MDC Congress 2011 Cautionary Statement

MDC will start its congress tomorrow with the women congress, then the Youth and finally the Main wing Saturday 30 April 2011. This will be the third congress after MDC formation and ironically will be the third election MDC had won but failed to claim back from the jaws of ZANU (PF). Its easy to understand the dynamics of Zimbabwean politics if you are a politician but totally unacceptable if you are a Zimbabwean voting each time for a change but ending up with the same result, still living in abject poverty. I can not emphasis enough the burden which awaits those fortunate enough to be elected this week. The generality of Zimbabweans are fad up with politicking, they want real change and indeed MDC has the challenge to deliver to the expectation of the people of Zimbabwe, it's not an easy mandate but this time around it will determine the capacity of MDC to force throat change. The winds of change sweeping North Africa and the Middle East or should I say on dictators all over the world, have a psychological impact on the outcome of this congress. The Bulawayo punch!!!

Every election anywhere in the world draws bitter enemy lines of vitro words, in western world it leads to a hand shake while in Africa it leaves a deep sense of hatred and mistrust. As we prepare for the congress I urge my fellow MDC co patriots, that it's not your post at stake but the country at stake. While some will emerge morally bruised, you should never have a sense of being politically bruised. In a real world of politics with the challenges that ZANU (PF) and Mugabe poses to our national integrity, they should be enough roles for every politician to play, before and after Mugabe is gone. I draw your attention to a quotation by Mikhail Gorbachev (1991) former president of USSR, "Tomorrow you may have another president. In any case, we are all one, side by side, and we shouldn't spit on each other" This is a powerful reminder that what ever we do, we must remember that there is always a tomorrow. Don't personalise the struggle, it's not your struggle, it's the people's struggle. The problem that we have is that we become vindictive of those whom we perceive to have different views to us. Let's reach out to those who challenge us for their views are a shortfall of yours.

If the truth is to be said, the press isn't the best friend either, it does give you positive coverage when it suits it but can be a brunt instrument to self destruction. Headlines will appear, again and again, so and so did this and said this to that. There is also perceived stigma in our society to failure, taking a loss as a bad omen. For God's sake is not the end of the world, this is only MDC versus MDC, our target is Mugabe and ZANU (PF). If you are born a politician, you should die a politician. A loss this weekend shouldn't give you the right to recoil but the inspiration to fight on and prove that you are worth what you said you were. To some unfortunately age has already taken toll on you, it's not the end of the world, wine mature by age, and we still need you in other capacity.

I wish all the best and to those who will win must acknowledge that you have won because somebody contested you and its very health to the Zimbabwean democracy that we all want to build. Lets encompass everyone in the struggle, the journey is not over until is over.

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Elliot Pfebve is an MDC Nationalist and Academic who writes from UK, he can be contacted on epfebve@yahoo.co.uk and his blog is www.pfebve.blogspot.com