By Luke Tamborinyoka
It was a week of surprises and switching of allegiances; Rodrick Mutuma re-signing for Dynamos football club, Raheem Sterling switching from Anfield to the Etihad and Temba Mliswa and Jabulani Sibanda joining Morgan Tsvangirai at a public platform to demand democracy and pray for an innocent citizen abducted by Robert Mugabe’s government.
Yes, Jabulani Sibanda, he of the one-million-men march to keep Mugabe in office.
He now wants the same millions to hound the same Mugabe out of office for being a threat to safety and security of citizens guaranteed by the new Constitution.
For the people Zimbabwe, Saturday’s prayer meeting was a convergence of Zimbabweans of all political colours—a development that inspired a despondent nation and gave its distressed people the reason to hope again.
On Saturday, Zimbabwe Grounds in High field was an inspiring, kaleidoscopic sight of diverse Zimbabweans demanding a new direction for their country.
The gathering was a prayer meeting for journalist-cum-activist Itai Dzamara, abducted by State security agents on 9 March this year and whose whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.
The sight of Morgan Tsvangirai, Jabulani Sibanda, Mrs Emilia Mukaratirwa of ZAPU, Transform Zimbabwe President Jacob Ngrivhume, MKD leader Simba Makoni and Temba Mliswa in the same tent, sharing the same platform and speaking the same language of change was a unique political moment for the country.
Even Tendai Biti renewed his faith in teamwork and signed a joint statement with Morgan Tsvangirai and other leaders to demand a new direction for the country.
He probably realized that those he had previously labeled “idiots” had far more traction on the ground. Yes, it is worth working together again for the good of the country.
Together, we are better.
Morgan Tsvangirai had given us sufficient warning the week before. Presenting his state if the nation address on Harare on 4 July, the MDC leader had sufficiently psyched up the nation for Saturday’s exciting event.
“Today, I promise Zimbabweans that we are on the brink of an exciting political moment and they will see us as political leaders converging on this issues that matter to us as Zimbabweans,” he told delegates to his state of the nation address at the Exhibition Park.
“It is on this score that I can tell you here that on the 11th of July in Harare, I will be joining Zimbabweans from various political backgrounds at a prayer meeting for Itai Dzamara that is being organized by the church.”
So there had been sufficient notice for this convergence.
But the diversity of Saturday’s gathering sent a clear message locally, regionally and internationally.
The first message was that Zimbabweans were prepared to work together to confront an intransigent regime that is not only a threat to its own citizens, but was clueless on how to solve the monumental crisis facing the country.
The gathering debunked the deliberately planted myth of an egoistic Morgan Tsvangirai who was not prepared to work with others in confronting the national crisis.
What was on show on Saturday was a selfless leader prepared to work with others, contrary to the script planted by his detractors.
Thirdly, as the weevils gnaw away the last vestiges of national stability and civility, Saturday sent a clear message that there was an even bigger coalition of Zimbabweans prepared to work together to defend and protect the granary of our national dignity.
Saturday gave Zimbabweans the reason to believe that there are even more exciting prospects on the horizon.
But one sceptic quipped that th prayer meeting had exposed some leaders as undecided, jelly-kneed and spineless cowards lacking the requisite spine to be bold enough to publicly stand in solidarity with a family in distress.
What was exposed, at least to the sceptic, was that the gargantuan stature of some among us was nothing but a media creation with no requisite leadership stamina to abide by the conviction of their heart and spirit.
For sme of us, the good news is that they had signed a joint statement, maning they were ready to come on board the national train.
While some buckled with fear and hesitation, the Tsvangirai brand was present at the occasion together with others and doing what it knows best; providing national leadership through words of comfort and courage to a fellow Zimbabwean family in distress.
That’s the leadership this political moment requires; bold leadership with spine and patriotic arrogance.
All I can promise for now is that there is likely to be more excitement from the pot where Saturday’s joy was brewed and served from.
After all, this is a year of lessons, lectures and tutorials.
Indeed, as all Zimbabweans can now testify, “Gore rino tichadzidza zvakawanda.”
Luke Tamborinyoka is the MDC-T’s Presidential spokesperson and Director of Communications in the party. He writes here in his personal capacity.
