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MDC-T out of touch with reality

25 Aug 2015 at 10:40hrs | Views
MDC-T has been widely known for a series of boycotts, running from election boycotts to the recent call for boycotting Zanu-PF linked businesses and products.

I was actually shocked when I read an article where that opposition party was lobbying its members not to purchase products from businesses associated to the revolutionary party. But, honestly is that business? Can our country develop when there is such form of sabotage?

I really wonder!
If business is flourishing in the country, be it of Zanu-PF, Zapu, MDC-T, Mavambo/Khusile/Dawn, honestly one cannot see any reason for people to avoid doing business with such political parties. What is needed in this country is economic recovery.  

Since its inception, MDC-T has been calling itself a champion of the workers. One would then question the real interests of that political party. If the MDC-T persists in boycotting buying products from big companies like Choppies and Alfa and Omega it then means that employees may lose their jobs as the companies will be less viable.

It is worrisome that MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu confirmed that destructive development saying they need to hit the regime where it hurts most. This is also in tandem with what that opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, once said that they would escalate the economic problems in Zimbabwe.

Unfortunately, the strategy by MDC-T will not only affect Zanu-PF members alone, but everyone across the nation, including MDC-T party members. Their move will actually derail the efforts of implementation of Zim-Asset.
The role of opposition political parties is to offer alternative policies, not to seek to destroy the efforts of the ruling party in building the economy.

Maybe the MDC-T is planning such a move because they don't have businesses to talk about. If they have businesses that are productive, they will be quite cognizant that their calls of boycotting Zanu-PF businesses will actually hinder the recovery of the economy.

Gutu also claimed that the companies linked to Zanu-PF were set-up through abuse of national resources; a baseless claim that he cannot defend in a court of law.

What if Zanu-PF reciprocates and do the same, thus, avoid doing business linked to the MDC-T. Truly, that opposition party will suffer most. As it stands, the ruling party has the largest stronghold of support in the county; hence MDC-T will definitely lose.  

It seems the MDC-T is out of touch with reality. Most people would agree with me that some of the shops or products that the MDC-T is threatening to boycott are cheap and of good quality as compared to other products on the market. People cannot be forced to buy products that are expensive at the expense of cheap ones mainly because they are not linked to Zanu-PF's businesses.

MDC-T should stop cheap politicking and concentrate on issues that bring food on the Zimbabwean table. Instead of focusing on boycotts after boycotts that opposition party should proffer solutions that help in building the economy. Boycotting buying cheap products will not solve anything; instead it worsens the situation of the ordinary people.
The MDC-T should consider reversing its shallow decision of boycotting Zanu-PF linked businesses. In fact they should be reminded that there is a concept of free market economy which is based on the forces of demand and supply.
Also, MDC-T will not achieve anything by boycotting businesses associated with Zanu-PF.

To add on, boycotting is a selective consumer decision. If the prices are high the consumer will not buy the products, but if the products are affordable obviously the consumers will be interested in purchasing them.

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Peacemaker Zano <peacemakerzano@gmail.com


Source - Peacemaker Zano
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