Zanu-PF disbandment of DCCs a welcome move

The decision by Zanu-PF in general and President Mugabe in particular to disband the District Co-ordinating Committees (DCCs) was a welcome move that has shown that President Mugabe is always quick in taking drastic decisions which can resolve problems in the country in general and Zanu-PF in particular when it comes to policy making issues.

The DCCs were destroying Zanu-PF from within as a lot of commotion was taking place with other people fighting for places in regard to positions in the DCCs thereby creating division instead of unity in the party.

Such in fighting in Zanu-PF was then used as a weapon to de-campaign and fight the revolutionary party's principles. Prophets of doom were beginning to celebrate and saying that Zanu-PF was facing a political demise, because of DCCs elections results countrywide.

Some few powerful individuals in the party were causing divisions by sponsoring their preferred candidates to head DCCs thereby fueling factionalism within Zanu-PF

So the move that was taken by Zanu-PF in general and President Mugabe in particular to disband the DCCs is going to rejuvenate the party and claim its dominance as a peaceful party in the country.

On the other hand it had taken a long time for the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai to do the same for his party in order to thwart the in fighting within his party that has now turned out to be its culture.

Last year the pre-MDC-T conference era was characterized by violence as the MDC-T party was carrying out countrywide restructuring programmes for its various District Assembly positions. Party members were fighting and having running battles as the factional fighting pitying Tsvangirai's side and Tendai Biti, the MDC-T Secretary General's side became the order of the day.

The two factions were fighting for control of the party and it became clear that any gathering of MDC-T members was going to end up in running battles as the two factions fought vigorously to control party business.

When the MDC-T held its conference in Bulawayo last year, the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai promised his supporters that he was going to set up a committee of inquiry to find out who were involved in violence so that action may be taken against them. Surprisingly the said committee is still to be put in place and people are still waiting to find out whether the committee would be put in place.

On the other hand it did not take long for charismatic President Mugabe as The First Secretary of Zanu-PF to swiftly intervene and solve the problems that were threatening to tear the party apart as the factional infighting caused by DCCs elections were becoming a nuisance.

Some few powerful individuals within Zanu-PF were using DCCs elections as their tag to impose their preferred candidates in the expense of the people's favourite candidates thereby dividing the party. Such powerful individuals who thought that placing their business associates to head DCCs were going to help them to politically build themselves were creating camps in Zanu-PF.

As a result a lot of problems were created by DCCs elections as people jostled for positions in such elections and those defeated ended up calling for nullifications of results as they claimed that there were irregularities in the elections. Such claims by defeated candidates were causing divisions resulting in continuous factional fighting within the party.

So Zanu-PF's drastic measure to disband the DCCs is a welcome move though painful to those who held positions within them.

This noble action by the party has shown that it is a party that does not tolerate violence and only support the country to have peace and stability. Zanu-PF has also shown that it can reform where it is necessary.

Surprisingly the same is not happening in other political parties in the country like the two MDC formations.  They fear that disciplining their members may make them desert their political parties.

Contrary to what Zanu-PF has done in disbanding structures that have been identified as causing divisions and factional infighting within the party, the MDC-T has just kept quiet yet factional fighting is also taking place among its members.

The reluctance by MDC-T leadership to take action against its members who are causing violence shows that the party preaches what it does not to follow. In open fora MDC-T says that it is against any form of violence in the country but behind closed doors they say the difference.

Now that Zanu-PF has come clear pointing out that trouble causers and those involved in violence should not be given any chance to hold positions in the party, it now remains to be seen either the MDC formations would also see the merits on Zanu-PF decisions and follow suit or would just keep on accommodating hooligans in their structures.

Only time will tell.