Define yourselves better; opposition politicians

With profound excitement, like most of our fellow Zimbabweans, I also welcome the coming together of MDC led by Prof Ncube and MDC Renewal to form the UMDC. Zimbabwe has been waiting and wondering when this was to be. Finally, they have done it. Makorokoto, Amhlophe, Congratulations. I hope in the near future they will pursue Zapu, Mavambo, NCA and others to join them. Zimbabwe desperately needs a viable and vibrant opposition party.

UMDC can deliver, but its effectiveness would be bolstered by others coming on-board. Together, they become stronger. Zanu, minus its current drama is an institution that needs all opposition leaders working together. I also hope one day MDC T will join others once it has realised that no one leader has an entitlement to the notion of political opposition or democracy.

I greatly respect the UMDC leaders because it was not easy to bring these parties together. We all remember the animosity that pervaded the political air when MDC led by Prof Ncube and MDC T under Morgan Tsvangirai parted ways of which Renewal was still part of, parted ways. That these leaders and their supporters have buried their differences shook hands and negotiated to unite and face Zanu as one is no mean achievement. I take my hat off to Hon. Biti for publicly saying he was 'sorry' for all the differences that we all know are now bygones. This is what politicians should be, human beings we can identify with because they too are able to see their mistakes and say, 'I am sorry!'

In the same vein, we should also bear in mind those who soon after the 2013 elections left MDC led by Prof Ncube to join MDC T, and subsequently moved on with MDC Renewal. They are also back with their former colleagues. This is what politics is all about; no permanent friends or foes. It is a game of strategies and opportunities, betrayal and forgiveness. Not that one should not hold to their integrity, principles and beliefs; as noted by Hon. Biti apologising for what happened in the years following the 2005 MDC split. We should always be wary of this truth; 'Politics is not religion'.

Now that UMDC is existing, what next? For now what is important after this noble deed is to unite in spirit and deeds. There is a lot to bedone. Having started together, the united parties have a lot of common values and a strong bond from 1999. I hope it will not be a mammoth task to be one. Having united the greatest challenge remains; communicating with supporters. It is often said that; 'It's not what you say, but how you say it.'

Politics entails dealing with issues and problems and solving them with words. It is essential that politicians are adept at finding the right words for the moment and their supporters. For us in Zimbabwe, I am sure it's not about words only! It's an issue of how politicians communicate with the common man about their fears, worries, and dreams.

Unemployment, homelessness, collapsing industries, and collapsing services need urgent attention. People will easily identify with politicians whose words are about solving these daily bread and butter issues. Opposition leaders should beat Zanu at its own game by telling the masses how they will deliver permanent solutions to their daily problems. Zimbabweans want to be told in simple terms what democracy, devolution, constitution, human rights are all about. Uniting and not delivering a sale-able message will be a travesty for our politicians.

It is time opposition politicians targeted the common rural folks who is the bedrock of Zanu. It is high time politicians addressed the simple uneducated and unemployed youth who is subject to abuse by Zanu politicians and offers him life opportunities. It is time those desperate mothers and sisters looking everywhere for something to feed their children with were listened to given a productive voice of their own. People should know that they can't live on Zanu morsels but need a permanent solution to their problems. How can politicians deliver this to their fellow Zimbabweans? How are politicians going to be in sync with the national needs and not be seen as detached from supporters? This, fellow Zimbabweans is the challenge politicians need to overcome if they are to defeat Zanu in any of the forthcoming elections.

Politicians and their parties need to define themselves in simple understandable terms. No one needs a dictionary to know that they are hungry or unemployed!! The way politicians and their parties define themselves, the way they communicate with the supporters, can make or break politician their careers.

I hope to see the UMDC leaders work effectively to define themselves, their policies, ideology and message in simple SMART terms!!