Chamisa in another suicidal blunder

...as another monumental split is imminent.

By Hosia Mviringi

Monday, 11 May 2020

On the 7th of May 2020 the MDC Alliance led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa announced at a Press Conference a decision to withdraw their MPs' participation from all engagements in the Zimbabwean House of Assembly.

This was a decision by the Party's Standing committee to withdraw participation pending final decision by the National Council.

Advocate Nelson Chamisa

The major reason for their withdrawal is a protestation against the alleged partisan handling of the Party's Supreme Court appeal which they lost to Thokozani Khupe.

They allege ZANU PF influence in the handling of the case leading to their double defeat both at the High Court and at the Supreme Court.

Ms Thokozani Khupe

Background

In March 2019 the High Court of Zimbabwe declared that the appointment of Advocate Nelson Chamisa and Engineer Elias Mudzuri as additional Vice Presidents was unconstitutional, thus null and void.

The High Court in its pronouncement declared both Adv. Nelson Chamisa and Ms Thokozani Khupe as as leaders of rival factions of the original MDC of 2014.

This Court ruling effectively dissolved the MDC Alliance and the rival MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe and thus reinstating the Party's 2014 structures whose Vice President and rightful acting President is Ms Kuphe.

Mr Nelson Chamisa however appealed the order at the Supreme Court whose adverse verdict was delivered during lockdown.

Chamisa lost the appeal thereby precipitating a political response by the opposition faction leader.

The youthful politician realises that his chances for a favourable legal recourse have been exhausted thus a resort to gritty and potentially risky gamble with untested political recourse.

A cocktail of options have been laid on the table and these include boycott of Parliamentary business and outright physical confrontation on the streets in form of mass protests.

It still buffles the mind what Nelson Chamisa seeks to achieve through a Parliamentary boycott.

One can not settle Judicial matters by absconding from the Legislature.These are two distinct arms of Government which operate independently of each other.

What with Parliamentary seats falling vacant after a 21 day absence.

MDC MPs will have a hard choice to make.

They can obey their leader, that is if they still recognise him after the Supreme Court ruling, and face expulsion from Parliament with resultant loss income, or they can choose defiance and cause a spectacular split of the Party for the umpteenth time.

Video: Job Sikhala threatens to unleash a wave of violence.

Sound advice has it that when you find yourself in a deep pit, you rather stop digging.

This has set the stage for a bruising battle for control of the country's biggest opposition Party with counter Parliamentary recalls flying around.

Enter 2005 script.

By all purposes and intents this episode resembles a precise replay of the 2005 script, only a different cast.

In 2005, in November to be precise, the MDC National Council had sat and resolved to participate in the scheduled November Senate elections.

But MDC President, Morgan Tsvangirai, acting unilaterally overruled the National Council decision and declared that the Party would not take part.This sparked resentment and a pro-election faction led then by Gibson Sibanda and Welshman Ncube.

When the break up finally happened in 2005 Mr Morgan Tsvangirai labeled Welshman Ncube and Gibson Sibanda sellouta and accused them then as CIO operatives planted in the party.

But yes today history is repeating itself in aspectacular fashion.

When Tendai Biti left to form PDP he was accused of being a CIO and ZANU PF agent.The same happened when Job Sikhala formed his MDC 99 Party.He was also accused of working for a ZANU PF agenda.

There is no prize for guessing what happened to Welshman Ncube when he left to form his own MDC-N Party.

He too was accused of being a CIO and a ZANU PF agent.

Fast forward to 2020.

The same characters are back in the MDC.

Welshman Ncube,Job Sikhala and Tendai Biti have suddenly become saints because they side with the Godfather Nelson Chamisa.

These three have dramatically shed their ZANU PF/CIO tag and they are at the forefront accusing Senator Douglas Mwozora, Morgan Komichi and Thokozani Khupe of being a ZANU PF project.

Watch : MDC's Job Sikhala announces withdrawal of their MPs from parliament ( Video courtesy TechMag)

So in essence we may conclude that there is no Party called MDC in Zimbabwe.

If these counter accusations within the MDC are anything to go by we may conclude that there is no opposition in Zimbabwe.

The MDC in their own words said that ZANU PF controls Tendai Biti , Job Sikhala, Welshman Ncube, Douglas Mwonzora, Thokozani Khupe, Morgan Komichi, Abedeneco Bhebhe and ultimately Nelson Chamisa through Professor Jonathan Moyo who has taken over as strategist and Chief advisor to him.

Dear reader, we are left with no choice but to conclude that if ZANU PF can take over an MI6 and CIA project, manipulate and run it for 20 years, then they deserve to rule and govern.

If the MDC leadership can be taken over and colonised by a rival political Party then they are not fit for purpose.

They can not form a government and manage the security of a nation.Far from it.

In fact to a discerning reader and supporter of the MDC this is nauseating reality, that the MDC can never form the next government in its current state.Its a fact that they are a compromised outfit who only care about the next meal and nothing else.

The MDC is indeed a farce !

Its as scary a fact as it is equally true that all the supporters of the MDC are in for a rough ride and a heartbreaking surprise when the very same people they have invested trust in are actually the ones working hard, harmer in hand, to destroy the MDC project.

I will not be surprised if ZANU PF go uncontested in 2023, or at most ZANU PF will run against 'itself' as the MDC in its current form is made up of self confessed ZANU PF puppets.

Meanwhile ZANU PF is the biggest winner in the circus.

A total withdrawal of MDC MPs from Parliament is yet another opportunity for ZANU PF to press ahead with any and all lawful ammendments to the Constitution without hinderance.

The MDC will only return, in whatever colour, only to weep, wail and scream over lack of reforms, uneven playing field bah blah blah...

Wouldn't it be sound advice that if you still have the energy to support a political Party you rather support ZANU PF than waste time on their confused proxies within the MDC ?

Well, advice remains that, advice.

The MDC Alliance faces another test of character as simmering tensions within the Party threatens another split which could be more devastating than the 2005 one.