Eloquence without wisdom is futile

THE invitation of MDC leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa and his party deputy chairperson Mr Tendai Biti to testify before the commission of inquiry into the August 1 incident did not help the commission much.

The duo is among several MDC officials alleged to have inflamed supporters into the demonstrations that left six people dead in Harare. Adv Chamisa disowned the demonstrators by branding “stupid” for demonstrating before the full announcement of the results.

In his testimony Adv Chamisa insisted that the demonstrators were not his supporters and at the same time blew his own horn by claiming that there is 98 percent probability of hitting an MDC supporter if one throws a stone in Harare. It does not add up unless he believes that the demonstrators were bused from UMP.

Adv Chamisa’s disavowal of supporters when the legal tide turns against him will impact adversely on the party’s future demonstrations.

It is full-blown insanity to partake in a futile demo in which you will bear the blame thereafter even to an extent of being labelled stupid. However, the demonstration in the presence of the Commissioners will provide them with an opportunity to have a feel of what the MDC-A demos look like.

Adv Chamisa conflated the enquiry proceedings to a rally where he usually makes utterances with abandon.

He insisted that he won the July 30 elections despite the Constitutional Court ruling against his victory claim.

That also raises issues of integrity considering that his status as lawyer and an officer of the court who must uphold constitutionalism.

He has been blaming Zanu PF for the same reason. He must espouse constitutionalism that he wants others to uphold.

He cannot continue to claim victory when the highest court of the land has ruled that he lost.

He probably mistook the Commission for an appeal court against the ConCourt ruling.

The MDC leader lied with a straight face before the Commission. He has a twin calling. He is a politician and a pastor, but the man of God could have probably forgotten the latter status.

He even denied statements that he uttered at rallies, the same way he repudiated, during an interview with the BBC’s Steven Sucker that he ever claimed to have met Donald Trump and being promised $15 billion.

The footprint of his claim followed on social media after his denial and very soon the ‘V11’ will be awash on social media exposing his lies.

The public was subjected to theatrics and mind-numbing history lectures with no relevance to the inquiry at stake.

The narration of perceived history of violence within Zanu PF since its inception does not help the Commission in dealing with the issue at hand.

Zanu PF changed hands in November 2017 and the new drivers are a peace-loving lot. They have opened up democratic space which the opposition is abusing.

That history is firmly behind the revolutionary party.

Ironically, in MDC, thugocracy (to borrow Adv Chamisa’s term) did not die with Mr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. Examples abound of members who fell prey to instruments of violence within MDC.

It was sad to hear a whole pastor telling the world that the belligerent Vanguard was a well-ordered group of youths. One wonders why he disbanded that group if it was indeed a group of disciplined youths.

If the truth be told, the Vanguard was the equivalent of Jim Kunaka’s Chipangano. The later died out with the extinction of its architects whom Adv Chamisa has unfortunately provided with a new home. They say birds of the same feathers flock together.

Although the Vanguard is said to have been disbanded, the authors still control the levers of power in the party. You can take the monkey out of the bush, but cannot take the bush out of the monkey.

Adv Chamisa was equivocating the whole time. He skirted questions from Commissioners, hiding behind his eloquence.

He talked about freedom to vote which he said Zanu PF was denying members of his party. It needs to be said over and over again that Adv Chamisa is a Man of God who must practise what he preaches.

Councillors voted for their preferred mayors, but that vote was subverted. Several Mayors were denied their sweet victories after being ordered to resign or risk recall by none other than the so-called preacher of democracy.

He accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa of thwarting his presidential dream. He needs to be reminded that he is frustrating Mr Douglas Mwonzora and Eng Elias Mudzuri’s presidential dreams.

The duo’s lives are even in danger, their crime being exuding ambition to challenge Adv Chamisa, who undemocratically grabbed the MDC presidency following the death of Mr Tsvangirai.

He would do better if he upholds the democratic principles he so generously prescribes to others.