By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo
The problem with Zimbabwe opposition is that everyone who opposes or criticizes them is labelled an agent of the State, and anyone who wants to bring advice is regarded as ” dzakutsaku”, or mutengesi. The parading of former MDC Alliance Senior member Lilian Timveous and Blessing Chebundo as ZANU (PF) members should never be dismissed.
President Mnangagwa (ED) has scored, and some may not understand the gravity of what it takes for a senior member to leave the party, particularly those who were very close to Nelson Chamisa. There is still more to it , than defection to the ruling party. This is a complex phenomenon which the opposition must deal with. Many opposition stalwarts, other than insults, they are not studying the political matrix around this dramatic monologue entangled around the departure of Timveous and Chebundo.
Remember, these are senior members of the party, who shared secrets , Strategy and planning around the opposition movement for more than two decades.
The only thing I have studied from these two, other than being paraded by ED and his two deputies, is that bootlickers will never serve you right. It is better you bring competent people who keep you on your toes, and confront you, but with solid advice and sound counsel.
Pause, take a moment, reflect, collect all the negatives and turn them to be ideas.
Another root problem with current opposition is that, the state of affairs of the movement has never been turned into a commercial brand
Why is it that a party which has been in opposition for more than 20 years does not have a single brand new vehicle? Instead of bootlickers, singing praise worship, they must turn Chamisa’ s name into a Political dividend.
What matters most is not the CCC, but how to turn his popularity into a Political dividend.
Whilst I’m not a member of any Political outfit, I saw it seem to give an eye opener on the wrangles and episodes in the Democratic Movement ( MDC Alliance), led by former ICT Minister, and incumbent Alliance President , Nelson Chamisa. Whilst it is the norm for opposition stalwarts to go to twitter and Facebook to throw rants and insults on those who leave the movement, it is time to take a breath, and go back to the drawing table, and have an introspection on the current political trajectory in the opposition movement. I know some may not agree with me saying , Timveous and Chebundo are a lesser light in the movement, the party can still grow effectively without the two, it is also important to draw a line in the sand, pick up the broken pieces, take advice, constructive criticism is what builds every movement. In politics, every figure is very important, and skills and techniques are important for a winning team.
Here is my two cents advice :
- There could be planted agents around Nelson Chamisa, who are fanning divisions, pretending to be pushing the agenda of the Democratic Movement, and hiding in the name of the MDC Alliance President
- Those who push for the expulsion of senior members and removing them from social media platforms, what’s app groups needs a lot to be desired
- Chamisa needs to review people around him, and come up with a fresh mandate from the mass
- Popular brand must be backed with Strategy
- ED is not as stupid as many people think, parading people like Timveous may further compromise the brand of the Alliance and it’s leader
- Chamisa must erode bootlickers around him, and remain with a competent team
- It’s time to review the calibre of people being selected for Parliamentary and council elections.
- Clearly, we are approaching 2023, and we are likely to have a 2013 scenario
- Infiltration is subject to lack of resources. Alliance is broke and competing with Zanu PF, which is bankrolled by all State apparatus, resources is a milestone
- Pfumvudza is making political inroads whilst opposition is basking on social media
- Sometimes it is important for opposition to reflect on what has gone since the inception of the party, take notes and allow diversity
12 Take Uganda, Malawi, Zambia elections and use them as case study for your own preparations of future elections
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking – ZIST, and he can be contacted at tinamuzala@gmail.com
