Proposed Political Coalition: A Dangerous Strategy

By Silas Memory Madondo

Moses Chamboko posted an article (28/04/2016) expressing his support for a coalition of parties led by Morgan Tsvangirai, Dumiso Dabengwa, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, Simba Makoni , Joyce Mujuru and others. 

Mr. Chamboko stated that, ‘Our perception of an effective coalition is the one that brings together our collective wisdom, strengths, tools and inspirations and fight the common enemy as one’

Coalition only works where the political ground is level, where the electoral commission is fair and independent. It also works where tribalism is the order of the day and where people vote as a block. In the case of Zimbabwe, tribalism is average and people do not vote as a block, the critical problem in Zimbabwe is on how elections are conducted; only GOD and ZANU PF know how elections are conducted.

The purpose of this article is to expose evidence against the proposed coalition of parties in Zimbabwe in preparation for 2018 elections. What is first needed in Zimbabwe is not coalition, but the entire change of electoral commission and radical electoral reforms.

It is clear from the previous elections that the mainstream MDC was not loosing elections and the ruling party is always making sure that, the process of election is hidden from their competitors and the public.

Taking coalition of political parties in Zimbabwe as a solution is like taking anti retroviral medicine in advance (before diagnosed with HIV), Tsvangirai and his team are on course of losing direction, we hear him today saying, he is ready to stand in 2018 before electoral reforms are implemented! The devil is almost taking control of Tsvangirai, he is likely to sell the struggle again via ‘coalition’ and he didn’t learn much from the so called unity government following his victory.

Whitlaw Tanyanyiwa Mugwiji wrote an article published in Nehanda Radio on 2 May 2016 titled ‘2018 it’s do or die the opposition must unite or perish’ Mugwiji was expressing his love for coalition of political parties against ZANU PF. He failed to acknowledge the strong impact of uneven political ground in Zimbabwean election process.

How do you expect to win when ZANU PF team is the only referee and linesmen for the game? How do you expect to win when electoral reforms are not implemented? How do you expect to win when the electoral commission team is the beloved child of ZANU PF? Mugwiji may be misleading Tsvangirai and Zimbabweans, political coalition is only necessary when the political ground is level.

The political parties and Zimbabweans should start leveling the political ground now at any ‘cost’. I however, agree with Mugwiji when he said, ‘It is our responsibility, collectively as people, to stand up and take fight to ZANU PF’ Tsvangirai alone cannot help you to reach Canaan; you should become the master of your own destiny.

Zimbabwe is a land of cowards (myself included), who keep on saying that the country’s economy is collapsing yet there is no economy to talk about in Zimbabwe, ZANU PF has reduced the Zimbabwe’s economy to a district, millions are under a threat of hunger, no enough money from banks for their customers, workers’ day has been renamed to be ‘Venders’ Day’ and majority are feeding with bread and glucose behind the closed doors.

Can ZANU PF win any election under such an abnormal environment? If it does, then Mavhunga (Diziri pa Chinhoyi) should be released from prison and Mutasa reinstated to ZANU PF.

Our main problem as Zimbabweans is fear, we want to die in hell only and not for our freedom on earth. You do not need the coalition of parties, but your zeal to stand against up dictatorship for the benefit of generations to come. We wasted our time, but let’s now fight for generations to come.

Even if there will be coalition of great people, ZANU PF will still win the elections because they are in charge of the electoral commission and its hidden laws. The idea of ‘no reform no election’ should be given the much needed support and the political parties should learn from what is happening in Kenya now, the opposition is in the process of forcefully removing their perceived biased electoral commission from office. The opposition leaders were exposed to teargas while fighting for reforms and they resolved that, every Monday is a confrontation day till the electoral commission leaves office.

The opposition in Kenya under the leadership of CORD is a powerful coalition made up of strong parties with a lot of support base but they realized that, coalition alone cannot work if the electoral commission is biased. The main stream MDC is waiting to be given power, but evidence from Africa has not yet proven that perspective. The opposition parties should start mobilizing people in order to clear and level the political ground.

There is nothing that mainstream MDC can benefit from the likes of Dabengwa, Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo and possibly Ncube.  These people are all ZANU PF by DNA and it is very difficult to predict them.

Do you think they are driven by the genuine political spirit? Dumiso Dabengwa is the number one enemy of Tsvangirai , while addressing a rally in Chikomba on 13 July 2013, Dabengwa said ‘I think we achieved what we had set ourselves to achieve and that is to make sure Morgan did not win that election….’. Dabengwa should prove that he now wants Morgan to win the election. It is very difficult for main stream MDC to trust the likes of Dabengwa and therefore that coalition should be treated with extra care.

Didymus Mutasa is currently claiming to be a ‘political born again’ and is ready to expose all secretes to Tsvangirai, can we trust this man? According to my own understanding Mutasa is still a ZANU PF ‘old baby’ and therefore the mainstream MDC should stop using pumpers to an ‘old ZANU PF baby’. Mutasa has run out of ideas and is not a person to trust in the coalition. Joyce Mujuru is always dreaming that, one day she will lead the coalition and strongly believes that she is better than Tsvangirai in the coalition.

Mujuru’s silence is a clear indication that, she is a good example of a weak leader; she thinks she can play underground politics in Zimbabwe. Her hands are dirty and she cannot challenge ZANU PF in that state. All in all Dabengwa, Mutasa and Mujuru are full of ZANU PF ideology and that ideology is the one we wish should change. They should be spiritually and traditionally vetted before joining the coalition; do they have a hidden agenda?

In conclusion I can say, coalition is not a strong solution to the opposition crisis, the opposition should work on electoral reforms and removal of the current electoral commission. Uniting with former ZANU PF crew may result is collision rather than coalition.

Therefore, basing on the history of ZANU PF and politics in Zimbabwe the former ZANU PF (People First (PF)) should be vetted before being trusted by the genuine opposition fighters, they still believe that they are BETTER and ORIGINAL ZANU PF and that is why they decided to maintain PF (People First); do we therefore need ZANU PF ideology or ….?

Silas Memory Madondo is a lecturer and a Mixed Methods Researcher and can be conducted via [email protected]