MDC, MDC Renewal Team re-unification doomed

The two gluttonous MDC fragments, Welshman Ncube-led MDC and the Tendai Biti-fronted MDC Renewal Team failed to strike a unification deal owing to irreparable differences over how to allocate powerful posts in the anticipated organisation.

MDC-Ncube bloc refused to be held subordinate to Biti's renewal new political movement. Ncube and Biti are traditional political rivals dating back to the original MDC of 1999. Biti and Tsvangirai then, connived to push away Professor Ncube who was the party's Secretary General to pave way for Tendai Biti in a hoax which split the party in 2005 over whether to participate in senatorial elections. This caused a permanent injury which left an indelible mark on Ncube who cannot contemplate working alongside his erstwhile enemy that stabbed him in the back.

On the backdrop of these ugly events which separated the two then, it is difficult to imagine if they can throw away their entrenched differences and agree on a workable deal to share power smoothly.

Apart from this, Biti is under pressure by the deviant founding members of MDC Renewal Team to allocate them high posts before he can parcel-out any of them to outsiders from MDC Ncube. He is therefore, in a predicament on how to appease both sides as well as record a workable political grand coalition.

The history of MDC back-dating to 1999 was characterized by breakaways and routine defections and crossing floors which the party failed to contain till this day, resulting in their insignificant contribution to national good. The voters noted this and raised a red card for them.

MDC is now in various editions such as MDC-T, MDC99, MDC Ncube, MDC Renewal Team etc. This amounted into the weakest opposition in the region which could hardly garner enough votes to challenge the legacy of ZANU-PF since 1980.

This is a crystal clear indication of confused opposition political organisations in Zimbabwe. This illustrates why they failed to challenge the formidable and invincible ZANU-PF which is famous for its popular policies that voters cannot afford to do without.

Another factor stifling re-unification effort is that, Biti and Ncube would all vie for presidency when in actual fact Ncube is an invited political guest as was the case with Professor Arthur Mutambara in MDC-N in 2008. Ncube would never want to have a replication of the same for he learnt a major lesson. It is clear Ncube is somewhat cautious this time to avert being duped by political thugs again.
Both Biti and Ncube are egocentric personalities that are unlikely to bow-down so as to promote the coalition.

In this matrix, there are also the likes of Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga. She is infamous for causing havoc and noise in both public and social spheres. She made headlines when she was squabbling and causing family violence against her Mushonga in-laws after the untimely death of her husband. Recently, she bashed her sister in-law at her brother's funeral during body viewing time.

Certainly that was out of taste, especially in our culture to bash the bereaved whose husband had painfully departed untimely. This week she was ejected out of parliament for threatening to hammer a fellow legislator and uttering obscenities during session. This character is too violent, dubious and unpredictable that MDC Renewal Team cannot just take on board such chuff and expect to record success. They are equally afraid of being bullied and challenged by such personalities while they are the founders of this political movement.

All these issues come into play, especially at a time when the MDC Renewal Team is headed for a congress soon. Therefore, the suspension of the engagement effort is so strategically decided so as to avert the possible scrounging for posts. The most opportune time is to revive the reunification talks after the congress when they have occupied all the influential posts. Then Ncube and his small clique would be offered specified posts which they can choose to accept if they are willing to join the properly constituted party.

It is worth mentioning that, MDC Renewal Team indicated that they wish to change the name of their movement when they launch it as a fully-fledged political party. In this vein, it was not ideal for them to proceed with re-unification in the face of this shortcoming.

The bigger picture is that they wish to compel MDC-Ncube to play a second fiddle and subordinate to them, thereby making it an unfair game which defeats the letter and spirit of democracy as they repeatedly remind us at every given opportunity.