Opinion / Columnist
Tsvangirai alienates himself from democracy
11 Mar 2014 at 14:38hrs | Views
Elton Mangoma, the MDC-T Deputy Treasurer-General's suspension by the MDC-T National Executive Council over alleged insubordination on Friday 7 March 2014, just confirms that the MDC-T in general and Morgan Tsvangirai in particular has failed to embrace democracy which the party and its leadership purports to be preaching. Mangoma was suspended as a he was found to have put the MDC-T into disrepute by calling for the leadership renewal of which the subject (call for leadership renewal) is taboo in this western and labour sponsored party.
By suspending Mangoma from MDC-T, Morgan Tsvangirai has clearly shown the world that he does not tolerate those who are against his reign as MDC-T leader. He has also shown the world that democracy is not something in his DNA; hence, it has no place in his reasoning capacity. Tsvangirai is now using intimidating strategies to thwart dissenting voices calling for him to step down and have a new leader in MDC-T. He wants to mislead the public into believing that the party still needs him yet it is no longer in need of him. In actual fact it is now Tsvangirai who is in need of the MDC-T as he is fighting for his political survival.
Addressing a poorly-attended MDC-T rally in Chitungwiza over the weekend, Tsvangirai told his supporters that he was not going anywhere despite growing calls for him to step down. Tsvangirai said that those who no longer want to be with the MDC-T should leave the party instead of calling for him to step down. His statements in Chitungwiza were clear indications that Tsvangirai is not yet prepared to step down but only prepared to do away with those calling for him to pass on the baton to another leader. In actual fact Tsvangirai forgets that calling his party "Movement for Democratic Change" means that his party has to embrace democracy but it seems that the democratic change being championed by this party is just in words not in action.
Elton Mangoma was suspended on Friday just because he applied what the MDC-T stands for as he made clear that freedom of speech and expression need to be embraced. Mangoma did not do hide and seek with the MDC-T leadership as he clearly made his mind and conscience known by all and sundry members of the MDC-T and its leadership. His call for leadership renewal in the MDC-T is not a crime whatsoever but was a means by Mangoma to make the MDC-T stronger than what it is right now.
The MDC-T national executive council that fooled Tsvangirai into suspending Mangoma from the party is made up of the MDC-T sellouts who would celebrate when the MDC-T leader gets another hiding from ZANU PF in the 2018 harmonized elections. Mangoma, who has the MDC-T at heart and as one of the founder members of the party, knows that for the party to revive its fortune against the revolutionary party, leadership reform could be the only solution. Some of Tsvangirai's bootlickers within MDC-T also know exactly that the MDC-T, with Tsvangirai as a leader, will never dislodge Zanu-PF but they want him to be humiliated again as happened in three consecutive elections. Those bootlickers are afraid to pinpoint Tsvangirai as a failure as did Elton Mangoma, who l can safely say is today's man of the moment in MDC-T.
Mangoma, who helped Tsvangirai to get into government as a Prime Minister when he negotiated strongly for the formation of the government of national unity, cannot today be suspended for calling for leadership renewal as a panacea to the MDC-T revival. Surprisingly Elton Mangoma together with Tendai Biti, the Secretary General of the party who, today are called the rebels by Tsvangirai's bootlickers were the strong MDC-T negotiators who made sure that Tsvangirai is brought into government of Zimbabwe. One wonders how Mangoma and Biti could be called rebels when they made sure that Tsvangirai, who was just a mere opposition leader in the country, was then turned into the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe with executive powers. Is that not a shear hypocrisy by such people like Nelson Chamisa, the MDC-T Organizing Secretary and Theresa Makone, the MDC-T Women Assembly Chairperson to come publicly rejoicing the demise of Mangoma in the MDC-T yet they did nothing honourable for Tsvangirai.
The issue of democracy which the MDC-T has been calling for it to be exercised in the country has failed to be embraced by this party. The MDC-T has made sure that those calling for it to be implemented are purged. Morgan Tsvangirai, who caused the split of the MDC in 2005, has shown that democracy is alien in his mind and he will never ever embrace it as shown by history. He always calls for democracy to be embraced when that suits him.
In the 2005 MDC national executive council meeting which was meant to decide whether the party was to contest in the senatorial elections, Morgan Tsvangirai, who called for a vote to determine such a move, failed to accept the results of the elections which showed that those calling for senatorial election participation won the day. Tsvangirai declared those results as null and void, and the true democrats, led by Professor Welshman Ncube carried the day for democracy, hence, the split materialized. So Tsvangirai caused the split of MDC because he did not know what democracy is all about. Had Tsvangirai taken lessons on democracy may be he would have been in position to know what democracy is all about.
The failure by Tsvangirai to master some concepts in democracy and freedom of speech as well as freedom of expression in his party has caused a lot of disintegrations, hence, the confusion which is bedeviling that party right now. The MDC-T is now facing another split as the national executive rushed into suspending Mangoma on 7 March 2014, when the quorum which suspended him was not two-third as the MDC-T constitutions requires. In a press conference just after Mangoma's suspension, Tendai Biti, the Secretary General of MDC-T told some journalists that the suspension of Mangoma was null and void. Biti said that the number of those who were present did not constitute the two-thirds majority required to suspend any executive member, hence, it was not necessary for Tsvangirai to sanction such a move.
Such strong revelations by the secretary general of the MDC-T that Tsvangirai rushed into suspending Mangoma from all activities of the party when there was no two thirds majority required by the constitution to suspend anyone explains the earlier accession by this writer that Tsvangirai is alien to democracy. The embattled leader of the MDC-T has shown the world that he is power hungry and he does not tolerate anyone who challenges his authority. The fact that he bulldozed Mangoma's suspension as a way of cementing his stay on power and also intimidating would be Mangoma supporters into not discussing about leadership renewal just explains that the MDC-T and its leader is devoid of democratic principles.
Tsvangirai's blunders, which started in 2005 until now in 2014, have destroyed the once popular-western backed puppetry MDC-T party. Anyone can now applaud Mangoma and his supporters for trying to serve the sinking MDC-T ship as the revolutionary party, Zanu-PF's tide wave is fast approaching, come 2018. As such, Tendai Biti, who was the chief negotiator who brought Tsvangirai into government because of his mastery in negotiations, should also be applauded in supporting Mangoma as he has also realised that the MDC-T ship, with Tsvangirai as its captain is now heading into deep waters reminiscent of the title of Tsvangirai's unpalatable book, At the Deep End.
Aluta continua Mangoma and Biti
-----------
Mukachana Hanyani, a political and social commentator who can be reached through mhanyani@yahoo.com
By suspending Mangoma from MDC-T, Morgan Tsvangirai has clearly shown the world that he does not tolerate those who are against his reign as MDC-T leader. He has also shown the world that democracy is not something in his DNA; hence, it has no place in his reasoning capacity. Tsvangirai is now using intimidating strategies to thwart dissenting voices calling for him to step down and have a new leader in MDC-T. He wants to mislead the public into believing that the party still needs him yet it is no longer in need of him. In actual fact it is now Tsvangirai who is in need of the MDC-T as he is fighting for his political survival.
Addressing a poorly-attended MDC-T rally in Chitungwiza over the weekend, Tsvangirai told his supporters that he was not going anywhere despite growing calls for him to step down. Tsvangirai said that those who no longer want to be with the MDC-T should leave the party instead of calling for him to step down. His statements in Chitungwiza were clear indications that Tsvangirai is not yet prepared to step down but only prepared to do away with those calling for him to pass on the baton to another leader. In actual fact Tsvangirai forgets that calling his party "Movement for Democratic Change" means that his party has to embrace democracy but it seems that the democratic change being championed by this party is just in words not in action.
Elton Mangoma was suspended on Friday just because he applied what the MDC-T stands for as he made clear that freedom of speech and expression need to be embraced. Mangoma did not do hide and seek with the MDC-T leadership as he clearly made his mind and conscience known by all and sundry members of the MDC-T and its leadership. His call for leadership renewal in the MDC-T is not a crime whatsoever but was a means by Mangoma to make the MDC-T stronger than what it is right now.
The MDC-T national executive council that fooled Tsvangirai into suspending Mangoma from the party is made up of the MDC-T sellouts who would celebrate when the MDC-T leader gets another hiding from ZANU PF in the 2018 harmonized elections. Mangoma, who has the MDC-T at heart and as one of the founder members of the party, knows that for the party to revive its fortune against the revolutionary party, leadership reform could be the only solution. Some of Tsvangirai's bootlickers within MDC-T also know exactly that the MDC-T, with Tsvangirai as a leader, will never dislodge Zanu-PF but they want him to be humiliated again as happened in three consecutive elections. Those bootlickers are afraid to pinpoint Tsvangirai as a failure as did Elton Mangoma, who l can safely say is today's man of the moment in MDC-T.
Mangoma, who helped Tsvangirai to get into government as a Prime Minister when he negotiated strongly for the formation of the government of national unity, cannot today be suspended for calling for leadership renewal as a panacea to the MDC-T revival. Surprisingly Elton Mangoma together with Tendai Biti, the Secretary General of the party who, today are called the rebels by Tsvangirai's bootlickers were the strong MDC-T negotiators who made sure that Tsvangirai is brought into government of Zimbabwe. One wonders how Mangoma and Biti could be called rebels when they made sure that Tsvangirai, who was just a mere opposition leader in the country, was then turned into the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe with executive powers. Is that not a shear hypocrisy by such people like Nelson Chamisa, the MDC-T Organizing Secretary and Theresa Makone, the MDC-T Women Assembly Chairperson to come publicly rejoicing the demise of Mangoma in the MDC-T yet they did nothing honourable for Tsvangirai.
In the 2005 MDC national executive council meeting which was meant to decide whether the party was to contest in the senatorial elections, Morgan Tsvangirai, who called for a vote to determine such a move, failed to accept the results of the elections which showed that those calling for senatorial election participation won the day. Tsvangirai declared those results as null and void, and the true democrats, led by Professor Welshman Ncube carried the day for democracy, hence, the split materialized. So Tsvangirai caused the split of MDC because he did not know what democracy is all about. Had Tsvangirai taken lessons on democracy may be he would have been in position to know what democracy is all about.
The failure by Tsvangirai to master some concepts in democracy and freedom of speech as well as freedom of expression in his party has caused a lot of disintegrations, hence, the confusion which is bedeviling that party right now. The MDC-T is now facing another split as the national executive rushed into suspending Mangoma on 7 March 2014, when the quorum which suspended him was not two-third as the MDC-T constitutions requires. In a press conference just after Mangoma's suspension, Tendai Biti, the Secretary General of MDC-T told some journalists that the suspension of Mangoma was null and void. Biti said that the number of those who were present did not constitute the two-thirds majority required to suspend any executive member, hence, it was not necessary for Tsvangirai to sanction such a move.
Such strong revelations by the secretary general of the MDC-T that Tsvangirai rushed into suspending Mangoma from all activities of the party when there was no two thirds majority required by the constitution to suspend anyone explains the earlier accession by this writer that Tsvangirai is alien to democracy. The embattled leader of the MDC-T has shown the world that he is power hungry and he does not tolerate anyone who challenges his authority. The fact that he bulldozed Mangoma's suspension as a way of cementing his stay on power and also intimidating would be Mangoma supporters into not discussing about leadership renewal just explains that the MDC-T and its leader is devoid of democratic principles.
Tsvangirai's blunders, which started in 2005 until now in 2014, have destroyed the once popular-western backed puppetry MDC-T party. Anyone can now applaud Mangoma and his supporters for trying to serve the sinking MDC-T ship as the revolutionary party, Zanu-PF's tide wave is fast approaching, come 2018. As such, Tendai Biti, who was the chief negotiator who brought Tsvangirai into government because of his mastery in negotiations, should also be applauded in supporting Mangoma as he has also realised that the MDC-T ship, with Tsvangirai as its captain is now heading into deep waters reminiscent of the title of Tsvangirai's unpalatable book, At the Deep End.
Aluta continua Mangoma and Biti
-----------
Mukachana Hanyani, a political and social commentator who can be reached through mhanyani@yahoo.com
Source - Mukachana Hanyani
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
