Mugabe Is Not The Greater Devil (than Tsvangirai)”, According to Professor Ncube By Benjamin Chitate Published: July 15, 2013 Comment Dear Editor, There has been heavy reportage of the failure of the Zimbabwean political parties opposed to Mugabe forming an alliance to fight Mugabe in the next election. Various opinions have been expressed. Perhaps to get a true picture of why the major parties opposed to Mugabe: the Professor Ncube-led MDC and the Tsvangirai-led MDC, the transcript of a video tape of Professor Ncube addressing his party officials, which was posted on the Democratic Alliance Initiative facebook page wall by Nkosana Sbamu Sogodo Ndlovu (Editors – see attached posting trail) may help clarify the situation: “…..Party at all levels from the top, were under such immense pressure from all sorts of people: foreigners, locals. VIDEO: The bigger question yikhuti uMugabe a phume (The bigger question is Mugabe must go). Even if you don’t believe in Tsvangirai, you can deal with him after the election. Ngoba uMugabe is the greater evil? (Is Mugabe the greater devil?) Our answer has been consistent – Mugabe is not a greater evil, as far as we are concerned. Savumelana ngo 1999-2000 ukhuti what does the MDC stand for (We agreed in 1999-2000 on what the MDC stands for) – the only thing that bound us then, and the only thing that can bind us in future. Esavumelana khona (We agreed on) and obanye ababhalayo the MDC programme of action programme for change 2000 (Those of you who wrote down the program will know), Sasibhalile (we wrote down all these things) in black and white the things that we believe in. Today, our colleagues in the MDC-T have violated each and every one of these things, not once. They say they believe it only ngomlomo (by word of mouth). Which is why we say strongly, we will not fight and put in place a person we do not trust, will not do the things that Mugabe has done to us. Simple. So understand whatever you read about this coalition. Whatever rumour you get told, we will not do a coalition for the sake of convenience. A coalition can only be done by parties with similar ideological views, both in theory and in practice. Ungathi wena uzonda abathakathi kodwa kodwa kunguwe oqala ukugada isambane ilanga titshona? (If you say you hate witches and yet you are the first to ride on a broom at sunset”. We can’t, we can’t! So this election we must fight, and fight on our own. And in any event, let me tell you something. I cannot explain to people. Right now when you travel sisiya koGutu eMasvingo (When you travel to Gutu in Masvingo) thousands of people who are leaving the MDC-T everyday say you guys were right in 2005, we didn’t know, we are sorry. We go to Nyanga, same story. We go to Chipinge, same story. How do you go back to those people and tell them ukhuti (How do you back to those people and tell them that) you came to us running away from this evil, I am coming to you and say, go back and vote for this evil. I can’t in good conscience do that. Ngiyaba khangela njani? (How do I face them)?” Transcript ends. Opinion: I agree completely with Professor Ncube that coalitions should be not be made out of convenience. I have already written opinion pieces on the coalition subject, and I have been consistent in saying coalitions should not be imposed. However, what I had been finding difficult to understand are the inconsistencies and lack of logic in messages emanating from the Professor Ncube led MDC. To begin with, the MDC-Ncube’s has continually been asking why they should vote for Tsvangirai to be the President of Zimbabwe . This is question defies logic because then people negotiate, the candidate will be reached from the negotiation process. Supporters of Morgan Tsvangirai may have lobbied for Morgan Tsvangirai to be the candidate for various reasons. Personally, I would also have lobbied for Tsvangirai because I know very well that it is not many party faithfulls who would vote for a person they would not like to be in any particular position. Logically therefore, there would be many Ncube supporters who will not vote for any candidate other than Professor Ncube, there will be many Tsvangirai supporters who will not vote for any other candidate, there will be many Makoni supporters who will not vote for any other candidate other than Simba Makoni, some loyal Dabengwa supporters would not vote for any other candidate or for some particular candidates, so would Kisinoti Mukwazhe’s supporters. From that perspective, my reasoning for wanting Morgan Tsvangirai as candidate was that already, according to the Mass Public Opinion surveys carried out in November last year, he had one percent support lower than Mugabe, while the rest of the candidates had a combined vote of less than three percent. The statistics could have changed by now, but also judging by the attendance figures at recent rallies, Tsvangirai still commands bigger support, so if all his usual supporters voted for him, and some supporters of the other candidates did the same, there was a higher chance of dethroning Mugabe with Tsvangirai as candidate. The other excuse was that Tsvangirai was imposing himself as the candidate. That is a fallacy, because in a negotiation, everyone comes in with a position and concerns, and they may use the media to strengthen their position. If Tsvangirai said he wanted to be the candidate, that was party of his strategic positioning of his interests, and all these parties know that. They could have suggested their own preferred candidates. Thirdly, the MDC-Ncube is of the mistaken view that the call for a united front is a Tsvangirai initiative, but why is it that Priscilla Misihairambi-Mushonga was a great advocate, probably until when Professor Ncube started his lecture series? Why is David Coltart still wishing for “a wider coalition against tyranny remains an important objective this is a very positive step in the right direction.” we/news-11612-Ncube,+Dabengwa+confirm+alliance/news.aspx. National newspapers have devoted editorials and articles in pursuit of the same. Professor Ncube insists the Tsvangirai-led MDC has deviated from the MDC founding principles. I will not comment on which of the two MDCs has fulfilled the original MDC’s founding principles, suffice to say I have had similar arguments from both sides, and there have been defections reported in the media from both parties, citing more or less the same reasons, but would argue that again this should have been an issue that they should have tabled in the negotiation. What was a bit surprising until I watched the video is the inconsistent messages coming from the Professor Ncube led MDC regarding a united front. The biggest example has been Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga who has switched from saying “if pro-democracy forces did not “pull up their socks”, or remained divided, it would provide a “priceless gift — like manna — for those in Zanu PF who are bent on reversing the gains realized during the transitional period.” h/02/13/june-deadline-for-constitution-committee to “Can someone tell me why people are so obsessed by a group of people they claim are so irrelevant to the political landscape, if it is a fact that this party [MDC]is so small and insignificant, then just wait and play the vuvuzelas on the first. You can’t on one hand abuse us, while asking us to join hands with you, it has to be one or the other,” she tweeted. . Having discussed with several people from the Professor Ncube-led MDC who are all for a coalition in our discussions but do not want to be mentioned, and having viewed the video of Professor Ncube addressing his officials, and given that they had been threats to expel members of parliament who were to participate in the second round of voting for the Speaker of Parliament election, my conclusion is that Professor Ncube only wants things done his way. The officials who have expressed their displeasure at the party’s decision not to forge an alliance with the Tsvangirai-led MDC have pleaded with me not to publicize their views for fear of victimization or expulsion, and I had to confront Professor Ncube to reverse their intention to prevent MPs from voting in the Speaker of Parliament elections. Many commentators have said the failure to form a coalition between the two MDCs is a result of personal hate between Professor Ncube and Morgan Tsvangirai. Morgan Tsvangirai has, however, said that personalities should not stop parties from responding to a national call, and if that was the case, whoever was the stumbling block should step aside. Some analysts are still hopeful that the two parties will still bury their personal differences and forge an alliance. Dumisani Nkomo thinks “every vote was important if the political parties wanted to remove Mugabe and Zanu PF from power”, while Effie Ncube of National Association of Non-Governmental organisations saying Ncube and Tsvangirai “need to urgently reach an agreement”, adding that “at the moment the leader of change in Zimbabwe is Tsvangirai” If the general population of Zimbabwe want to remove Mugabe and Zanu PF from power, it is for them to do what it takes to have that wish achieved. They must use their vote in the manner they think will move the country away from dictatorship. Benjamin Chitate
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 12:16:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015