MDC is now putting brakes on people’s revolution
Amos Chibaya, says Chamisa faces arrest if masses confront the regime
By Tichagwa Zhou
The MDC has morphed into an albatross on the neck of democratic consolidation in Zimbabwe. The widely circulated video where the party’s National Organisation secretary Amos Chiba ya cautions the party against taking action against the Zanu PF’s failed government is regrettable but telling.
In the video Mr Chibaya is heard arguing and instructing party grassroots women members that there was no need to exercise the right to protest as this may lead to their leader’s framing. He claimed that Zanu PF’s sole target was Chamisa.
“They may arrest everyone else but they really want to arrest Chamisa,” he argued, “If Chamisa defeated Mnangagwa in four months what then will happen after five years? Unorohwa nezveusiku.” Loosely translated to mean that ED will be defeated hands down.
Lets put this into context. Zimbabwe is burning. The citizens are facing humanitarian crisis where over 8 million, over 50% of the population is facing acute hunger, over 90% is unemployed and COVID-19 is ravaging. The vice Chairman of the party, Hon Job Sikhala was in hiding and so were 14 of its members, said to be on the wanted list at the time the video was recorded. Some supporters were either killed or were kidnapped, brutalised and dumped at their homes over the past 30 days or so.
The #Zimbabweanlivesmatter born out of the July 31st protest that shut the whole country and led to the arrest of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume has attracted support within Africa and beyond.
The contentious situation in Zimbabwe has attracted global condemnation and Citizens are agitating for action. SADC has remained numb even though the outgoing Chairman Cyril Ramaphosa sent envoys to understand the crisis in Zimbabwe. The AU has pronounced its worry and committed itself to closely monitor developments in Zimbabwe.
It is in this context that MDC A’s position is pronounced by the party’s organising secretary. Given that the party’s Vice Chairman and many other party leaders were in hiding at the time of this pronouncement, this position by the organising secretary reflect a contradiction if not a compromised position of the party leadership. Rather than advocating for citizens to exercise their right to protest as envisaged and enshrined under section 59 of the national constitution, Mr Chibaya suggests caginess and reticence.
That thee video leakage coincided with the party leader’s appoint of Prof Welshman Ncube as chief negotiator shows the party’s inclination towards settlement rather than radical confrontation of the government.
Importantly, the video ought to be understood in the context of Hon Temba Mliswa’s audio where accusations the MDC’s sell of land in urban areas might indicate a compromised party leadership.
While the VC – Job Sikhala, being the face of the citizen movement called the 31st July Movement, has called for action on the 31st August and secured support from other citizen movements and political parties, including the EFF to close the border between SA and Zimbabwe, in particular, but also urged citizens to exercise their right to protect Zimbabwe, but MDC A asked party members to remain out of action to serve Chamisa from possible arrest.
Simply put, the compromised leadership continue to promise victory in 2023 knowing too well that the skewed operating environment makes free and fair election impossible.
It seeks to enter into a GNU that carries the same false promise as that of 2008 which turned out to be an elite political pact which benefited only a few.
It is a leadership that seeks to demobilise its members to avoid jail time for criminal activities associated with land sales and not the fight for democratic aspirations.
More than any other group of individuals, the top party leadership of the MDC A has become the enemy of progress and democracy.
Tichagwa Zhou is Zimbabwe student studying in Johannesburg and his views are not necessarily shared by Zimbabwe Observer
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