Tsvangirai must step down

MDC-T has been on recording for priding itself as an opposition party that speaks to peace and democracy. However, the spate of violence and rifts between its leadership speak volumes on how the party has failed and is on the brink of collapse, the centre is no longer holding.

Of late, the opposition party leader has been bedridden and ailing from colon cancer which has seen him in and out of hospital for a considerably long time. Tsvangirai has been unable to contain the violence that has seen the party's deputy leader Thokozani Khupe being attacked by hired goons from the party's youth league.

In another shameful incident where Tsvangirai has failed to enact on the transition and succession debacle within the party, recent incidents saw the party's two vice presidents Khupe and Nelson Chamisa fighting over a seat position in Parliament, an issue which most MDC-T members feel should have been clearly addressed by Tsvangirai to show the party's seriousness on democracy.

Clearly, the reluctance by Tsvangirai to hand over power to his deputies considering his deteriorating health is an indication that the man is a hypocrite who does not want to relinquish power and would rather lead the party from the hospital bed, across borders if need be.

As much as Tsvangirai has failed to lead MDC-T, it becomes inevitable that he would equally fail to lead an alliance that the MDC-T is working on ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections. Tsvangirai has been on a flowery and decorative mission of signing endless MoUs with other little known opposition parties in a bid to lure the electorate with no tangible roadmap on how the coalition is going to move forward and offer to the electorate.

Months away from the huge election, the MDC has alliance has not launched its manifesto nor made inroads on how the alliance will lure the electorate. Attempts by Tsvangirai to impose himself as the alliance leader has seen some alliance members like Mujuru and Biti indicating that they are not impressed with how Tsvangirai intends to lead the coalition.

This also undeniably indicates a dead end to the oppositions' coalition and the false preaching on democracy that the opposition parties ride on.

The internal fights within the MDC-T and Tsvangirai's health issues have irrefutably contributed towards the party's postponement of its 18th anniversary celebrations. One would also concede that the party has nothing to celebrate over its 18 years in existence as it has failed to win any election over the past four harmonised elections that have been carried out, which the party has been participating in.

In essence, MDC-T is at the brink of collapse as its support base is fast dwindling and withdrawing support for the embattled opposition party. Its members have been unimpressed by Tsvangirai's failure to address violence and succession issues and the withdrawal of its donor fund has not made it any easier for the party. The little that is there for the MDC alliance is all a lie and does not inspire confidence in the electorate.

As a word of advice to Mr Tsvangirai, democracy that he preaches can only materialise and become believable if he steps down and let able bodied persons take over the party's leadership. Tsvangirai has imminently become a charade leading a dead horse of a political party and alliance.