INTERVIEW – Former St Mary’s MP Job Sikhala rejoined the MDC in March last year. Despite being barred from standing for office in last year’s party congress he tells Nehanda Radio why he feels optimistic the party can end Zanu PF rule in Zimbabwe. He explains why the MDC ‘big tent’ approach is the way forward.
Lance Guma: It’s been several months since you returned back to the MDC, give us your take on the state of the party. Are you happy with your decision?
Job Sikhala: I am not worried about my happiness but the happiness by the generality of our people about the principle of unity among all democratic forces to deliver change to the people of Zimbabwe. This decision is not about me but about the people who are hungry and thirsty for change in Zimbabwe and I think they are happy about my decision. It’s no longer about the happiness of individuals but happiness of our people.
Guma: A lot of people felt the MDC needed your energy and zeal as an office holder and felt bitter that you were blocked from standing at the last congress?
Sikhala: I know but that can not stop me from delivering on the expectations of our people. I have responsibilities that where allocated to me by President (Morgan) Tsvangirai and I am happy with those responsibilities and I want to deliver on them. I am the party’s Secretary for Mobilisation and Recruitment and it’s not a simply task. It needs commitment and dedication to deliver.
Guma: You have preached a lot about others joining the ‘big tent’. Why do you think we have people in the democratic movement who were prepared to work with Mugabe in the coalition government but cannot work together amongst themselves?
Sikhala: It’s all driven by power hunger and financial interest. In our long journey to topple the tyrant many of our colleagues realised huge financial gains out of it and are now failing to reconcile the need for change and their financial interests.
Secondly people have had personal differences. Personal differences which were not well managed when they were emerging. These personal differences degenerated into personal hatred. The personal hatred of Morgan Tsvangirai exceeded the drive to fight the common enemy. Plots and sub plots that have been taking place in our party since it’s inception in 1999 were not well managed, hence, the current deep seated hatred.
Myself, I couldn’t be driven by my different opinions in terms of strategy and vision for the future but was driven by the desire to unite and forget about our petty differences.
Guma: The common criticism is that the party relies too much on contesting elections as the only method of taking on the regime and given the privatisation of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), police, army, CIO and ZBC different strategies are needed. We are already nearing 2018 and there is still no voters’ roll for example?
Sikhala: The party is oblivious of such challenges. We have adopted the policy of never to broadcast our next moves. This has been the major weakness that was capitalized by ZANU PF in our endevours to topple them. I am confident about our Secretary for Elections Hon. Murisi Zvizvai who is less of a talker but a man of action to deliver a wide range of our strategies on elections.
He has a solid plan for the future of our party which is quite impressive. To tell you the truth we also influence the direction with which the party should take to deal with the dictatorship before us. We have a wide range of strategies to deal with the tyrant which I am confident will see us through to a New Zimbabwe. We can’t broadcast them my brother. It will be freely equipping the dictatorship.
Guma: But do you not need to embolden and motivate your supporters so that they do not lose hope. The party won elections in 2008 but still failed to take power. How do spread hope if your strategies are secret?
Sikhala: We are doing it at the grassroots level. My role and duty as the Mobilisation Secretary is to mobilize the new thinking towards a winning formula. And you can’t pronounce your winning formula because your enemy will put in place counter strategies against you. This has been done for many and it is another reason why the MDC failed to get power after winning in 2008. For example if the strategy is confrontational would it be prudent to broadcast it. Within hours ZANU PF will have the counter strategies in place.
Guma: You are a former MP for St Mary’s and I’m sure the constituency remains close to your heart. What sort of challenges are people facing in your area?
Sikhala: They are a mirage of problems people in St. Mary’s are facing. I can write a one million page thesis about the challenges the people of St. Mary’s are facing. But the top priority is lack of water. For over half a decade the people of this constituency have not been getting water whether clean or dirty. They are surviving on shallow water wells.
95% of the people don’t go to work. Vendor economy is the order of the day. Everyone is a seller of something to get the next meal. It is one location in town with the deepest pot holes. The road infrastructure has totally collapsed.
Garbage collection is no longer done. Sewage is flowing everywhere, crime has escalated, clinics no longer functioning because workers have gone 22 months without salary. The problems faced by the people of st. Mary’s is the mirror of our national problems.
Guma: To any Zimbabwean home and abroad reading this interview, what would you like to say to them?
Sikhala: That we have not tired yet. Our determination to remove the dictator is as inspiring as never before. We are energised to take the fight to the very end. I urge all Zimbabweans to rally behind us to complete the change.
It seems insurmountable to some but there is nothing left of Mugabe’s regime. It has come to its end. Mugabe and ZANU PF are finished. They might pretend to have an invincible life but it’s all living a lie. The destination is so near.
Guma: My last question. You were dragged through the mud last year over the Joice Mujuru saga. Only fitting that I ask you about the suggestion that the MDC could form an alliance with her faction in Zanu PF to fight Mugabe’s regime.
Sikhala: Hahahaha. It was one of our strategies that produced the exact results we wanted. It was a mission well accomplished. But obviously what we want is as many people in the party as possible.
Guma: But from initial reactions people are excited by that prospect and as Secretary for Mobilisation and Recruitment that could be an area of possible penetration, harnessing disgruntled Zanu PF supporters.
Sikhala: We need everyone in the ‘big tent’ without qualifying.
Guma: Is there any issue you want to address before I end the interview?
Sikhala: I urge every Zimbabwean and every political player to take the interest of the people first. We must bury our political egos for the sake of our nation.
