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Yoliswa Dube
FOLLOWING this week’s facade of a united front exhibited by the MDC-T leadership, analysts believe the opposition party is losing the plot as it is looking at removing Zanu-PF from power as the sole reason to unite. According to the analysts, the party just wants to dislodge Zanu-PF and is not clear on what it will do afterwards. They said the recent announcement of a united front by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai will come to naught as long as hatred for Zanu-PF remains the only driving force behind its actions.
MDC-T has been wobbling to the brink in recent months over whether or not Tsvangirai should continue as party president. Two factions have emerged, one seeking his ouster, another fighting to retain him.
Deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma, who was suspended about two weeks ago, was, or still is, the public face of the faction against Tsvangirai and is suspected to include the likes of secretary-general Tendai Biti, treasurer-general Roy Bennett and Eddie Cross, Elias Mudzuri, Promise Mkwananzi and at least five out of the 10 provincial chairpersons.
However, after weeks of vowing to ignore Mangoma, Tsvangirai this week ate humble pie and publicly announced Mangoma was still a part of MDC-T.
He also admitted his party was in crisis.
Following Tsvangirai’s sudden turnaround, Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri, a political analyst, said it was a strategic move meant to keep the party formidable.
“The sudden turnaround on Tuesday was for strategic purposes. The strategy being to remain united in order to attract others as well as to remain formidable.
“However, the folly of the unity is that they are looking at Zanu-PF as the main reason to unite. They want to dislodge Zanu-PF and are not necessarily concentrating on their policies as a party. They have the intention to simply remove Zanu-PF but they are not clear on what they will do afterwards,” he said.
Dr Mhiripiri said it was important to have substance in the unity.
“We want substance in the unity. Will they be fighting over issues or policies that will make Zimbabwe a better country?” he queried.
He highlighted that political formations must solve their problems internally emphasising that they should be mature enough to iron out their issues without causing a media frenzy.
“The way a political party projects itself determines whether or not it attracts people because not every voter is a member of a political party, it’s a public relations problem.
“Whatever they are doing should lead to maturation and compete in a rational manner so that we are able to respect them,” he said.
Addressing party members at the party’s Harvest House headquarters in Harare, a conciliatory Tsvangirai called on them to bury the hatchet and revive the spirit of 1999 when the British-backed party was formed.
Tsvangirai said Mangoma was still one of them and was innocent until proven guilty.
Also, the MDC-T leader acknowledged that divisions and infighting over leadership had rocked his party.
Before the show of unity, Biti had soared to Mangoma’s defence at a hastily arranged press conference at his law firm, declaring he had been saddened by the unconstitutional manner in which people had connived to subvert the party’s constitution and founding values in suspending Mangoma.
In defence of the party’s decision to suspend Mangoma, information chief Douglas Mwonzora said the MDC-T’s top brass had gone through three marathon meetings starting with the one on standing committee, then followed by the national executive, and culminating in the national council before deciding to suspend Mangoma on bribery and factionalism allegations.
Biti, however, differed with Mwonzora, saying the decision to suspend Mangoma had been individual and the former Cabinet minister would now be hauled before an independent tribunal for airing his sentiments.
Tsvangirai, in his Tuesday show, downplayed the possibility of a split despite the fierce stand-off with Biti.
On Tuesday, they appeared at a Press briefing in Harare at which the former declared the squabbles over, but analysts argue that their differences are too deep-seated to go. Sooner or later, the analysts said, they would re-emerge.
Political analyst Dr Lawton Hikwa said Tsvangirai could not have afforded another split hence a new strategy.
“Tsvangirai is looking for amicable ways to solve their problems but they just need to be rational and follow the constitution. They need to be disciplined as well as follow the dictates of the constitution. They should have done that from the onset and avoided the whole media circus,” he said.
Dr Ibbo Mandaza, pro-opposition political analyst, said an MDC-T split would be detrimental to democracy.
“I hope the party survives,” he said.
“Its split would be detrimental to democracy. I hope they sort themselves out.”
Following the authorship of the letter that got Mangoma suspended, Tsvangirai condemned its contents and turned to the party’s grassroots for support, in the process calling for a meeting of the MDC-T’s 210 district chairpersons that allegedly turned ugly with a violent attack on Mangoma.
Earlier, Tsvangirai had further stamped his authority through political metaphor by calling for a rally at Huruyadzo Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza. “Huruyadzo” is Shona for “the biggest of them all,” “the champion” or “the most senior.” Therefore, the biggest, the champion and the most senior, Tsvangirai wanted his opponents to know, is him.
At the rally, Tsvangirai pressed party members to remain committed to the cause of the party, failure to which he would put them in line. Observers were quick to say Tsvangirai was accelerating the demise of his party, and his own political fortunes.
Time shall be the only decider of the MDC-T’s fate.
Online Reporter