Tsvangirai must be a worried man

Politicians are generally regarded as people who lie to other people about those people's environment yet they themselves do not want to be told any lies about their own environments.

If the truth be told, Morgan Tsvangirai must today be one very worried person about his real position in Bulawayo. The true fact, not all those absurd statements being paddled around is that about 5 000 people attended the MDC T rally in Bulawayo on Saturday a far cry from the 28 000 claimed by the pro Tsvangirai media and sectors. Out of a possible capacity of 7000 people that can be squeezed into Stanley Square, on Saturday, numerous slots could be seen at the venue meaning that the crowd was no where near the 7 000 capacity at the open air facility. In the run up to the 2002 Presidential election the then united MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai addressed a crowd of almost 50 00 people at the White City precinct. A crowd of that nature was last grouped together by Joshua Nkomo in the ZAPU hay days in the early eighties.

Of note is that at the Stanley Square Rally on Saturday there were 5 buses bringing in people from Harare. 3 truck loads were from Insiza area, another 3 truck loads from Gwanda area. 2 truck loads from Plumtree Area and no less that 6 trucks from the various districts of Matabeleland North and Midlands. In the united MDC hay days it was agreed never to bus people to any public meetings let alone a presidential rally which was a sure way of assessing the party's position in that area.

The MDC T is currently embroiled in very serious divisions. A faction of the party is calling for the retirement of party president Morgan Tsvangirai who has been at the helm of the party for the last 15 years and losing five national elections on the way. The other faction is lobbying for Tsvangirai to until the time he manages to defeat ZANU PF as per a congress resolution which according to the other faction its tantamount to allowing for perpetual Tsvangirai leadership.

Consequently, half of the party membership more so those in leadership positions no longer believe in the leadership of the controversy pron Tsvangirai. The divisions appear to be tearing the party apart with most provinces now running two parallel structures, pro and anti Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai is in the meantime busy drumming up support for himself ahead of an imminent early elective congress for the party. Gradually all those who are anti Tsvangirai are being eliminated from the party structures and replaced by faithfuls who will overwhelmingly vote for Tsvangirai at the congress.

Saturday's Bulawayo rally must really be a worry for any serious pro Tsvangirai politician. The crowd with a reasonable number of them coming from outside Bulawayo tells a sure truth that Bulawayo has not endorsed Tsvangirai and serious retrospect needs to be done on his part to get the confidence of the people of Bulawayo.