By Bernard Bwoni
The Achilles heel of Zimbabwe politics is the lack of an authentic,
relevant and effective opposition. Instead of a policy-orientated response to
the current economic challenges facing the country, what we get from the likes
of Job Sikhala is the ‘overthrow’ of a democratically elected government in
Zimbabwe. In any other part of the world, calling for the ‘overthrow’ of a
democratically elected government is at best criminal and at worst
treasonous.
It would be a different matter if one focuses on adjusting their
barebones policies and hope for an electoral victory against the ruling party.
But calling for the overthrow of government is not only sloppy and political
immaturity. As if that was not enough Tsvangirai came up with his own hastily
prepared statement saying "We are drawing a line in the sand and we shall
pressurise and mobilise the people….we are going to mobilise. The form and
content is left to the MDC to plan and execute," Both Tsvangirai and
Sikhala are not putting on the table the alternative policy strategies to any
of the reasons they are proposing these calls for the ‘overthrow’ of an elected
government and calls for mass action.
Now the question to pose to Tsvangirai is
where are your shadow policies to the country’s economic challenges? A sober
opposition acts as trouble-shooters and not mere meddling spectators or
rubble-rousers. He went on to say "Let Mugabe be warned that if we cannot
live as free men and women in our country of birth, we will rather die as free
people," This is a contradictory statement from these two men who are
calling for the ‘overthrow’ of a government freely and yet they make confused
and confusing claims that their freedoms are being violated. Tsvangirai and
Sikhala are being very dishonest and irresponsible with their calls for these
mass demonstrations which have the potential of leading to violence.
These two
men need reminding that such calls for such unconstitutional means of removing
an elected government will not address the economic challenges facing the
country. Calling for any action with the potential to lead to chaos and unnecessarily
endangering lives is irresponsible leadership, an illness of those with
misguided and misplaced loyalties to push champion the interests and agendas of
a power-hungry opposition which fronts the agendas of even more powerful
external stakeholders.
There is no painless side to violence, there is no
excuse for acts of violence; there is no better or worse violence and all
perpetrators walk the same line in the eyes of the recipients of the vile acts.
Violence in politics must never be condoned or downplayed as there are innocent
victims and misguided perpetrators. A genuine opposition should be busy
challenging the ruling party on matters of policy and not trying to instigate
unrest in the country. How is a walk in the streets going to address the country’s
economic challenges? The call from these two bares no attempt at restructuring
the economy but to cause disruption to the country and potentially harm to
others.
It is the resilient Zimbabwean spirit that has sustained this country
through this very difficult period and not the ill-advised calls for violence
or mass action from an irresponsible opposition. It is this beautiful
Zimbabwean spirit that is going to address the country’s economic difficulties
and not the thoughtless calls from opposition leaders who are seeking relevance
through reckless means. Zimbabweans are one and together are going to pull
through. The admission is that the country is facing economic challenges but is
the opposition engineered violence the solution the challenges?
The country deserves a genuine
opposition built on genuine and deep-rooted values. Any citizen would welcome a
strong opposition to the ruling party, an opposition that can carry forward the
country’s vision and direction and not parade it carelessly to the highest
bidder for political celebrity status. An opposition that can define and direct
the country’s vision forwards as opposed to naïve fascination with aiding and
abetting structures and systems which will never empower the people of
Zimbabwe. An opposition that engross itself in calling for the ‘overthrow’ of
an elected government is structurally and strategically flawed. A
people-centred opposition must go beyond empty proclamations and crafty schemes
to cause unrest as an alternative and backdoor to the corridors of power in
Zimbabwe. Surely if a mere substance-free call for the ‘overthrow’ of President
Mugabe is all it takes to tread the corridors of Zimbabwean power then State
House would be heaving with Presidents of all colours and creeds right now.
The fact of the matter is that Zimbabwe
is not going to have that sort of opposition in the foreseeable future. It
takes time and commitment to crotchet the principles, the vision and values
that define a country. It takes time and a genuine desire to build a party
which embodies, defines, anchors, binds and shapes the nation as a whole. It
takes more than following neo-packaged orders from ashore to build a party
which offers something tangible to benefit present and pass onto future
generations. Any citizen would want an opposition that offers the country
reassurances rather than seek to disrupt lives again. These ill-thought out
calls from the opposition have not been associated with better outcomes and
fortunes where such actions have been encouraged, again by external players
with own vested interests.
You look at Libya and Egypt today and it is not only
disappointing but distressing to watch. The reckless calls for violence and
these mass demonstrations will not address our current challenges. The calls
from the opposition are careless and ill-advised. The opposition in Zimbabwe
does not offer any reassurances that national direction will remain unaltered,
the defining foundations of Zimbabwe will remain entrenched and that the
nucleus of this country’s vision will remain guarded should they enter into
power by some miracle.
Zimbabwean opposition politics is in an ideological grey area and vacant space, existing but
non-existent, totally unconvincing; bend over backwards and forwards to the
whims and commands of stakeholders with agendas that will never in a million
years upgrade the lives of the people of Zimbabwe. The people of Zimbabwe only
want solutions, not social gatherings to massage Tsvangirai’s politically and
personally wounded ego.
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