The movement for democratic change was formed in the late 1990s and emerged as the only challenging party to unseat senior nationalists who had been the dominant force in Zimbabwe’s political system. The prominence of the MDC to national and global stage has no doubt a result of President Mugabe`s inflationary and fiscal policies in 1992 (structural Adjustment programs) coupled with drought in that same year the president didn’t measure the misgiving of such contraction spending. I must admit before you that it’s not clear whether the President turned a full time capitalist in those years or he wanted to please officials at No.10 and Washington in those years given both Mrs Thatcher and Bill Clinton seemed supportive to the Zimbabwean efforts. Comrades I have no doubt that, circumstances of the early to mid 1990s left millions of people unemployed as retrenchments became a common feature in Zimbabwe’s labour market. Whilst on the other hand inflation took its course causing uncertainty to social services delivery scheme in the country. For example, health care and education provisions became inaccessible, at the same time real value of individual pension funds began to shrink due to rapid increase in inflation. This scenario led to both working class and student movements to stage regular mass stay aways and strikes against their government and hence triggered the birth of a new political party (MDC) formed of workers and students activists who had been affected by cuts in government expenditures.
A jubilant Tsvangirai with Statesmen at the GNU signing ceremony in 2008.
After several years of strikes and mass stay away in the early 1990s, over 300 men and women from all walks of life converged at the women’s bureau in Hillside Harare for two day summit to decide the way forward in regards to the future .I am proud that my daddy was part of those delegates who congregated at the summit engineering a new fashion in Zimbabwean political mechanics. Yes the MDC was then formed on the basis of carrying on the struggle for workers rights, jobs creation, decency working conditions and a formidable democratic right for all but not forgetting equal distribution of resources. As such, the Movement for democratic change was built on the socialist manifesto and in 2000 general election the party almost unseat ZANU-PF; two years later Tsvangirai did very well in the presidential vote because there was a lot enthusiasm that generated higher level of expectations amongst Zimbabwean electorates. So what went wrong with the MDC as a party that belongs to the future?
The death of the MDC`s founding principle can be traced to just after 2002 presidential election following claims of rigging but Tsvangirai`s bid to overturn the votes through the courts was on several occasions without success. Since then the party shifted from being a social welfare club to a civil society up till now. There is no doubt that, transforming a political into a civil society or NGO can denature a party`s potential to govern. For example, senior leader in the party is more likely to be on the payroll with the National constitutional Assembly(NCA) or in some cases with various groups with so many interest of which in the end this have inevitably destroyed the direction of the MDC as a true political force in Zimbabwe. Therefore, the MDC as a collective voice should move away from being a NGO or civil society to a proper political party, but hurdles always exist especially if the marginal benefits of being a stakeholder in those NGOs and Civil societies are high.
In 2005 the ZANU-PF government introduced senatorial parliament, but the MDC was sharply divided and the division in the party led to constitutional violation which led to a break away faction MDC-M and MDC-T both claiming legitimacy to be the founding party. This is where everything went wrong against the party, all officials from the MDC-M were barred from entering Harvest House by MDC-Youths /militias paving a way for the MDC-T to occupy the building this kind of infighting forced President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa to intervene for years but without success and negotiations for reconciliation between the two camps went on right through 2008 general election. So in this matter it will be right to say weak political institutions and lack of formidable cooperate governance are the main causes of the MDC crash in 2005. Not to forgetting the worst attack of MDC-M (Trudy Stevenson) legislature that was blamed MDC-T and other incidences happened those days remind us the pain of democracy. Even those who claim to have formed on the basis of modernisation fail to honour their commitments to the working of the good. Recently the MDC-T has deleted party of its constitution that govern the selection of party executives, making it possible to for party president to remain on the post forever i that democracy?? On the other hand we have the MDC-M stripping elected member of parliament for not voting Paul Themba Nyathi who a party nominee for the Spear`s post since then those constituency have no representative in Parliament right now can that be justified ???
After sometime of internal wrangling within the MDC-M, a firebrand politician Job Sikhala one of the founding member of the old MDC formed his own branch of the MDC called MDC-99 and as of now he (Mr Sikhala) installed himself a President. Also events at Harvest house are not very encouraging at all which the PM have nudged it on outsider but I don’t know really that such educated members would be used by ZANU-PF or outsiders to inflict factionalism within the MDC-T?? Up to when should we continue to blame on outside elements why cants those situations be minimise? From this one would whether both MDC factions are strong enough to embarrass the importance of modern democracy and does these political entities built on strong values of modern corporate governance??
Also on foreign affairs the Prime Minister and his MDC-T increasing aborting the importance of African institutions and governments in pursuits of extending friendships overseas such the US, Europe and Australia. This will make it even difficult for them to engage with our neighbours if salt or tea bags or sugar runs, can they fly to Europe or the US or New Zealand to beg for sugar ?? In a speech at the GNU signing ceremony the PM thanked and saluted President Thabo Mbeki for his role in facilitating negotiations which led to GNU, but we must remember this is the man, who time and again attacked Thabo Mbeki, and again he thanked SADC and other statesmen happened to be there at the time.
Area of internal conflict (Harvest house MDC HQ)
For this reason, I am forced to conclude that MDC-T, MDC-M and MDC-99 have nothing to offer the Zimbabwean family unless the come out again as one and retreat to those founding principles in the late 1990s. Otherwise we are increasingly at risk if we continue to put our bets in this political party with various factions that failing to honour their own constitution which they drafted with their own hands. Now the questions, can the MDC be trusted and given a mandate to uphold our national constitutions? It’s up to you comrades this is what I have to say for now I am now tabling my analysis before for you.
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