The Sunday News
FOR a long time Bulawayo residents have been suffering from blind loyalty, following and voting for the opposition MDC-T.
One politician even joked that even “a donkey on an MDC-T” ticket would win elections in Bulawayo and other urban centres, but events that took place at White City Stadium last Saturday were an indication that the honeymoon for the opposition is coming to an end, especially coming against the background of a resounding win by the ruling Zanu-PF in the 2015 by elections. For the first time since the opposition came onto the scene, the ruling party has six Parliamentary seats in the city.
The ruling party can now work on increasing the number of seats in the coming elections, as the opposition has failed to serve the interests of the masses with no life changing initiatives coming from legislators from the opposition, and the same can be said of service delivery, as the city council has come short on a number of fronts.
Bulawayo residents boycotted the so called Alliance launch by opposition parties led by MDC-T last week, thereby showing all and sundry that Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is not a demi-god. In addition, the cracks that are widening by each passing day in the opposition ranks serve as an indicator that the honeymoon is over for Mr Tsvangirai and his lieutenants.
MDC-T chairman Mr Lovemore Moyo was quoted by an online publication last week saying the poor crowd which attended the MDC Alliance launch vindicated Matabeleland senior party leaders’ objections to the pact and their leader’s ideology.
Mr Moyo, MDC-T deputy president, Ms Thokozani Khupe and suspended organising secretary, Mr Abedinico Bhebhe were among the high profile figures who did not attend the event after sharp differences with their leader on the distribution of Parliamentary seats in the Matabeleland region in next year’s elections under the alliance.
Mr Moyo told the online publication that his party does not need any alliance with Mr Welshman Ncube-led MDC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Mr Tendai Biti.
“All of us should honestly look at the event of Saturday and reflect on it whether it does reflect the real MDC we have known for the past 17 years. It is clear that there are some gaps and therefore we need to begin as leadership to close those gaps. How can seven political parties attract such a paltry crowd?,” Mr Moyo was quoted as saying.
He told the publication that the alliance was “undeservingly rewarding Ncube and Biti’s parties at the expense of loyal MDC-T members whom he said have worked very hard for the growth of the party in the Matabeleland region.”
It would appear the differences border on personalities, which is nothing new in the opposition ranks as politicians in that sector are known for getting into politics for self-gain and reaping rewards in the form of donor funds which have been coming to the opposition from Western countries hostile to the ruling party.
It is therefore time for Bulawayo residents and many others across the country to see MDC-T for what it is, and stop wasting their votes by endorsing opposition candidates. Moreover, chances are high the MDC-T will split again as has been the norm since its formation. And there is fertile ground for that split after Mr Tsvangirai chose to dilute Ms Khupe’s position by appointing two other vice-presidents, and going ahead to sign alliances with other parties without input from his senior leaders in Matabeleland, resulting in violent clashes in Bulawayo recently. In short, all is not well with the opposition.
