Tsvangirai will emerge weaker after Mangoma fiasco

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition McDonal Lewanika has dismissed as unstrategic the decision by MDC-T to suspend party deputy treasure Elton Mangoma for suggesting that Morgan Tsvangirai steps down as leader of the party.

Lewanika said the MDCT may survive the Mangoma tide and Tsvangirai remains its leader, "but the reality is that what is happening severely damages him and the party he leads, and while the structures may remain loyal, a lot of voters will dessert him."

"On Mangoma's suspension, the lawyers can deal with the legality or illegality of it, but politically, strategically and even socially, the decision to come down on Mangoma for suggesting that the president steps down for the sake of the political longevity and future success of the MDC is unstrategic," Lewanika said.

He said the decision to suspend Mangoma weakened Tsvangirai, "as it paints him, perhaps rightly, as someone who cannot fathom the thought of being out of power, showing a lack of understanding and appreciation of the greater good, that while we all sacrifice for the greater good, sometimes for the greater good to be achieved we need to sacrifice ourselves.

"Beating up, suspending and expelling anyone who sees things differently is bad for our society, leaders are stronger because of challenges and criticism, and are only weakened by surrounding themselves with uncritical support," Lewanika said.

"It bodes badly for a movement that is supposed to be all inclusive and will definitely keep away independent thinking people from the ranks of the party, because it is clear that dissent is viewed as a political sin, and the wages, a political murder or death."

Lewanika said the actiona against Mangoma show a disturbing pattern of intolerance emerging, which stretches back to Gwisai's expulsion.

"If something happens once it's an incident, if it happens twice, it might be coincidence, when it happens more than 3 times then it's a cause for serious concern at best, at worst, it is energy action," he said.

"It seems to show a pattern of intolerance, iron rule and infallibility on the part of the leader - it points to the maturation of a cult around the leader and his infallibility, with people refusing to engage with issues, choosing instead to invoke God, while carrying out evil. Zimbabwe needs God-fearing leaders, but certainly not leaders turned into gods."