Opinion / Columnist
The undertaker of the MDC as we know it: Nelson Chamisa
17 Aug 2018 at 09:27hrs | Views
In hindsight, one always has perfect vision. This is as true as it is obvious, but sometimes you can clearly see and understand current developments as they unfold in front of your eyes. This of course demands that you pay attention, remain vigilant and critically observe the news.
There have been many nails in the coffin of the MDC as we know it, since the passing of Morgan Tsvangirai. First, Nelson Chamisa unconstitutionally declared himself President of the party, using his Vanguard to stifle all opposition, to intimidate and assault the elected Vice-President Dr. Thokozani Khupe, and to usurp power in an aggressive and unconstitutional fashion.
He then disregarded all those who disagreed with him or those who got in the way of his power hungry personal ambitions. He derided opponents, both inside the party and outside, ridiculed in an undemocratic fashion every institution of the State, and even used his own sister as a diabolical metaphorical pawn in his misogynistic campaign rallies.
The primary season of the MDC-Alliance, once a true movement for democratic change, was marred and muddied by violence between the supporters of competing candidates, with politicking and dirty deals in the dark for personal gain, while allocating constituencies between the different parties of the alliance.
The election campaign was ripe with un-democratic statements, accepting only a win at the polls, haughtily disregarding any other outcome of the will of the people. One has to ask - if Chamisa already knew the outcome, why bother voting?
And now the very last nail in the coffin of the MDC as we knew it. Outgoing Bulawayo MP Eddie Cross, one of the founding members of the MDC, the party's Policy Coordinator General, resigned from the MDC and quit politics. What is happening to our party??
Eddie Cross' big "sin" was to criticise their "infallible" leader, to have a dissenting opinion about the strategy to bring Zimbabwe forward after the harmonised elections (which he called "free & fair"), and to be an independent thinker. His (forced?) retirement confirms the death of the MDC, and he and the party he helped build will be greatly missed. RIP our MDC.
There have been many nails in the coffin of the MDC as we know it, since the passing of Morgan Tsvangirai. First, Nelson Chamisa unconstitutionally declared himself President of the party, using his Vanguard to stifle all opposition, to intimidate and assault the elected Vice-President Dr. Thokozani Khupe, and to usurp power in an aggressive and unconstitutional fashion.
He then disregarded all those who disagreed with him or those who got in the way of his power hungry personal ambitions. He derided opponents, both inside the party and outside, ridiculed in an undemocratic fashion every institution of the State, and even used his own sister as a diabolical metaphorical pawn in his misogynistic campaign rallies.
The primary season of the MDC-Alliance, once a true movement for democratic change, was marred and muddied by violence between the supporters of competing candidates, with politicking and dirty deals in the dark for personal gain, while allocating constituencies between the different parties of the alliance.
The election campaign was ripe with un-democratic statements, accepting only a win at the polls, haughtily disregarding any other outcome of the will of the people. One has to ask - if Chamisa already knew the outcome, why bother voting?
And now the very last nail in the coffin of the MDC as we knew it. Outgoing Bulawayo MP Eddie Cross, one of the founding members of the MDC, the party's Policy Coordinator General, resigned from the MDC and quit politics. What is happening to our party??
Eddie Cross' big "sin" was to criticise their "infallible" leader, to have a dissenting opinion about the strategy to bring Zimbabwe forward after the harmonised elections (which he called "free & fair"), and to be an independent thinker. His (forced?) retirement confirms the death of the MDC, and he and the party he helped build will be greatly missed. RIP our MDC.
Source - Jealousy Dutiro
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