Morgan Tsvangirai is an infernally optimistic man.
He has been like this since his courageous days as the Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).
He continued like that even when he became leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
He suffered physical abuse from ZANU-PF and he still wears deep scars to prove it.
Today, he is Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and his optimism is stronger than ever before in spite of the hardships he is facing.
He is responsible for a government over which he has no authority.
His supporters and senior party officials continue to be harassed by his colleagues in the unity government.
Violence appears to be picking up momentum once again as we disgrace ourselves with farm invasions that have proved disastrous over the years.
Cabinet ministers in his government of national unity continue seizing farms as if they do not hold other farms they took before this government was formed.
Mugabe continues to show little respect for not only Tsvangirai, but for the whole of the MDC, not to mention the government of national unity itself.
Outstanding issues concerning the implementation of this government of national unity remain outstanding as Mugabe simply refuses to yield or to respect important aspects of the unity agreement.
But Mr Tsvangirai is married to optimism.
And that can be dangerous because time might not come to his aid.
With all these brick walls erected on his path, Mr Tsvangirai is reported to have told an MDC rally in the town of Chinhoyi that there was ‘no going back on the unity government’ and that he was working well with Mugabe.
There is, however, no evidence to that.
We do not see that they are working well together. It is either that the people are blind or someone is not telling the truth.
Mr Tsvangirai’s optimism borders on recklessness.
“We respect each other, although we may disagree,” said Mr Tsvangirai a few days ago.
But what astonished me the most is what he said next.
“There’s nothing Mugabe does without me approving and there is nothing I do without him approving,” he added.
Does this also go for the resuscitated farm invasions? Are they now seizing farms together after consulting each other and agreeing?
Do they consult and agree to keep innocent people in detention? What did Tsvangirai mean?
Are there no more differences between the two leaders and their parties now?
Can he repeat it just one more time that there is nothing he, Tsvangirai, does without Mugabe approving?
So there is no opposition anymore?
While at it, could he also repeat just one more time that there is nothing Mugabe does without Tsvangirai’s approval?
Is it true that Tsvangirai issues prior approval to all that Mugabe does?
Just who is advising and handling Prime Minister Tsvangirai? Does anyone care what the leader is doing and are they not concerned that the reckless statements he continues to make will eventually become concrete stones around the necks of the MDC, not to mention his own?
Reports from that rally say his supporters expressed worries that Tsvangirai “might have spoken too soon and dug himself into a hole over the remarks”.
But he has been doing that for some time now, making us wonder if his handlers let him make these gaffes to destroy his credibility.
Meanwhile, Mugabe is not batting any eye and trudges on as if all is well in the unity government. He calmly stays where he has been for the last 29 years and lets the MDC talk and talk and talk, as the prime minister and his ministers continue to declare everything done to them as null and void, statements which, in themselves, are null and void as far as Mugabe is concerned.
But we all can see that Mugabe retains the power and authority that he has always had.
Even the police are not arresting farm invaders as Tsvangirai threatened. Gideon Gono and Attorney General Tomana are in their chairs as illegally delegated by Mugabe and there is absolutely nothing the MDC can do about it.
So I am wondering what Tsvangirai means when he tells people at rallies that they work together well and both approve each other’s activities.
The MDC has become nothing but ZANU-PF’s foot soldiers; they are just told to go and fetch and they oblige.
The MDC has no power or authority; they are not governing anything. They are faced with numerous issues that need immediate attention, chief among which is simply getting Mugabe to do what he promised SADC he would do.
And what is surprising is that Tsvangirai continues to say all is well when the simple truth is there for everyone to see. Why is Tsvangirai doing that?
Is he too desperate for this government to work regardless of all the shortcomings plaguing it? Is it for the nation and the people anymore or is it for the MDC leadership’s personal survival?
Does the MDC honestly believe this thing is working at all and do they know where we are headed?
There are just too many negatives cropping up.
ZANU-PF is staying put and continues with their retrogressive behaviour while Finance Minister Tendai Biti travels the world to beg for money for the revival of a nation still in the grips of ZANU-PF plunderers.
The MDC is murdering its own credibility by not highlighting the differences and always agreeing with ZANU-PF. Why are they not complaining as much as they used to?
I am honestly concerned with the way things are turning out.
Too many issues are slowly being pushed to the back, out of sight and this is the way we started with ZANU-PF once upon a time.
Why does the MDC suddenly think civil society is of no importance? Why have consultations within the MDC now been limited to a chosen few yet during the full-fledged struggle against Mugabe, Tsvangirai consulted with the grassroots, a trait that served him so well when he was ZCTU Secretary General and opposition leader?
The heart of the matter is that this government of national unity is not working and has only opened opportunities for more people from the opposition ranks to join the gravy train.
The MDC’s preoccupation is to remain in this government at all costs. It now appears as if the MDC leaders are paying more attention to personal survival than they should be doing on behalf of the nation.
Slowly, they are forgetting from where they came and yet it wasn’t that long ago when we were wallowing together in misery and collectively blaming Mugabe and ZANU-PF for the same things that continue to plague our government and our nation.
Against all advice, the MDC sourced for funds to hold the infamous retreat at Victoria Falls where they, with insatiable ZANU-PF plunderers, wined and dined as people around them starved.
They gave themselves 100 days to straighten out some things which did not include the people’s priorities.
We hold them to that.
They must show us some sort of progress instead of rushing to support Mugabe in an effort to justify why they are sitting at the table with people who continue to abuse the nation.
The MDC’s role is slowly shifting away from the people and it is cause for concern.
Tsvangirai’s reactions to Mugabe’s behaviour within this unity government smack of dangerous appeasement that will soon translate into full fledged betrayal.
The people want to see and experience change but this osmosis taking place between ZANU-PF and the MDC is a clear indication that the people will soon start to fight not only Mugabe and his ZANU-PF but to also fight Tsvangirai and the MDC.
My message to Prime Minister Tsvangirai is that: “You are now paying less and less attention to the script handed you by the people. There is a very thin line between love and hate because both are deeply personal and both cause pain.
You are losing the script, Sir, yet the people are there to guide you. Make use of them, please.
Zimbabweans can easily turn love into hatred and you, of all people, have had a ringside seat viewing Mugabe and ZANU-PF’s downfall. And you know the reasons why ZANU-PF is hated.
Come back to the people, please, Mr Tsvangirai. It was the people who saved you when your own “trusted” lieutenants betrayed you.”
