Ncube MDC taking Zimbabweans for a ride: Chitate

By Benjamin Chitate

Prominent musician Thomas Mapfumo sang in one of his popular songs “Asingade, anenge asingade uyo, asingade, anenge asingade. Asingade, musamumanikidzewo, asingade, anenge asingade” (he who is not interested is not interested, leave him alone”.

The recent coalitions, one between MDC-Ncube and the other between MDC-T/Mavambo/Zanu Ndonga should be something that needs to be applauded.

While Senator David Coltart viewed the Ncube-Dabengwa pact as “a very positive step in the right direction”, and thought “a wider coalition against tyranny remains an important objective” , developments since the announcement of the Tsvangirai-Makoni-Semwayo pact prove that Senator Coltart’s wish will remain a pipe dream, even though the trio of Tsvangirai, Makoni and Semwayo announced that they were still open to Professor Ncube and others to join.

Note that I am a fan for further coalitions myself, but mine is just an observation influenced by the high expectations Zimbabweans had had on a possible pact to topple Mugabe.

In an editorial in The Standard of 30 June 2013, Nevanji Madanhire opines that as a result of the failure by forces opposed to Mugabe as to come together, the majority of the suffering Zimbabwe “will remain where they have been for the past 20 years.”

This demonstrates the fact that apart from those with apolitical interests, the generality of Zimbabweans wanted the parties to put partisan and personal differences aside and fight together to stop to the suffering people have experienced since the mid nineties under Mugabe dictatorship.

The two coalitions differ in many respects as I will explain. The MDC-Ncube/Zapu coalition allows each of the two parties to field candidates for both presidential and parliamentary elections, and as expressed by Dr. Dabengwa, is a response to the demands of the people of the region.

Dr. Dabengwa probably meant the Southern Zimbabwe region, not just Matebeleland as Professor Ncube hails from Midlands Province. The MDC-T/Mavambo/Zanu Ndonga coalition, on the other provides for one presidential candidate, giving them a slight advantage over the MDC-N/Zapu as all votes will be directed to one candidate.

Regrettably, supporters and officials from both sides have traded accusations. While opinion is allowed, some of the communication by officials and their supporters has degenerated into diatribe, while some of the postings on social network sites show hate, frustration and anger.

Under the circumstances, people should be left to choose what they like, whether to retain Mugabe, or replace him with Tsvangirai, Ncube, or Dabengwa.

What needs to be pointed out though, is that there are some officials from the MDC-Ncube have tried to make the public believe that Tsvangirai, Makoni and Semwayo have deliberately excluded them from the negotiations that led to their coalition.

But this is not true considering statements that have been made by Dabengwa and Paul Themba Nyathi.

Dabengwa made it clear that there had been some initial discussion, which, however, was not conclusive when he said “What did not happen was us as the leaders reaching a conclusion on how we were going to proceed in terms of who would get what and many other administrative arrangements.”

So, for Professor Ncube and some of his hardliners to then turn around and say they were only hearing about the coalition in the newspapers is divisive. If what Dr. Dabengwa said is true, which I believe it is, why did Professor Ncube and those anti-coalition in his party expect Tsvangrai, Makoni and Semwayo to keep dragging them to the discussion table when they were not interested?

Dr. Dabengwa’s explanation seems to tally with Paul Themba Nyathi’s explanation as reported by SW Radio Africa that Tsvangirai was playing Zimbabweans, adding that if the PM was interested in a genuine pact, he would desist from presenting himself as the de facto leader of the coalition.

Nyathi seems to suggest here that Tsvangirai was trying to impose himself as the leader of the coalition, and that must be the reason why the MDC-N pulled out of the initial discussions which, as pointed out by Dr. Dabengwa, were not conclusive.

To tell the world that they are only hearing about the talks in the media sounds more of a flimsy excuse and false.

The reason why they could not come on board is because the party’s President, Professor Ncube, has made it very clear that he cannot work with Tsvangirai’s MDC at all cost, a position that has been accepted by some hardliners in the party, and those who had wished for a coalition lost the battle.

Those known to have been for a coalition include David Coltart who I have quoted earlier in this opinion piece, and Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga who was applauded by the world when she said “if pro-democracy forces did not “pull up their socks”, or remained divided, it would provide a “priceless gift — like manna — for those in Zanu PF who are bent on reversing the gains realised during the transitional period.”

It is important to understand that Priscilla only expresses a wish for a united front when against Mugabe when she is out of Zimbabwe. The statement I have referred to was made while she was in South Africa.

When a team of Zimbabwean ministers visited the United Kingdom earlier this year as part of the re-engagement effort with Europe, Priscilla, who was part of the team had interactions with some Zimbabweans based in that country, and one of them posted a message on his Facebook wall that he had a one-on-one meeting with Priscilla, who was all for a coalition, making that Zimbabwean colleague full of hope that there was going to be a coalition.

But when she gets back to home soil, she cannot face Professor Ncube and the hardliners and switches to “Can someone tell me why people are so obsessed by a group of people they claim are so irrelevant to the political landscape, if it is a fact that this party [MDC] is so small and insignificant, then just wait and play the vuvuzelas on the first. You can’t on one hand abuse us, while asking us to join hands with you, it has to be one or the other,” she tweeted.

The probable explanation to Priscilla’s about turn could be that initially she hoped she could manage to be able to use her antics to persuade Professor Ncube to change his mind, but when Professor Ncube said he would not attend a council meeting if one was to be called to discuss a coalition, she realised that she was not going to succeed, and to pacify her, she was assured of an easy passage to parliament by being listed first in the proportional representation women seats in Matebeleland South Province which is the party’s stronghold.

So probably, after she got want she had hoped to achieve through a united front, there was no need to push for her idea.

Professor Ncube has made it categorically clear in his public statements which have been reported in the media, and in his personal correspondence with his acquaintances that he did not want coalitions, and that his party will go it alone.

In one of our exchanges, he wrote to me “since you (Chitate) want to run the MDC, here is our SG (Secretary-General)’s number and email. Call her or email her and ask her to convene the MDC National Council to consider your proposal to abandon our congress resolutions and adopt resolutions of other parties. I promise you I will not attend it and let’s see if your coalition resolution will be passed”.

In an interview with the Independent as reported in its 7 June edition, Professor Ncube said his party will not entertain any coalition prospects with the MDC-T saying “I am tired of these coalition stories. We have a party position and our party spokesperson can inform you of that. I have said it over and over again that we are not getting into any coalition with the MDC-T”.

And as recent as 10 July 2013, Professor Ncube still insists “I have no interest whatsoever in that grand coalition. I don’t want any position in it. Never will. I have NOT spoken nor will I speak to anyone in that coalition.”

Not too long ago, we were told MDC-Ncube had appointed Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga and Paul Themba Nyathi as their contact persons for coalition talks, but the sincerity of that is now very questionable given the messages emanating from Professor Ncube.

It would appear this was a gimmick to hoodwink the gullible that they indeed had a genuine interest in uniting other forces against Mugabe. If they appointed these two officials to be their representatives, what did they do to approach other parties to discuss a coalition against Mugabe? In my opinion, the MDC-Ncube is taking Zimbabweans for a ride. But it is their democratic right to do so, and the people of Zimbabwe must know.

And finally, what Professor Ncube should know is that even some of his own trusted lieutenants want unity to defeat Mugabe, but they are too scared to say it in front of him. I have had a lot of exchanges with friends and family in his own party, and those I shared with are for a coalition with anyone who is interested in order to topple Mugabe.

One of the members of his campaign team from Gwanda had this to say: “we are victim of our leaders’ selfishness and egos. Imagine how strong the MDC would be suppose we were still a single party. Its so sad. But mark my words, one day we will get there and one day we will be a united force and this country will be better.” One day, those suppressed emotions will explode.

I, and I hope others will, wish all those who do not want to unit to topple Mugabe good luck in this election. It is there democratic right to split the vote against Mugabe, and that right deserve to be respected.

Benjamin Chitate, New Zealand