The Sunday News
Meluleki Moyo
It sounded like a read from the scriptures but in a painful, sad and heartbreaking mortality-propelled, hence inevitable development, on 14 February, when the rest of the world was celebrating the existence of love, the sad realities of mortality showed no love as the physical being of Morgan Richard Tsvangirai ceased to exist as he breathed his last at a South African health facility.
The father of opposition who arguably took opposition politics farther and farther, crossed over to some world yet to be known by the rest. Added to signalling the end of a troubled political career devoid of any glamorous accolades, the sad development also shattered his almost 19 year- old dream of reaching some political Canaan, and just 24 days before celebrating his 66th birthday.
In an apparent reversal of the Biblical creation theory, arguably the only opposition leader Zimbabwe had known since 1999, was returned to dust in his native Buhera on Tuesday, evidently with a trail of unfulfilled dreams haunting and unfairly burdening an already broken, if not a totally tattered heart, in a huge send-off ceremony also attended by his Kenyan doppelganger, Raila Odinga.
With broken hearts, many are still trying to come to terms with the inevitable reality that the once “more” Morgan is indeed no more! Added to eagerly awaiting the High Court’s decision regarding the re-writing of the disputed November 2017 English Paper 2 a development which also saw the Zimsec top brass “packing”, 14 February was the very day neighbouring South Africa reached an Asante Sana moment, following the resignation of former president Jacob Zuma.
As if that was not enough, the same day also saw the Tanzanian opposition leader, Daniel John being “murdered”. Many were left perplexed, wondering and inquisitive: Valentino, Valentino, where is thy love?
Borrowing from self-exiled Prof Jonathan Moyo, all earthly things great or small, beautiful or ugly, good or bad, sad or happy, foolish or wise must finally come to an end.
It is as well from this sobering reality that the once influential opposition leader had to respond to the sad yet inevitable realities of mortality after close to two decades of exerting all effort, including muscular in opposition politics.
Regardless of being considered by many as having misplaced priorities and ideologies, Zimbabwe has arguably lost a gallant son and a fighter. Grossly misinformed, consequently creating passive and docile discourses around the Zimbabweans’ level of resistance, including fighters like Mr Tsvangirai in 2005, David Blair of The Telegraph got it wrong:
“…Any outsider with goodwill towards this beautiful country is led to some profoundly disturbing conclusions. The entire Zimbabwean nation seems to have given up opposing Mugabe. Put bluntly, they are now waiting for God to remove him. The MDC’s failure to offer any protest or resistance reflects the popular mood.”
On the contrary, to people of more research, this was far from the truth.
Having risen to prominence during his days with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, in political cycles, the Buhera-born political charmer will to some sects go down memory lane as the icon who redefined opposition politics, shaking former President Mugabe, and in the process, constantly sending him and the ruling Zanu-PF party on some reality check and compromises.
Tsvangirai fought his political battles, advancing his ideals to the last breath. He redefined opposition politics when he still walked the face of the earth. He taught many, including the ruling Zanu-PF party, especially when he came close to taking over from long rival and former President Mugabe in 2008, amassing 47,9 percent against Cde Mugabe’s 43,2.
It was all thanks to the legal requirement that says a presidential candidate must amass 50 percent plus one vote for him or her to be declared a winner. Sadly for some, he will vehemently refuse to depart from memory as the potential leader who among other errors of commission shot himself on the foot by surrounding himself with political opportunists, some disguised as advisors who found joy and missed no opportunity to ill-advise him.
Just like everyone else including this writer, Morgan had his own flaws.
“We say to you Mugabe, if you don’t want to go peacefully, we will remove you violently”, a then politically immature and seemingly violent Tsvangirai once declared at the turn of the new millennium.
These and other utterances, coupled with his calling for economic sanctions went a long way in promoting political violence and seeing a manifestation of economic and social strife among the generality of Zimbabweans.
Consequently, disgust and disdain defined his being. He became the villainous face to many, a resented and ridiculed symbol of the far from free and fair scorched earth policy politics, felt even in his hinterland Buhera.
On a lighter note, however, this writer is pleased to note that Morgan leaves behind a legacy of maturity, arguably earned during his tenure as Prime Minister during the GNU as he rubbed shoulders with mature statesmen, among them, former President Mugabe.
The sad departure of the former Prime Minister has been viewed by several analysts as just having ushered the demise of opposition politics in Zimbabwe, particularly that of the already bleeding MDC movement in its totality.
Borrowing the robes of a prophet, I foresee the beleaguered and in disarray opposition movement staging nothing short of a “friendly” contestation during the forthcoming, much awaited 2018 harmonised elections.
Tsvangirai was arguably a strong leader, having endured the pain of leading an ever grumbling opposition, well known for being possessed with demons of scattering, tormented by a cancer of splitting and splintering as it went through a dry desert in its purported search for “democracy” in a very undemocratic way. The long and winding journey has been characterised with drowning in the electoral red sea, sinking glitteringly red in its traditional red regalia donned since 2000.
Leaving behind a vengeful mother seemingly far from forgiving, the departed Morgan may have failed to have ascended to the helm of earthly politics as he arguably breathed his last still gazing at the State House with lustful eyes, but who knows? Probably his maker has something in store for him.
Kwazise kuzobongwa lamaQhawe, aphiwe imiqhele, abuse njalonjalo le Nkosi yamaKhosi. (For unto them that overcometh, a crown of life shall be; they with the king of glory shall reign eternally).
Probably now resting under an epitaph inscribed “A traveller who died on a political journey to nowhere!” may his resilient and enduring political spirit finally find some rest!
Fare thee well gallant son of the soil.
