Opinion / Columnist
Zanu-PF for eternity as opposition political parties crumple
12 Jun 2015 at 12:28hrs | Views
It all started with the MDC split of 2005 when top officials of the then powerful labour backed opposition political party was in disagreement over the participation in the senatorial elections. Members of the opposition MDC failed to compromise on the way forward on what was supposed to be done concerning their participation in the senatorial elections, thereby splitting into two political parties.
The MDC failed to address its problems amicably as political parties as it let out personal differences destroy the party much to the disappointment of those who sponsored and supported it. The western world, which became the main sponsors of this party, failed as well to stop MDC split although they were quite aware that the split of this party would dampen their main objective of regime change in the country.
As such, the split brought in two political parties, both using the name MDC, only differentiated with the initial letters of the surnames of their two leaders. For that reason, the split brought in the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC-N led by Professor Welshman Ncube. The 2005 split was the main reason why the opposition MDC has not fared well in all the elections which came about until their latest drubbing by Zanu-PF in the July 31, 2013 harmonized elections.
What is currently taking place in the opposition political parties, especially the so called MDCs, is something which the ruling party would welcome as an opportunity which would make the revolutionary party remain in power for a long time. While the MDCs are splitting, with a lot of political parries sprouting from the main MDC party, the ruling party Zanu-PF is becoming stronger and stronger. Zanu-PF has remained strong and has managed to make sure that the party cannot be split into little and small parties that can disturb its well being.
Since its formation in September 2000, the MDC has split several times, thereby confusing those who always support opposition political activities in the country. In actual fact the electorate came to know of the MDC-T, MDC-N, MDC99, MDC-M, MDC Renewal Team and the latest one named the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ), finally bringing the total collapse of the once powerful opposition party which nearly took the reins in the 2008 elections had it not been of the failure by this party to score the required percentage to lead the country.
While the MDC, which is still in its infancy if compared to Zanu-PF, has now split into several political parties with no direction, Zanu-PF is still going stronger and cementing its powerbase. Zanu-PF is making sure that it remains intact by suspending those found on the wrong side of the principles and guidelines governing the revolutionary party as a measure to instill discipline among its supporters. Zanu-PF is a party which makes sure that it uses its internal disciplinary machinery to deal with those people found on the wrong side of what the revolutionary party stands for, hence, the ruling party has never encountered problems similar to what the MDC has encountered since its formation in 1999.
Zanu-PF has, since its formation more than five decades ago, not encountered such splits associated with people forming some parties with branch names resembling the main political party. The revolutionary party has maintained its identity and those people who felt that their time were up to part ways with it, ended up forming their parties divorced from the name Zanu-PF. This shows that Zanu-PF is not a fly by political party which gets its name abused by Tom and Dick.
What is happening in the MDC has shown that this party was never serious in the first place as it allowed itself to be led by people who were/are not principled. The MDC has lost its support base to Zanu-PF. Even those who used to sympathize with these political parties are now beginning to realize that the MDCs are now history.
Even recent opinion polls by the Afrobarometer, a political think tank in conjunction with the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI), showed that President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party were having public trust among the electorate, thereby confirming that the opposition MDCs in the country are crumpling. The results showed that President Mugabe had a trust of about 63% of the electorate in the country with Zanu-PF enjoying 54% of the same trust from the people while the opposition was being trusted by just 34% putting to rest speculations by some supporters of the opposition political parties that the MDCs would ever rule this country in future.
In actual fact what is happening in the main MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai shows that there is no longer any hope that there would be an MDC-T led government in future. News filtering around is that Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy, Thokozani Khupe, no longer trust each other. Just like the 2005 MDC split, which was caused by disagreements by its leaders over the participation of the party in senatorial elections, another split could be imminent over the boycott of election.
As such, Khupe has not taken that decision lightly as she was wanted MDC-T to participate in elections. In light of that, the top two MDC-T leaders are now doing hide and seek with each other when it comes to matters of principle as there is allegedly suspicion between the two on how the party should be run. Recently Khupe snubbed the meeting in Victoria Falls where she was supposed to address people on why the MDC-T boycotted the by-elections. Khupe, as a pro-election protagonist, did not go there as she was allegedly said she was occupied somewhere.
But close analysis of Khupe's boycott of the Victoria Falls meeting could conclude that she did not want to address people about the issue of the by-elections boycott when she is not in support of that position. Such scenarios taking place in the MDC-T, with the MDC-Renewal Team now splitting to form the so called Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, goes on to show that the opposition political parties in the country are now buried and Zanu-PF is to remain in power enjoying the electorate support for decades to come.
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Hanyani Matitemba <mhanyani@yahoo.com
The MDC failed to address its problems amicably as political parties as it let out personal differences destroy the party much to the disappointment of those who sponsored and supported it. The western world, which became the main sponsors of this party, failed as well to stop MDC split although they were quite aware that the split of this party would dampen their main objective of regime change in the country.
As such, the split brought in two political parties, both using the name MDC, only differentiated with the initial letters of the surnames of their two leaders. For that reason, the split brought in the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC-N led by Professor Welshman Ncube. The 2005 split was the main reason why the opposition MDC has not fared well in all the elections which came about until their latest drubbing by Zanu-PF in the July 31, 2013 harmonized elections.
What is currently taking place in the opposition political parties, especially the so called MDCs, is something which the ruling party would welcome as an opportunity which would make the revolutionary party remain in power for a long time. While the MDCs are splitting, with a lot of political parries sprouting from the main MDC party, the ruling party Zanu-PF is becoming stronger and stronger. Zanu-PF has remained strong and has managed to make sure that the party cannot be split into little and small parties that can disturb its well being.
Since its formation in September 2000, the MDC has split several times, thereby confusing those who always support opposition political activities in the country. In actual fact the electorate came to know of the MDC-T, MDC-N, MDC99, MDC-M, MDC Renewal Team and the latest one named the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ), finally bringing the total collapse of the once powerful opposition party which nearly took the reins in the 2008 elections had it not been of the failure by this party to score the required percentage to lead the country.
While the MDC, which is still in its infancy if compared to Zanu-PF, has now split into several political parties with no direction, Zanu-PF is still going stronger and cementing its powerbase. Zanu-PF is making sure that it remains intact by suspending those found on the wrong side of the principles and guidelines governing the revolutionary party as a measure to instill discipline among its supporters. Zanu-PF is a party which makes sure that it uses its internal disciplinary machinery to deal with those people found on the wrong side of what the revolutionary party stands for, hence, the ruling party has never encountered problems similar to what the MDC has encountered since its formation in 1999.
Zanu-PF has, since its formation more than five decades ago, not encountered such splits associated with people forming some parties with branch names resembling the main political party. The revolutionary party has maintained its identity and those people who felt that their time were up to part ways with it, ended up forming their parties divorced from the name Zanu-PF. This shows that Zanu-PF is not a fly by political party which gets its name abused by Tom and Dick.
What is happening in the MDC has shown that this party was never serious in the first place as it allowed itself to be led by people who were/are not principled. The MDC has lost its support base to Zanu-PF. Even those who used to sympathize with these political parties are now beginning to realize that the MDCs are now history.
Even recent opinion polls by the Afrobarometer, a political think tank in conjunction with the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI), showed that President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party were having public trust among the electorate, thereby confirming that the opposition MDCs in the country are crumpling. The results showed that President Mugabe had a trust of about 63% of the electorate in the country with Zanu-PF enjoying 54% of the same trust from the people while the opposition was being trusted by just 34% putting to rest speculations by some supporters of the opposition political parties that the MDCs would ever rule this country in future.
In actual fact what is happening in the main MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai shows that there is no longer any hope that there would be an MDC-T led government in future. News filtering around is that Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy, Thokozani Khupe, no longer trust each other. Just like the 2005 MDC split, which was caused by disagreements by its leaders over the participation of the party in senatorial elections, another split could be imminent over the boycott of election.
As such, Khupe has not taken that decision lightly as she was wanted MDC-T to participate in elections. In light of that, the top two MDC-T leaders are now doing hide and seek with each other when it comes to matters of principle as there is allegedly suspicion between the two on how the party should be run. Recently Khupe snubbed the meeting in Victoria Falls where she was supposed to address people on why the MDC-T boycotted the by-elections. Khupe, as a pro-election protagonist, did not go there as she was allegedly said she was occupied somewhere.
But close analysis of Khupe's boycott of the Victoria Falls meeting could conclude that she did not want to address people about the issue of the by-elections boycott when she is not in support of that position. Such scenarios taking place in the MDC-T, with the MDC-Renewal Team now splitting to form the so called Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, goes on to show that the opposition political parties in the country are now buried and Zanu-PF is to remain in power enjoying the electorate support for decades to come.
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Hanyani Matitemba <mhanyani@yahoo.com
Source - Mukachana Hanyani
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