For whose gains MDC commits suttee?

Morgan Tsvangira left and his arch foe Tendai Biti

          Jokes aside, Zimbabwean opposition under Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is committing another political suicide uselessly. It recently announced the suspension of its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai and the chairman of the party, Isaac Matongo for unrevealed charges. There are those who think that Tsvangirai played in the hands of his nemesis ZANU-PF when he accepted the compromise to form the Government of National Unity (GNU) without laying a foundation for fair play in Zimbabwe. Such people may be true looking at what ensued to former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga in last year general elections in which he was routed by Jubilee presidential entrant Uhuru Kenyatta. The same was repeated in Zimbabwe whereby Tsvangirai devastatingly went down in defeat once again.  This time around Tsvangirai had no pretext for his discoloured defeat except his own slip-ups.

David Coltart the founding member of MDC was quoted by BBC as saying, “I'm not surprised this has happened because tensions have been brewing for quite a long time.”  Indeed, MDC has been engrossed in power struggle after it lost presidency for the third time under Tsvangirai. This makes him a casualty thanks to no being able to deliver his party and his country.

Coltart added, “But I am concerned about this. What we need in the opposition is consolidation, not further splitting.” If anything, this is the same many observers and those who support true democracy ask. Now Tsvangirai’s been suspended, so what and what next? Who’s going to benefit from such a suicidal move? It is obvious that ZANU-PF is now smiling like a Cheshire cat after evidencing the bedlam MDC is in now. Why didn’t the party follow constructive procedures of retiring its leader if it found that he no longer adds up to Zimbabweans politics and the polity itself?

In announcing the whys and wherefores for the suspension of Tsvangirai MDC deputy secretary general, Gift Chimanikire was quoted as saying, “Having found both of them guilty of the charges, the committee felt it had to make a decision based on principle and not on convenience and decided that expulsion would meet the justice of the offences.” Ironically, Chimanikire didn’t let slip the charges Tsvangirai and Matongo are facing. After reaching such a boiling point, many are asking: Is the ruling ZANU-PF behind this move? If yes why then MDC has allowed itself to be taken for a ride in the first place? Whose fault in this political blitzkrieg? What actually transpired is truly a mixed bag. There are those who think that Tsvangirai committed his suttee when he agreed to form the GNU knowingly that after its mandate Zimbabwe’d go to elections under the same archaic constitution ZANU-PF has always used to win by being allowed to man and conduct the elections in which it is a competitor. There are those who support Tsvangirai saying that by agreeing to form the GNU he was able to save Zimbabwe from the ashes. Others don’t support any asking if there is anything important GNU achieved.

After the news was blown out that Tsvangirai and Matongo were suspended, Tsvangirai group hit back by claiming to have suspended Chimanikire, Welshman Ncube MDC secretary general, Gibson Sibanda the party's disciplinary committee chairman, and other senior officials who have clashed with the MDC leader.

So, it becomes harder to know who’s been suspended and who suspended whom currently. Essentially, MDC is in disarray and mix-up that’ll cost it dearly just soon shall it not put its house in order. What’s obvious is that MDC has once again offered ZANU-PF a landslide victory come next general election. This is an open secret thanks to what transpired in 2005 when MDC split into two factions one under Tsvangirai and another under Arthur Mutambara. Many still wonder. Why didn’t MDC learn from this mortifying act of its past? True sage's it that the mistake we make as far as history’s concerned is to mistake history itself. Again, should we squarely blame everything of MDC’s foes or the party itself? This is why those saying that there is a hand of the ruling party seem to be right. Others say that selfishness is haunting MDC just like any other undemocratic opposition party in Africa.

Let’s hope that what’s going in MDC upper echelons is but a passing cloud. Again, once it has passed, where’ll it leave the party? Is it the right time to write a dirge for MDC or time to write a laudatory footnote for the rebirth of MDC after separating seeds from chaffs? Is it the beginning of the end of Tsvangirai? Indeed, it is not easy to tell which way MDC will go. What’s certain is either way MDC goes, it’ll emerge as a so very much weakened front whose tribulations will once again give ZANU-PF a resounding triumph come next elections.

Source: African Executive Magazine May 7, 2014.