Spiked Online Media correspondent, Henry Madiro, shares his views on the prospects of Hon. Douglas Mwonzora who is the leading contender to square up against incumbent MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa for the presidency of the party at the congress slated for May 2019. Below are our correspondent’s views:
Douglas is an advocate who studied at Goromonzi High and later went to the University of Zimbabwe where he studied law. At the University Mwonzora studied constitutional law and was instrumental in writing the ZUM constitution. *(ZUM was a political party formed by the late Edgar Tekere in 1985 to challenge Mugabe’s Zanu PF dream of a one party state*)
This escapade resulted in him in being incarcerated for more than 34 days by Robert Mugabe’s regime making him the opposition leader to be jailed for a long time in Zimbabwe. He went on to join the MDC on its formation in 1999 and was also instrumental in the writing of the MDC constitution.
Mwonzora as a constitutional lawyer is an excellent guy. In 2007 he was Co-Vice Chairman of COPAC with Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana of Zanu PF . Together they did a great job and saw the birth of the current constitution of Zimbabwe. Despite all these notable achievements I still believe Douglas Mwonzora cannot be a President either of his party or country. This I would state why in this article.
During the 2013 parliamentary election Mwonzora lost his Nyanga North seat to Zanu PF. He contested the result citing a lot of irregularities and the Constitutional court threw out his petition. In 2014 during the MDC elective congress Mwonzora was Nominated by Manicaland province only for the position of Secretary General which had been left by Tendai Biti who had proceeded to form his political party.
His rival Nelson Chamisa who was the Kuwadzana Member of Parliament was nominated by all the remaining provinces. Although Mwonzora brew a shocker by defeating his rival by 2, 464 votes against 1,756 votes I still believe that Mwonzora can’t be a President in any capacity.
It was stated Mwonzora as the custodian of the MDC constitution in his capacity as the Secretary General failed to uphold the constitution. Mwonzora as the secretary General stated that the MDC council erred when they appointed Chamisa as acting president on the eve of Tsvangirai’s death but went on to do nothing about it.
His inaction allowed the status quo to continue. Mwonzora allowed this unconstitutionalism to continue because of his personal ego. To him Chamisa was the best to beat come the next congress. Such a self fulfilling leader cannot be allowed to lead the country or the MDC as a president. He was planning all along to wrestle power from Chamisa. To me this is treasonous. Such a selfish and self conscious individual cannot be allowed to lead.
Mwonzora as a constitutional lawyer who has spent all his life writing the constitution should be appointed a Supreme Court Judge instead of being president. Mwonzora was told to write the ZUM constitution and he did well. He was then asked to write the MDC Constitution and did it splendidly.
Finally he was asked to write the new Zimbabwean Constitution and he did it very well. As a writer and used to following orders I think Mwonzora’s rightful place is at the Supreme Court bench were he would be guided and given orders not as a president.
Mwonzora as the secretary general failed to uphold the MDC Constitution and allowed Chamisa to make blunders without using his authority as a constitutional lawyer and secretary general of the party to enforce the party’s constitution. This he did because he is selfish, ambitious and does not have Zimbabwe at heart. He allowed the mistakes to prevail in order to address his personal ego. Such an egoistic leader can’t be president in any form. His true colors are now showing and letting such an individual to be the President of MDC and let alone the president of Zimbabwe would be the worst mistake that people can make.
Mwonzora is always speaking out of his brain and has a hard time connecting with an ordinary person and lacks charisma at best. He has a tall stature befitting a President but he lacks the qualities of a people person. He is also a plotter and sacrifices stability of the whole in order to survive his political career.
He must be out of politics because he makes a develish politician who is focused on self aggrandisement rather than the core. Without politics Mwonzora would be a fine gentleman building the country by following orders of the law as judge.
To sum up my argument I implore that Mwonzora should be appointed to the Supreme Court bench. He indeed cannot be president of Zimbabwe or the MDC. He should be given a job on the bench by Mnangagwa