Divided we fall, united we stand in 2018

By Nehanda Radio On Jun 17, 2015 204

By Elijah Mangwengwende

Out of respect I humbly try to explore why after 16 years MDC and other little known parties have thus far failed to dislodge ZANU PF from power. Is it through weaknesses of opposition political parties in our country?

Is it that ZANU PF brutality and vote rigging has succeeded to the extent of bullying MDC into boycotting elections? Or is it a collective failure of opposition forces to organise themselves effectively by mushrooming on daily basis without focus?

Or is it actually fear for the military as perceived in some quarters. Or is it because people still love Uncle Bob so dearly if the 2013 results are anything to go by.

MY PERSONAL OPINIONS

In Zimbabwe, many of the opposition parties appear or become active only during an election, and disappear when the election is over.

It is clear that opposition parties are operating around the personalities of individuals, lack of internal democracy as evidenced by inter-party and intra-party conflicts, have severe shortage of finance, and lack strong base and experience. The weaknesses also include bad organization and weak connection with the popular constituencies.

The sad reality is that the weaknesses of the opposition parties emanate from ZANU PF’s hostile policies and dark tactics, which are mostly aimed at fragmenting and weakening the opposition groups and unfortunately the opposition is succumbing to that.

Having said that for how long shall we cry regarding ZANU PF brutality, it has been 16 years now, same old stories of ZANU PF rigging, beatings, lack of media coverage, electoral reforms etc. We now all know how ZANU PF operates, so the question is: How do we confront them?

Shall we keep on mourning till Jesus comes? Or are going to keep on trying using same old failed approach? Or shall we keep on having stampede on who reaches the court first saying ZANU PF this ZANU PF that?

Personally am tired of old same stories.

I do believe that one of the main weakness’ of MDC and other oppositions has been failure to keep their movements united.

Mugabe’s ZANU PF has factionalism but at least that is still limited to internal fights rather than the proliferation of MDC’s something that has been an embarrassment and confidence eroding exercise among the supporters.

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MDC-T, MDC-N, MDC-99, MDC-Mutambara, MDC-Biti and now MDC-Renewal of Democrats, What is that all about?

The splits encountered over the years are because of self-centred egocentric nincompoops. One would have thought it’s time to unite but they keep on splitting and they want people to take them serious??

If they have people at heart they would have put stupid differences aside and unite all forces. The tragedy we have at the moment is that we do not have a genuine multiparty system based on the usual divide between cake makers and cake sharers rather we have factions of the same cake sharing system with leaders having a beauty contest at the expense of suffering citizens.

I come to reckon that our number one enemy is the opposition itself, not helping the situation out. They are letting the people down. Opposition leaders are now self-centred and self-serving as witnessed by continuous demands for free residential stands, diplomatic passports, 4×4 terrain cars among other things, truly speaking amidst soaring poverty and unprecedented levels of unemployment.

The chefs in MDC run councils are spoiling themselves with First class remuneration packages meanwhile residents are going about without water, electricity, no refuse collection. Yet they want people to take them seriously. Seems like they joined the conveyor belt of the looting bandwagon.

As much as I don’t agree with other erstwhile cadres, who believe that only way to resolve difference is through forming meaningless political parties. I believe it’s a collective leadership failure in our long protracted battle to dislodge ZANU PF from its tyrannical way of governance.

I think due to ideological deficiencies, we encountered numerous splits since 2000, it started way back when MP Munyaradzi Gwisai tried to position the MDC as a worker party which was fundamentally left of ZANU PF but he was fired unceremoniously by those who wanted the party to be right of ZANU PF.

Then another wing were on the right side of ZANU PF, pushing for commercial farmers rights and their business interests, those were the first to leave the MDC and tried to manipulate the donor community by forming a rival MDC citing violence as an excuse.

ZANU PF seized the opportunity and positioned themselves as a party of the peasants and workers by fast tracking the land reform programme and formed rival workers union, in the process they reduced the political terrain into personality wars rather than ideological contests.

Yet in actual fact it was the opposition who advocated for land reform and started as a labour backed movement. Through that confusion I believe the opposition lost track somehow.

MDC-T represents what they call “Social democratic dispensation”, MDC-Ncube Represents what they call “Democracy & non-violence”, MDC-Biti Represents Violence and Social democracy as witnessed by thorough beatings of a senior member who snatched someone’s wife.

MDC-Mangoma represents those who can’t fight back but are always bashed mercilessly by their rivals, and there are the likes of Lovemore Madhuku, Simba Makoni, Dumiso Dabengwa, and Didymus Mutasa, saying all sorts of nauseating and unhelpful things. All this shows lack of cohesion within opposition ranks.

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