The Sunday News
Michael Mhlanga
We live in a strange world in which many people seem able to doubt almost everything, yet simultaneously are willing to believe almost anything; whether it be evolution or alien abduction or that there were V11s that proved who won last year’s election with little or no regard for rationality or evidence.
An important event in May is drawing closer. An impending big election, this time with nothing to do with Zanu-PF. Likewise, excuses of external interferences and pre-election excuses of imagined infiltrations are carelessly thrown around. The MDC election is important to every Zimbabwean because it shapes the political future of Zimbabwe, because undoubtedly, the biggest opposition on land is making a lifetime decision, one whose outcome influences democratic processes and character. The products of this congress are important actors in public policy debates and advocacy, so to all wondering why we are interested, there is the answer.
However, drama is not amiss in this build up. There is trouble in team “jecha”, this time “vanodirana jecha”. Cleavages of generations, ethnicity and gender and region are becoming more visible and its beckoning to many who refused a piece of advice the same time last year.
For the past two weeks I have refreshed your minds on the one centre of power in MDC, a centre morphed into a demi-god, whose history and character is no different from the past leader representing a million. This centre has already been declared “unchallengeable” with any dreams of so being regarded as charlatanic traits funded by an imagined plant. The “sell-out” tag culture attached to those champions of democracy who represent a dissenting constituency is again threatening democracy. MDC is no different from any autocratic party.
Those surrounding Nelson Chamisa sing for their supper, are aggressive to anyone critical of their party, threaten the heart out of anyone intending to challenge him. Dogma is confused for strategic democratic rhetoric; nothing different from an autocratic party that deters anyone from democratic competition — exactly the declared “Chete chete” of December 2014.
With all this informing decision making for the 6 000 eligible congress voters, what is foregone is that democracy and institutional continuity is shaped entirely by majority opinion. Even great individuals, whose opinions we often give much value to, would not be admired had they not taken majority opinion into account in seeking their goals.
Even when an individual doesn’t commonly deal with the majority all at once, even the opinions of the people he encounters will more often than not be the same or similar to the majority. No one is bigger than “The People” and the test of that quote is a direct challenge to God who is said to be in it!
Dear reader, opposition robbed us of the truth from the beginning, and it is sad that some are now terminal victims to that bad political character. As for me, I believe in rationality, reason and science and therefore I am are profoundly sceptical about many beliefs and ideas that others hold always sincerely and often passionately.
I believe in the value of evidence and I am deeply sceptical of anything contrary to reason or lacking in evidence. I believe that belief should be proportioned to credible evidence and demonstrable causality especially where counter-intuitive notions are concerned.
I believe in having an open mind, ready to contemplate new ideas backed by persuasive evidence, but not an empty one — with my closer look in team “jecha” — evidence has always pointed to a point of break — soon to be recorded in May.
Dear reader, truth has been absent in the “Chete” campaign as it was absent in the “A” team “bundle” of nothing. I regret the hours I spent in front of the television yearning for a “bundle” of evidence to prove that the “Nerorists” (as they call themselves) won as they claimed and that the most capable Zec colluded with Zanu-PF and inflated numbers. I am not one who is easily moved by kindergarten level assertions made by an “eloquent” speaker. I quote eloquent because the linguist reference of it does not mean one’s ability to use jargon or emotively speak. It means clarity in language use, syntactical respect, appreciation of audience, credible and verifiable persuasion — agree with me now, that was absent from one over-glorified “elementary” lingua-user who is now hailed for his use of Latin, oh what a pithy! Some of us are not moved by pseudo-elaborated codes, (English language is a product of Latin — we all speak Latin).
Let me hasten to say that opinions do not have a universal, measurable value should “Someone” assume that they are more learned than the masses. In as much as the value of each opinion is designated by the person hearing the opinion, every single opinion is given a different value by everyone who posits it.
Because each opinion has a varying set of values, as defined by each individual, it is impossible to define which one is “decent” or worth listening to. The decency of each opinion is entirely subjective. It is the same reason that it is impossible to give a set definition for any single word, as every person has their own unique meaning of each word, however, in this case, the meaning of the majority opinion in May is that they have been robbed of choices — the freedom of choice is absent.
But Alas! Some, among us are/ were economical with the truth.
This is to mean that from a string of the untruths that have been told by the MDC about meeting Heads of States, being promised huge amounts of money and the possession of evidence of a “stolen” election has informed the public belief. We do not make beliefs out of sympathy that one lost an election or court petition, but based on how you regard and present truth before us and courts.
Listening to Chief Justice Malaba’s verdict, one cannot make a mistake to deduce that the esteemed man just did not want to say “Applicant, you are a liar”.
The Chief Justice remarkably and with heart, decided to tell how the MDC did not present truth in all/ any of their allegations. It goes without doubt that not telling the truth is the nature of the congregation of seven parties. We now await the crumble of the “mighty” Alliance as I told you. Wait and see.
Let us learn of once 1985 President of Brazil, Tancredo Neves who during the Presidential campaign said if he got 500 000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency.
It was reported that he really did get the votes, but, a day before he took office as President, he died because of surgery complication that he underwent a few days before the inauguration. Comrades, do remember Thomas Andrews the builder of Titanic the Ship who after the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: “Not even God can sink it,” I need not say what happened to the ship and Andrews just after four days of sailing. When May happens, there is no resurrection on this one!
Abathelane itshebetshebe!
