Mnangagwa tried to rebrand himself and his coup plotters as radically different from Mugabe's Zanu PF after the November 2017 coup. He even started using phrases like "new dispensation", the "Second Republic" to distinguish the Zanu PF post the coup from the one before the coup. The truth is it was all an elaborate gimmick; Zanu PF was still a party of corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs. Except for Mugabe and a handful of others, the same thugs! Chamisa is trying the same gimmick!
"We are introducing a new culture, a radical shift and dynamic change to the politics that we have known," Chamisa said.
"No more shall we be a slogan-chanting organisation, but we shall be a solution-churning organisation. We must have a radical departure from the politics of personalities to the politics of ideas, from the politics of strong individuals to the politics of strong organisations."
True enough MDC has been a party of “slogan-chanting organisation” alright. How many times has the party leaders and supporters alike chanted “Chinja! Change! Guqula!” The party has failed to deliver even one meaningful democratic change in its 19 years and counting on the political stage. Not one!
Given that Nelson Chamisa has been a senior leader of MDC for all the last 19 years it is shocking that it took him 19 years to finally realise that party has been paying lip-service to change. 19 YEARS!
Worse still, it is clear that MDC will not emerge “a party of ideas and not a party of personalities” no more than Zanu PF emerged a transformed party free of corrupt and incompetent leaders after the November 2017 coup. Zanu PF was led by Mnangagwa, Chiwenga, etc. the same corrupt and incompetent leaders. Similarly MDC after the congress will be led by Chamisa and the same corrupt and incompetent recycled old guard.
“Chamisa said they had set up seven committees that are gathering views from the grassroots, whose feedback will shape their way forward and future,” Newsday reported.
“These committees, headed by senior party members, are also moving around provinces gathering views that will be refined at congress.”
In short, the best the nation can expect from MDC post the Gweru congress is less time wasted repeating meaningless slogans; otherwise no change. The party will continue to blunder from pillar to post calling for reforms, for example, but with no clue what reforms they want! QED!
2 comments:
As long as Zanu PF offers a few gravy train seats to the opposition, there will always be opposition opportunists who will contest election to win those bait seats. Chamisa and his fellow MDC leaders lost all political credibility after the failed to get even one democratic reform implemented and they now know that they will never win anything else beyond the few bait seats and so they are not ashamed to continue participating in elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process.
The world has seen for itself that MDC leaders have lost all political credibility by condemning the elections as a farce and seeing for themselves how MDC leaders have participated regardless. The international community can start showing they are not fooled by MDC leaders' double dealing by ignoring them or better still extending the targeted sanctions to included these opposition leaders!
Progress in forcing Zanu PF to step down has been painfully slow and the opposition's failure to condemn Mnangagwa and the regime as illegitimate has played a part in slowing down that process!
@ Sarah
If Zanu PF rigged last year's elections, which is what Nomusa is saying, then what is the point of MDC or anyone in the opposition "growing their party"? Zanu PF rigged last year's elections and with no reforms will rig the 2023 elections - forget about "strengthening its rural roots"!
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