(TALKZIMBABWE) MDCs have run out of ideas

MDCs have run out of ideas
By: Tendai Midzi
Posted: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 3:54 am

IT must really be painful to be an MDC or MDC-T supporter at this stage in the history of Zimbabwe. Interestingly, many of the activists who masqueraded as "political analysts" in international online and radio broadcast media have gone "into self-imposed hiding".

Most of their predictions have either been made redundant by events on the ground in Zimbabwe or have simply gone with the wind. Looking back to 2008, a large number of so called "commentators" on Zimbabwe predicted that Zanu-PF had seen its last days.

Today, the debate has somewhat changed and the implementation of the Global Political Agreement, as if it is ideological position, seems to have taken over the debate in Zimbabwe politics.

The MDC strategy seems to be poised towards how Gibson Sibanda can be accorded national hero status; or how Roy Bennett can be installed as deputy minister of agriculture.

The two factions of the MDC, not surprisingly, have now proved to be ideologically bankrupt as they have no real issues to debate beyond the implementation of the GPA; or what Copac is doing.

MDC activists now spend time fighting for dual citizenship so that their loyalty to the Queen is not lost. They miss home, but cannot see themselves as Zimbabweans anymore. This is tragic.

Nelson Chamisa spends his time on the phone to the likes of discredited journalists like Violet Gonda and Lance Guma talking about how Zanu-PF is blocking governors from that party from being appointed.

Those are simply administrative issues and any kangaroo court can knock them in a whiff; and any serious political party cannot base its whole existence on such issues.

It is also interesting, if not painful, to hear Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai attesting to the success of the land reform exercise in Zimbabwe -- a policy that he criticised barely a year ago.

This is, however, understandable. He is simply losing relevance as all the issues that he thought were important are proving irrelevant or are being implemented.

Mr Tsvangirai today presents himself in suit and tie to talk about the successes of Zanu-PF policies. Finance Minister Tendai Biti also does the same in parliament when he reports on the successes in agriculture.

What is interesting is how the agenda, as presented by the West and the MDC, has shifted.

The West bases its need to maintain the illegal sanctions regime on the GPA as if the GPA was the basis upon which the sanctions were imposed in the first place.

I am sure even the West does not have a clue anymore why they imposed the sanctions; because the black farmers seem to be doing better than the white commercial farmer anyway.

The West now seeks an engagement strategy; but is too embarassed to admit that President Mugabe was right on his desire to redistribute stolen land to his own people

US President Barack Obama says he is "heartbroken" by the situation in Zimbabwe; yet Zimbabwe has scored major successes even when sanctions are biting: agriculture is booming, Zimbabweans returning home, the region getting stronger, diamonds are bringing much needed revenue, etc. So what exactly is he heartbroken about? The successes of the black man?

One wonders what the manifestos of the two MDCs will look like at the next elections. Surely, they can't talk about empowerment -- that's a Zanu-PF agenda, or improvement in farming, another Zanu-PF agenda, or indigenisation.

They cannot talk about the outdated and tired mantra about democracy. It is still an ideal that the likes of Britain and the US are still grappling with as they kill and main in Afghanistan and Iraq.

They can't talk about neo-liberal policies. They are discredited and the State in the UK has become more interventionist than even African states; as they battle with cuts in public expenditure etcetera.

Indeed, it must be painful to support a leader who spends all their time on the defensive; trying to block everything that President Mugabe is doing.

We need ideas and ideals; not these mindless pursuits we see daily in the MDCs.

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Tendai Midzi is a lecturer at the Metropolitan University in London. He can be contacted via tendaimidzi1 *** yahoo.com.