Opinion / Columnist
Tsvangirai was a violent tribalist not Democrat or hero
20 Feb 2018 at 21:18hrs | Views
If cowardice, dictatorship, tribalism and dying in office without choosing a successor are acts of democracy and heroism then Tsvangirai can be a hero.
This is the man who won elections in 2008 but instead of claiming power given to him by the voters, his cowardice led him to a foreign land, Botswana to seek refuge. Leaving Mugabe with no choice but to fill the leadership vacuum left by the running coward.
He is well known for sending Shona only youth to beat up weak Matebeles in his party for challenging him. This, he did twice. In 2005 he abused his power as the President of MDC to override a decision by the National Council to participate in the Senate elections and later sent an all Shona youth to stone the leadership from Matabeleland. Then MDC Vice President, Gibson Sibanda, Secretary General Welshman Ncube, Info & Publicity Paul Themba Nyathi andTreasurer Fletcher Dulini were humiliated, stoned and chased out of Harare. The MDC split along tribal lines. Thereafter he turned the tribally balanced MDC into a Shona supremacist party and named it after himself, MDC Tsvangirai. Is this democracy or heroism?
Last year he did it again. He unilaterally formed the so called MDC Alliance with other MDC splinter groups without consulting the MDC T top leadership. When MDC T Vice President, Thokozani Khuphe, Chairman, Lovemore Moyo and Organising Secretary Abenicho Bhebhe questioned his decision he sent his Shona brigade all the way from Harare to Bulawayo to beat them up.
While addressing an MDC rally at White City Stadium he shocked the people of Matabeleland and the world by justifying Matabeleland genocide, saying the people of Matabeleland asked for it.
As a tribalist he was, about to die his Shona supremacy instinct told him to appoint his fellow Shonas, Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa to be co VPs with constitutionally elected Thokozani Khupe a Ndebele so that equally tribalistic Shona people will choose between Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa to lead MDC T when he dies.
Like all dictators he died in office without choosing a successor leaving MTC T in chaotic state with dramatic power grabs. The man who has been controversially appointed to lead MDC on an acting capacity, Nelson Chamisa has adopted Tsvangirai's anti-Matebele and pro Shona supremacy kind of leadership. On his first days in office he sent Shona youths to boo Thokozani Khupe in Harare as if this was not enough he sent more Shona youth to beat up the poor lady at Tsvangirai's funeral in Buwera. While these youth were beating and humiliating Khuphe, they were not even ashamed to call her a dissident from Mashonaland.
Shame on this young man he has shown signs of Ndebele hatred in the early stages of his leadership. This is Tsvangira's legacy of tribalism, hatred towards Mthwakazi and cowardice.
To Ndebele leaders like Khupe we ask, till when are you going stand the humiliation of being beaten, insulted and chased from Mashonaland time and again? Its about time you join Matabeleland struggle as there is no short cut alternative or shortcut to freedom. To all Matebeles let's unite rise up and fight our way out of Zimbabwe that is refusing to accommodate us.
By Wilson Mahlafuna Sibanda & Khohliso Maqhoba
This is the man who won elections in 2008 but instead of claiming power given to him by the voters, his cowardice led him to a foreign land, Botswana to seek refuge. Leaving Mugabe with no choice but to fill the leadership vacuum left by the running coward.
He is well known for sending Shona only youth to beat up weak Matebeles in his party for challenging him. This, he did twice. In 2005 he abused his power as the President of MDC to override a decision by the National Council to participate in the Senate elections and later sent an all Shona youth to stone the leadership from Matabeleland. Then MDC Vice President, Gibson Sibanda, Secretary General Welshman Ncube, Info & Publicity Paul Themba Nyathi andTreasurer Fletcher Dulini were humiliated, stoned and chased out of Harare. The MDC split along tribal lines. Thereafter he turned the tribally balanced MDC into a Shona supremacist party and named it after himself, MDC Tsvangirai. Is this democracy or heroism?
Last year he did it again. He unilaterally formed the so called MDC Alliance with other MDC splinter groups without consulting the MDC T top leadership. When MDC T Vice President, Thokozani Khuphe, Chairman, Lovemore Moyo and Organising Secretary Abenicho Bhebhe questioned his decision he sent his Shona brigade all the way from Harare to Bulawayo to beat them up.
While addressing an MDC rally at White City Stadium he shocked the people of Matabeleland and the world by justifying Matabeleland genocide, saying the people of Matabeleland asked for it.
As a tribalist he was, about to die his Shona supremacy instinct told him to appoint his fellow Shonas, Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa to be co VPs with constitutionally elected Thokozani Khupe a Ndebele so that equally tribalistic Shona people will choose between Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa to lead MDC T when he dies.
Like all dictators he died in office without choosing a successor leaving MTC T in chaotic state with dramatic power grabs. The man who has been controversially appointed to lead MDC on an acting capacity, Nelson Chamisa has adopted Tsvangirai's anti-Matebele and pro Shona supremacy kind of leadership. On his first days in office he sent Shona youths to boo Thokozani Khupe in Harare as if this was not enough he sent more Shona youth to beat up the poor lady at Tsvangirai's funeral in Buwera. While these youth were beating and humiliating Khuphe, they were not even ashamed to call her a dissident from Mashonaland.
Shame on this young man he has shown signs of Ndebele hatred in the early stages of his leadership. This is Tsvangira's legacy of tribalism, hatred towards Mthwakazi and cowardice.
To Ndebele leaders like Khupe we ask, till when are you going stand the humiliation of being beaten, insulted and chased from Mashonaland time and again? Its about time you join Matabeleland struggle as there is no short cut alternative or shortcut to freedom. To all Matebeles let's unite rise up and fight our way out of Zimbabwe that is refusing to accommodate us.
By Wilson Mahlafuna Sibanda & Khohliso Maqhoba
Source - Wilson Mahlafuna Sibanda & Khohliso Maqhoba
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