By Dr Masimba Mavaza | Zimbabwe has presided over the fall of Opposition political class. From the day Chamisa ‘stole’ the MDC leadership, opposition is failing and our political system is collapsing.
The Opposition is the largest non-government party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly.
The Opposition’s main role is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable. Opportunities for scrutinising the policies and administration of the Government are provided in parliament. Members of the Opposition inside parliamentary committees have a further opportunity to scrutinise new legislation as part of the committee process.
The Opposition also utilises the media to reach the electorate with its views and to establish an identity as an alternative government.
The Opposition wants to present itself as a Government in waiting. It does this mostly through the media and by campaigning in the constituencies but Parliament is also an important forum for this. The opposition therefore play a role in criticising Government policy when there are disagreements between the parties, for example in reply to Ministerial statements and in debates on legislation. It proposes motions and amendments to legislation and is able to get these debated. Other opposition parties are also able to criticise the government and move amendments. In their work in Parliament the opposition parties receive public funding to support research on topics and provide some balance in resources as against the Government that has the whole of the civil service to help it.
Parliament is part of the general debate between Government and Opposition that takes place between general elections and helps to establish the credibility of the Opposition.
Chamisa has transformed opposition to be an entity which creates division, and their concern is often on national splits and challenges the government and mistakes by ministers rather than what the debate between the Government and Opposition is actually about.
Opposition is supposed to put its case through Parliamentary debate. But Chamisa has become known for preaching hardships and problems for the nation. He actually takes pride in throwing spanners in the engine of the economy. He has not stopped to boast about how his actions have brought Zimbabwe to its knees.
In a normal situation any opposition leader who lobbies for sanctions and prays for poverty against his own people would be charged of treason. His actions are diabolic and evil.
The Opposition political system used to be seen as one of the wonders of the world. Max Weber, the great German sociologist, gave a seminal lecture on “The Profession and Vocation of Politics” in Munich. Speaking in the chaotic and revolutionary aftermath of the First World War, he expressed his admiration for the Opposition system and the way its politicians and officials managed to maintain prosperity and stability while allowing a working democracy to flourish.it was reputed around the world as the cradle of democracy, tolerance and downright decency. No longer. Chamisa has made opposition politics look like really war.
Chamisa’s immature behaviour has led to the complete collapse of our political system. It is painful to see people engaged in real civil wars pitying us for the deep division in the country and the inability of our political leaders to resolve it. Africa has watched with bewilderment, despair and exasperation as the opposition politics degenerate into war situation in Zimbabwe.
We have gone from being the most stable country in Africa to one of the least, from a country governed by a broad pragmatic consensus to a society divided into two doctrinaire camps and from a government that managed crises well to political leaders who can’t even control their own parties. Worst of all we have gone from a relatively civilised and tolerant political discourse to violence on our streets directed at people who are actually in power.
Chamisa has created no go areas in Harare. Any person found in a ZANU PF T-shirt is stripped and flogged by the MDC youth called the vanguard.
This of culture trying to use sancions against people it will never work. It will actually work against the opposition. The reasonable thing to do is to come out with your economic revival plan. Zimbabwe needs a progressive opposition.
All what we have heard by Chamisa is that he will work against the nations yet he wants to lead the same people he is punishing.
It is easy to hate ED without a reason. This is because the economy is struggling and people are really in trouble.
Opposition now operates as armed rebels. Having tried the ballot box now they are using the economy which they are sabotaging. They celebrate any suffering caused by their actions. Instead of coming up with ideas to improve the economy they actually campaign against it.
So the jecha brigades are not progressive, their actions are talking evil. Zimbabwe needs a united front against economic issues.
Zimbabwe will bounce back. It is important that it bounces back wit h you.