An acid test for Zimbabwe's opposition parties

EVERY institution is bound by a code of conduct which helps an organisation to run professionally and within the parameters of operations.

There are several kinds of codes of conduct which the opposition must implement, including these five principles: integrity, objectivity, competence, confidentiality and professionalism.

As we draw nearer to the 2023 harmonised elections, we have seen opposition Members of Parliament getting loans amounting to US$40 000 while the economy is screaming. Principle matters.

The timing is questionable. The fact that there was no communication between the leader and the MPs who got the windfall of US$40 000 raises eyebrows.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa knows that he does not have any support to win next year's election and has resorted to using unorthodox means to retain political power through greasing members of the opposition.

He has instead dangled a carrot in front of these MPs which has been hard to resist considering the remunerations they are getting as MPs.

It is crystal clear that they have been persuaded to do something by offering them a reward.

A deal probably signed behind doors. This is not new in the opposition.

It's sad that the money he is using to bribe his way to power is not coming from his pocket, but is taxpayers money.

It's only in Zimbabwe where loans are given to politicians by a government using public funds.

Whenever there is an election, such kind of developments are very prevalent which lead to defections, driven and oiled by bribes.

Politics of the stomach has been hitting hard the progress of the opposition and leaving it vulnerable to vultures and architects of corruption and misgovernance.

This has been an acid test for the opposition for a very long time.

It is not only these MPs who have been lured into this kind of bribery.

We have Elias Mudzuri who was once spotted at State House holding a meeting with Mnangagwa.

I think this has been going on since during the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai's political career, where some members of the opposition were easily bribed to stall progress.

Citizen Coalition for Change, as the government in waiting, should lead by example and show the rest of the country that it is different from the ruling party which is known for being unprincipled, lacking probity and unprofessional.

The citizens are now empowered to weed out such career politicians and malcontents who are just there for self-enrichment and making money at the expense of the suffering Zimbabweans.

Primary elections are coming and heads must roll. If nothing is done to root out such kind of behaviour, the opposition will not see the dawn of a new era and Zanu-PF will be there forever.

Zimbabweans are looking for upright and principled leaders who have high morals and an appetite to uplift people's lives.

It's so sad that the opposition has now joined the gravy train and not even caring to look back.

Currently, Zimbabwe does not have any better leader to take over from Mnangagwa than Chamisa, but the question is: Are some of his MPs up to scratch or they are compromised?