Opposition has itself to blame
CONTROVERSY, chicanery and chaos have dogged the country’s opposition since its formation at the behest of white former farmers in 1999.
In those 25 years, the opposition party has disintegrated into various formations primarily because of the lack or deficiency of an ideological basis, itself the umbilical code that cements relations even among people from diverse backgrounds.
For starters, because the party was formed by whites, it was not organic, and consequent attempts to ally a potpourri of diverse personalities, (in the case of the opposition, students, trade unionists and whites) has proved to be a pipedream far from vindication.
As history can teach us, and the nation at large, the absence of a social contract between the people and the opposition has proved to be its Achilles heel, never mind sporadic inroads with the electorate, who however, judging by recent voting trends are all the wiser, discerning and making informed voting decisions as was demonstrated by the Saturday by-elections where Zanu PF emerged victorious.
Instead of introspecting and confronting the elephant in the room, which is being Western poodles, the opposition has a fixation of blaming its problems on Zanu PF, even when the ruling party is the midwife of Zimbabwe’s democracy, itself a critical plinth on which the opposition is free to function and oppose in its various names and hues.
The opposition, which was initially founded as MDC, has over the years split in various factions, each adopting a new name, be it MDC 99, MDC Alliance, MDC Tsvangirai, People Democratic Party, CCC, or any other that will be formed now.
In the latest scenario, the author of the chaos is none other than Mr Nelson Chamisa, who claims he is advised only by God and raises the middle finger among his colleagues.
He would not listen to even his closest advisors who advised him that not having structures in his party would do him a disservice. Now, he has lost the CCC to factions, which left him with no option, but to quit.
It boggles the mind to see that at every turn, Chamisa points his finger at the ruling Zanu PF, never has he ever conceded defeat and accepted his shortcomings.
With him, it is always finger-pointing and constant expressions of narcissistic tendencies. Even the most die-hard of his supporters have given up on him as an opposition leader.
One of his stark supporters who preferred anonymity said he “felt betrayed” by the decisions Chamisa
In the latest scenario, the author of the chaos is none other than Mr Nelson Chamisa, who claims he is advised only by God and raises the middle finger among his colleagues. He would not listen to even his closest advisors who advised him that not having structures in his party would do him a disservice.
was making since before the August 23 elections.
“You know what wangu (my friend) I used to think we had a strong opposition leader, but I have since realised that he is not fit to lead anyone. Imagine! He failed to lead a political party so how can he want to lead a whole nation, I really felt betrayed and I have never felt so naïve in my life,” he said.
All this lack of planning and strategy will cost not only his supporters but the country at large as Zimbabwe will be forced to be in constant election mode all because of the opposition’s gross disorganisation.
The by-elections that were held last Saturday are being held solely because of the opposition’s internal confusion.
The by-elections were necessitated after CCC interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu recalled three legislators and 20 councillors all of whom tried to file their papers at the Nomination Court, but were eventually barred from contesting under the opposition party’s ticket by the High Court.
Those barred from contesting in the polls on Saturday include, former deputy spokesperson, Gift Ostallos Siziba who was legislator for Pelandaba-Tshabalala, former leader of the opposition in Parliament Amos Chibaya who was Mkoba North Member of Parliament and Stephen Chagwiza who was representing Goromonzi South.
Former Harare Mayor Ian Makone, who was Councillor for Ward 18, is also among the 20 councillors to be expunged from the ballot papers.
The 23 had successfully filed their nomination papers last month as CCC candidates despite their recalls after they ceased to be members of the opposition party.
Mr Tshabangu then challenged their nomination at the High Court, resulting in the ruling by Justice Pisirayi Kwenda removing the 23 from the ballot papers.
They had defiantly filed their nomination papers under the CCC which had recalled them in the first place, defying an earlier order by the High Court that prohibited recalled MPs from running for office in by-elections under the opposition party’s banner.
The well-known Government critic and Chamisa’s advisor Professor Stephen Chan even admitted that Chamisa was out of sorts.
He said the beleaguered opposition leader “has no plan for his own way forward”.
They were elected to represent something.
“Loyalty to their constituents may be more powerful than loyalty to a leader who, at this moment, has no plan for his own way forward,” he said.
Prof Chan said what had transpired in the opposition would result in a permanently divided Zimbabwean opposition.
“Basically the CCC is in a disunited mess as factions indeed semi factions head towards a meeting today. It seems unlikely there will be coherence or agreement, but a permanently divided opposition,” he said.
Zanu PF is already on record saying it has not had any hand in the CCC’s debacle.
Instead, the ruling party has been charging the opposition to get things in order so that the country can move forward with its current developmental trajectory.
“ZANU PF, in concert with the CCC, then the MDC, wrote the Zimbabwe Constitution. We took it to the electorate of Zimbabwe, and a referendum passed it.
“We are just being made to respond to the constitution because certain provisions say that if there is a recall, you go for elections. Please triple-C close ranks, love each other, stabilise the electoral landscape map, and spare us elections; we don’t need two-thirds at all,” said Zanu PF National Spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa recently.
“So your issue of a two-thirds majority is not an ambition for Zanu PF. Look, if the other party continues to commit hara-kiri, ,self-disembowelment and then they are foisting us on an election, then if we end up with two-thirds, it is fortuitous. It was never our intent because the cause is coming from the other side, not from our side.
“What is happening is happening in the CCC, and to us, the outcome is fortuitous. It was never wished for, definitely never desired, and never willed.”
Former Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa described what was transpiring in the opposition as “a festival of illegalities and jokes”
“One overlooked fact in CCC drama is that the Chamisa constitution doesn’t allow anyone else to convene the Citizens National Assembly (CNA), their highest organ in-between congresses. Only him can do that and he is gone. It’s a festival of illegalities and jokes!” he said.