Opinion / Blogs
Why the MDC will never beat Zanu PF without change
28 Apr 2014 at 14:31hrs | Views
The following article seeks to address a topic of concern to many, that being - WHY the MDC / OPPOSITION cannot get its act together to unseat a weakened, corrupt, tired Zanu incumbency. Given the recent intra party self destruction, finger pointing and personalization of issues within the MDCT and a general inability of those calling themselves ‘democratic forces' to form an effective opposition.
I seek to argue that the problem that exists is a STRUCTURAL one. A FLAW in the 1999 political design that serves to worsens careerist inflexibility and egocentric psychology within certain personalities (infiltration by the incumbency notwithstanding)
It is my belief that the solution to what is going on rests with people answering the question -WHAT WAS THE MDC/OPPOSITION IN ZIMBABWE CREATED TO DO? – Rather than WHO should lead, because once that first question is soberly answered all else will follow.
A crisis exists, for some analysts it is about a personal lack of leadership and for others a lack of overall direction. Some want this person to be in charge and others want that person. However what the nation needs is an effective government and an equally effective functional loyal opposition.
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY and BEING FIT FOR PURPOSE
The structural flaw that exists that prevents MDC achieving power stems from an inflexible 1999 party design and an inability to adapt to the conditions found in 2014 and beyond in Zimbabwean politics. A 1999 system that never learns from mistakes and never forgets its own hubris. A system that contents itself with the role of victim, a system destined to do the same thing over and over expecting a different result.
When the different local and international interests came together - and formed the MDC in 1999, the STRUCTURE put together as a 3 tier set-up; with civil society set apart as a nonaligned support.
The levels being;
1 ) Elite Western FDI funders - 2) Elite MDC leadership / advisory cadre - 3) grass roots masses -
support given by 4) NGOs/ Civil Society.
For the purposes of this debate - structure - refers of a macro organizational operation rather than a micro issue of setting out the different bodies within the overall set up.
In a situation of economic crisis the 1999 set up worked because the regime change strategy required the existence of - ANGRY MOB / FINAL PUSH POLITICS - the overall intention (that question) -WHAT WAS THE MDC CREATED TO DO? -
The intention was to have #2 The Leadership Cadre gather #3 the masses around the lightning rod issues of justice and social economic collapse and conflate what discontent they found into civil unrest.
From 1999 -2008 (the 2005 split being another issue) The 1999 system worked well the party had no history or track record of actual GOVERNANCE for the public or analysts to investigate, so no real chance existed to test or expose any structural weakness.' The MDC could still claim a certain moral high ground and still finger point at the Zanu PF incumbency and promise the people that salvation for Zimbabwe could ONLY be found when the suffering population rejected the Revolutionary Party set up and supported an MDC push for power.
Electoral failure and negative issues like the 2005 split were not deemed issues because when these occurred they were placed firmly in stone as the responsibility of Zanu/ CIO infiltration. However questions about the operations ability to finish the task appeared and did not go away.
WHEN THE CRACKS BEGAN TO SHOW
In 2008 the design flaws once covered up amidst an ongoing situation of economic and political crisis and political dominance began to show. First came the 2008 crisis of confidence after Zanu staged its infamous and bloody coup - WHY had the opposition allowed a whole month to go by without any bold action? Then during the GPA negotiations and subsequent GNU - WHY had a junior and largely powerless compromise agreement that benefitted a few at the expense of the many been reached? Finally and then JULY 31 electoral debacle. WHY had so many hopes been dashed given the prior full knowledge of rigging and full participation in 5 yrs of a Government of National Unity?
Unfortunately for the MDC/ opposition the 1999 STRUCTURE chosen as the best model to unseat Zanu PF military hegemony could not address those issues it cannot win via process and it cannot force victory. That cracks have appeared were not the problem. The problem is the INABILITY TO MAKE IMPORTANT ADJUSTMENTS ADAPTATIONS and IMPROVEMENTS (splintering is none of these).
Presented here is not a definitive of flaws the list but speaks to a foundation that allows other negative issues to arise.
1) The domination of donor CAPITAL/finance - The lack of financial independence / donor dependency meant that meritocracy and the recruitment of talent fell away into a culture of people gaining jobs via being the best donor proxy or through political connections and opportunistic corruption. The result was the opposition being driven by 'agendas' rather than a system of efficient planning or genuine public service.
2) The SIMPLISTIC PSEUDO RELIGIOUS nature of the relationship between 'democratic' politicians and supporters. Real politics in advanced modern states is based upon an expectation of clear articulation of issues, facts, figures and details. Unfortunately a CONDITIONING PROCESS offered opposition officials the chance to get away with communicating shallow rhetoric and populist communications with a dumbed down audience as if the tsvina being offered was real facts, details or given to promote enlightenment. The result was a reliance on sloganeering insults and blames culture with its associated points built atop propaganda, rumour, gossip, fear mongering and make believe.
3) The SIMPLISTIC near childish political education /indoctrination program created for MDC/ opposition supporters and cadres that conditioned numbers of them to be emotion driven, uncritical thinkers and slogan chanting followers rather than active citizens or involved participants FULLY cognizant and knowledgeable or conversant in party doctrines, or application of solutions, or ideology. Against an intelligent militarized system there was no real contest.
An effective political model for 2014 and beyond will not be gained without careful introspection or any STRUCTURAL change/ improvement of the original 1999 opposition model. Until that occurs success will never happen.
Source - Mathias Kundayi
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