(HERALD) MDC-T now staring naked truth

MDC-T now staring naked truth

MDC-T is fast discovering that there is a difference between being in opposition and being in government. Being in opposition is all about agitating for change but being in government is about causing the change to positively bear on the lives of the people.

Two major failures are staring MDC-T in the face — the failure by their urban councils to perform and the on-going civil servants strike, for which they are partially to blame as a partner in the inclusive Government. People are fast discovering that the weaknesses that they thought were peculiar to Zanu PF are actually being magnified in MDC-T.

As we report elsewhere today, leaders of civil servants are not amused by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s claim that he had kept his promise to pay them in foreign currency. He is hiding behind the fact he did not say how much they would get. Again the PM is discovering that he spoke too soon after his swearing in and now that promise is coming back to haunt him.

He once claimed to hold the keys to unlock financial resources, but people are fasting discovering it is not so.

Yesterday, MDC-T announced that it had expelled its 23 Chitungwiza councilors, accusing them of being corrupt, lacking good governance and failing to deliver. It would appear this is not a problem confined to just local government but is also being seen at higher levels.

We all know that the real reason the councilors were expelled is because they resisted the undemocratic imposition of Vincent Gwaradzimba as their mayor and instead went on to elect a mayor and deputy mayor from among their ranks. The Movement for "Democratic Change" is finding democracy to be such a difficult proposition in Chitungwiza that they are prepared to lose control of the municipality of such a strategic town.

But this is not to say the allegations of corruption and poor performance are without merit. There has been dismal failure in Chitungwiza. Their mayor Israel Marange did not lose time getting embroiled in selfish and dishonourable activities. Various councilors face allegations of corruption, including turning a pre-school into a mansion.

By admitting failure at local government, the party also casts doubts into whether it would succeed at central government were it to govern alone. Would the same failure not dog it all the way? Is this failure not indicative of the caliber of people the MDC pushes into public office?

The party has failed not only in Chitungwiza but also in Masvingo, Rusape, Redcliffe etc. Zanu-PF can afford to gloat and claim that it is fairing better in the rural district councils where it is in charge.

Admittedly, the challenges that face the urban councils are bigger than those faced by rural councils. But urban councils are blessed with an abundance of resources unlike rural councils and should be delivering better services.

The difference is that Zanu-PF tends to have councilors who are more experienced and have had to learn from their mistakes over the years, whilst MDC-T is full of hungry freshmen. In future, MDC will need to be more careful in its selection of candidates for public office.

To their credit, they have acted against the corruption in Chitungwiza. Were it not for the controversy created by the attempt to impose a mayor, which has caused the fallout with the councillors, MDC-T could claim that unlike Zanu- PF it does have the courage to take corruption head on.

Perhaps they will demonstrate this in the other councils. But they ought to know that the honeymoon is over. People will not be impressed by political rhetoric. They want real change in their living standards.