I thought I’d share some of the feedback that we’ve been getting from Zimbabweans on Leonard Matsa’s recent article in which he suggests that Zanu PF didn’t so much win the election; rather the MDC don’t have a leadership and strategy capable of winning an election.

I have to respond to some of Leonard Matsa’s comments. I totally agree that the MDC leaders were sleep at the wheel of a ship that was steaming towards the rocks but I cannot agree that all the blame can be put at their doorstep. Our biggest problem was that we put our trust in the likes of the AU, SADC, ZANU, the Judges and assumed the honesty of our opponents. They did not realise the depths of desperation to subvert and undermine the whole electoral process that  ZANU and their government agencies were prepared to go to. The MDC cannot be blamed for the fact that the millions of people in Zimbabwe cannot be bothered to go and register. The MDC cannot be blamed for the appointment of partisan and devious people to the Registrar generals office so that those that did register were either excluded from the roll or deliberately put in some other constituency . The MDC cannot be blamed for the fact that Billions of dollars have been looted at Marange and diverted into the coffers of ZANU. Memory is a very short term thing, the people have forgotten what state Zimbabwe was in 5 years ago. The cholera, worthless money, poor service delivery collapsed infrastructure, hyperinflation and starvation have been forgotten by the people. The deprivations and suffering inflicted on the people by ZANU ineptitude and corruption over the first 28 years of independence cannot be blamed on the MDC. It appears that Zimbabwean people expected the MDC to fix all the hardships inflicted on them over a quarter of a century in the space of 5 years. They expected the MDC to do this with both hands tied behind their back and blindfolded. The real power was never in the hands of the MDC, the civil servants and local government officials have always been and still are manipulated and controlled by ZANU appointees and the MDC was and still is powerless to put a stop to it. The MDC’s biggest mistake and it will always be a scar on their reputation is that they were sweet talked into becoming a part of the GNU. The MDC in effect surrendered the mandate the people gave them in April 2008 through the control of parliament to recognise a president that stole the subsequent run off. The MDC leadership were then so arrogant and irrationally self confident that they agreed in 2013 to participate in the next flawed poll. My only hope is that the people of Zimbabwe never allow any of their future leaders (MDC or otherwise) to participate in any election without a completely level playing field and which is conducted and run by an honest broker. By participating in these last elections we have given Robert Mugabe and ZANU the legitimacy to claim “We were freely elected by a majority of the Zimbabwean electorate.” Everyone including the most die hard ZANU supporter knows that that statement is a complete fabrication. The people now have 5 years to decide whether they perpetuate the farce that is the ZANU government or find a new or existing leader that everyone can rally behind 100%.
Written by: John

Greetings! I am writing to express my profound gratitude for your featured article on leadership and democracy in Zimbabwe by Matsa. The article captured in a poetic way what most of us who are in the trenches for democracy’s sake have been seeing and watching for a very long time and now it has come to pass! The article is a balanced analysis that highlights our pain and betrayal without passing stinging judgement. I cant find a better way of saying what we have gone through as ordinary citizens than the way Masta has done. Thank you for your courage to publish this article and thank you to him for the inspiration he gives to the movement of those who pray to be delivered from evil! We are all to blame! and we are all pained! Peace.
Written by: Jimmy

My opinion is that Leonard Matsa’s article is spot on and presents the realities,Zanu PF started campaigning in 2009 hence the massive win. Written by: Gumbusai

Excellent. Many, many people are angry with MDC leadership but they do not really now why. Their anger is largely instinctual. This article will help folk articulate their anger. How do YOU get the people who will insist on leadership renewal to read this?
Written by: Richard

Yes, I support you. MDC has no leadership, its only that people of Zimbabwe are desperate for the so-called change. MDC should be honest and take responsibility of their mistakes and miscalculations not just to blackmail ZANU-PF with its clear policies.
Written by: Admire

This entry was posted on August 23rd, 2013 at 10:19 am by Bev Clark and is filed under Elections 2013, Zimbabwe Blog, Zimbabwe News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.