THE “squabbles” within the MDC sort of remind me of the “struggles-within-the-struggles” within ZAPU, ZANU, FROLIZI and UANC during the liberation struggle. While the shortlived FROLIZI died a natural death in the 1970s, the more resilent ZAPU died an artificial death at the hands of ZANU PF as the latter continued to experience its own share of “squabbles” and “factionalism” to this day. We all know what became of the UANC and lesser formations in between.
The seeming absence of “squabbles” within the MDC was beginning to worry me. “Squabbles” or infighting in the MDC was taking too long to occur. Apart from the violence, I am excited at the sight of “squabbles”. I believe that a party should have “squabbles” and “factionalism” to test its resilience and ability to rule.
Even in a marriage we expect “squabbles”. In fact, successful marriages are so because they endured “squabbles”. Before “squabbles”, it’s a misnomer to talk of a successful marriage. What of a party? Sure, sure tongopa MDC power without an idea how it would handle “squabbles”? Governance is about handling “squabbles” over valued things and power is a primary value in politics.
We should celebrate “squabbles” within the MDC. For this gives us an opportunity to see how ready it is to govern because to govern is to handle national “squabbles.” The question should be: vanogona here veChinja how to handle “squabbles”? not that they should not have “squabbles.”
The claim that the MDC has been heavily infiltrated by the Central Intellegence Organisation (CIO) is probably true. But should that surprise anybody, really? Is it not the core business of an intelligence agency to infiltrate other organizations, particularly political parties since they compete for the control of the state?
Chete CIO inozodhuva nokusa infiltritawo ZANU PF. This is why we are in this economic and political mess. Basa kungoswera makamaka MDC nyika ichingoparara. If indeed the MDC is so heavily infiltrated, that should speak volumes about its own security system. I doubt very much if the party is that heavily infiltrated. Often, it is part of intelligence to create a mystique of ubiquity and invincibility of exaggerated proportions. In fact, good intelligence thrives on creating and maintaining this myth. Be that as it may, will it work? I argue it will not.
This is why. The MDC is now an elephant of a party; it is so huge and mammoth that its ability and capacity to absorb and withstand shocks is equal to, if not better than, that of the ruling party itself. A CIO operative is like a mosquito on the back of an elephant. Timing is critical if you are going to infiltrate and destabilize an organization. Do it early enough and crush it in its infancy. Don’t wait until it has teethed. It will bite you instead, particularly when your own teeth are decaying.
We all watched the MDC from the point of inception. At that point the ZANU PF fathers used to laugh at it, saying it was a “few people sitting under a tree thinking they are writing a constitution for Zimbabwe.” From this blind arrogance, ZANU PF made a tactical mistake in that, as fate would have it, it refused to play ball, claiming it is the government. ZANU PF has continued to make this arrogant mistake to this day.
One wonders what would have happened in 1997 had ZANU PF accepted the invitation to participate in the National Constitution Assembly. I argue that we would have had an acceptable constitution in the February 2000. Just think of it. The spies who were set to infiltrate the MDC at its inception either lied to the party or were themselves later infiltrated as they got carried away and mesmerized in the quest for change. Vakanonoka. Now that the MDC is so big it is scary to move out As for the MDC leadership, the nation is watching to see if you are ready. This crisis is your first chance. Make use of it.
The late Professor Masipula Sithole was a lecturer of political science at the University of Zimbabwe and director of the Mass Public Opinion Institute and also a long time columnist for The Financial Gazette.