‘MDC-T plotted own downfall’ Posted by ffzenewsroom By Cletus Mushanawani: IT is more than a month after Zanu-PF thumped MDC-T in the July 31 harmonised elections. MDC-T has been singing the loudest saying the elections were rigged and was not accepting the David Mukunda outcome. They have gone a step further in denouncing the full Southern African Development Committee’s observer mission’s report which was tabled in Harare last week. The opposition party will be marking its 14th Anniversary in Mutare Saturday under the theme: “Claiming and Celebrating the People’s Victory.” At the anniversary celebrations, the embattled MDC-T president, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is expected to give a keynote address highlighting all the rigging claims and possibly give the world all the necessary evidence how the elections were rigged. In an unsolicited interview on Monday, former Manicaland provincial member and activist, Mr David Mukunda gave an insight on the behind the scenes shenanigans in MDC-T and what led to the party’s poor showing in the July 31 elections: Below is the interview: CM: Morning Mr Mukunda, welcome to The Manica Post. What a surprise? DM: Mr Mushanawani, I was dying to see you since July 31 and I am happy to be in your office. I have been following events since July 31 and I am shocked to learn that MDC-T is claiming that elections were rigged and that they have all the evidence to show the world how the rigging was done. In short, Tsvangirai rigged the elections himself because he presided over the demise of MDC-T. I am among the founding members of the party here in Manicaland and traversed the length and breadth of this province working for the party. I used to love Tsvangirai more than my wife, but enough is enough. It is time the world knows that Tsvangirai is not a leader. He is not respected in the party, a reason why his decisions are openly challenged. CM: You are saying there is leadership crisis in MDC-T, can you speak more on it? DM: It is a free for all situation in MDC-T and violence is the order of the day. Remember senior members like Elias Mudzuri were beaten at the provincial party offices in Mutare by hired thugs, but Tsvangirai and his national executive turned a blind eye to the issue. To them nothing happened, yet a national executive member was humiliated in public. Only a few people aligned to those who control the province are allowed at the party offices in Darlington. Most of the veterans of the party were sent packing and you expect that party to do well? Tsvangirai has no grip of the party. There is open rebellion. He is surrounded by vultures and the electorate has since realised that they will not go anywhere with Tsvangirai at the helm of the party and decided to vote for Zanu-PF. The future is bleak for MDC-T as long as Tsvangirai remains in power. There should be an overhaul from Tsvangirai to the grassroots. Tsvangirai should do the noble thing of resigning and become an advisor. He is clinging on to power for selfish reasons. He is enjoying a comfortable life, yet the grassroots are suffering. CM: What in your opinion led to the MDC-T’s poor showing in the just-ended harmonised elections? DM: No elections were rigged and I will continue saying it again and again. Remember MDC-T dominated the last Inclusive Government as it had more MPs and councillors. Corruption was the order of the day in the MDC-T ranks. In short those in office exhibited the highest levels of corruption. In Mutare councillors allocated themselves stands almost everywhere and our leaders sent three probe teams to Mutare, but the outcomes of those probes were never made public. The electorate will be watching and you expect them to vote for greedy people like that? No right thinking person will do that because if these people are given a chance to continue in power they will loot everything at their disposal. There is no discipline in MDC-T. Tsvangirai cannot discipline anyone. There is more democracy in Zanu-PF than in MDC-T. Zanu-PF successful held its primary elections, but MDC-T opted to have confirmations in a bid to protect the party’s big wigs and the end result was a disaster. We should not lie that elections were rigged when we were the architects of our own downfall. People relaxed during the past five years when Zanu-PF was busy restructuring. There was voter apathy. CM: Why was there voter apathy? DM: After his star rally at Sakubva Stadium before the elections, Tsvangirai came to the provincial offices where he addressed us and made it clear that his candidate for Dangamvura-Chikanga was Giles Mutsekwa and not Arnold Tsunga. This was against the wishes of the people and he had the guts to tell us to vote for Zanu-PF if we wanted and that is exactly what happened. Some people went and voted for Arnold Tsunga as their House of Assembly representative and President Mugabe as President. People were just sickened by Tsvangirai’s utterances and some opted to spoil the ballots, a reason why there were so many spoiled ballots. So in short, Tsvangirai rigged the elections himself. He should not cry foul, but look himself in the mirror. He scored an own goal, yet he is now blaming the referee for his own mistake. We saw it coming and people should revisit the WikiLeaks cables where very senior members in the party openly said Tsvangirai does not have the leadership qualities. We should never be fooled by Tsvangirai, he was beaten hands down. Who would vote for a president who was comfortable in walking on red carpets in foreign lands instead of working with the electorate? When Zanu-PF was busy mobilising people, our leaders were busy shouting at the electorate and people opted to stay away. CM: On Saturday, MDC-T will be celebrating its 14th Anniversary and has since said it will be a victory celebration, what is your take on that? DM: Lunatics are everywhere and people might come in their thousands, but it does not mean that they are in agreement with the leadership. If a person undresses on the streets, he or she will attract a crowd, the same will happen on Saturday. People will be going to Sakubva Stadium for various reasons, but the bottom line is that Tsvangirai has lost the plot. People have realised that they have never moved an inch in the so-called democratic movement. I know a number of guys who have opted out of MDC-T and I have their numbers (numbers supplied). Everyone has seen the light and it is high time we call a spade a spade. CM: You have been painting doom and gloomy about MDC-T, from your own thinking what is the best way forward for the party? DM: It should first accept defeat and plan on a possible way forward. How can you move forward if you remain holed in the world of denial. They should pick up the pieces, but I think it is rather too late as some people are now jumping ship and eagerly waiting for the launch of a new party. MDC will survive just like the late Bishop Muzorewa’s United Parties, which was there on paper with no supporters. Leadership change is the only way to go for the MDC-T because Tsvangirai has proved that he will not take the party anywhere. CM: There is this ongoing debate on the caliber of councillors to superintendent the affairs of local authorities, with some people saying they are not up to scratch. What do you say about the whole debate? DM: You will be expecting too much from these people. This goes back to the issue of candidate selection which was way out of order. Serious contenders were sidelined because they are not aligned to the dominant camp in the province. We ended up having chuff instead of grain and the national leadership has realised its mistakes, a reason they are pushing for non-elected councillors to be mayors. It is more like applying lipstick on a frog and this will not change anything. The party failed from the onset and we have to live with this poor decision for the next five years. The new Government should not be used to clean the mess MDC-T created. Some of the new councillors cannot construct one meaningful sentence, let alone sign their own signatures, but they are in office. Surely who is to blame here? Before the sitting of the nomination court, people were being phoned to bring their CVs and other relevant papers to Mutare Magistrate Court where the nomination court was sitting. Those who cannot read and write are in council now, thanks to their allegiance to some senior members in the party. I can simply say, cry the beloved fourth city in the country, Mutare because the incoming city fathers will not contribute to any meaningful debates for the good of this beautiful city. CM: How deep-rooted is the culture of violence in MDC-T? DM: Violence is well documented in MDC-T. If you go against the leadership, it will do everything possible to silence and even eliminate you. Bennett is on record saying some MDC-T members were baying for his blood and this is very true. If you go against some untouchables in the party, they will work round the clock to ensure your demise. It is better to drink beer with a Zanu-PF supporter than an MDC-T one because you never know maybe that person would have been sent to preside over your death. Violence in the party forced many people to chicken out and MDC-T should be grateful that they managed 49 seats in the National Assembly, they should have won less than 10 seats because as leaders you should not throw your weight everywhere. It is high time, we moved forward and find an alternative to MDC-T. Like I said before an overhaul is needed and I stand by my words even though I know harm will be coming my way for speaking my mind out. The culture of fear should be addressed in MDC-T. CM: Thank you Mr Mukunda for your time. DM: The pleasure is mine and I stand by all my statements because enough is enough, let us take the bull by its horns.
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 08:31:56 +0000
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