Following the split in the MDC-T, some people could be wondering: “How could something so big have happened so quickly?”
CONWAY TUTANI ECHOES
Well, the split was a long time in the making. For those who bothered to observe, the signs and symptoms were long evident before the harmonised elections in July last year. They have had consuming differences for years.
The MDC-T went into this fight deeply divided. I became privy to this not by design. You see, one faction tried to rope me in to do, what I felt, a hatchet job on the other. Can someone allow me to say I am not that type?
To avoid getting caught up in all this, the best the media can do is conduct their own vote online and publish the results to settle the matter.
With hindsight, it now looks like a plot of epic proportions, a complicated web of deceit, was in operation. It’s like the MDC-T factions are so embroiled in a vicious fight that it spills over into a busy street during peak hour, resulting in both fighters being run over by several vehicles and their bodies flattened like pancakes. A pathetically pathetic situation.
Will one of them wave the white flag and concede defeat? Well, it doesn’t look it’s likely to happen in the near future because some people are obsessed with getting their way in the end. They do this for the sake of proving a point and to demonstrate that they are clever winners and, more importantly, that the other person is a stupid loser.
They tend to think they are smarter than they really are. The pleasure — not the sensibleness — of winning an argument becomes an end in itself. Because of such obsession, such persons tend to win the battle, but lose the war. Such “victors” lose the most in the long run.
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Jacob Mafume, the spokesperson for the Tendai Biti faction, comes to mind.
He has been particularly vicious in his attacks on MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai. While Tsvangirai has not been the steadiest of hands, Biti himself has not been the coolest of heads.
Aims, however good-intentioned, can be completely undone by bad methods. Mafume needs to curb his youthful over-enthusiasm which has seen him put his foot in the mouth like Zanu PF deputy spokesperson Psychology Maziwisa is prone to. When things are boiling over, you should avoid talking too much.
If you play all your cards so openly, you will be exposed after the dust has settled. Yes, quite a few of these politicians — many of them not elected — have been acting with less maturity and foresight and should grow up.
They should take a lesson from former United States President Ronald Reagan (in office from 1981-1989), whose only credential before being elected was being a B-movie actor. But Reagan’s political touch was second to none.
“He knows so little and accomplishes so much,” marvelled Robert McFarlane, Reagan’s national security adviser. Successful leaders don’t just speak to us, but speak for us.
The immediate reason for the big bang split in 2005 was Tsvangirai’s overruling of the narrow — but no less valid — majority vote of the MDC National Council in favour of participation in the Senate elections. It was indeed wrong in terms of legality and sticklers for the letter of the party constitution would have none of that.
But then the majority of opposition supporters countrywide heeded Tsvangirai’s call to boycott the polls going by the extremely low turnout in MDC strongholds.
In other words, they legitimised his boycott call.
These two contrary stances are not mutually exclusive. The people become a sort of Supreme or Constitutional Court, highest court of appeal or court of last resort, where judgment can be completely reversed.
Differences of philosophy and understanding are also an essential part of the political process. You can have different views and still be both correct. Both pro and anti-Senate poll stances were correct in their own way, but what was needed was political maximisation, minimising differences that were not integral, but were more of a personal nature.
That is why nine years later there is still cross-fertilisation between the MDCs with, for instance, Job Sikhala (MDC-99), Edward Mkhosi and Edwin Ndlovu (both MDC-Welshman Ncube) rejoining the MDC-T. As if to confirm this, Sekai Holland, the MDC-T Guardian Council chairperson who has been linked to the Biti faction, this week said: “Mediation efforts have never stopped because these are the same people and they need to find each other.”
Non-democracy at one level becomes democracy at another. Democracy operates at various levels; it’s not linear. A leader can appeal directly to the people over the heads of the party hierarchy.
It’s a gamble on his part. If he fails, he falls. If he pulls it off, he becomes stronger and safer in the position. Whenever leaders make decisions, they should constantly take into account ever-changing sentiments on the grounds and not solely their own views as this can tend to be self-serving.
As democracy is perfected, it more and more closely reflects the inner soul of the people – and this is seen in votes. From that, it can be seen that the MDC — specifically the MDC-T component — has led a strong alternative consensus to Zanu PF to the benefit of the people. More long-term gains can be expected if the opposition movements manage to remain united, but it is a long road to travel — ask Nelson Mandela.
Indeed, maturity – not pettiness — in the opposition can put it in a better position to win elections and get into power in future elections. Zanu PF is now too well organised, too ruthless — a too disorganised and too divided opposition has no chance whatsoever. Any talk of a “grand coalition” is premature and doomed unless this is sorted out.
For a start, they have to work at becoming grand because they are not yet that.
Otherwise it will be a coalition of losers.
Over to you, Holland!
