News / National
No democracy in Zimbabwe's opposition
18 Sep 2024 at 08:18hrs | Views
Bulawayo South constituency aspiring opposition candidate, Engineer Francis Mangwendeza, has criticized the opposition parties once led by Nelson Chamisa, describing internal politics as undemocratic and chaotic. Mangwendeza, who faced double candidature issues during the 2018 elections under the MDC Alliance and was sidelined in the 2023 Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate selection, expressed disappointment with the direction of opposition politics.
In a recent interview, Mangwendeza slammed what he called "dictatorial tendencies" within opposition structures, particularly criticizing the leadership of Chamisa. "If you are going to build a democratic discourse, you have to be seen to be democratic yourself," he said. He argued that opposition parties have failed to practice democratic principles internally, leading to undemocratic leadership.
Mangwendeza pointed to the chaotic candidate selection process in the 2023 elections, where interference from senior party members undermined the democratic process. "If you go and state that we are going to do a democratic exercise to select our candidates...and then go back and say I don't like this one, you have to be principled," he said.
Disillusioned by his experiences in opposition politics, Mangwendeza believes that the country's best chance for democratic growth now lies within Zanu-PF, the ruling party. "Given the scenario of the politics that are happening around the country, I think our best chance of improving our democratic space is from within Zanu-PF," he stated.
He further praised President Mnangagwa's promise to step down at the end of his term, calling it a "huge democratic step" that would help establish a more open political environment, similar to neighboring countries like Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa.
Despite his opposition background, Mangwendeza lauded the government's impartiality in awarding tenders, emphasizing that his company, Asphalt Products, has successfully secured major infrastructure projects due to its competence. "I think the Government is looking for specialists in what you do," he remarked, highlighting the apolitical nature of tender processes.
Mangwendeza's shift in political allegiance and his criticisms of opposition parties underscore the evolving political dynamics in Zimbabwe as the country navigates its path toward democracy.
In a recent interview, Mangwendeza slammed what he called "dictatorial tendencies" within opposition structures, particularly criticizing the leadership of Chamisa. "If you are going to build a democratic discourse, you have to be seen to be democratic yourself," he said. He argued that opposition parties have failed to practice democratic principles internally, leading to undemocratic leadership.
Mangwendeza pointed to the chaotic candidate selection process in the 2023 elections, where interference from senior party members undermined the democratic process. "If you go and state that we are going to do a democratic exercise to select our candidates...and then go back and say I don't like this one, you have to be principled," he said.
Disillusioned by his experiences in opposition politics, Mangwendeza believes that the country's best chance for democratic growth now lies within Zanu-PF, the ruling party. "Given the scenario of the politics that are happening around the country, I think our best chance of improving our democratic space is from within Zanu-PF," he stated.
He further praised President Mnangagwa's promise to step down at the end of his term, calling it a "huge democratic step" that would help establish a more open political environment, similar to neighboring countries like Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa.
Despite his opposition background, Mangwendeza lauded the government's impartiality in awarding tenders, emphasizing that his company, Asphalt Products, has successfully secured major infrastructure projects due to its competence. "I think the Government is looking for specialists in what you do," he remarked, highlighting the apolitical nature of tender processes.
Mangwendeza's shift in political allegiance and his criticisms of opposition parties underscore the evolving political dynamics in Zimbabwe as the country navigates its path toward democracy.
Source - The Chronicle
