End nigh for MDC rebels

via End nigh for MDC rebels – DailyNews Live  8 APRIL 2014

The events of the past few weeks indicate very strongly that the so-called MDC renewal team is fast running out of steam.

With party leader Morgan Tsvangirai ratcheting up the pressure on the rebels, as well as his grassroots campaigns (and he clearly has the numbers on his side), the renewal team is finding itself well and truly up the creek — without a paddle to row back to terra firma!

It truly looks over, bar the croaky shouting that is likely to continue for a few more weeks, at best.

Notwithstanding the twisted perceptions to the contrary about us in some fringe quarters, we at the Daily News don’t care much about who leads any of Zimbabwe’s numerous political parties.

Our interest — and we are unequivocal about this — lies in the kind, quality and depth of the country’s democracy, not the personalities and political parties that operate within our body politic per se. It is in this vein, that we have viewed the blood-letting within the MDC very dimly, guided by one important philosophy; that a united, strong and effective MDC is good for both Zanu PF and our beautiful country.

Indeed, only complete dullards do not appreciate the fact that leading countries, whose democracies and economies are thriving and work for the good of all their citizens, also tend to have strong ruling and opposition parties. This is why we also continue to argue that our nascent democracy is the biggest loser as the madness within the MDC rages on: because Zimbabwe has never needed a stronger opposition than now — a time of worsening economic problems that portend the calamitous crisis of 2008.

The MDC, in its lack of wisdom, agreed to participate in the 2013 harmonised elections without all the key tenets of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) being fully consummated as had been prescribed by Sadc, particularly South Africa.

And all of the MDC’s national leaders — including Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma — were complicit in that ginormous strategic error.

This is why very few Zimbabweans will mourn the impending demise of the renewal putsch, because its proponents are not saints in this sorry saga. In addition, their petty fight benefits no-one, and certainly doesn’t help to solve Zimbabwe’s deepening socio-economic problems.

So, we say loudly and clearly to all the MDC’s leaders, particularly the rebels: please do not continue to betray the aspirations of ordinary Zimbabweans.

Otherwise come 2018, Zanu PF will romp to yet another “landslide” victory, with or without Nikuv, because you are once again taking your eyes off the ball at a crucial time of the country’s history — which is criminal!