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The State of the MDC in Zimbabwe
I have deliberately been fairly quiet on the evolution of the crisis in
the
MDC since October when the first cracks appeared. The main reason for
this
was that I was waiting to see how events played themselves out while
trying
to ascertain exactly what is going on. From day one it was clear that
there
was more to this internal crisis than at first met the eye.
My own personal views were well known from the start on the Senate
issue - I
was against participation for a wide range of reasons. Like others I
was
shocked and surprised by the acrimonious debate and the split decision
in
October at the National Council meeting. Then, while we waited for
reconciliation and a resumption of business as usual in the MDC, far
from
the situation improving we were spectators of a game where both sides
were
guilty of "sledging". For non-cricketers this a term is used to
describe a
situation in a game of cricket where one side or one person, by word
and
deed, denigrates the opposition. The debate left the majority of us
confused
and unhappy.
It is quite clear now that the real agenda had little to do with the
Senate
race and everything to do with the issue of how to approach the
question of
securing progress on the change and recovery agenda in Zimbabwe. It is
now
clear to all - even Zanu PF, that there will be no progress until
Mugabe
goes. That he wants to go is no secret - just today the local pink
paper
headlined that "Mugabe seeks a safe exit." By safe they mean that he
wants
to go when he is satisfied that his position after relinquishing power
is
still secure. No Saddam Hussein trial for him. His colleagues are
equally
anxious to ensure that when he goes - the whole edifice of Zanu PF and
it's
control of power does not simply wobble and collapse.
They are not fools - they well know that they are hated throughout the
country and that they could never win a free and fair election on a
level
playing field. They also know what lies ahead for them if the situation
does
get out of hand.
The group that attempted an internal coup against Morgan Tsvangirai in
October was and is of the opinion that if the Zanu PF cannot be
defeated in
an election and that they cannot be overthrown by a popular uprising,
then
the only way forward is a "deal". It is quite clear that such a deal
has
been thrashed out and agreed and that this operation is well under way
-
with considerable international support.
The dilemma for this group is that they do not command sufficient
support
inside the MDC to control the grass roots of the Party where Morgan
Tsvangirai remains an icon and has massive support across the country.
Morgan's great strength has always been his ability to touch the
"common
man". When he realized that he was the subject of a carefully planned
and
co-ordinated strategy to remove him from the MDC, Morgan turned back to
the
streets.
Since October he has toured the country tirelessly, walking among
people in
markets, holding rallies and meetings of Party loyalists to explain
what he
feels is happening and why he has decided to stay with the course he
set in
2000. At that time he argued that the MDC had come into being to
confront
Zanu PF - not to compromise with Zanu PF. He sees the present conflict
as a
choice between these two poles.
I have supported Morgan throughout this trauma - many of my friends and
colleagues have not and I am saddened by that, but it does not change
my
view that he is the only political leader with the trust and support of
the
majority - in Zimbabwe, that means, the poor, disadvantaged majority.
When I worked for three years in the early sixties among peasant
farmers in
the Gokwe district, I gained a real respect for those poor people;
their
wisdom, grasp of the essential fundamentals, hard work and sense of
community. Above all, their instinctive grasp of who was genuine and
who had
their interests at heart. Since then I have worked among the poor in
urban
areas and helped start Zambuko, a micro lending organisation that
finances
small business. My respect for the people who make up the great
majority of
the third world and depend on the informal sector for survival has
become a
guiding principle for my life. These street-smart people know where
their
real interests lie, they also know who can be trusted with those
interests
and who cannot. They are amazingly principled and have good
communications
and sense of community. In short, I trust the instincts of the poor.
There is no doubt in my mind where the majority sentiment lies here -
both
in the MDC itself and in the country. It is with Morgan Tsvangirai and
his
immediate support group. In fact I have been shocked and surprised at
how
vociferous the people attending MDC rallies have been about the
dissident
group led by Welshman Ncube et al. At yesterdays meeting in Bulawayo
for
example, he was repeatedly called "Wishman" to the laughter and jeers
of
several hundred people from the length and breadth of the Matabeleland
region.
The present situation in the Party is that Morgan is slowly regaining
control of the Party across the country. 7 out of 12 Provinces have now
held
their Congress's and have elected new leadership to replace those who
are
perceived to have defected. In my own district, all those who supported
the
Senate contest have been brushed aside and new leadership - improved
leadership in many cases, has been selected.
This process will be completed by mid January and then the MDC will
hold its
national Congress in early March. At that meeting all the leaders who
have
failed to restore their relationship with the grass roots of the Party
will
be replaced by new leaders and a fresh mandate given to them. The
Congress
will be a celebration for a movement that has survived 6 years of
battering
by Zanu PF, the media and the CIO. It will provide a strong affirmation
of
our people's faith in democracy and freedom, of their commitment to
continue
the struggle to defeat those who have destroyed what was once a proud
and
self-sufficient country.
It is a time to choose. I was delighted when the warrior Roy Bennett,
came
out of the woodwork to be elected as Chairman of Manicaland Province
for the
MDC. Roy has reservations about some of the things that have been going
on
in the MDC but recognizes that whoever is responsible - and most of us
suspect the CIO and their internal plants, the people are united and
are not
in any way confused. They are backing Morgan's leadership and are
willing to
go all the way with him. You cannot sit on the fence in this game, all
that
that gets you is flak from both sides.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 23rd December 2005
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