UMD did not join but it integrated with the Renewal Team

However noble the intent, a misrepresentation of facts can never be viewed as a noble deed. Regardless of the fact whether the lie was told due to neglect of duty in information gathering or whatever reason, it is not permissible.

We know sensationalisation of issues to be the domain of tabloids, because they do not carry newsworthy articles. But for a respected national daily to fall for such practices, it leads one wondering what the print media is turning into.

On Monday 28 July Newsday carried an article that claimed that Mawere Joins Biti Camp. The article claimed that prominent businessman Mutumwa Mawere had joined the party headed by legislator Tendai Biti and other individuals referred to as The MDC Renewal Team. This is not true.

Claims are that Mawere's party UMD had joined the new entity.

Again this is not true. And as National Organising Secretary of United Movement for Democracy (UMD), I seek to clarify on the issue: Mawere is not on record as being an affiliate of the party.

Whatever talks that happen between us and him will always remain private until the day both parties decide to divulge such. So then one wonders where the journalist who authored the article got their information.

Secondly, UMD did not join the Renewal Team.

The UMD executive integrated with 'The Renewal Team' to form a political party. This integration is based on the realisation of the fact that the two entities hold ideologies that go hand in hand. The core being the realisation of the need for a political force that will constitutionally wrest power from those that 'hold' it, but are failing to deal with the three main challanges the nation is facing: unemployment, poverty and various inequalities.

This integration between UMD and 'The Renewal Team' fuses our leadership with theirs at all levels.

Those in cells do so at cell level, those wards in-turn do so at ward level, and so on up to the executive level. Needless to say, without belabouring the point, our membership integrates and works to grow party at grassroot level.

In a scenario where we join someone's party, the above would be an impossible feat. Because joining someone's party is really a neutralisation process that would have only the national leadership being honoured with token positions while the rest are left out in the cold. I think most adult Zimbabweans are familiar with such a case. 1987. A good friend of mine from my past used to ask: would it make sense if when Dynamos and Caps United joined to form one team for that team to be called Dynamos?

In effect that defines the swallowing up of one by the other. This is not our case.

Now if the good scribe had taken time to consult with officials they would have been enlightened of the above. Normal procedure, as I understand, dictates that the paper editor verifies the facts of an article before sending it to print and making it a headline.

Such complicity in misleading the millions that constitute their wide readership is appalling.

This also brings to mind one of the saddest aspects of the political field in Zimbabwe, that of personalising political movements.

The misguided notion of labelling this party as so and so's party leads to the greatest ill bedevilling the political landscape at the moment where leaders become dictatorial and see the party as a personal entity. Through such practice political leaders assume a demi-god status. Suddenly one is infallible, their word is the gospel and their thought sacrosanct. This should be relegated to its appropriate age: the middle ages.

The incumbent president managed to do that with Zanu-PF and Tsvangirai managed to follow suit.

This mentality is counter-progressive and is unacceptable in a democratic movement. Put simply, Mr Tendai Biti does not own a political party and neither does he claim to do so. He is a member of a movement that has just adopted orange as its colour and will choose a name when a congress is held. This movement seeks to fight for and uphold the same democratic principles that other player in the political field seem content in disregarding.

Instead of paying lip service to it, and these democratic principles shall be adhered to from cell level to the highest office, after all charity begins in the home.

It is my great hope that the editorial of the said daily will take appropriate measures correcting the gross misinformation of the nation.

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Ashirai Mtirikwi Mawere can be contacted at a.m.mawere@gmail.com