For a few days I have reserved judgement re the question of the identity of the Director manipulating the `split' in the MDC. Zimbabwe's fragile little cast of opposition party characters appear to have got hold of the wrong script. A more germane question might be `Who is the author of the script?' I suggested the US's Dr Rice might be `the one', but she could very well have found job awaiting her in her in her in-tray, been too busy with more important foreign matters and delegated it to Ms Frazer. (see my Frazer Enigma blog)This newly appointed Assistant Secretary of State is/was, I remind myself, a friend of Jonathon Moyo and together with him, a student of Rice at Uni. The mystery of it all is still to be revealed but yesterday's Business Day is still peddling the well rehearsed story of a possible future alliance between the MDC and ZANU (PF). I quote: [MY COMMENTS IN UPPER CASE]
"But the biggest challenge facing the MDC is not whether to participate in elections. It centres on a more fundamental malaise within the opposition party - the lack of decisive, credible leadership. [DOES THIS `LEADERSHIP' INCLUDE THE FIVE WHO ARE PURPORTED TO HAVE `SPLIT' FROM HIM? IF SO, WHY HAVE THEY WAITED FOR MUGABE'S/WHOMSOEVER'S SENATE BRIBE BEFORE `RESPONDING' WITH THEIR `SPLIT'? SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO CHANGE THE SCENERY. DM]Since the parliamentary elections in March and the launch by the government of its mass urban eviction campaign, Operation Murambatsvina, questions about Tsvangirai’s leadership have multiplied [WHOSE QUESTIONS? DM]. The MDC did not mobilise against the flawed result of the election and, for weeks, did not respond to the mass evictions.
The Zimbabwean government’s repressive tactics towards the MDC are part of the reason, but the absence of charismatic leadership has been at the core of its repeated failure to build opposition to Mugabe.[WHAT ABSOLUTE BOLLOCKS! WHO BUILT THE OPPOSITION PARTY AS ITS LEADER FROM THE OUTSET? I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT IT WAS MORGAN TSVANGIRAI AND IF HE HAS `FAILED TO RESPOND... ETC PERHAPS THE WRITER OF THIS TOSH - OR IS IT DISINFORMATION? - HAS OVERLOOKED THE VERY REAL DANGER HE HAS FACED WHEN `RESPONDING'. IF HE CHOOSES TO STAY ALIVE, HE LIVES TO FIGHT ON, ON A MORE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. DM] What is needed now is a united party rallying behind a strong leader fully committed to the principles of democracy and peaceful struggle. But that can happen only with much difficulty as ethnic factors are of importance and the egos of some of the party’s leaders are big. Some argue that the MDC should be allowed to split. This would make way for "a third force" made up of former Zanu PF members, including Mugabe’s former propaganda chief Jonathan Moyo, and members of the opposition. [THERE'S THE KEY. BEWARE, MDC! DM]But there are dangers here, too. A third force may well be stillborn - there are big rewards for staying in Zanu PF and possible threats of violence against those who leave [LIKE MOYO? WHO ELSE? NAME THEM PLEASE! DM]. The MDC is pivotal to the struggle against the dictatorship of Mugabe and his party, but it needs new leadership. A party split or a merger between an MDC faction and one from Zanu PF would not guarantee an effective opposition. Staying together with fresh leadership that must be allowed to emerge rapidly is the best course - for now".[FAR TOO SIMPLISTIC. DM]
The economy does not seem to feature in all these `noises off'.
Have we come to the end of Act 1 yet?
Copyright © 2004 Diana Mitchell
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