Opinion / Columnist
MDC-T losing support home and away
18 Sep 2017 at 06:29hrs | Views
The year 2017 is proving to be a year of disintegration for the MDC-T, amid internal strife caused by jostling for positions, anxiety sparked by leader, Morgan Tsvangirai's deteriorating health and a dwindling support base.
On the home front, the MDC-T is bogged down by infighting that has been worsened by Tsvangirai's increasingly manifesting dictatorial tendencies that saw him railroading that party into an MDC Alliance. This was despite protestations from some senior leaders in his party, including influential deputy, Thokozani Khupe and it demonstrated that for Tsvangirai, his word should be, and is final in the MDC-T, never mind claims to democratic principles.
One would recall that Tsvangirai dropped a bombshell in 2016 and appointed two additional deputies, "the Gutu boys" Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri, again without consulting senior leadership.
This behaviour has contributed largely to the current rumblings within that party, with the situation exacerbated by health challenges that have afflicted Tsvangirai in the form of colon cancer.
The end result has been the emergence of an MDC-T whose leadership is more concerned with fighting for positions and attracting disinterested donors through stage-managed antics, rather than one looking for ways to make Zimbabwe a better place.
MDC-T branches far afield as the North America Province have been left to their survival antics, ergo, the flopped United Nations demonstration on 16 September 2017.
Political analysts and previous staunch supporters of MDC-T are now seemingly all in agreement that that party has no chance of winning elections in 2018 or even 2023, not because of any alleged rigging on the part of ZANU PF, but the opposition's own shortcomings.
Political activist, Patson Dzamara recently opined that "unless more work is done by the opposition, or unless something outrageous, unforeseen and natural (President Mugabe's death) happens, all indicators are pointing towards the fact that (President) Mugabe is likely going to win in 2018.After 18 years of brave and consistent fighting, but failing to remove (President) Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai will either bow out or be pushed out." MDC-N legislator, Priscialla Misihairabwi-Mushonga also gave out that "I believe I can only participate in something if I am going to make a difference. At the moment, the opposition process is not giving me encouragement that if you run and become a Member of Parliament, you are going to make a difference." Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Secretary General, Raymond Majongwe, took to Twitter to express his dissatisfaction with the opposition led by the MDC-T.
"Cde, show me anything that opposition has done in the past 4 years that has posed a threat to Zanu. Zanu is its own opposition. Zanu knows its dealing ne zvituta," he tweeted.
What the MDC-T North America demo flop served to highlight is that demonstrations is the only language that the MDC-T knows, and that party is bereft of any sound alternatives to offer the electorate. It is therefore small wonder that people are now tired and no longer heeding calls for demonstrations locally and abroad. That the MDC-T continues calling for demonstrations in the face of repeated flops lays bare its lack of clear political strategy or indeed, a sincere people-driven agenda.
On the home front, the MDC-T is bogged down by infighting that has been worsened by Tsvangirai's increasingly manifesting dictatorial tendencies that saw him railroading that party into an MDC Alliance. This was despite protestations from some senior leaders in his party, including influential deputy, Thokozani Khupe and it demonstrated that for Tsvangirai, his word should be, and is final in the MDC-T, never mind claims to democratic principles.
One would recall that Tsvangirai dropped a bombshell in 2016 and appointed two additional deputies, "the Gutu boys" Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri, again without consulting senior leadership.
This behaviour has contributed largely to the current rumblings within that party, with the situation exacerbated by health challenges that have afflicted Tsvangirai in the form of colon cancer.
The end result has been the emergence of an MDC-T whose leadership is more concerned with fighting for positions and attracting disinterested donors through stage-managed antics, rather than one looking for ways to make Zimbabwe a better place.
MDC-T branches far afield as the North America Province have been left to their survival antics, ergo, the flopped United Nations demonstration on 16 September 2017.
Political analysts and previous staunch supporters of MDC-T are now seemingly all in agreement that that party has no chance of winning elections in 2018 or even 2023, not because of any alleged rigging on the part of ZANU PF, but the opposition's own shortcomings.
Political activist, Patson Dzamara recently opined that "unless more work is done by the opposition, or unless something outrageous, unforeseen and natural (President Mugabe's death) happens, all indicators are pointing towards the fact that (President) Mugabe is likely going to win in 2018.After 18 years of brave and consistent fighting, but failing to remove (President) Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai will either bow out or be pushed out." MDC-N legislator, Priscialla Misihairabwi-Mushonga also gave out that "I believe I can only participate in something if I am going to make a difference. At the moment, the opposition process is not giving me encouragement that if you run and become a Member of Parliament, you are going to make a difference." Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Secretary General, Raymond Majongwe, took to Twitter to express his dissatisfaction with the opposition led by the MDC-T.
"Cde, show me anything that opposition has done in the past 4 years that has posed a threat to Zanu. Zanu is its own opposition. Zanu knows its dealing ne zvituta," he tweeted.
What the MDC-T North America demo flop served to highlight is that demonstrations is the only language that the MDC-T knows, and that party is bereft of any sound alternatives to offer the electorate. It is therefore small wonder that people are now tired and no longer heeding calls for demonstrations locally and abroad. That the MDC-T continues calling for demonstrations in the face of repeated flops lays bare its lack of clear political strategy or indeed, a sincere people-driven agenda.
Source - Nicole Hondo
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