A Crucial Error in Mangoma’s Proposal to Remove Tsvangirai
20 February 2014
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Analysis| There is a fundamental error in MDC-T Deputy Treasurer, Elton Mangoma’s proposal to replace Morgan Tsvangirai, UK based Chofamba Sithole, argues.
He continues:
This error lies in the perpetuation of a culture of personality politics which Mangoma ignores and yet is the singular pivot of any future change in Zimbabwean politics whichever party it is.
 
Mangoma recently wrote to Tsvangirai proposing three possible alternatives to a future MDC-T, which he said should not have Tsvangirai at the helm if the party is to make it in the next national election.
 
Writes Sithole:
“We have looked at how the MDC-T’s reaction to Mangoma’s proposal for leadership renewal fell short of what is expected of a democratic movement in terms of upholding the principle of free speech. Now, going into the substantive intervention itself, I’d like to point out what I see as a crucial error in Mangoma’s proposal, which connects with what we discussed in an earlier post.
“My main problem with it is that it endorses the culture of personality in our politics and as such proposes an inadequate solution – the replacement of one personality by another.
“Mangoma lays into Tsvangirai’s personal failures and weaknesses as a leader and in his private life. He does not have a go at Morgan on the basis of the policies that Morgan Tsvangirai has promoted and advocated for during the course of his leadership; nothing ideological or technical in respect of what Jonathan Moyo the academic calls “craft literacy” and “craft competence” stands out in Mangoma’s letter, perhaps because to have done so would have brought the same swift indictment on himself and his colleagues as part of their collective responsibility in steering the MDC ship.
 
“What would have worked more effectively, in my view, is a proposed policy agenda that shakes up the MDC’s direction and makes a break with the MDC under Tsvangirai. I would have loved to see what it is that these guys are proposing to do differently. The resonance of such a policy-driven agenda would have automatically taken care of the leadership question.
 
“What would have been lost and won is a battle of ideas, not personalities. As it is, these guys dived right into Morgan’s habitat – the ambit of personality politics. And like a fisherman who dives in after the biting fish at the end of his line, they are bound to become shark dinner.
“And Morgan is still pretty much the shark in the MDC pool of personal power, however badly battle-scarred he might be. It’s a sad scenario, but there you have it.
“If you look at Zanu as well, apart from knowing that its Mai Mujuru v Mnangagwa, what else do we know abt what those pple stand for? Thats the crucial question.
“So with respect to the leadership renewal agenda in the MDC, the removal of Tsvangirai is being promoted as the priority. But what about the ideas and thinking that has characterised the MDC thus far, will it stay? And what new udeas and approaches will come in? What are those ideas? For me it is troubling that we don’t know the answer to that from those that are saying Morgan must go.shark_tsvunkson
“It is not enough to say its Biti or Mudzuri coming in after; it should be: henceforth the MDC will now drop this and that approach and promote this and that policy and agenda.”
“When Gordon wanted to take over from Tony in the UK, he was being supported by some that wanted a return to more traditional Labour policies. Blair wanted David Miliband to continue with the so called Blairite agenda of more markets and choices, more economic neoliberalism and less Keynesian approaches as favoured by the Labour traditionalists. So we had a debate here about the future direction of the Labour party.
“In the same vein, it would help if the Mangomas were to come out with a new policy agenda for the MDC informed by what they experienced as possible during their time in govt.
“And let them challenge Morgan to say that if he remained leader, what ideas would he bring? Then if nothing, it would expose Mirga Morgan as empty, and that wld undermine his credibility as leader without ever having to declare he must go. Or if they wish to declare that, it wld be much easier to do after exposing Morgan as empty of ideas.”

31 Replies to “A Crucial Error in Mangoma’s Proposal to Remove Tsvangirai”

  1. If you are physically disabled,mind your mouth..Akati chirema chine muromo wehoto hachirohwi ndiyani? Unomamiswa kana uchifunga kuti kuremara ivhiza rekurotomoka.

  2. Mangoma a zanu agent,a traitor,a crying baby a monster.Tsvangirai had many injuries from your zanu agencies and among all he lost our first lady Susan but never investigated.you hev beaten because of your greedy,selfishness and power hungry and u report to zanu dogs but remember Mugabe is better than where as Tsvangira is the best of u. Come 2018 Morgan is More!!! Leemanjo

  3. Rugare why write the letter to MT and copy it to the press what are you trying to gain and potray to us the people. Mangoma was very wrong. Ini i am one who sat MT must go but he should go the proper way through the congress which iye Mangoma knows is the correct way. If people rejected MT alone then MDC should have the majority in parliament and have Mugabe as President. You were all ‘rejected’ I put in brackets because yesterday you said you were Nikuved now you say it is the zip open and shut of MT which cost you so what cost you a victory. Dai makona Chombo achimhanya wa Zvimba maiziva kuti ma youths anonentsa kuita control kana warasika gwara. MT can go pa congress if these guys strategise but vatokonewa sekuona kwangu and they are gone, that is how Mai Mujur has done mess her path, these guys have messed their path. MT will lose at the congress but not to Mangoma who thinks leadership renewal of a party is done in Newspapers, these guys have sabotaged our project.

  4. The worst thing ever happened to Tsvangirai was to amend MDC constitution to allow him to be the president of MDC for more than three terms, that made him worse than Mugabe , today he thinks he can do almost anything he want with the party
    Every leadership of MDC T is a woman of Tsvangirai hapana anoti bufu those who stand up for a challenge goes the Welshman ncube way or worse the latest Mangoma way . So as a suppoter I wonder what’s the difference between Zanu pf and Mcd T , they are all corrupt individuals lead by power hungry selfish leadership who wish to die as such in office. MDC has got academics intelligent enough to note that Tsvangirai can not by now be trusted with power for the good of the party the man lost more than once he must GO we can not run the risk of having him for presidency again its illogical he defeats the ends of democracy both his public and private life beams a bad image one that can not make for presidency .we cannot continue the personification of the party let distance Tsvangirai away from party the more we identify the party with him the more MDC will continue losing any election in Zimbabwe.WE NEED CHANGE IN MDC!!!Tsvangson must go!

  5. A very fair analysis of what needs to be done. However I thin Save should have been mature to facilitate debate on the future of MDC. He has been at the helm for 14 years. He has done good and bad. Maybe it is time for him to take a more advisory role and remain the father of MDC and let the new blood run with it. Anyone who comes will be energetic and will certainly have a punch in the next election. Save is a bit battered, he needs to take a back sit: a Mandela type.

  6. The sad thing is Mangoma and his whole lot demanding leadership renewal have for the past five years creating parellel strucuters and funding them while starving the set structures of the funds to fuel the strugle..Him instead led in bad faith GPA negotiations and JOMIC,trying to buy the sruggling youth and other unemployed guys in provincial district structures and calling them for clandestine meetings.This is indeed selling out the democratic struggle…anway Mwari haasi benzi vana vaZimbabwe vava nenguva vachitambura

  7. Has the writer considered that Labour had to change its politics under Blair moving it closer to the Conservatives under John Major who practiced wholescale capitalism with privatisation of many state enterprises..Labour abandoned its pro-labour stance to move closer to the conservatives to win the election..So policies form part of the package but are not necessarily the reason for existence. In Zimbabwe both ZANU and MDC pronounce a socialist orientation but none of them practice this. Other than being academic this argument by the writer is good bed time reading but as practical policy argument it can not be applied to Zimbabwe as it is all waffle and nonsense.

  8. The marked difference between the Labour Party in the UK and MDCT is that in Labour each side’s policies could easily be articulated in a debate and taken to the supporters for them to make a choice.We saw David Davis and David Cameron going head to head for the Conservative leadership. Their predecessor, Michael Howard took a back sit. We have since learned it is different in the MDC and indeed ZANU PF. You do not just wake up one morning and decide to go and discuss the succession issue. Mangoma chose to talk or write to MT hoping MT would create the right atmosphere for dialogue. MT went straight into defensive mode. Every meeting that followed was to make it absolutely clear that there was no vacancy at the top and that the topic was not welcome. He has been to the people to seek sympathy and de-campaign those who had dared challenge his authority. Mangoma would have known that would happen, but for the sake of progress,it was necessary to ruffle some furthers and bring the issue to the foe. The platform to offer an alternative policy was never present. Also bear in mind that he never directly offered himself as the suitable replacement. I believe that the belief that we are fighting for democracy would have led Mangoma to expect MT to agree to play ball. What he probably failed to appreciate is that MT has since shifted from the same democratic principles that shaped the MDC. He has tasted the gravy train and started changing the rule book to suit. State House is so near to him, yet so far away to those who are being realistic if MDCT rejects a form of metamorphosis that would take it back to its original democratic principles.

  9. People in Zimbabwe are just not seroius about poliyics. For a start politics is about governance. Governance is about carrying the aspirations of the people. Deciding about the future and fulfilling the visions, creating a conducive environment for people to realise their dreams. Any politician worth his salt should aspire to fulfill these aspirations. So when you aspire to lead the people you are saying that chose me so that i help you to realise these aspirations. People should choose you on the back of those promises to deliver. Most people come in on the basis of people believing in you. The unfortunate thing is that when people are chosen into power they then concentrate on filling their pockets at the expense of those wishes of the people. People have now resigned themselves to fate. They no longer believe anything about politicians will change their lives. This is a sad development. This country has enough resources that can be exploited for the benefit of all the people but other people chose to exploit them for their own benefit why. If they had given a thought that $200million that has been allocated to the president ‘s office can drill 66 667 boreholes at $3000.00 each would we need donors to do that for us. $2billion dollars from the diamonds revenue can build a power station for us.Would we need outside loans for that. If in the 10 years that we have been squabling had we been doing proper business about developing our country maximasing on the benefits that we could derive out of our resouces wouldnt we be somewhere better than that. What we need now are people who come up with those bright ideas and we will get somewhere. Lets set our target and follow them up and we will get somewhere. Instead of MDC fighting among themselves let them expose the short comings of zanu pf present better alternative policies, shout loud when they blunder, throw everything possible at them. Make them sweat for that victory and show they why you can be a better alternative to them. People will see who to chose between them. On their part zanu pf should maximise on the opportunity they gave themselves/ or were given and right the wrongs they did, sanitise themslves and come up a better polished side that can present a better alternative to zanu pf. Both ways the people will stand to gain and ZIMBABWE will prosper. Infighting will no help any party and the PEOPLE are the ultimate losers.AMEN

  10. Staff reporter…where is the analysis? Why not just pay this Sithole chap for his opinion piece and cartalogue it as such? That said cult politics as entranched by Mr Mugabe and his minions is a cancer that needs eradicating for there to be progress and i’m afraid will need someone more sly and crafty than the old jack.

  11. I will have had more respect for Mangoma and others calling for Tsvangirai’s removal to resign first and admit that they failed the people and the revolution. You cant blame one man you know exactly what happened. This exposes Mangoma and his group. They are selling out at a crucial stage of the revolution. MDC should get rid of them all and remain with cadres who are in for the long haul.and the president of the party must shun away and desist from
    unnecessary attention regarding his personal life.

  12. In an in interview to mark his 90th birthday, President Mugabe said no individual was bigger than the party and his retirement was not yet due.
    He said it was “terrible even to have your name mentioned as leader of a faction. It is shameful”.
    The President’s remarks come in the wake of reports of severe jockeying among factions in Zanu-PF purportedly led by Vice President Joice Mujuru and Secretary for Legal Affairs Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed him.
    Mujuru and Mnangagwa deny leading factions.
    President Mugabe said there was no need to talk about succession now before he retired. He said his retirement was not due and the moment people started to raise such issues that would divide the party. President Mugabe said it was not his desire to leave Zanu-PF disintegrated.
    “But why should it (succession) be discussed when it is not due? Is it due? The leadership still exists that runs the country. In other words I am still there. The people can discuss it if they want, but the moment they start discussing it they go into factions and then you find the party dividing itself and so why discuss it when it is not due? When the day comes and I retire, yes, sure, the day will come, but I do not want to leave my party in tatters. I want to leave it intact,” he said.
    NB: the above is an extract from Zanu PF’s squabbles but they are doing it nicely without being heard by many.So why you guys in MDC-T do the same,the problem is you want to be seen and at the end of the day we say you messagers of destruction. Belittle yourselves and see the results later or sooner.

  13. Well said. Sure there is need for new policies and new ideas in Zimbabwean politics than to meddle in people’s private lives when dealing with leadership issues.

  14. “If party policies are easy to change as suggested, that party is a house built on sand” Its a well said and pronounced statemet by Mavambo Kusile.Save if you keep these guys surely I see another bhora musango in 2018.If you win in the next Congress you should dress them down before they participate in primary elections.Nukiv them Dziva.

  15. A well informed comment of the happenings at Harvest Hse.This kind of analysis has been lacking in the media war and kip it up bro.

  16. Good reading – Just a few points:
    1) Party policies/ideologies need EVOLUTION while leadership changes need REVOLUTIONS. Mangoma wants change now and, for him and his ilk, revolution is the best option.
    2) If party policies are easy to change as suggested, that party is a house built on sand.
    3) I see the MDC-T slowly getting caught in the web of personality politics where leaders are treated as cult leaders, warlords or demi-gods.
    4)Like @Jabulani pointed out earlier, we need RIGHT leaders and not BETTER leaders. If they are right, they will always be better, not the vice versa.
    5) MDC-T should work on changing it’s name. In fact, that name was given to it by the cunning ZPF. Mangoma should remember that without Tsvangirai there is no MDC-T! Try name change please.
    6) ZANU PF looks hesitant on dealing with issues that people are mad at – principally CORRUPTION. Opposition parties can quickly sort out their in-house/leadership squabbles and start NOW a spirited campaign to offer the electorate a cleaner Zimbabwe.
    7) A painful, albeit brutal decision has to be made, whether to sanitize and re-sell the MRT brand or to sanitize and re-sell a rejuvenated MDC, with or without MRT as head.
    Jus’ thinkin’.

  17. In Zimbabwe we have to group of people. The other group of people can vote for anyone regardless of where they come from and the other group WILL never vote for people coming from a particular region. Why is that so?

  18. It is very shamefull in our African culture to bash a disabled person like Mangoma for what ever reason. Unoita munyama Morgan.

  19. Thanks La Liga,its tvery true that leaders are elected at congresses,so why are these rushing to go against what is in their constitution? Are they not the main participance in their constitution writing? If they remove Tsvangirayi,let it be known that after 2018 again someone from inside is going to say this one should go because he has failed to win.Guys you are setting a bad precedence which you will regreat tomorrow.The standard you are setting I strongly give my last rand in my pocket that ZANU PF will win in 2018 because of your directionless minds.

  20. I wish Learnmore Jongwe was still alive
    … He would do better than the Mangomas and Bitis!!!

  21. MDC T must ask supporters whom they want,of which failure to do so will result in failure at polls.

  22. People seem to ignore the democratic space in MDC T. Leaders are elected at congresses not by individual letter writers. Only until MDC T supporters say Morgan out through the ballot you may scream as much as you want but we wont budge. Leave Morgan alone ok!

  23. This is a master piece of an analysis, my brother you nailed like what Gava said above. you are the best and give us more quality work like that in the future. I salute you.

  24. Tsvangirai is doing the same on what he was opposing from ZANU-PF…he was talking about the promotion of democracy in Zimbabwe…as he was saying that ZANU-PF is ruling with iron fist it doesn’t allow change in its ranks…I see ZANU-PF better than him by far…ZANU-PF never ever hired youth to attack its leaders which ever day…Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T Party are the worst in the Zimbabwean political history…Tsvangirai is a violent leader and a dictator…..

  25. In Zimbabwe as i know it, its not about what you stand for. Its all about whether you are Shona, Ndebele, Zezuru. Nyika, etc. This is the curse that we posseses us and we are yet to suffer from this. Tsvangira can kill, steal and destroy but our judgement is fixated on where he comes from and what language he speaks and other such useless things. This is the same with Mugabe. When i ask why Tsvangirai and Mugabe when Zimbabwe is full of people, the answer that i get is this one is better than the other. So the problem with Zimbabweans is that they look for better things than right things. In other countries, they look for right candidates not better ones as if there is nothing right. Everything in Zimbabwe is just about tribe. Even as i write, the reader will first check my name and surname and decide whether to insult or not. That is how we have become! Its just a curse that we need to deal with first.

  26. you nailed it.its high time pple give new alternatives rather than demanding change without giving new ideas

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