Hats off to Senator David Coltart

Dear Editor

I read with a mixture of disbelief and interest a recent media article which quoted Senator David Coltart suggesting an alliance between MDC-N and MDC-T as “absolutely necessary” ahead of elections next year. Many people, myself included, have said the same thing before, but dismissed by some, including Professor Welshman Ncube. Now that the same suggestion is coming from one of Professor Ncube’s own officials, I hope that the people of Zimbabwe will start realising that Professor’s Ncube’s stance is retrogressive and may be intended to perpetuate Mugabe’s rule, just because Professor Ncube himself hates Morgan Tsvangirai with a passion.

Professor Ncube has of late been very bitter about Morgan Tsvangirai having labeled him a village politician, but he forgets that he has said before that when Tsvangirai is with cattle, he will moo like a cow at a rally in Redcliffe. That was really uncalled for from a Professor of Law. Politicians should have room to score points against each other, and for an opponent to call another a village politician is, in my opinion, acceptable political language, but to say someone will moo like a cow is hitting below the belt.

I have always argued that Zanu PF has caused so much damage, to the extent that the only way to get Zimbabwe back on her feet is to completely get Zanu PF out of the way. I am not advocating for a marriage of convenience among the forces opposed to Mugabe – there shouldn’t be a unification of the parties – the parties must continue to operate separately. The problem has always been that some parties will be unrealistic in their demands, as was done by the then MDC-Mutambara ahead of the 2008 elections when they demanded more than their worth. The results proved the MDC-T right because the MDC-M fared very badly, getting less seats in parliament than what the MDC-T was ready to offer them, so for Professor Ncube to go about blaming Tsvangirai for the aborted alliance attempt is cheap politicking. He must equally take blame.

I think it is up to progressive people like Senator Coltart to realise the problems that we face in getting what the country needs and do the right thing. They could continue to lobby their colleagues in their respective parties to be reasonable and appreciate the fact that MDC-T is the biggest of all parties opposed to Zanu PF the cancer, and make reasonable demands from the MDC-T if a pact is to be reached. If their colleagues are hard at hearing, as is often the case, they should cross the floor to join the MDC-T. Scores of councilors from Matebeleland provinces have recently crossed the floor to join MDC-T. I am sure because they had, like Senator Coltart seems to have realised now, that Professor Ncube is divisive and retrogressive. The Gukurahundi victims will never get justice if Mugabe continues to reign, or if there is a second Government of National Unity as prophesied by Professor Ncube in an interview he had with a local weekly in which he said another GNU was in the offing. In that interview, Professor Ncube made it abundantly clear that he did not have the capacity to rule, and appeared content with a second GNU as it was the only way he could remain in Government. He shouldn’t feel insulted then by Tsvangirai’s remarks that he is a village politician who is not fit for national office when the world knows that he admitted he has not enough national support to win national elections.

Another option will be for people like Senator Coltart to remain in their respective parties if they want to, but contest in the forthcoming elections as independent candidates and campaign for the presidency of Morgan Tsvangirai. That way, they help Zimbabwe to get what it wants best as a first step to rebuilding, that is to uproot that cancerous Zanu PF. However, they will remain vigilant and keep the new MDC government on check to ensure that they do not betray the people of Zimbabwe again as Zanu PF did.

People of Zimbabwe are now tired of the cancer called Zanu PF, and will want anything that is manageable to replace Zanu PF. People like Senator Coltart certainly have a role to play in keeping an eye on a Morgan Tsvangirai lead Government. Marriages of convenience are certainly out of the way, but carefully thought-out arrangements that will ensure the demise of Mugabe and Zanu PF to take us into a New Zimbabwe are encouraged.

Professor Ncube and I are not in fact at odds on this issue. Both of us agree that in an ideal world we should have a single united opposition against Zanu PF but we both recognise that that is well nigh impossible. In the circumstances we should strive to agree on an electoral pact so that we do not split the vote as happened in 2008. We both know this will be very difficult and if there is any disagreement between us it is in how we rate the chances of obtaining an electoral pact. He is very pessimistic that this is possible whereas whilst I am also fairly pessimistic I think it is still possible