Morgan Tsvangirai - The failed MDC-T leader politically irrelevant, triumphal and '#heretostay'

I would like to acknowledge - I wish to stir thought and institute debate. It is neither my desire nor my intention to insult anyone.  All respect is paid to genuine political actors and the Zimbabwean people.

My first article (Morgan Tsvangirai - is he 'tactically' good enough??? Part 1) dealt with the idea that no operation seeking to challenge 60+ years of Zanu PF hegemony, can have a low 'political' IQ.
 
Part 2, I sought to focus on the future, and the 'positive' part that Zimbabwes opposition movement must seek to play post 31 July election recovery. What are some of the most effective pro-active stances and policies that might best serve the struggle for change and best serve the Zimbabwean people and nation overall; rather than its current more destructive and hurtful trajectory of hoping for (and in some cases fomenting) national collapse via word and /or deed.

In this the third Part of the series 'Morgan Tsvangirai - is he 'tactically' good enough?'  I wish to put forward the idea that post 31 July election and 14 year 'Celebrations' in Mutare on Saturday 13 September  - the root and branch- re structuring of opposition politics in Zimbabwe that is so vitally needed should be accepted by all genuine progressive forces rather than threatened. We need fresh ideas that steer us away from this evil culture of dirty, self serving politics.

Whereas other political players are prepared to contemplate a renewal process for the good of all in the case of the MDCt that essential course of action is being denied by a selfish man committed to an unproductive attempt to cling to power.

On Saturday Morgan showed us a visionless opportunist past his sell by date all sound and fury signifying nothing. A man with no answer to the only question that matters - WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARDS - vanity all was vanity.  Desperate to respond to a growing 'Morgan must go chorus' he used the Mutare event to declare his intention to stay at the helm as CEO until the illusion where √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú 'he' personally removes Mugabe from power is fulfilled.

Deaf to the commonsense that the struggle project is bigger than one man and that the best way forward is to restructure the leadership, with him filling an important 'ceremonial' non decision making role Morgan prefers instead to surround himself with incompetent and ineffective bootlickers and loyalist hangers on, people that seek to ride the once lavishly funded bandwagon of their self proclaimed, 'main actor' until the wheels fall off who whisper nonsense into his ear constantly. Their actions make a total circus of a supposedly vibrant and dynamic 'democratic' movement.

Walk the democratic talk, or become another African 'dictator' in the making.
The question of personal political survival will dominate Zimbabwe's opposition political arena for months to come. These are immense issues that will shape national politics for years, however, they must be dealt with accurately as the LOCAL CONCERNS or NATIONAL INTERESTS that ordinary people want their representatives to be concerning themselves with are not internal opposition movement power struggles that go on ad infinitum.

The crux of the political problem as seen on Saturday is one that serious Zimbabwean politics needs to address right across the board. That being a love of rhetoric that hides a total lack of substance √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú meaning wrong man wrong plan.  Macomrades, look to what was deemed the 'way forwards' on Saturday - "I shall be engaging SADC and the AU because they simply do not have the information of how the people's verdict was stolen. So I shall visit them and update them on what happened during the July 31 theft." No apology for failure or continued stupidity just more excuses. More outsourcing of the struggle to SADC, AU or any other body as if these have jurisdiction in Zimbabwe, no recollection that SADC was dismissed and insulted,  no recollection that court cases were instituted and then dropped due to lack of evidence/lack of seriousness. No recollection of Maputo where it was stressed that it is our courts that have the final say. That is the contempt that underpins  opposition politics at certain levels that 'supporters' will endlessly swallow and believe such tsvina as nutritious political food ....

He could not admit that he got things wrong. Clinging to power and the myth of a 2013 election re run. Under his tenure there is zero self critique. No thought that 2018 requires a strong opposition party that delivers, that is seen as pan African, nationalist and patriotic. Qualities Zanu PF manipulates and exploits EFFECTIVELY as not being found within MDC.

Every serious freedom fighter that Africa has produced resonates a depth of heartfelt passionate feeling for Ubuntu, an understanding of social dynamics turned into a progressive ideology.
 
Strongly held ideas articulated in ways that offer people and nations, a vision for the future.
 
In stark contrast, every single appointed COMPRADOR (Fanon's false leaders) – place their INSECURITIES as the priority, their sense of obscurity never leaves them; their quest is always a parochial grasp for power and they are always the willing tools of agendas set by 'others' having no depth of ideology of their own.

How far removed from the true path has the struggle for change in Zimbabwe been taken? It is presided over by a man who sees the masses of party supporters and others in attendance at rallies convinced that ALL of those people have arrived at politics solely for one reason - to pay homage to him. That's it, they have no idea about democratic systems or making calculated political decisions, no interest in democratic organization. Instead they have just turned up to show reverence to him √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú personally. Only he is 'well-liked' he is the face of democracy.  Sadly for Mr Tsvangirai, the tired threats of the MDC vanishing without him, the tired ploy of holding public gatherings to present the impression of mass support are no longer enough. People want answers, plans and delivery on years of promises - they want change not just Morgan waffling - offering nothing then going home to his million dollar mansion. That voice you hear crying for LEADERSHIP RENEWAL will not go away. Saturday should have silenced it but it didn't - thus I say things will only get worse.  There will be NO POLICIES, NO WAY FORWARDS, only the uncured myopic vanity that claims SADC wants to hear about 2013 elections when the 2018 plebiscite is around the corner and needs to be prepared for.

People want answers and the hard truth they did not want more praise singing. People wanted to know why their leadership miserably failed to organize them to defend or safeguard their Vote.
The opposition claims justice for being 'cheated' on 31 July - but the issue of any root and branch review begs them to take full responsibility for their failings. It begs they ask themselves a singular important question – that being - Without Western sanctions what actual power and leverage and policies do you realistically possess as an opposition movement, that the revolutionary party takes notice of; that will ensure the genuine implementation of systemic changes and reforms for the greater social, economic and political good of the nation?

 In Morgan we have no leverage at all, politically it is a case of the greedy leading the unsighted, a constant desperate bid to fool people and buy time. An endless fiction to protect his hold on power and its material benefits part of the opposition movement corrupted by a billion dollar 'Mugabe Must Go', international money making scam that has hijacked a genuine change movement and struggle agenda in Zimbabwe. True democracy advocates ignore all of his failings and blunders and appeals to a narrow base of loyalists at our peril. Ignore the corruption of absolute power at our peril.

PLEASE DEFINE 'POPULARITY'– How struggle politics was manipulated to make something out of nothing.

The lie that 'popularity is everything in politics', that popularity supersedes actual substance or brain power, is the same the lie that claims every other senior member of the MDCt is 'unpopular' with no breakdown whatsoever of what this much abused term; popularity - actually means in terms of real substantive policies or ideas or ideology.

When the MDC split in 2005, supposedly the brains went one way and the body the larger MDCt with few political intellectuals held the lion's share of political financiers.

The struggle for democracy became an act of window dressing chasing political power was 'flag independence' with no control over Zimbabwe's economy. The new owners of that section of the struggle movement under the Tsvangirai name used their 'independent' media to full effect.

Dishonestly they repackaged the truth of the 33-31 event, cloaking it in the garb of 'illegitimate rebels' splitting from 'the legitimate main body' when in fact the opposite was the truth. (It's interesting how all those MDCt offshoots are ALL labelled power hungry rebels or Zanu PF agents – according to independent media they have no voice or views)

To cover the lack of strategic depth the angry 'MUGABE IS BAD MUGABE MUST GO' megaphone promoted the idea that - 'the people'- (who did not want a divided opposition) were now in line with the idea that their only salvation rested on the sole political proprietorship of Tsvangirai.  That his breakaway had 'the numbers' behind it and that word that has mislead so many - 'popularity'.
 
POPULARITY – founded upon what substantive ideas??? That cash has influenced everything is a fact swept under the carpet. That policy documents were largely agendas written by think tanks outside Zimbabwe is an actuality deemed immaterial. The trouble being that up until the 31 July election MDCt/opposition, could largely believe all of its created hype. Everything was gravy until the 31 July election exposed the truth of the weak foundations that the opposition operation in Zimbabwe rests upon.

It is time to be honest and admit that the struggle MOVEMENT is bigger than one man. Zimbabweans are the true faces of the struggle not any individual, the needs of the population are the real voice that must be heard not where some speak democratic/revolutionary rhetoric on behalf of the people making their voice into ours. Time to be honest and admit that a dangerous phenomenon has been allowed to settle in our politics where foreign powers WEST/ EAST play 'favourites' in African politics over and above any home grown systems of social equality, egalitarianism, strategic effectiveness or merit.

WHEN OBJECTIVE TRUTH IS A HATED ENEMY
As I have stated I do not seek in any way to attack the person/ the man 'Morgan Tsvangirai' – What I attack is a form of political bankruptcy, seeking to use him to recreate yet another 'dear leader' personality CULT in Zimbabwean politics. What the hell is going on?

What is the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe for? Just seeking to replace one POLITICAL KING and his court with a new Mr HANDIENDE abusing the hopes of so many for his own ends?

As much as I want Zanu PF to be challenged and as much as I can support replacing 'Mugabe' and Zanu PF as a government and system, I demand to know replace them with WHAT? Certainly NOT with an ordinary man, make higher than abilities set upon political 'stilts'; another one who fancies himself as existing above all others.

I read an article entitled 'Tsvangirai to continue as MDC-T president until 2028√¢‚Ǩ¬¶ ' I asked myself, how could this be when he offers nothing new or different? Then I read how some Kenyan 'PROPHET' Maxillar Mumo had predicted blah blah blah ah  Zvapera! Zvapera! Ma comrades! Are such desperate measures really what some levels of leadership and some levels opposition politics have been reduced to? False 'prophets' and their utterances? Politicians cynically claiming affiliation with Biblical characters to appeal to Christian voters and the pointing fingers of blame away from themselves all of it to validate and rationalize continued political incompetence?

Contd…A Cohesive Opposition Movement and the Way forward for Zimbabwe