MDC lost an opportunity

DEAR EDITOR—Isn’t it interesting how the MDC has hit the brick-wall in their quest to have the world to support them in their bid for power? It all started with that historic announcement by Tendai Biti, that “Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the next President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.”

I sympathise with the MDC for a number of reasons; they could have been in power today if it wasn’t for their mishandling of the immediate aftermath of the elections.

If Morgan Tsvangirai, on BBC’s Hardtalk, was honest in saying that Zanu PF approached them to form a government together; they should ask themselves what happened for the party to change its mind.

It would be interesting to find out if this invitation occurred before of after the announcement by Tendai Biti that Tsvangirai was the new president.

MDC should learn to do ‘backyard negotiations’. There was no problem with forming a government of national unity (GNU) with President Mugabe; with him at the helm. Morgan Tsvangirai would have certainly had a key position in Cabinet; given the results of the election. Then change would have come to Zimbabwe—which I thought the MDC was for anyway.

The problem is that if you take a hard-line stance; threaten to take people to court, threaten to have a ‘land commission’ to redress the land question—which we know was going to be a reversal—you put yourself in a position where you can’t negotiate. The ‘winner-takes-all’ attitude means that either Zanu PF or MDC will finally have power without the other. We know who is likely to have that power.

A GNU with the MDC in Cabinet would have been an historic achievement anyway. They (the MDC) would have been part of a new dispensation and then include other reclusive elements like Dr Makoni, Dumiso Dabengwa, Margaret Dongo, Ibbo Mandaza, Fay Chung or even ‘Two-Boy’—and everybody would have been happy to be part of that historic achievement. Mutambara and Ncube would have also come in; seeing they are part of the ‘gentleman’s agreement’.

But alas, that opportunity was lost.

Now, it would be interesting to see how the MDC-T plays its next card. There’s also the MDC-Mutambara to think of. I would not be surprised if they even forged a new alliance with Zanu PF. They are a lot closer in demeanour and leadership style to some progressive elements in Zanu PF—not that they support Zanu PF, as a party. That would be a welcome development as Tsvangirai would also be forced to go ‘nationalistic’, rather than ‘populist’—and start thinking about the electorate; not himself and the presidency, which is now far-off from being attained.


Tendai Chiterere
Gweru, Zimbabwe