News / National
Tsvangirai's shadow cabinet 'an admission of defeat'
20 Sep 2013 at 04:02hrs | Views
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's announcement of a shadow Cabinet was a clear admission that Zanu-PF is the ruling party and the MDC-T party is consolidating its position as the main opposition, political analysts have said.
Mr Tsvangirai on Wednesday named a shadow Cabinet whose duty he said was to "periodically review the performance of (President) Mugabe's Government and through various forums in Parliament and outside Parliament, communicate our position on any issue including our alternative agenda for the real transformation of our country."
The announcement of the shadow Cabinet came in the wake of Mr Tsvangirai's admission that President Mugabe is a reality along with the Zanu-PF Government.
Mr Tsvangirai's Cabinet saw MDC-T national executive members such as Mr Elias Mudzuri, who are viewed as threats to Mr Tsvangirai being allocated non-influential ministries with the party's donor point man, the self-exiled Roy Bennett, who has been calling on Mr Tsvangirai to quit being completely dropped.
In an interview yesterday analysts said instead of "politically fantasising", Mr Tsvangirai should concentrate on revamping his party which is on the brink of another split.
Political analyst Mr Alexander Rusero said instead of "ideating" Mr Tsvangirai should be busy mending fissures in his party.
He said Mr Tsvangirai, fresh from a massive election defeat by President Mugabe - wanted to seek relevance through his shadow Cabinet.
"It is always good for a politician to fantasise but this is not the right time for him to do that because things are not rosy in his party," he said.
"The announcement of the shadow Cabinet is an indicator that Tsvangirai wants to be seen doing something but the wisest thing for him is to concentrate on rejuvenating his party, mending the cracks in a party that is facing total collapse. He is creating something out of nothing and by so doing he will sink further because he is not facing reality."
A senior MDC-T official, Mr Obert Gutu this week sensationally disclosed that the party could be headed for an implosion as there are officials with a grand plan to kick out Mr Tsvangirai from the helm of the party.
Senior MDC-T officials, the party's traditional Western allies, and their media are baying for Mr Tsvangirai's blood to block him from standing in as president for the fourth term in a row.
Mr Tsvangirai's term ends in 2016 and reports are that he wants to continue in charge, shutting out some contenders, among them his secretary general Mr Tendai Biti.
Bindura University of Science Education lecturer Mr Bowden Mbanje said Tsvangirai wanted to divert the people's attention by naming a shadow Cabinet.
"The topical issue at the moment is leadership renewal and the man (Mr Tsvangirai) wants to escape from this. He is seeking relevance and everyone knows that his shadow Cabinets has failed to do anything since 1999. The same people were thrown in Government during the inclusive Government but they brought nothing."
Another political analyst, Dr Charity Manyeruke said through his shadow Cabinet, Mr Tsvangirai was admitting that President Mugabe was in charge of Government affairs.
"They are now taking the position in the country as an opposition political party," she said.
"They have accepted defeat, albeit after many weeks, and we hope that their shadow Cabinet would work for the benefit of the Zimbabwean people. A shadow Cabinet is necessary as it does not allow the original Ministers to relax, it exposes some of the weakness that may exist but we believe they are there to criticise for the development of the country."
Mr Tsvangirai's shadow Cabinet had 21 Ministries as compared to President Mugabe's 24 and Dr Manyeruke said this was because the sponsored party had "limited capacity and expertise."
Dr Manyeruke said the lifting of sanctions on the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation by the European Union had left Mr Tsvangirai in the cold.
"After the lift, he went on to announce shadow Cabinet, accepting that President Mugabe was a reality the way EU is gradually doing. He was left exposed and some of his supporters have openly admitted that Zanu-PF won the election," she said.
Midlands State University lecturer Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri said the shadow Cabinet was welcome as long as it had "patriotic ideas that promoted national interest."
"Some of their internal ideas might be brilliant but they should always operate knowing that they are the opposition. There is a tendency in many countries by political groupings of trying to influence policies of the ruling Government. This goes without saying Mr Tsvangirai should also revamp his party and change his image such that his shadow Cabinet would be accepted as a local brew not a proxy of external countries."
Mr Tsvangirai on Wednesday named a shadow Cabinet whose duty he said was to "periodically review the performance of (President) Mugabe's Government and through various forums in Parliament and outside Parliament, communicate our position on any issue including our alternative agenda for the real transformation of our country."
The announcement of the shadow Cabinet came in the wake of Mr Tsvangirai's admission that President Mugabe is a reality along with the Zanu-PF Government.
Mr Tsvangirai's Cabinet saw MDC-T national executive members such as Mr Elias Mudzuri, who are viewed as threats to Mr Tsvangirai being allocated non-influential ministries with the party's donor point man, the self-exiled Roy Bennett, who has been calling on Mr Tsvangirai to quit being completely dropped.
In an interview yesterday analysts said instead of "politically fantasising", Mr Tsvangirai should concentrate on revamping his party which is on the brink of another split.
Political analyst Mr Alexander Rusero said instead of "ideating" Mr Tsvangirai should be busy mending fissures in his party.
He said Mr Tsvangirai, fresh from a massive election defeat by President Mugabe - wanted to seek relevance through his shadow Cabinet.
"It is always good for a politician to fantasise but this is not the right time for him to do that because things are not rosy in his party," he said.
"The announcement of the shadow Cabinet is an indicator that Tsvangirai wants to be seen doing something but the wisest thing for him is to concentrate on rejuvenating his party, mending the cracks in a party that is facing total collapse. He is creating something out of nothing and by so doing he will sink further because he is not facing reality."
A senior MDC-T official, Mr Obert Gutu this week sensationally disclosed that the party could be headed for an implosion as there are officials with a grand plan to kick out Mr Tsvangirai from the helm of the party.
Senior MDC-T officials, the party's traditional Western allies, and their media are baying for Mr Tsvangirai's blood to block him from standing in as president for the fourth term in a row.
Bindura University of Science Education lecturer Mr Bowden Mbanje said Tsvangirai wanted to divert the people's attention by naming a shadow Cabinet.
"The topical issue at the moment is leadership renewal and the man (Mr Tsvangirai) wants to escape from this. He is seeking relevance and everyone knows that his shadow Cabinets has failed to do anything since 1999. The same people were thrown in Government during the inclusive Government but they brought nothing."
Another political analyst, Dr Charity Manyeruke said through his shadow Cabinet, Mr Tsvangirai was admitting that President Mugabe was in charge of Government affairs.
"They are now taking the position in the country as an opposition political party," she said.
"They have accepted defeat, albeit after many weeks, and we hope that their shadow Cabinet would work for the benefit of the Zimbabwean people. A shadow Cabinet is necessary as it does not allow the original Ministers to relax, it exposes some of the weakness that may exist but we believe they are there to criticise for the development of the country."
Mr Tsvangirai's shadow Cabinet had 21 Ministries as compared to President Mugabe's 24 and Dr Manyeruke said this was because the sponsored party had "limited capacity and expertise."
Dr Manyeruke said the lifting of sanctions on the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation by the European Union had left Mr Tsvangirai in the cold.
"After the lift, he went on to announce shadow Cabinet, accepting that President Mugabe was a reality the way EU is gradually doing. He was left exposed and some of his supporters have openly admitted that Zanu-PF won the election," she said.
Midlands State University lecturer Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri said the shadow Cabinet was welcome as long as it had "patriotic ideas that promoted national interest."
"Some of their internal ideas might be brilliant but they should always operate knowing that they are the opposition. There is a tendency in many countries by political groupings of trying to influence policies of the ruling Government. This goes without saying Mr Tsvangirai should also revamp his party and change his image such that his shadow Cabinet would be accepted as a local brew not a proxy of external countries."
Source - herald
