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The dumping of MDC-T by its self-exiled treasurer general Mr Roy Bennett marks the accelerated downfall of the party and the demise of Western sponsored regime change project in Zimbabwe, political analysts have said. Some observers yesterday said after suffering heavy defeat from Zanu-PF in the just ended harmonised elections, fragmentation in the MDC-T would worsen with the party not lasting until the next elections in 2018.
Mr Bennett, who acted as the donor point man in the MDC-T, last week said he was dumping the party, accusing his colleagues of corruption.
He said the jostling of mayoral posts by party members who lost in the national assembly elections was an indication that they were only interested in propagating selfish interests.
“I have watched colleagues start with nothing and become wealthy, become arrogant, become unapproachable embarrassed to speak out on anything to do with race or land, I sit forced into exile and never hear from any of my colleagues,” Mr Bennett said.
“I call them, they do not call back and the only time I ever hear from them is when they want something… it is time for me to step aside and wait and watch what develops . ”
Political analyst and Midlands State University lecturer Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri, said the MDC-T would disintegrate because its founders did not have a common, solid foundation.
“This is a movement, as their name suggests and a party formed on loose coalitions and if they fail to achieve their goal they will be frustrated and break down,” he said.
“It was founded by people with no common ideas thereby becoming a movement of disparity. It easily fragments and even if they had achieved their regime change goal they were still going to disintegrate.”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary general and a long time ally of the MDC-T, Mr Raymond Majongwe, said the MDC-T would not last until the next elections.
“This party was like a salad bowl where there are a lot of mixtures. The fact that it does not have an ideology means it is bound to disintegrate,” he said.
“Bennett’s actions are signs that the party is headed for challenging times. This is the beginning of the end of the party and everyone is now seeing their selfishness and corruption.”
Political analyst Mr Gabriel Chaibva said Mr Bennett’s statements were a “clinical description” of the behaviour of the MDC-T.
“This is coming from the horse’s mouth (Bennett) who is also the face of the white people in the MDC-T,” he said.
“Bennett’s words show acceptance by the MDC-T that regime change has failed in the country as well as lack of faith and confidence in the party leadership by its founders. This is the end of the MDC-T project and Tsvangirai, who used Bennett as point man, has no capacity to approach them for donor funding because he has exposed himself.”
Midlands State University lecturer Mr Christopher Gwatidzo said chickens were coming home to roost for the MDC-T.
“These people were a grouping of people coming from different backgrounds, without anything in common except fighting President Mugabe,” he said.
“Bennett’s departure therefore means the party is going down and in the end there will be nothing to talk about.”
Apart from Mr Bennett, MDC-T “rebels” who contested the elections as independent candidates announced that they were working on modalities of forming a new political outfit, a move that would see the embattled party facing another major split.
The rebels have promised to hold the party’s first congress before the end of the year. Analysts say things are falling apart and the centre cannot hold in the Western backed party, describing Mr Bennett case as just a tip of the iceberg.
Online Reporter