Tsvangirai must step down now!

As a strong supporter of MDC-T based in Bulawayo, I feel it's high time for our leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, to peacefully resign. His negative actions and behaviour towards us the people of Matabeleland shows that he is no longer interested in being our leader.

In actual fact, the man is not only a tribalist but a factionalist as well. We have totally lost confidence in Tsvangirai. He used to be a good leader whom we all used to admire and like. Mr Tsvangirai could attend all party national events everywhere across the country without fail.

Surely, Tsvangirai betrayed us by failing to attend the burial of our beloved   Nkulumane MP, Thamsanqa Mahlangu. Honestly, if Tsvangirai is left of the hook like that he will continue steering confusion and havoc in the party and it is us the party members who will suffer the most. I believe they are many competent and loyal officials who are so active and committed to the party's activities rather than this helpless Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai tried hard to hide behind a finger by justifying his absence at the burial of Mahlangu. His reasons for not attending the burial of Mahlangu are petty and irrelevant. What Tsvangirai could have done was just to attend the church service and the burial at the grave site (Lady Stanley cemetery) where Mahlangu was laid to rest. The fact that the relatives of Mahlangu were fighting over the control of the burial proceedings had nothing to do with Tsvangirai. 

Actually, the cold shoulder that Tsvangirai gave his party members in Bulawayo portrays that he was not even interested in attending Mahlangu's funeral. Only three senior party officials outside Bulawayo attended the funeral. This meant that Tsvangirai influenced a group of people under his faction not to attend the burial. Truthfully, a good leader of a political party should lead by good example.

Believe it or not, I was reliably informed by close sources within the party that Tsvangirai used the time and opportunity that he had whilst in Bulawayo to meet one of his many girlfriends. Tsvangirai was not available at the funeral of Mahlangu; instead he enjoyed himself in a hotel room in Bulawayo with girlfriend.

Surely, how can a party leader wine and dine with his mistress while the rest of party members are in tears bidding farewell to their colleague?

Most of our top MDC-T officials, here in Matabeleland, among them National Chairman, Lovemore Moyo, are not happy with Tsvangirai's behaviour. Indeed Tsvangirai betrayed the party.

Instead of leading and unifying the party in good light and harmony, Tsvangirai is actually fuelling factionalism in our party. Truth be said, Tsvangirai has never liked us the people of Matabeleland. Tsvangirai has not missed a chance to speechify at funeral of his shona colleagues, most of whom who  were juniors to Mahlangu.  Most party officials, including Deputy President, Thokhozani Khupe are against the dictatorial leadership of Tsvangirai.  

Tsvangirai's authoritarian rule has caused many splinters in the party. As party members we really wonder where Tsvangirai is getting us to with such uncaring behaviour. Many splits in the party are emanating from Tsvangirai's weak decisions.

As a good leader, Tsvangirai should learn to appreciate other official's decisions. Tsvangirai should copy from what ZANU-PF does in the event that one of their officials has passed on. As I was growing, I used to admire and like the way ZANU-PF does its proceedings when burying a party official. I believe that this is done in order to show respect and value the services that the late official contributed to his/her party.

As a leader, Tsvangirai should do the same or even more.

If Tsvangirai is failing to lead our party properly, passing on the baton to the next person is indeed the only option that he has. We love our party and we are committed to it, but our leader is making us crumble.

Is it not better for Tsvangirai to pass the baton to Khupe or Nelson Chamisa? I believe a new MDC with Chamisa will take us to great heights. Chamisa is eloquent and has never abandoned party events. He is always by the party and party programmes.

Tsvangirai has always been a coward.  He lacks courage when facing danger, difficulty situations or any form of pain. All he wants is to live a luxurious life. Again, in 2008, whilst there was political misunderstandings in the country, Tsvangirai left the country and went to Botswana to find a comforting zone while things were not in order in the party.

The way Tsvangirai handles his party business can be likened to the way that the then Zanu leader, Rev Ndabaningi Sithole, carried out his party business during the liberation struggle. Sithole never considered the interest of majority party members. He was self centered.

Written reports have it that with Sithole still in charge as the leader of Zanu, things went from bad to worse. The Zambians shot and killed many Zanla fighters. It was said that Sithole did not protest, or even know how events were unfolding in his party. Actually, as a leader who cares about the welfare of fighters Sithole and his comrades were supposed to attend the funerals or visit the wounded in hospitals. Unfortunately, he didn't even bother to, as he chose to attend to his sick daughter in the USA.

As MDC-T members, we are having Tsvangirai as our leader at our peril. I think Tsvangirai should act now and resign before he leads us into a deep hole. We need sanity in the party. All party activities would surely normalize without the leadership of Tsvangirai.