By Mpiyabo Zondo
The desire to deodorise the stinking smell of the political failures of MDC and its record political miscalculations, chief among them the imposition of Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga as a legislator representing Matabeleland South (yet she comes from Harare), has driven some of its leaders to the embarrassing levels of bootlicking, specifically those that seek to praise and glorify these glaring failings all in exchange for privileges and last crumbs of the remaining dream of what was to be a political party.
Recently, I read two pieces written by one pseudo writer Zethule Nkengane — his real name is a public secret to those in the MDC structures — the present writer resists the temptation of revealing the identity of this coward. Nkengane finds comfort in hiding his identity mainly because he knows he is trying to defend the indefensible.
(See article: ‘Priscilla must go’ mantra now a side show)
Yes, he is a political scientist by training, a failed politician by practice, an MDC official by political opportunism and undoubtedly a political accident that even his handler regrets.
Due to limited space, I will not dwell on his first article because it is now known that Mushonga is in Parliament illegitimately no matter how many members they expel or suspend.
The matter is now on the public domain and she even knows herself that she is not the representative of the people. She represents her personal interest and those of her close ally Welshman Ncube, not to mention her pocket.
In this paper I will put it to you dear reader that Ncube’s silence is not a political strategy, but a result of not only the embarrassing political defeat, but also the exposition of his treacherous nature.
Ncube’s silence in the public space while engaging actively the structures of MDC in the provinces, may be understood as being strategic, but his failure to convene a national council — a supreme decision-making body in between congresses since the elections — reveals his contempt of the party structures, resigning to his house or farm and keeping even his structures guessing, is political suicide.
By doing that he is leaving a vaccum that someone will fill in the not-long future and render him irrelevant.
His failure to meet his comrades at the level of the national council is political stupidity that can’t even be glorified by his diehard hangers-on like Nkengane. Perhaps it’s time that Ncube looked closely at those around him. In Nkengane we have an enemy within.
The truth, our forefathers said, is like fire — you can’t hide it under dry leaves. Now that Ncube’s lies have been exposed about his fight for devolution; he has nothing to say, but go into hiding.
He spoke to all our people that they would benefit from their local resources, the local jobs, yet on his back he carried his sidekick Mushonga, to benefit from the opportunities of the locals.
Which other lies can he tell now that his pursuit for justice and fairness was nothing, but a lie and a big one?
Welshman has betrayed his people. He has spoken and spat on their faces. He has in bold terms told them that they are people not worthy to be in Parliament.
They can’t represent themselves, he has said they can’t articulate their issues in Parliament. Only one woman, yes, one woman Madam Mushonga from far away land, can best articulate the interest of those that are not people.
Any politically conscious man under the sun knows that after such treachery a person needs to disappear from the public space just like Enos Nkala. These are hard truths that should be told to Ncube by those that have access to his sanctuary of shame, not lies and praise singing.
Finally I quote James Allan, British philosopher who said: “Man is made or unmade by himself.
“By the right choice he ascends . . .” Surely by the wrong choices he has made, Ncube has grounded himself.
Mpiyabo Zondo is an MDC member based in Bulawayo. He can be contacted on [email protected]. This article was initially published in the Southern Eye newspaper
