can never recover the popular support that it once enjoyed. It is therefore likely to embark on the implementation of a scorched earth policy and all of us will lose. We now know that this nation has lost a whole generation of young people who failed their Grade Seven, O-Level and A-Level examinations in the past two academic years. We cannot afford to endure any further losses of this nature. Given these realities, it is absolutely imperative that the MDC should remain in the GNU and keep fighting the dictator from the inside. No democratic space should be surrendered to the dictator at this eleventh hour.