Morgan Tsvangirai is not a true democrat – response to Luke Tamborinyoka

By Tinashe Chimombe

Propaganda is a ubiquitous ingredient of politics. The danger however arises when one believes their own propaganda to the extent of putting sticks in their ears and locking other voices of reason out.

Such is the case of Luke Tamborinyoka in his article titled “Morgan Tsvangirai is a true democrat.” Luke makes a contemptible and imprecise endeavor to portray Morgan Tsvangirai as a democrat, worse a true one.

I do not know if Luke can be forgiven as someone doing his job, but still, doing your job does not entail relegating common sense and being oblivious to the truth. Morgan Tsvangirai is not a democrat period.

Democratic leadership is one where ideas between leaders and subordinates, in this case even members, flow freely and discussions are held in an open manner where members’ views are respected. It is participative and involves subordinates in decision-making processes. Democratic leaders are also transparent and accountable. Sadly, these traits do not exist in Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai’s leadership of the MDC has been punctuated with abundant installments of dictatorial propensities. Tsvangirai has used violence, intimidation and perpetual fear against those opposed to him. These violent tendencies have reduced Morgan Tsvangirai to be a mirror image of Robert Mugabe. One true case of how Tsvangirai uses violence to thwart his enemies is that of Trudy Stevenson in 2006.

Even a report that was commissioned by Tsvangirai concluded that indeed, his supporters had meted out violence on Trudy Stevenson. There are a plethora of cases where youths loyal to Tsvangirai have resorted to violence, intimidation and confiscating of cars of those opposed to Tsvangirai. He has never at any point condemned this behaviour.

The appointment of ambassadors from the MDC is an enlightening case of the true unilateral leadership of Tsvangirai. Ambassadors were selected without consultation with anyone even the National Council of the party. The former ambassador to Germany, Hebson Makuvise, is his relative while his relationship to the former ambassador to Australia, Jacqueline Zwambila, is highly controversial. Such is the true leadership of Tsvangirai.

The MDC is currently glued together not by shared values and principles but by fear of reprisals and violence. Values and principles have been sacrificed on the altar of fear, intolerance and intimidation. Anyone who dares challenge Tsvangirai is labeled a rebel of the party who must be disciplined by violent means.

All in the MDC know how Tsvangirai has been captured by a clique of individuals often referred to as the kitchen cabinet which makes policy decisions that are a prerogative of constitutional organs of the party. Consultation is token and only when decisions have already been made by the kitchen cabinet.

Another case that indorses the dictatorial tendencies of Morgan Tsvangirai is that of the Chikanga-Dangamvura primary election between Arnold Tsunga and Giles Mutsekwa. Teams from Harare conducted three elections and on all occasions Mutsekwa was trounced.  In true autocratic fashion Tsvangirai, declared that Mutsekwa as the party’s candidate.

Tsvangirai went further to threaten with expulsion those who were not amenable to his decision and told them to vote Zanu PF. Does this augur well with the democratic nature that Luke wants us to believe that Tsvangirai is, certainly not.

Tsunga defied Tsvangirai and went on to win the parliamentary seat. Mutsekwa came a distant and embarrassing third with votes that were less than a quarter of Tsunga’s. If the MDC had won the general election on July 31, 2013, it is clear Tsunga was going to be expelled.

The MDC has numerous complaints of how Nelson Chamisa and the Organizing Department rigged primary elections before the July 31 election. If Tsvangirai is such a democrat, as Luke would want us to believe, how come he has not even attempted to solve a single case to ensure that the will of the people in the MDC structures is respected?

There are even reports, for example, in Buhera West, where a parliamentary candidate was imposed with no primary elections held.

The selection of Mayors also exhibits the dictatorial tendencies present in Tsvangirai. The whole process was left to him and him alone whereas the party could have embarked on a more consultative and open process involving districts and provinces.

The appointment of Obert Gutu, which was later aborted, was his own decision without consulting anyone. That Councillors defied his directive and went on to elect their preferred candidates only points to rejection of imposition of candidates and the undemocratic nature of the process.

In his article, Luke unintelligently tries to interpret the current leadership renewal debate in the MDC as an indication of Tsvangirai’s democratic credentials. However, much to the contrary, the attendant raging debate on leadership renewal in the MDC has not enhanced Morgan Tsvangirai’s democratic credentials but has actually exposed the true dictatorial nuances that exist in him.

For Elton Mangoma and Elias Mudzuri to be harassed for expressing their opinions only points to the fact that Tsvangirai does not exhibit any democratic tendencies but will try by all means, legal or otherwise, to silence dissent.

Luke in his article claims, “In other parties, violence and death will visit those who express a wish to lead and those who talk about succession and leadership renewal. In the MDC, we have seen that ambition is not criminal and the party president will guarantee your safety even if you express an insatiable desire for his post. We have learnt that here is no stifling of debate in the MDC. People are free to express their opinions and that is evidence of thriving democracy to which the party committed itself way back when it was formed in 1999.” This sets a very dangerous tone in that why should the president of a party guarantee the safety of those who want to challenge him. Safety must be guaranteed not by an individual but by democratic values, principles and the constitution of the party.

Luke also inanely thinks Tsvangirai has given the people of Zimbabwe “free lessons on democracy and true and honest leadership.” Surely Luke, this is not only hypocritical but blowing your trumpet to exceptional levels. The people of Zimbabwe know how dishonest Tsvangirai has been particularly with issues of double dipping pertaining to the purchase and renovations at his five million mansion in Highlands. Tsvangirai’s leadership has not only been dishonest but marred by lack of transparency and unaccountability.

In the said article, Luke misses the point when he claims, “to Africa and the world, Morgan Tsvangirai has sent a clear message about democracy and good leadership. Morgan Tsvangirai has sent a loud message that power should have character and that robust debate is the cornerstone of democracy and true leadership.” 

This is a correct case of misrepresentation of facts. Tsvangirai is suffering from the same syndrome afflicting many African despots. Akin to most African leaders, Tsvangirai is suffering from a disorder of entitlement, founder president mentality and most worryingly a messianic complex. He is trapped in the same mentality that him, and only him, is capable of leading the MDC.

The mentality that he is the MDC and the MDC is him. That is not how true democrats behave.

At this tempo, it is apparent that Tsvangirai is increasingly mutating into a mirror image of Mugabe while the MDC is increasingly becoming like Zanu PF. We are witnessing osmosis of intolerance, violence, stifling of debate, use of militia, fear and intimidation from Zanu PF to MDC. It is lucid that Tsvangirai has departed from the founding values and principles of the MDC and does not demonstrate any democratic inclinations.

Tinashe Chimombe writes from Harare. He can be contacted on [email protected]