Bona Mugabe's visit to Japan: Much ado about nothing

The MDC formations are undisputedly the largest opposition party in the country, with a handful of representatives in the august house, courtesy of over a million of people who voted for them in the last election.

Those who voted for the MDC expect good representation worth their votes. They invested their votes in this party with the anticipation that it would fight for their cause and advance real issues of national interest.

It is doubtful if the MDC is matching up to the expectations of its followers. Of late, the officials of this party seized themselves with trivialities that do not even add value to the lives of the people who put them where they are today.

The MDC and its mouthpiece media cried unnecessarily about the sitting arrangement in the ruling party's politburo. I wonder how the sitting of the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe beside her husband, President Robert Mugabe, affected the country, let alone the MDC. They expend energy on the sitting set-up of a rival political party when their own house is on fire.

Biti and colleagues have gone with a great chunk of that party's followers yet the leaders have the pleasure of wasting time poking their noses into the affairs of a rival party. This misplaced priority is shocking, more so when the party's coffers are so dry to an extent of ceasing all operations.

We may absolve them considering that they are led by a leader who has an unstable marriage. Thus, they do not really understand what it means to be a First Lady. They do not value a family institution, as a number of them do not have any. What they know best is stripping in the streets of Bulawayo.

As the MDC will never cease to amaze, they were at it again this week. They blew out of proportion President Mugabe's recent state visit to Japan in the company of his daughter, Mrs Bona Chikore. I failed to see the reasons that justify their complaint.

Some speculated that the president's daughter was sponsored by the state. Who told them that Bona's trip was state sponsored? Is there any law that bars the president from travelling with his family at his own expense? Does he need to tell and prove to the whole nation that he is travelling with his daughter at his own expense?

After all, there is no problem for the state to sponsor the president's daughter. What if she was assisting with translation?

We know of many companies that even give allowances to the family members of their Chief Executive Officers (CEO). President Mugabe is the CEO of this republic and his family must enjoy befitting benefits.

Recently, there was hullabaloo about the President's salary. I know many CEOs who can pay him for some months using their month's salary only. Some of these CEOs are his appointees and people still want them to live larger than the president himself.

The fact that he travels with his family tells a story of a family man who treasures his family. Those who complain do not travel with their spouses even when the opportunity is available. More often, they get temporary spouses at their destinations. Mr Tsvangirai himself is known for hooking up young girls during his foreign visits. Some of them are young enough to be his grandchildren.

Its not new and strange for a president to enjoy the accompaniment of his daughter. In 1994, Zindzi Mandela accompanied his father, former South African President Nelson Mandela at the internationally televised presidential inauguration ceremony held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. There is nobody who raised eyebrows and there was no suspicion that Mandela was grooming his daughter for the presidential office.

The MDC must also be reminded that even their godfathers from America go for state visits with their daughters. Cde Psychology Maziwisa has aptly reminded the MDC that Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of the former US president Bill Clinton, also used to attend state meetings with his father and even receiving foreign dignitaries when her mother was away.

Instead of wasting time scrutinising who is on the delegation, the MDC must look at the fruits of such a visit. The visit has managed to source $2.5 million from the Japanese government for disaster risk preparedness and management.

That money has come at a time when the country faces an imminent drought. The MDC must be thankful. We know that such a windfall displeases the MDC for they thrive on such disasters. Their Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) partners are already gathering food handouts that they would dole out to communities for political manipulation. Food donations have been used by these NGOs to amass votes for the MDC.

We await to see what Mr Tsvangirai will also bring for the people that he dreams to rule. We even want to see if the party's begging bowel he went with will be full upon his return.

It is shocking that a whole party with learned officials believes that President Mugabe took Bona to Japan trip because he no longer trusts his security. Does the MDC believe then that Bona can provide that security for the president? This is a disjointed way of thinking by a political party that should contribute to the governance of this country.

This is not the first time that the MDC and its lap dog media major in minor things. They made unnecessary noise over a slip of the tongue the president made during the ruling party's congress in December last year. They behaved as if the president is not a human being who cannot slip-up. How many times have people slipped up? Even Tsvangirai himself, young as he claims to be, made several diplomatic gaffes.

Recently, they went to town over the President's carpet mishap. Does this really put food on the table of the people who voted for the MDC?

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John Sigauke's email address johnsigau@gmail.com