Opinion / Columnist
MDC has now officially become the party of violence
20 Jun 2018 at 16:31hrs | Views
Many of us long standing MDC supporters were worried this day would eventually come.
Unfortunately, according to the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), an organisation founded in 2000 by church-based and human rights organisations with the objective of monitoring, documenting and building peace and promoting the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts, the MDC has now become the more violent political party.
While for many years, violence was far more synonymous with the Zanu PF that has now changed under Nelson Chamisa.
In May, according to the ZPP, there were 24 cases of intraparty political violence. 22 cases were from within the MDC while only two from the Zanu PF. This means that the MDC was over ten times more violent than its opposite party.
Just in case some think this is just one organisation, it goes far beyond.
In its June report on politically motivated violence cases in the country, the Jestina Mukoko led peace based NGO said there were more cases of internal political violence in the MDC-T as compared to cases they recorded from within Zanu PF.
"In the opposition MDC-T, 16 out of 19 cases of intra-party violence were recorded, and Zanu PF recorded 3," reads part of the document.
This is an extraordinary turn of events, and one that shames me as an MDC supporter.
Nevertheless, the writing has been on the wall for a while now.
Chamisa has led from the top with his ever-present Vanguard menacing opponents and physically attacking those seen as a threat to their leader. The attempted murder of Thokozani Khupe at the funeral of Morgan Tsvangirai gave the green light to others within the movement to attack those they disagreed with.
The primaries were incredibly chaotic with MDC Alliance members targeting each other with foul tricks and abuse, rarely condemned by the leadership.
This has created an atmosphere of impunity within the more aggressive party ranks and these days all manner of steps are taken within the MDC to stop an opponent, I have seen it with my own eyes.
I used to be extremely worried about abuse from Zanu PF thugs or agents, but now my only worry is from my own people. I even hesitated in writing this.
However, someone has to take a stand against MDC thuggery and brutishness and it should be someone from within the party.
Now that these NGO's have shown the truth that many of us feared to face, we have to do some serious soul-searching about the party the MDC has become.
The direction has to change and this has to come from the top. Unfortunately, Chamisa may well be the source of the problem so it might be impossible to think he can be the one to reverse it.
If something doesn't change soon, the mantle of the party of violence will have permanently moved to the MDC.
Unfortunately, according to the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), an organisation founded in 2000 by church-based and human rights organisations with the objective of monitoring, documenting and building peace and promoting the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts, the MDC has now become the more violent political party.
While for many years, violence was far more synonymous with the Zanu PF that has now changed under Nelson Chamisa.
In May, according to the ZPP, there were 24 cases of intraparty political violence. 22 cases were from within the MDC while only two from the Zanu PF. This means that the MDC was over ten times more violent than its opposite party.
Just in case some think this is just one organisation, it goes far beyond.
In its June report on politically motivated violence cases in the country, the Jestina Mukoko led peace based NGO said there were more cases of internal political violence in the MDC-T as compared to cases they recorded from within Zanu PF.
"In the opposition MDC-T, 16 out of 19 cases of intra-party violence were recorded, and Zanu PF recorded 3," reads part of the document.
This is an extraordinary turn of events, and one that shames me as an MDC supporter.
Nevertheless, the writing has been on the wall for a while now.
Chamisa has led from the top with his ever-present Vanguard menacing opponents and physically attacking those seen as a threat to their leader. The attempted murder of Thokozani Khupe at the funeral of Morgan Tsvangirai gave the green light to others within the movement to attack those they disagreed with.
The primaries were incredibly chaotic with MDC Alliance members targeting each other with foul tricks and abuse, rarely condemned by the leadership.
This has created an atmosphere of impunity within the more aggressive party ranks and these days all manner of steps are taken within the MDC to stop an opponent, I have seen it with my own eyes.
I used to be extremely worried about abuse from Zanu PF thugs or agents, but now my only worry is from my own people. I even hesitated in writing this.
However, someone has to take a stand against MDC thuggery and brutishness and it should be someone from within the party.
Now that these NGO's have shown the truth that many of us feared to face, we have to do some serious soul-searching about the party the MDC has become.
The direction has to change and this has to come from the top. Unfortunately, Chamisa may well be the source of the problem so it might be impossible to think he can be the one to reverse it.
If something doesn't change soon, the mantle of the party of violence will have permanently moved to the MDC.
Source - Jealousy Dutiro
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