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Tichaona Zindoga My Turn
Think of the many people out there who did not enjoy Christmas seven days ago because they did not have that loaf of bread; that bar of butter, that rice and chicken – all that makes a traditionally Zimbabwean Christmas. It is a Christmas that is also traditionally most enjoyed, and enjoy-able, in rural areas where one not only brings a little cheer to the rural folk but also takes time to reconnect and recharge in the lands of the ancestors.
It must be very hard, painful, for Christmas to pass you by especially the young ones without new clothes and little pennies to spend as they watch others flaunt their bright and new clothes.
It must be hard if you are not Happison Muchechetere’s son or daughter and your parent happens to work at the ZBC.
Or Ziscosteel.
For older people, your stoicism steels and stills you.
Silent tears mellow you.
They fertilise salient hope.
People have troubles.
It is natural.
But it must be harder when you are a Morgan Tsvangirai and you lead an outfit called Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai.
You just had a bad year, no wonder why Tsvangirai mourned about something in the mould of a stolen Christmas.
His Christmas was stolen on July 31 when he dismally lost elections as he polled a miserable 34 percent against President Mugabe’s 61 in a major reversal for one who thought he was on the threshold of ruling this country.
In 2008 he had stood tall, even in light of a very slim margin.
Five years and a number of sex scandals later, poor Tsvangirai lies floored, licking wounds of a “stolen” Christmas.
Many well-meaning analysts within and outside Tsvangirai’s circle point out that the MDC-T lost elections because of overconfidence, poor messaging and, of course, the captain’s own foibles.
On the other hand, Zanu-PF was more resonant with the crowd, campaigned aggressively, and for goodness’ sake, peacefully and projected a party that was ready to reclaim its pedestal.
It succeeded.
President Mugabe succeeded.
It is these contrasting fortunes of the political protagonists that made the news in the past year.
And if you thought 2014 would be a year for sobriety and reflection and possibly reconnection especially for the opposition MDC-T, you will be shocked.
Look no further than the pronouncements by one Douglas Mwonzora, another unlucky 2013, who happens to be the spokesperson of the losing MDC-T.
In one of the daily newspapers on Tuesday Mwonzora told the nation to “brace for fresh elections” in 2014.
Here is what he said: “As a party, next year, we will restrategise, regroup in preparation for elections at any time,” Mwonzora said.
He went further: “Zimbabweans have seen that the promises made by Zanu-PF were false. Whereas it promised jobs, people are actually losing jobs, companies are closing, banks don’t have money, the economic welfare of the Zimbabwean has worsened . . . We are going to have an all-stakeholders’ meeting and not just that, but many more other meetings as fresh national elections to address the question of the legitimacy of the current Government.”
He said the party was preparing “to take over power soon because given the imminent collapse of the economy we will have to have elections to address the crisis of legitimacy which has caused the situation Zimbabweans find themselves in.”
One would be tempted to think that Mwonzora and, by extension, his party have lately been smoking something – and this cannot be ruled out – but there is something that is terribly suggestive of dementia.
If that sounds too strong a word you could simply think of a dog that barks after passing trains.
Let’s test Mwonzora.
Fine, it is all in order for the MDC-T party to restrategise and regroup but on what basis can elections be held in 2014?
July 31 2013 ensured that the Zanu-PF Government – and it could well have been MDC-T or N if they fared well – will constitutionally subsist for the next five years.
How can elections be held outside of the purview of the Constitution?
Is it being seriously suggested that the MDC-T will precipitate some cataclysm that will force the holding of national elections?
What kind of subversion will this be?
The MDC-T has been known to make such wild claims.
While this would have sounded plausible in 2007 or ’08, does this mean that MDC-T seeks and believes something in the mould of sanctions will make Zimbabwe implode?
One cannot help noting how those in the opposition are predicting and hoping for trouble in 2014.
It will be very curious to know where such sick mindset is coming from, apart from desperate power hunger.
And if the MDC-T enjoys the suffering of the people what right do these sadists have to demand support from the people of Zimbabwe?
Let’s test Mwonzora further.
He talks of a “crisis of legitimacy” in the country.
In all honesty, Mwonzora should know that it is his party that is facing a crisis of legitimacy not only as a party in the body politic but as an organic entity.
Serial loser Tsvangirai – who has lost elections since 2000 as he could not even represent his home village – is being challenged within the party.
There are people with ambitions within the MDC-T and these are said to include Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma, Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa.
A particular section of the small MDC crowd is angling for an elective meeting to replace “rusty bolt” Tsvangirai, as Ian Kay helpfully described him.
Tsvangirai has been moving around the country trying to consolidate his stranglehold on power.
The party has seen purges of anti- Tsvangirai elements.
All this shows a crisis of legitimacy besetting “the face of the democratic struggle in Zimbabwe”, as some would like to put it.
Mwonzora himself acknowledged how the party is shaking in a rather dishonest admission that, “MDC has weathered the storm of Zanu PF-induced rebellion among the ranks of the party”.
Mwonzora’s claims remind one of what Gorden Moyo, another MDC-T man, said to the effect that some god would intervene to make Tsvangirai leader.
While one may not speak for the gods, it would also be useful, at least in the rational world, to advise the likes of Mwonzora to dream on in 2014 – only to wake up to another defeat in 2018, if they do.
Online Reporter