TUESDAY 17 March 2015 was a black day for democracy in our Parliament after Speaker Jacob Mudenda and Senate president Edna Madzongwe accented to the request by the MDC-T led byMorgan Tsvangirai to recall MDC-Renewal MPs.
At face value it was just an ordinary recall, but those in the know see that its an unholy marriage where one partner is more equal than the other.
This article will not dwell on merits or demerits of the case since its now sub judice, but will explain its implications .
It all started with two officials from the MDC-T visiting a Zanu PF minister at Monomotapa building. Those who know the building are aware that any visitor has to clock in.
The names of the officials are in the register, including their time of both arrival and departure. Their meeting lasted about three hours.
It is no coincidence that after that meeting, the same day in Parliament, Buhera West MP Oliver Mandipaka raised a point of order calling for the Speaker to treat the Didymus Mutasa and Temba Mliswa case the same way as MDC-Renewal one.
It is interesting to note that the honourable member is the retired chief suprentendent of the Zimbabwe Republic Police who also comes from the same rural home as Tsvangirai, where he is MP .
We all know how important the security sector is to Zanu PF.
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That same day Douglas Mwonzora wrote a letter to the Speaker of Parliament recalling MDC-Renewal members from Parliament.
Mandipaka, the Monomotapa Building visit and the Mwonzora letter that same day cannot just be dismissed as coincidental events of that particular day.
Even the “point of order” in Parliament was supposed to be responded to that very day since the Speaker had already ruled that he would only withdraw MPs after one of the factions brought to him a court ruling on who the bona fide MDC is.
Tsvangirai was suspended and then fired after a disciplinary tribunal found him guilty of a number of charges including violence, abuse of party resources, bringing the name of the party into disrepute .
What is surprising though, is that Tsvangirai’s faction in its sham congress resolved not participate in any by-elections until reforms are implemented. We wonder who can implement the reforms when Tsvangirai himself, as the country’s prime minister, could not do it.
By recalling Renewal MPs, MDC-T donated seats to Zanu PF. To MDC-T, having 21 seats going to Zanu PF was better than having them with Renewal. MDC-T is more inclined to Zanu PF than other progressive forces.
Information minister Jonathan Moyo is now assured to win the Tsholotsho seat for Zanu PF as he happily tweeted after the Speaker’s pronouncement that Tsholotsho North was now a “lost and found” seat.
Zanu PF will now get seats in urban areas including Harare, Bulawayo and Kwekwe thanks to Tsvangirai. He seems determined to destroy the opposition in Zimbabwe.
A day after the sacking of Renewal legislators, Makonde MP Kindness Paradza enquired from the Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa when the former prime minister would vacate the government house he uses to make way for Vice-President Phekelezela Mphoko. The response was that Tsvangirai was not going anyway, much to the surprise of some Zanu PF MPs.
Tsvangirai has sold the revolution. There are rumours that MDC-T will contest the by-elections. The party probably tricked Zanu PF to recall MDC-Renewal MPs with the agreement that Zanu PF would go unchallenged in those by-elections and in return the schemers and legal minds in
Zanu PF would make sure the top MDC-T leaders who dismally lost in 2013 elections would be appointed to Senate positions. The move by MDC-T, of contesting in areas previously held by recalled MDC-Renewal MPs, yet they failed to contest in Chirumanzi–Zibagwe and Mt Darwin West held by Zanu PF, vindicates us.
The fact remains, whichever route MDC-T takes, they are the losers. Zanu PF outsmarted them. Of interest is how their lawyers Mwonzora and Obert Gutu failed to understand that its not only 21 Renewal seats which would go to Zanu PF, but also their own proportional seats.
If Zanu PF wins these by-elections, that means proportionally they increase the party’s votes, as a result, they must appoint their own Senators and MPs and the MDCT must withdraw theirs.
For example, if Zanu pf wins some seats in Bulawayo, they would have increased their votes, which means proportionally Zanu PF would be having a lion’s share of votes .
After the Monomotapa Building meeting , the docile lawyers of both MDC-T and Zanu PF smiled as they shook hands signalling victory, yet only Zanu PF won.
The big question is: do Zimbabweans benefit from this Zanu PF –MDC-T alliance? Trully speaking this does not put bread on the table for all suffering Zimbabweans.
The country cannot afford these by-elections when our brothers and sisters in the civil service are not paid on time. Our economy is in intensive care, therefore, these by-elections are not desirable.
What I find even more absurd in this whole MDC-T-Zanu PF deal is that most, if not all MPs withdrawn are proponents of devolution of power. Who will fight for devolution in parliament.
This region voted overwhelmingly for it to be enshrined in our Constitution .
Without Gorden Moyo, Sipepa Nkomo, Reggie Moyo, Albert Mhlanga, Settlement Chikwinya, Watchy Sibanda and many others from the Renewal team, who will fight for devolution? MDC-T wants Zanu PF to have it easy in Parliament when debating these issues.
Zanu PF have made it crystal clear that they want to amend the Constitution, thanks to Tsvangirai they will get it on a silver platter. MDC-T hijacked and killed our revolution as people of Matabeleland and they do not deserve our votes .
— Edwin Ndlovu is MDC-Renewal secretary for information and publicity (Bulawayo)
