On paper, it sounds a fantastic idea. Two of Zimbabwe’s major opposition parties finally unite. But this could just be a mirage as no one is looking at the practicality of the idea.
Right now anything to get rid of the country’s 92-year-old leader President Robert Mugabe to save the nation from the current economic meltdown is welcome. Social media activists have been hailed as saviours although they did not offer any solution to the country’s woes apart from organising shutdowns.
But Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe People First leader Joice Mujuru’s now seem to have come up with the political leadership that has been lacking among the social media activists.
Pictures of the two dancing and celebrating have flooded the media but how long will the marriage last? Can it be consummated, in the first place?
The key question is who will be the leader of the coalition? This is a critical question that cannot be skirted because at the end of the day, there has to be only one leader. And sadly it is neither Tsvangirai nor Mujuru who will decide. It is their supporters.
Though he is now facing health problems, Tsvangirai has been a formidable leader who beat Mugabe in 2008. His supporters will, therefore, never allow him to play second fiddle, especially to Mujuru who most still regard as ZANU-PF under another name.
The MDC-T experience during the transitional government also showed how the MDC-T lost not only the mandate it obtained from the people when it beat the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, but also on the table when it was completely outmanouvred by ZANU-PF and given useless cabinet posts.
The MDC-T performance in the transitional government also cost the party support in the 2013 elections which it lost dismally though it insists the elections were rigged.
It becomes even more difficult to accommodate Mujuru with young leaders like Nelson Chamisa now at the helm of the party, especially since Mujuru largely remains an unknown quantity outside ZANU-PF.
But Mujuru has everything to gain from the coalition. She can enjoy the political base that Tsvangirai already has. But more importantly Mujuru has the financial muscle. She has overtaken Tsvangirai as the darling of the West. But she too is likely to face resistance from her lieutenants who will not want to play second fiddle to MDC-T candidates who will need to be accommodated.
On paper, therefore, the proposed coalition has sent jitters within ZANU-PF judging from the panic within the State-controlled media. However, some feel the two are playing into the hands of ZANU-PF as they are both likely to end up losers because their supporters will not accept the coalition.
What is your take?
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This post was last modified on August 16, 2016 9:33 am
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This move reflects favourably on Mai Mujuru, she is getting the stubborn opposition stalwarts to join a coalition however they need a number of the other players to have a winning chance. She has shown determination and courage to opt to delve into opposition politics than to wait for her period of banishment from ZANU (PF) to end. This now makes have a political statements have meaning as their views with MDCT are the same. However why does she not aknowledge the role ZANU (PF) played in nurturing her and making her national leadership material? Is she motivated by sour grapes?