Opposition parties too self-centred and disorganized to coalesce

In the aftermath of the well-subscribed Zanu PF Million Man March, it appears the opposition is scurrying in fear and are fearfully fumbling to patch up a coalition they think would be formidable enough to face the insurmountable revolutionary party of President Robert Mugabe.

Although the initial response by opposition parties sounded lame and pathetic when they dismissed the overly attended march as stage-managed and a congregation of the 'unemployed and the unwise', reality eventually sunk as the false bravado evaporated, leaving them running around to form some coalition.

Now we hear that some minion opposition parties have signed a coalition document called the Coalition of Democrats (CODE).

Even the self-described Big Brother of opposition politics, the MDC-T and its rival, the ZimPF, who had conceitedly discounted participating in coalition talks, have now conceded that the coalition route is the only way forward.

Talking to the Dailynews this week, officials from the two parties exasperatingly agreed that a coalition of opposition parties is the only way to 'retire President Robert Mugabe."

It is now coming out clear that all opposition parties were ruffled by the overwhelming success of the Zanu PF march such that they are convinced that on their own they cannot stand up against Zanu PF in an election, hence the frenzied efforts to tie up a coalition.

The hundreds of thousands of supporters who attended the march in Harare were proof enough to opposition parties that Zanu PF is unshakeable and ever popular.

The opposition is shaking in its boots and is in a quandary.

However, the opposition parties easily forgets that the so-called coalition may not be the panacea to winning elections against Zanu PF as they are inherently hamstrung by administrative and ideological deficiencies that make them unelectable.

None of them have functional political structures as they are continually embroiled in leadership strife.

As for the MDC-T, the party has never known any stability since its inception as power hungry senior officials are always on each other's throat, seeking to elbow each other out of leadership positions.

Due to such squabbling, the party has so far divided into other political smithereens namely, People Democratic Party (PDP), Renewal Democratic Party of Zimbabwe (RDPZ), Professor Welshman Ncube's MDC, MDC-M, National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and many other innumerable but inconsequential political parties.

Worse still, the MDC-T is still struck by a leadership paralysis arising from Morgan Tsvangirai's infamous administrative bungling and intellectual dearth.

As a leader, Tsvangirai has been a source of conflict due to his propensity to personalize the party as vouched by the party's nomenclature, MDC-T Tsvangirai, which is accompanied by a personalised logo ingrained with Tsvangirai's unashamed portrait.

The branding of that party is all centred on Tsvangirai, with his name, face and palm translated into party symbols.

No other party has such personalized name and logo except for the MDC-T.

More so, Tsvangirai has been tinkering with his party's constitution so as to extend his regretful mandate as party President against the will of other members of the party, some of whom chose to jump the ship.

This is how selfish and big-headed Tsvangirai is, a flaw that is antagonistic to the team-playing spirit sought in forming a political coalition.

With such a selfish and bigoted frame, how would he work with other parties in a coalition without promoting his selfish ends? That coalition would be unworkable and doomed.

Similar structural defects also afflict the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party, which is embarrassingly failing to come up with discernible structures months after its overly hyped entrance into politics.

Party officials are also embroiled in leadership squabbles as power hungry politicians such as Didymus Mutasa, Sylvester Nguni and Bright Matonga are plotting and scheming to worm themselves up the echelons of power.  

The chaos in ZimPF has reportedly forced its leader, Joice Mujuru, to call for a crisis meeting with senior members of her party.

Surely, which other opposition party would in its right senses want to go to bed with a party deep in a crisis such as the ZimPF?

Worse still, which people would vote for a coalition of limping and body-bandaged political parties with no ideological vision or administrative strength to face Zanu PF?

 Saddled with a heap of administrative logjams and massive ideological deficiencies, a coalition of these opposition parties would be a cumulative coalition of political cluelessness and a nullity in electoral sense.

In their current unappealing state, the opposition cannot move Zanu PF an inch from power whether they unite into a national coalition or a global one.

They should put their houses in order first before they dream of a coalition.
 
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Indrah Zvenyika <indrah.zvenyika@gmail.com