It is no secret that Obert Gutu’s departure from the MDC Alliance was not a harmonious one. He joined up with Thokozani Khupe, another one who refused to join the proposed coalition, to form the MDC-T faction. Sadly the faction performed badly in the 30 July 2018 elections and Obert Gutu is not one to quietly lick his wounds.
Gutu has revelled that he and fellow MDC ministers in the 2008 GNU purchased their official vehicles for less than $ 4 000.
His former MDC colleagues are furious and have been accusing him selling out to Zanu PF.
"I have never been a Zanu PF supporter all my life. I am resolutely pro-Zimbabwe and against retrogressive politics. I will continue to fearlessly and resolutely defend and uphold what's good for Zimbabwe, not necessarily what's good for certain political personalities." Gutu has hit back.
It was USA President Lyndon Baines Johnson who said “I’d rather have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in!” He was answering why he had not sacked Edgar J Hoover. It was no secret the two were not best friends.
Chamisa will wish he had kept Gutu in the MDC Alliance tent because, knowing Obert Gutu as I do, he will pissing into the Alliance on a regular basis! What makes Gutu’s revelation so damaging and pernicious is that they are factual and true!
There are several important lessons for us, ordinary Zimbabweans, to learn from Gutu’s belated confessions, I will just focus on three:
1. Our politicians are so utterly corrupt and incompetent that even after their Soul on the road to Damascus revelation they cannot help but revert back to their primeval default setting of lying.
Obert Gutu had just confessed that he and others had been seduced by Mugabe’s bribes hence the reason they failed to implement even one democratic reforms. The next minute he is wittering about him being “resolutely pro-Zimbabwe”. Mr Obert Gutu, you and your fellow MDC friends were NOT being “resolutely pro-Zimbabwe” when you allowed yourselves to be seduced by Mugabe’s bribes and failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years!
In other words, there is nothing permanent about Mr Gutu’s Damascene moment, it is not the same Soul to Paul transformation of the Bible, but rather that of a chameleon changing colour to blend with its new surrounding. If Gutu was still in the MDC Alliance tent he would be vigorously denying MDC leaders betrayed the nation during the GNU just as he had before he was booted out.
Indeed, if he was to find himself in the new GNU he will once again forget about implementing the reforms just as readily as he did in 2008 to 2013! He knows that Chamisa and other will do the same and if they left him out of the new GNU, he will have his revenge.
2. MDC leaders and members alike have lashed out at Gutu not because they did not buy the ministerial cars at give away prices. They angry with Gutu for admitting it and thus showing them for the corrupt and incompetent individuals they are. Everyone with half a working brain knew MDC leaders sold out during the GNU, the leaders do not want this to be publicly and widely known because MDC’s continued popularity depends on keeping the masses ignorant of such facts.
Mugabe knew MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent and exploited that to the full. He and his party cronies even boasted about. “Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC people have learned to enjoy the trappings of high office, they will never rock the boat!)
3. Last but most important of all, many Zimbabweans have refused, even now with the benefit of hindsight, to accept that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends are corrupt and incompetent and sold-out in failing to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections.
Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with generous salaries and allowances, $4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, a former white-owned farm for Welshman Ncube, ministerial limos, etc., etc. In return, the MDC leaders kicked the democratic reforms into the prickly pear thicket.
Of course, Tsvangirai et al did not care about the common people nor the dire consequences of failing to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship. We are the ones who are stuck with the corrupt, tyrannical and vote rigging Zanu PF dictatorship and are suffering these dire consequences of it.
Zimbabweans have failed to see MDC leaders for whom they really are: corrupt and incompetent even with all the evidence of their blatant selling-out during the GNU. It was the same shortsightedness that resulted in Zimbabweans taking over 20 years before many of them finally accept Zanu PF was a party of corrupt, incompetent and ruthless thugs.
The root cause of this collective myopic is because Zimbabweans are not paying attention to detail. Our understand of issues is superficial, potato skin deep, at best. Many Zimbabweans have no clue what democratic reforms the nation has been dying for are, for example.
MDC supporters have been clamouring for change "Chinja Maitiro! Maitiro Chinja! Guqula Izenzo! Izenzo Guqula!” The majority have no idea what changes they want and hence the reason they are blissfully unaware their leaders sold-out on this very issue during the GNU.
If we are serious about wanting a democratic, just and prosperous Zimbabwe then we must do our homework and pay meticulous attention to detail. A healthy and functional democracy demands an informed and diligent electorate and not one that will sheepish follow a corrupt and murderous dictator for decades only to follow a corrupt and incompetent sell-out next!
4 comments:
Nations get the government they deserve and we in Zimbabwe certainly deserve this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship complete with its full compliment of corrupt and incompetent opposition parties. A nation that would tolerate a dictatorship for 20 years only to finally reject it for a utterly useless opposition party like MDC clearly shows that it not paying attention to anything. Those who will not learn from their past mistakes will be force to repeat the lesson over and over again and pay dearly for their folly!
Obert Gutu is not the only Zimbabwean politician who has admitted they were corrupt and incompetent when they were in high office; Professor Jonathan Moyo, Joice Mujuru, Dabengwa and many others have done the same. The confession is not so much an admission of their own wrong doing but to embarrass they former colleagues who continue to enjoy power under false pretence of being squeaky clean.
I agree, now that Obert Gutu is outside the MDC Alliance tent, there is nothing he will enjoy more than piss into the tent! He is going to make it very difficult for Chamisa and friends to deny they are corrupt and incompetent!
Chamisa suggested that a new government, which he was going to be a part of, would improve the welfare of the elderly and the economy.
Chamisa has been good at making empty promises, just like Mnangagwa.
Chamisa would not listen to the warning not to contest the elections without first implementing the democratic reforms. He insisted that “MDC had stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!” He did not even have the common sense to insist on ZEC releasing a verified voters’ roll although this is a legal requirement!
Mnangagwa promised to hold free, fair and credible elections only to blatantly rig the elections. Rigging economic recovery has proven a bridge too far hence the worsening economic meltdown!
Chamisa keeps talking of asking for a dialogue with Mnangagwa to resolve the legitimacy problem and fixing the economy. This is just nonsense. Mnangagwa is illegitimate because he rigged the recent elections and giving Chamisa a seat in this illegitimate regime will not change its status. Economic recovery is too linked to Zimbabwe shedding its pariah state image, again including Chamisa in the regime will not be enough.
Chamisa is desperate for a seat on the gravy train; that is all he cares about!
If we want real change then we must force Zanu PF to step down that is no negotiable. Chamisa and his foolish demands are just wasting our time!
@ Jeko
“Spot on Guramatunhu. I have been in the MDC for a long time, and I have witnessed the very values which form the democratic soul of the party being trashed with abandon by the party officials. We surely need a third way. The opposition and zanu pf have failed our beloved motherland.”
I could not agree with you more; Zanu PF and MDC have certainly failed our motherland and we need a third way.
As a former MDC member, I am sure you will agree that there are many MDC members who have witness the trashing of democratic values by party leaders but that has not registered in the brain. The few who have witnessed the same and it registered in their brain have dismissed it as trivial and some would aggressively silence those like you who try to hold the wrong doers to account.
As long as the country continues to have a naive and gullible electorate who will not view leaders as fallible mortals and will hold corrupt and incompetent leaders to account there will never be a third way. We are stuck with Zanu PF and MDC!
@ Jeko
“Just today all parliamentarians, including MDC have connived with Treasury to agree to buy land cruisers, among other goodies for parliamentarians at a time when our medical doctors are on the streets. Oh what cheeky pretence.”
My friend, you should not be surprised. We have an electorate that is totally incapable of holding the leaders to account because they have no clue what going on. It is little wonder the leaders then do as the please.
Instead of people holding public office to serve the common interest it has now become the sure way to feather one’s nest at public expense. Zanu PF rigs the elections to guarantee their leaders gravy train seats. MDC leaders have accepted their subordinate role in which they get a few gravy train seats in return for playing along, promising the naive and gullible electorate democratic change but doing nothing about it. Zanu PF needs MDC’s play along to give elections some modicum of credibility and reward them with the few seats the two are happy.
It is the ordinary people who are being short changed! As long as the ordinary voters remain naive and gullible the politicians will continue to exploit the masses and share the spoils!
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