MDC-T appears destined for an inevitable split after the weekend drama that saw a faction led by secretary-general Tendai Biti announcing the suspension of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai was suspended alongside his deputy Thokozani Khupe and five other top officials on accusations of violating the party’s constitution and deviating from the ideals of democracy.
The suspension triggered debate among Zimbabweans, many who saw it as a blow to the democracy movement in the country.
MDC was formed in 1999 and gave President Robert Mugabe the fiercest challenge since independence in elections held the following year.
However, the party split into two in 2005 after Tsvangirai rejected an outcome of a vote by the MDC national council that directed the party to contest in senatorial elections.
Those who pulled away led by the likes of the late Gibson Sibanda and Welshman Ncube, accused Tsvangirai of being a dictator.
Ironically the same allegations are being raised by Biti who accuses the MDC-T leader of personalising the party and abusing funds.
However, that is beside the point. The MDC-T leaders have a democratic right to go their separate ways if it is in their interests.
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What Zimbabwe does not need now is a violent disintegration of the MDC-T. Zimbabweans have suffered enough from political violence and it should now be avoided at all costs.
Therefore we would like to urge the parties involved in the MDC-T dispute to tone down their rhetoric.
The language from senior officials who have spoken so far has not been very exemplary and that is very worrying.
Granted tempers are bound to run high in such a situation, but leaders do not have to worsen it by calling each other names.
The two MDC-T factions can go their separate ways peacefully without resorting to violence and that will show that there are better politicians than those they seek to remove from power.
They should show Zimbabweans that they have matured after having gone through such a painful past.
