The MDC-T must put its best foot forward

By Dhlayani Chauke | Opinion |

It is Congress time for the MDC T, the biggest opposition party in Zimbabwe.

Coming as it does at a time when the party is smarting from an embarrassing ‘shellacking’ at the hands of ZANU PF in general elections of July 31, 2013, and also after a split earlier this year, this is going to be a very important one as it is an opportunity for the party to assemble an extraordinary team to take the party forward and instil confidence in its ever waning support base.

The forthcoming congress is an opportunity for the party to put together a formidable team that will vigorously rekindle the revolutionary flames with a view to winning the 2018 elections. That being the common goal, the decision of the National Executive Committee to block Job Sikhala from contesting at the Congress does not auger too well with the masses.

Job ‘Wiwa’ Sikhala re-joined the party in March amid pomp and fanfare, and many hailed the return of the firebrand and fearless Wiwa as a welcome boost to the party in the face of a looming leadership crisis following the Biti-Mangoma rebellion. His credentials speak volumes of a dedicated, fearless and goal-driven cadre whose charisma resonates with the majority of the MDC supporters.

His time at the helm of the Defence and Security arm of the united MDC was characterised by brilliance and commendable bravery. At a time when the party is losing traditional friends and supporters, people like Job come in handy to take the reins in some of the portfolios and work to spruce up the image of the party and enhance its presence in Zimbabwe.

The party must take a leaf from the book that ZANU PF is reading from. One thing ZANU PF is good at is roping in the best brains when the going gets tough. They are quick to overlook history and pragmatically bring aboard the best human resources at their disposal to deliver for them and articulate party policies.

A case in point being Jonathan Moyo who, even after having left the party for some time, in which period he directed his arsenal at the same party he had worked for a few years back, was still brought on board to steer the all-important Ministry of Information and Publicity. In him, Mugabe saw great potential; in fact he considered his record which he had demonstrably shown in the five years he had headed the same Ministry.

The MDC must employ the same tactic with regard to those cadres that are known to be good and brave go-getters such as Wiwa. The man got nominated for the Deputy Organising Secretary’s post in about five provinces. Surely the gentleman should be left to contest for that post at the Congress; the MDC family knows what he is capable of.

It is not fair to victimise Wiwa for having left the MDC T family at the time of the first split in 2005. We all err, some us surreptitiously and thus we are never publicly known to have betrayed the cause of the struggle at some point. He was open about his displeasure with the party leadership and he left to join the rival party of Arthur Mutambara before forming his own MDC 99 outfit.

The fact that he was willing to abnegate his presidential post in a party he had founded and was willing to come and join others in the big tent is proof enough that the man is not driven by greedy but by a desire to serve the people of Zimbabwe. There is no harm in appointing him Deputy Organising Secretary. The incumbent in this same post, Abednico Bhebhe was once also in Mutambara’ s MDC but he was pardoned and allowed to hold the post upon his return.

Sikhala is not just an ordinary MDC member. He is a former legislator and still very popular with MDC supporters. He was paraded and introduced to the people on his readmission, an acknowledgement that he is an important figure in MDC circles. Such a privilege is not extended to everyone who joins or re-joins the party.

If it was worthwhile to parade and introduce Sikhala on public fora, it is still in order to allow the charismatic man to stand a chance to be appointed Deputy Organising Secretary. We need men of his stature in a post like that.

To bluntly put it, Sikhala can be regarded as a coalition partner now, and if viewed thus, his humility in accepting the nomination for Deputy organising post should be commended. In other organisations he would have been taken aboard as a coalition partner, considering he is a man who had become a president of his own party.

As pointed out earlier, during his tenure as Secretary for Defence and Security, Job Sikhala shone as a tower of strength and pride for the MDC. He was one of the best cadres deployed by the MDC, one whom you would trust to deliver all the time. It is therefore very strange that such a man, at a time when the MDC has been shaken and rocked by widespread defection, is denied a chance to lead in any capacity.

The people are the power that drives the party forward. They have spoken through the five provinces in which he was nominated. Why therefore should someone in the party feel that they belong to the party better than anybody else, wantonly blocking aspiring contestants.

I strongly feel that the decision of the National Executive Committee was very unfair and must have been spearheaded by some people who are jealousy of Sikhala’s popularity and charisma. But why should that be a threat to democracy- loving Zimbabweans? Is it not that people want a team that will take them to Canaan? Good leaders, charismatic, popular leaders are the ingredients that are needed to achieve that.

It seems as if somebody is fighting against democracy by denying talented cadres the opportunity to contest at the Congress.

The ruling party continues to dribble past the opposition in Zimbabwe because it deploys the best cadres to specific portfolios. For instance, ZANU PF’S propaganda machinery is kept well-oiled by the presence of the technocrats such as Maziwisa, Charamba and Jonathan Moyo himself.

These people might not be ZANU PF proper, so to speak, but they have got the acumen and expertise to execute duties under their portfolios. They were seconded to these portfolios because of their capabilities and nothing else. And what does the MDC seek to achieve by blocking Job Sikhala?

Are they seeking downfall? Ridicule? Or further humiliation at the hands of ZANU PF? Well maybe the MDC deserves that because they have got the right manpower, the right brains but they are busy blocking them or as in other cases misemploying them.

Zimbabwean opposition politics is not for the fainthearted. To face ZANU PF you need to have been in the oven before, to have been in the trenches or to be exceptionally brave and strategic and able to always stay on top of your game, which attributes Wiwa aptly possess.

Let the MDC learn from ZANU PF, a party that has been in the game longer enough. If you are to sup with the devil you need a longer spoon. A weak team to lead the MDC is a boost for ZANU PF. Let the opposition be warned!