MDC Violence: Relics of the ancient

Lazarus Sauti

A relic simply refers to something old that has survived or a fragment of the past.

According to Historian Upinder Singh, a relic deepens our understanding of things such as religion, wars and violence.

Accordingly, cases of violence rocking the MDC-T are relics of the ancient.

Lest we forget, in 2012, Professor Welshman Ncube of MDC ripped Morgan Tsvangirai’s and his violence tendencies.

Accusing MDC-T as a violent party, Prof. Ncube said: “… The problems which led to the split remain alive today. They remain unresolved. In fact the cracks are wider today than they were in 2005.

“Our colleagues in the MDC only have a rhetorical commitment to anti-violence. Day in, day out, beginning with the time of the split, they employ violence.

He goes on to say: “In the MDC, by 2005 we were running a militia in the party to abuse, to abduct, to beat up people.

“There were senior party members who were being abducted and taken to the sixth floor boardroom of Harvest House and stripped naked in front of girls and beaten.

“(Tichaona) Mudzingwa (late former deputy minister of Transport), for instance was stripped naked at the party head office and made to stand on a table to address young people who included girls as young as 20 years, and was beaten.

“Frank Chamunorwa, who is our vice chairperson today, was beaten right at the gate of my house and had his arm broken.

“When the national council said we expel these people, the president of the party (Tsvangirai) said I reinstate them on my own, unilaterally. It simply says we do not have a commitment to the principle of non violence. It is a matter of public record that within the party, they use violence as an instrument of getting their way even among themselves.”

History is repeating itself now.

Fast forward 2014; the MDC-T is still perfecting the art of violence and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, as attested by Prof. Ncube, is still using violence, intimidation and perpetual fear against those opposed to him, as recently painted by the attack of Mangoma.

From the excepts from an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, MDC-T deputy secretary general, Mr Elton Mangoma exposed Tsvangirai’s shenanigans when he said: “Alert to the possibility of violence (relating to his attack on Saturday), we had agreed that I would emerge from the building by Tsvangirai’s side and depart in the leader’s vehicle in order to avoid disturbances.

“But once we emerged from the building, I realised that Tsvangirai was, somehow, no longer by my side.

“I was then attacked while he watched and he certainly did nothing to discourage the mob. My sense was that he had prior knowledge that there would be violence.”

Inactivity from Tsvangirai shows his approval for violence; at the same time his dictatorial tendencies.

Surprisingly, Tsvangirai and his MDC-T party always accuse Zanu PF of perpetrating violence.

From what is happening in the MDC-T camp, it is now common knowledge that Zanu PF is a disciplined party and indeed a party of excellence whilst the MDC-T is a party of hooligans.

Even Mangoma agreed when he continued with his interview with NewZimbabwe.com.

“This is a very disappointing development; even Zanu PF does not set party supporters to beat up its leaders. The attack shows that we are dealing with very desperate and, therefore, very dangerous people; people who cannot respond to ideas with ideas – they resort to violence instead,” explained Mangoma.

What pains is the fact that MDC-T is the party that propagates itself as the paragon of democracy but according to John Keane’s provocative book “Violence and Democracy”, violence is the greatest enemy of democracy.

Keane says mature democracy does not wage war upon each other but rather should be tolerant; accept criticism and not a violent party.

Consequently, the manhandling of Mangoma and Secretary-general Tendai Biti by a group of youth for allegedly calling for leadership renewal shows that the MDC-T is an excellent party in executing violence and the law of the jungle is ruling in the party.

To put the record straight, MDC-T is the greatest betrayal of the so-called democracy and therefore, the party has outlived its usefulness as its leaders are hyenas’ in sheep clothes.