Mr. Biti, A snake cannot outrun its head

I am not writing this article as a disrespect for Tendai Biti but to bring to the fore how he has helped the status core to prevail. Biti has been a figure associated with opposition politics but not all opposition politicians succeed in their quest for power. Failed politicians not only cost resources but also set back the march to freedom.

Zanu-PF has dominated Zimbabwean politics because opposition leaders are confused. Democracy has suffered under opposition and the only hope for democracy now is Zanu-PF. The opposition is weak, crumbling, fragmented, disorganized, and prone to squabbling. Biti stands out as the biggest culprit.

In 2008, Biti became famous by his, "Regai vatonge" declaration. These were the best words that ever came from Biti's mouth but the very next day, MDC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Zanu-PF taking away all the raised hopes from the people of Zimbabwe. I believe this was the opposition's golden opportunity, but they threw it to the dogs.

What followed was selling out by the opposition, fighting among themselves, and sowing confusion and carnage. We see the emergence of closet dictators like Chamisa, exhibiting the same tyrannical tendencies they so loudly denounce in the despots they hope to replace.

Without a reformed opposition movement, Zimbabwe is stuck with the old order; The MDC leadership is senile, and out of touch with realities. I cannot imagine these people have been in parliament from 1998, they have preached the same message for decades.

The unfortunate development in Zimbabwe is the emergence of a third force that is shoving opposition parties aside. People must realize that the crowds attending MDC or Zanu-PF rallies are not party faithful but people fed-up with the system. My prayer for Zimbabwe is for this third force not to resort to insurgency.

I know I am not alone in this observation; Zimbabwe church organizations have sprung into action and are making frantic efforts to arrange a meeting for all political parties in Zimbabwe. This is an acknowledgement that things are not good but also unfortunate that the church thinks a political solution will be enough. At any moment in time, resistance to despotic rule comes from several sources-political parties, professional groups, student groups, church groups, business groups, trade union workers, and ordinary citizens-both inside and outside the country.

Currently, the activities are not coordinated. The only advocacy is for political change, no intellectual, no religious, no economic, nothing-all these issues are being raised by Zanu-PF. Is Zanu-PF genuine, I don't know but at least they are raising the most pertinent issues. Ordinarily, the opposition must be focused on creating a level playing field and yet it is the ruling Zanu-PF again at the forefront of levelling the field. The opposition is seized by issues like the ballot box, new currency, changing the name of the country-God help me. These are secondary, irrelevant, and divisive issues. All the energy must have been focused on the rules in Parliament. The opposition was sleeping in parliament and now want us to fight for their ineptness. What were they doing in parliament from 2103?

The international observers cannot change anything at this juncture; it is too late. MDC are a signatory to all the rules being followed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. If MDC needed the Elder's Council's help, this is what they should have done in the past five years. Biti is a lawyer who runs his mouth about it at any given chance but I find it very hard to believe Zimbabwean people are so naïve to listen to such a senile politician.

If you follow the process in Zimbabwe without bias, you will realize that everything that the opposition must focusing on is Zanu-PF's focus. The opposition are focused on trivial things-demonstrations, insults, grandstanding and talk show-like rallies.

Look, Mnangagwa is supported by the army-soldiers are not trained to reason with their perceived enemies-they are trained to shoot first then ask questions later. The Zimbabwe opposition must now decide not to plunge the country into chaos but to learn from their mistakes and start working for the next elections whenever they are going to be. All the demonstration threats have not worked and sadly it has been 72 hours since Chamisa gave his 24-hour ultimatum to ZEC. With Biti on his side, it was always bound to happen.