MDC facing internal and external turmoil

Zanu as the ruling party, with all state resources under it, and with ears and eyes everywhere, was not going to leave it's main rival, the MDCA conduct a peaceful Congress. But by nature, any political Congress would  never be peaceful. It causes stress and strains in parties, and at times it splits them. Congress chooses next leadership who define next political life of the party. Thus rival organisations will watch closely and try to influence. Whilst the party generally is expected to choose strong  candidates who can make it grow and defeat it's rivals, it's opponents want the opposite to happen; to see it weakened by having weak unpopular leaders. The rivals would be happy to trash strong leaders and support weak ones. Strong rivals like Zanu would not hesitate to openly support weaker compromised leaders it knows it will benefit from. Zanu would not hesitate to cause confusion and try to mar rival organisation Congress. Thus it would have been naive to expect a smooth sailing MDCA Congress. As it is, in all provinces, districts and branches, not only Zanu, but other opposition parties and individuals are advocating for preferred weak candidates and political friends they know are not strong MDCA cadres to take up positions. It would be naive of MDCA leadership and aspiring candidates to think that they are only dealing with internal party processes  only. The external caucuses and influence, including bribery to get certain candidates fielded is real.  The Alliance is under severe threat from ZANU PF secret operatives who are trying to hijack the Congress to deliver not only a lame duck president, but to produce a severely weakened party leadership that will be easier to defeat. All the structures of the party are under threat and being infiltrated. Worse so outside Zim, is the South African USA and UK provinces which are robust by virtue of their networks, elite class, population size and financial muscles.

MDCA cadres must therefore work harder to ensure that the Congress elects candidates who are not just representative of its future goal, but are thirsty and hungry enough to unwaveringly fight to attain to that goal; wrestling power from Zanu by all means necessary. MDCA Congress must produce candidates who embrace those who have been passionate about our late icon President Morgen Tsvangirai for inclusivity and diversity and who are pro-Alliance to ensure regeneration and growth. MDCA did not just become an Alliance overnight, there are many individuals who have been calling for opposition parties to unite and deal with Zanu as one for a long time. These are the individuals who have the passion to deliver deliver total reintegration and growth beyond the the alliance partnership to include the silent majority who are out there in the wilderness. These are the focused individuals who worked   with the late Morgan  Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti and many others to ensure that the parties formed the Alliance. Leaving them outside party structures is what Zanu wants because a united Alliance is a threat to Zanu. Even some groupings with few fiercely vocal individuals have suddenly found resources to trash MDCA Congress and tarnish the images of some of its  leaders. There may be some who were opposed to the Alliance on principle, but are passionate as opposition leaders and willing to work with what is now a reality before them; the Alliance that is now evolved into the original MDC. The Congress must accommodate them all.

MDCA must not let Zanu and it's baby groupings define and determine MDCA leadership and aims. By allowing Zanu to interfere and have an influence in the Opposition structures, the party would have given over its aims to Zanu. Zanu will thus ensure the Opposition remains where it is; legitimate and making noise but "losing" elections! A Zanu influenced  Opposition leadership will serve the essence of democracy without any democracy being proactised in the country. If Russian influence could be a headache in the US presidential elections, then why can't Zanu do more damage to a naive inward looking opposition focused on leadership positions without examining the strength of its aspiring leaders?

I hope the MDCA Congress will come up with leaders that will propel the party ahead, unify everyone and ensure it wins the next elections or take over power when ZANU PF implosion the not to distant future. It's time the party focused on its entire leadership and not the president only (Chamisa Chete Chete), as was the case in the 2018 elections. MDCA, as a people's project, will move ahead of all to achieve the vision and aim of  wrestling power from Zanu and delivering on our new Zimbabwe, the land of 'milk and honey'. Structures should not be about attaining power within the party, but about designing a formular for not only beating Zanu at elections, but also taking over power a running a stable government that delivers