Daphine Zulu
Under the rubric of democracy and political adventurism, politicians from MDC-Alliance continue faking abductions, this time around roping in the party’s co-vice president, Tendai Biti.
Not to be outsmarted by MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa’s recent glow and limelight over purported ‘victimization’ by ZANU PF during his rural campaign trail, Biti had to coin his own abduction.
The MDC-Alliance reluctantly left the abduction story to make rounds on social media, in an effort to gauge public sympathy and later to dismiss it as a social media construct, after the press started nagging for details. Why the party did not dismiss the story in the first place points to a not-so-hidden agenda that of besmirching Government’s image and reputation. Only after people started making noise and criticizing the abduction did Biti then respond. Selling himself out, Biti had this to say: “Remember this is Zanu PF, this is consistent with the attacks we have been having with President Nelson Chamisa in Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, and Masvingo recently. It is just ridiculous. It is a consented onslaught against democratic movements and this is unacceptable…”
It is a known secret that Chamisa and Biti are fighting for turf in the embattled party. Not wanting to be outdone by Chamisa, the party co-vice president had to manufacture his own shenanigans. Biti realized that Chamisa seemed to be wining favour and sympathy within MDC-Alliance supporters, with some even pledging to buy him an armoured vehicle to the tune of US$120 000, hence he had to effect his own abduction.
The past months saw Biti rising to fame within the party to an extent of him visualizing himself as the party’s leader. Unknown to him, Chamisa was equally coining his own return to the top. The recent rise to stardom by Chamisa after alleging victimization by Zanu PF supporters gave Biti a wakeup call and realization that he also had to gear up, if at all he wanted to maintain as a top contender. And boom, the abduction!
Honestly, who can be so dull and naïve to believe that for some reason, these abductions almost always go wrong to an extent that the abducted always miraculously manage to escape, in order to tell the tale. The late Patson Dzamara, Peter Mogombeyi, Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova, Cecilia Chimbiri, all for some reason, were certain that the state security was involved, and yet no evidence to support the claims was ever brought forward.
What guarantee do we have that all these purported abductions are not personal vendettas with foes, masked to appear as political persecution.
It’s about time the MDC realizes that this tired ploy has been overplayed and the continuous use of the same technique will eventually sell them out to the electorate. Clearly any right thinking person can question these abductions. The electorate will soon realize that everything is being done for fame and money, and not some high moral responsibility to people towards purported ‘democracy’.
Democracy, leadership, patriotism, human rights advocacy has nothing to do with someone being at the top. Lest people are fooled! Instead the greatest democrats advocates in the world have been civil society organizations and not leaders of political parties, so really if its democratization which they are all fighting for why make a fuss about being at the top.
Clearly this factionalism confusion wrecking in the MDC-Alliance sets to confuse sympathizers, democrats and voters and should be put to a halt forthwith as the troubled party is now at cross roads, forcing supporters to align with either Chamisa or Biti, the bitter sweetness of power. MDC-A surely should not be provided with a leeway to exploit others for their own benefit.
One of the greatest dilemmas of Zimbabwean politics is the sordid pursuit for political mileage and relevance by politicians, and sadly this has always characterized opposition politics for years. Though one might choose to refrain from drawing hasty conclusions on this Biti case, it is difficult to ignore the glaring similarities which exist between this alleged incident and several such allegations in the past, which have all borne similar hallmarks of stage-managed theatrics designed to soil the image of the Government. Chamisa had his fair share of ‘attempted abduction’, on his way from Marondera in November 2018, when he claimed to have been trailed by purported state agents. The same script seems to have been adopted by Biti. It’s certainly only a matter of time before he claims that his car has also been shot at.
It is obvious now that the abduction cases from the MDC are merely scripts designed to draw the ire of the world towards the Zimbabwean Government, and hammer on human rights abuses.
Politics and the desire for power have made the MDC-Alliance officials to play-act a tragic Shakespearean drama. MDC-A is a very good example of what a party should never be.
