IN the life of a nation state a few telling milestones reveal what defines it’s soul and heartbeat.
In Zimbabwe’s case the rise of Robert Mugabe to become Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980 and the rise of Morgan Tsvangirai to the helm of MDC that became the largest opposition political party in 1999, are such events.
They revealed the DNA of the Zimbabwean as a human being seeking leadership.
For one to appoint or elect a leader, one looks to self leadership as a guiding light to who they chose to lead them.
The majority of those that congest the electoral college seem to be stuck in an era where culturally they were led by non-human beings or some village hobo with no recognisable leadership structures.
The same person may not be expected to thrive in a democratic system that seeks to elect the best and exemplary leader with a clear programme of action that has measurable deliverables and is accountable to the electorate.
The same electorate sticks to the tried and tested method of electing people from the same village and hail them as cult heroes.
Such leaders are highly intolerant to divergent views or being challenged as leader of the group.
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Like the spirit mediums they seek to rule until kingdom come.
Since the formation of MDC their mantra has always been to remove Mugabe while unsuspecting commentators kept asking after their manifesto that details their programme of action once in power.
These commentators were blind to the fact that MDC’s desire is to replace a one cult hero with another.
They loathe democratic processes that unleash free thinking and challenging the status quo, and the dirty word called “term limit”.
The failures and misgovernment of Zanu PF have been dealt with extensively in this media and many others.
Only to suffice that Zanu PF recent mandate acquired on July 31 2013 would be the most revealing since 1980, while the rest of Zimbabweans are still trying to come to terms with what transpired on that fateful July 31.
Zanu are slowly but surely realizing that the world doesn’t need Zimbabwe, but Zimbabwe needs the world.
They were rudely reminded that their appointed friend China is part of the global village and the second biggest economy is key stakeholder in World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
I was saddened, heartened and encouraged when I watched Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa tell the world that Zimbabwe was too small a State to be confrontational with the rest of the world at a recent conference in Harare.
The climax had to come when various Zanu PF spokesmen indicated that Zanu PF were now ready to do away with the Indigenisation Act.
However, MDC-T did not disappoint either by making forays into the world of comedy following the manhandling of their deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma at Harvest House.
Like they say history repeats itself to the unsuspecting, as Mangoma and Tendai Biti have suffered the same fate that Welshman Ncube and Gibson Sibanda did in October 2005.
Then Tsvangirai was absolved as he was said to be dealing with a power hungry lot wanting to pull the party to their regional base.
Harvest House remains off limits to those with opposing views to the dear leader thanks to the dutiful militia.
The comedy started when the Biti group held a meeting at Mandel in Harare and suspended Tsvangirai and team, installed Senator Sekai Holland as care taker leader.
Tsvangirai and team held their own meeting and suspended the other group and banned them from coming near Harvest House.
The comedy did not end there! Holland issued a statement denouncing Biti, only to turn around and claim that she issued that statement under duress because she feared for the security of her members because of the presence of the militia.
Really!
Besides Tsvangirai making Mugabe look like half a democrat, any visitor to this country from a democratic country would surely think that Zimbabweans need to be sent to a facility where one Oscar Pistorius (South Africa) is being examined.
The media that has the responsibility to bring sanity to such craziness has been cheering on one faction or the other.
The civil society organisations that were wrong-footed in July 31 and are still trying to find their feet, have been caught in these bright lights of bad comedy like the proverbial deer.
I recall in 2001 when it was almost certain Tsvangirai was going to replace Mugabe, I had a long and deep conversation with a friend who is a founding member of MDC.
After discussing at length Tsvangirai’s leadership style I encouraged her that her party still had time to sanitise his leadership style.
Her response was that they were seized with removing Mugabe and anyone would do.
Really!
I feel that Tsvangirai like a true leader should have dealt with the 2005 and 2014 split much better as both crises called on him to show leadership skills.
Genuine and true leaders take these opportunities to shine.
As we search long in our souls on what’s wrong with Zimbabwe, the answer lies in us.
Let one read the sensational “metros”, who after all get their stories from, among other sources, court records, and observe how perforated our moral fibre is as a country.
Its not surprising that we are incapable of electing proper , modern and upright leadership to guide this nation into the future if we conduct our private lives in such a manner.
We may find Mugabe and Tsvangirai wayward, but they reflect Zimbabweaness, our heart and soul!
I may posit that should Tsvangirai lead this country it shall be stuck in the wilderness for the next 40 years.
