The dominant narrative these days is the formation of a grand coalition. According to those behind the idea, a coalition is the only effective way of removing Zanu PF from power.
Tapiwa Gomo
As I indicated two weeks ago, our politics is obsessed with removing Zanu PF and not improving our country.
Our thinking too has become so political such that any discussion on the future of the country must involve politics.
Those behind the idea have, however, managed to make it look attractive as if it is anything new and a reliable model.
They have sold the idea as if they have discovered a new way of doing politics in Zimbabwe.
By definition, a coalition is generally a temporary union or alliance of political interest groups who decide to unite temporarily for a cause.
So there is no guarantee that the different political parties will dismantle their small tents into the bigger tent.
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They will still maintain them because a coalition is just a temporary arrangement.
Coalitions are not new in Zimbabwe. Our political landscape has been dominated by these since independence.
Some have managed to influence the political scene, while others have existed for the sake of those behind them.
There are two problems with the current narrative. Before I address the two problems, it is vital to point out that the drivers of this agenda are apparently in a political wilderness and their political lives are hanging in no-man’s land.
They are quite clear about the uncertainties around the current MDC-T infighting which can potentially go against their way.
And in such a situation a grand coalition — whether it gives them higher positions or not — offers them a comfortable and modest political hide-out.
Back to the two problems.
The first problem is that both the conveners and the convened of the grand coalition are break-always from their main political parties due to several reasons, but much of which centre around the hunger for power and inflated egos.
We cannot rule out ideological differences, as well as anti-MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai sentiment.
The danger in such an arrangement is that such people will agree to a coalition in theory, but without total commitment.
And assuming the objective of removing Zanu PF is achieved, what are the chances of the coalition sticking together for the long haul in the service of the people? This is power and egos we are talking about.
The MDC was formed by such coalitions in 1999. It was a group of everyone and everything that had a constituency, no matter their differences, they were united by the common cause of dismantling Zanu PF from power.
As the battle to topple Zanu PF became protracted, the coalitions in the MDC started to gradually peel off and retracting into their ideological corners.
On close analysis, it is the same groups that harbour a strong ant-Tsvangirai sentiment, that are currently discussing a coalition against Zanu PF.
So the idea of a coalition is not a new one. It is just recycled names and political opportunists desperate for relevance and political shelter. The second problem with the current narrative of the grand coalition is that, in its text, it is implied that such a coalition is what is needed to remove Zanu PF from power.
While such an approach sounds plausible in a context where the MDC has fatigued the electorate, it lacks attention to basic historical facts. Zanu PF is not in power today because of lack of a strong coalition. A coalition can be strong in terms of its composition, but may not be strong in terms of its appeal to the electorate.
In addition, even when all strengths are combined, it does not translate to toppling Zanu PF.
We have a living example in the form of the MDC. Since its formation, Zimbabweans have given Tsvangirai their votes and in big numbers.
The problem is not lack of a strong political party or lack of votes for other parties. The problem is not that votes are being scattered across many political parties. But the political system does not allow any other party or politician to claim victory.
And this is where the problem is and I doubt that such a problem is going to be solved by a coalition.
Such a coalition, relevant as it may seem, will be a replica of the MDC. Failure to achieve the objective of removing Zanu PF in the next election, it will suffer the same disintegration as the MDC.
We missed an opportunity during the government of national unity period. The MDC should have put pressure for reforms and not agree to an election until such reforms have been implemented.
But then they agreed to go for elections in an environment that did not favour them, hoping by the stroke of miracle things would change. That was the biggest missed opportunity to address the problem of a politically skewed environment.
