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(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC-T in shambles over pullout

MDC-T in shambles over pullout
Philip Murombedzi
Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:21:00 +0000

THE Movement for Democratic Change is in desperate need for visionary leadership that can transform it from a 'pressure group' (that's what it is) to a politicial party.

Pressure groups seek to influence decision-making by politicians. That is exactly what the MDC-T does, and is doing. It is not part of government. It's behaviour within government is testament to this.

You cannot "disengage" from that which you are. What was the point of the oath of loyalty to the Government of Zimbabwe?

Political parties seek to attain power on behalf of people through the ballot. Political parties represent a certain way of thinking, not a certain individual; Roy Bennett in this case. Governments represent the people and a country will not go a day without a properly constituted government. The withdrawal of the MDC does not kill government.

The emergence of the organisation called the MDC-T was not surprising. It was merely a conglomerate of groups that sought to influence government decisions in one form or another: the labour movement (ZCTU), the students' unions (Zinasu, UZ, Nust, etc.), church groups (Roman Catholic, Anglican, etc.), lawyers (ZLHR, ZLS), women's groups (Woza, etc.), farmers unions (CFU) and many others (NCA, etc.).

This is the hotch-potch that made up, at least at inception, the MDC party. Today that hotch-potch has become narrower as some of these interest groups have sought to divorce themselves from the 'larger group'. The interests have become wider and unmanageable.

The MDC-T has failed to transform completely into a political party with a clear command structure, as a government-in-waiting.

One of the major problems that MDC-T leader found himself in at the time of his inauguration was finding the right calibre people to appoint into ministerial and other positions. The interests and the expectations were varied.

That is why the MDC-T party has lost its lustre. It simply failed to deliver on promises made to these varied groups. A government jungles the means of production, and no government has that in abundance.

So when the MDC-T boycotts that which it is, the government, it fails to understand that which it ought to do.

Leaders of Sadc are not going to lose sleep over Zimbabwe's civilian appointments. There is a non-interference clause in Sadc. The issues that PM Tsvangirai is battling with, e.g. the appointments of Attorney General Johannes Tomana and Reserve Bank Governor Dr. Gideon Gono, will never reach the agenda of the Sadc Troika on Defence and Security. Besides being out of the Global Political Agreement, they don't pose a threat on Zimbabwe's or the region's security.

They do not even pose a threat to the MDC-T party.

MDC-T scope is narrow. Their agenda in this government is unclear. Their bluenprint non-existent. Finance Minister Tendai Biti, whose ego was inflated by an award for "Best Finance Minister in Africa" is to this day still implementing the policies espoused by then Acting Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa.

PM Tsvangirai has failed dismally in his fundraising activities for government. Other ministers have either gone completely quiet as reality of their subversive activities has dawned on them. Others like Nelson Chamisa, the ICT Minister, have lost "thy leather apron and thy rule" and have become "idle creatures" that blurt, every now and then.

A resolution made by the MDC-T party on Tuesday after they boycotted the Cabinet meeting was that "any resolution made by Cabinet was null and void". This is the extent of that party's ignorance. They signed on Sept 11 2008, to be specific, and resigned on Sept 15 2008 in front of Sadc Heads of State, a GPA allowing President Mugabe to chair Cabinet. He did chair Cabinet yesterday. They didn't attend. That does not make the decisions null and void. The MDC-T is not Government, but a party to Government. Infact, it is not even a political party. Nothing it does, or it is, proves that it is one.

Sadc will not give a cold shoulder to PM Tsvangirai. Afterall, he is PM of a member state. But that's as far as it goes. What else can Sadc do in this case? Mobilise troops to invade Zimbabwe, over Bennett?

Zimbabwe will not pressure South Africa or any other Sadc member state on its choise of Attorney General or Central Bank Governor. The reverse is true. Zimbabwe will not be pressured by Sadc. Decisions in Sadc are made by consensus. There are more pressing issues relating to Madagascar, etc.

PM Tsvangirai should simply concentrate his efforts on Zimbabwe. He has spent the large part of the last ten years globe-trotting to no avail. This is another exercise in futility, signifying nothing.

The PM should now is devising a strategy to wriggle his way back into the inclusive Government. He and his MDC-T party boycotted the government a little too early: just a few hours before Bennett was released. They did not bargain on that one. They expected him to remain locked up; but now that he has been granted bail, they do not know which direction to take.

They cannot even sit down to write an official withdrawal letter to President Mugabe. The potato has become too hot to handle. Everything else they do henceforth is face-saving.

I think it is high time the party appoints a new corps of leaders who can take this project further; but judging from the way Morgan Tsvangirai has altered that party's constitution, there will not be any change anytime soon. Simply put: party and person have become synonymous. The various interest groups that make up the MDC-T party are pulling against each other. The party, simply put, is in shambles.

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Philip Murombedzi is the editor of The Zimbabwe Guardian. He can be contacted via: philipmurombedzi@yahoo.com

Labels: MDC, NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT

posted by MrK @ 4:55 PM