admin
Tafara Shumba Correspondent
The recent MDC-T demonstration in Bulawayo was, in many ways, a frenetic disorganised event that failed to harvest the expected measly 30 000 supporters.
One would think that Bulawayo, of all the places, would be MDC-T’s version of a million-man march.
However, people must not blame MDC-T for drawing only 4 000 supporters in its erstwhile stronghold. They did their best to mobilise supporters for the demonstration and what they harvested was a true reflection of their support base in Bulawayo, if not the whole of Matabeleland region.
Although attendance was beyond MDC-T’s control, at least the message for the event was within their control. It looks like the demonstration was organised without an agenda save for the hackneyed “Mugabe must go” mantra.
Probably a prepared speech was in the possession of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai whose illness a few days before the demonstration could have spoilt everything. Kufa kwemujoni kamba inovharwa in MDC-T.
That unfortunate development gave rise to slapdash and careless speeches made by political greenhorns such as Abednico Bhebhe.
Bhebhe is the organising secretary of MDC-T, but it is doubtful if he has the skills befitting that strategic office.
His speech on the day of demonstration exposed him for what he is, a square peg in a round hole.
He “advised” the state security forces to dump President Mugabe and join MDC-T, which he said was the government-in-waiting.
What a hallucination! In a trance, Bhebhe envisions the whole state security sector joining his directionless opposition party with a grave dearth of ideology.
That statement exposed MDC-T’s duplicity.
It is the same party that has been threatening to boycott elections over their demand for security sector reform. They believe, wrongly so, that the state security sector is an appendage of zanu-pf. They have been accusing the security services of being partisan.
These are the same security forces that the MDC-T organising secretary is urging to join them. Has the MDC-T ceased to be a political party? The Constitution clearly stipulates the conduct of members of security services and they must act in accordance with the supreme law.
In case Bhebhe and his party have forgotten, Chapter 11, Part 1, Section 208 subsection 2(a) and (b) unequivocally states that neither the security services nor any of their members may, in exercise of their functions, act in a partisan manner and further the interests of any political party or cause. Subsection 3 further stipulates that they must not be active members or office bearers of any political party or organisation.
Even though the MDC-T is disintegrating at an unprecedented rate, it still remains a political party and the state security agents have no business in that moribund party.
However, that constitutional provision does not disenfranchise members of the security services. They still have the right to vote for a political party and candidate of their choice and their vote is a secret. It’s a mystery how the MDC-T accessed their ballots to an extent that they authoritatively label them as partisan forces.
One thing that the MDC-T must understand and accept is that the security services are led by men and women who have been in the trenches along with those in the political leadership in zanu-pf. They share the same ideology and aspirations. Of course chances are high that they rally behind the politicians and political parties with ideologies that are compatible with theirs. MDC-T ideology is not known. It is a sorry association with a hotchpotch of ideologies. Therefore, they cannot mix with the security forces for they are like water and oil.
Mr Tsvangirai is on record threatening the security chiefs with unspecified actions upon their hallucinatory ascendancy to power. The MDC-T actually recommended the imposition of sanctions on the security chiefs and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries. In fact all institutions that are working with the incumbent Government have been subjected to threats and demonisation. Prime examples are traditional leaders and journalists from the state media. How then does the MDC-T expect to work with these institutions under such circumstances?
The problem with the MDC-T is that it does not want to see anyone siding with zanu-pf. Even the great artiste, Oliver Mtukudzi, is being condemned for performing at the Million-Man March organised by the zanu-pf youths. While they attack people like Mr Mtukudzi, they must remember the likes of Karikoga Zhakata, Blessing Shumba, the late Tongai Moyo and others who also performed at their functions.
They must not forget that these musicians, just like any other business, are there to make profit without looking at the colour and political allegiance of the sources of that revenue. Even Mtukudzi himself entertained people at Mr Tsvangirai’s second wedding with Elizabeth Macheka. Opposition political activist, Thomas Mapfumo has taken every opportunity to belt out a cacophony of regime change lyrics, much to the chagrin of those that lament wasted talent.
While they attack state media for being partisan, they must not forget that they also enjoy acres of space in the local private media and international media including pirate radio stations. zanu-pf has never threatened these MDC-T foot soldiers.
Online Reporter