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Mr Morgan Tsvangirai

WE are not surprised by reports that the envisaged alliance of opposition parties ahead of next year’s harmonised elections is already crumbling barely a month after its grand launch at Zimbabwe Grounds in Harare on 5 August.

Dubbed the MDC Alliance, the grouping has only found currency with failed breakaway units of the old united MDC which was formed at the beginning of the country’s political and economic challenges at the turn of the millennium. Professor Welshman Ncube’s MDC-N and Mr Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party can hardly be called credible opposition parties because of their limited following among the generality of Zimbabweans.

In fact, one would be tempted to conclude that Alliance leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is offering his erstwhile comrades Prof Ncube and Mr Biti, a lifeline by swallowing their parties into the so called big tent. This also partly explains the strong resistance to the alliance from all three parties with grassroots mounting fierce opposition.

There is a feeling among followers of Mr Biti, Mr Tsvangirai and Prof Ncube that the three leaders crafted a deal that would benefit them at the expense of the generality of their membership. In Matabeleland this is particularly a sore point for the likes of Messrs Thokozani Khupe, Lovemore Moyo and Abednico Bhebhe who have been on a warpath with their leader over the coalition.

There is a feeling among the rank and file in Matabeleland that Mr Tsvangirai has sacrificed them in favour of Prof Ncube whose party is likely to benefit more from the alliance. The allocation of parliamentary seats, particularly in Matabeleland South where Mr Moyo hails from, is a contentious issue with hawks adamant that Prof Ncube’s party does not deserve anything in this region since it fared dismally in the last election in 2013.

Reports that one of Mr Tsvangirai’s deputies will be an alliance leader is another deal breaker with MDC-T deputy president Ms Khupe totally opposed to the idea.

Clearly, she feels this is another slap in the face from Mr Tsvangirai who has already emasculated her by appointing two more deputies (Messrs Nelson Chamisa and Engineer Elias Mudzuri). There are fears that the re-entry of the likes of Mr Biti and Prof Ncube into the MDC will leave people like Ms Khupe, Mr Moyo and Mr Bhebhe out in the cold.

To muddy the waters further, the alliance also faces stiff resistance from within the ranks of the smaller partners.

PDP structures are rebelling against their leadership by proclaiming that they will field candidates in all the constituencies in Bulawayo. To compound the alliance’s woes, Dr Joice Mujuru’s National People’s Party is dithering on joining the coalition unless its leaders is made president of the grouping.

As we reported in yesterday’s edition of The Chronicle, Mr Tsvangirai faces a potential rebellion when he visits Bulawayo next month as a faction allegedly linked to Ms Khupe has reportedly stepped up efforts to oppose his coalition with other opposition parties. Mr Tsvangirai, who was expected to address a Bulawayo provincial council today, has postponed his visit to September 1, a day before the launch of the MDC Alliance in the city.

The fact that Ms Khupe, Mr Moyo and Mr Bhebhe, who are strongly against the coalition, were assaulted by youths linked to Mr Tsvangirai’s office that disrupted a meeting chaired by Ms Khupe in Bulawayo, makes the MDC leader’s impending visit even more difficult. There are reports that the Ms Khupe-led faction has been meeting structures in Njube, Lobengula, Luveve, Nkulumane, Magwegwe, Makokoba and Matobo in Matabeleland South rallying grassroots members to oppose the coalition.

While Ms Khupe has reportedly stayed away from the meetings, party sources said her allies Mr Moyo, Mr Bhebhe and other officials have been addressing the meetings. “The Khupe- led faction is engaged in a spirited campaign against the coalition and has been meeting in Bulawayo and outside to campaign against the coalition. Just yesterday (Tuesday), they met structures in Makokoba in their crusade against the coalition,” said the source.

“Their grand plan is for the grassroots to oppose Tsvangirai over the formation of a coalition. The team is reportedly saying that the coalition will weaken the party in Matabeleland and ultimately leaders from the region”.

It appears the MDC Alliance could suffer a stillbirth unless Mr Tsvangirai somehow manages to browbeat the Matabeleland structures and isolate its leadership. This could set the stage for a bruising confrontation between Mr Tsvangirai and his once trusted lieutenants in the region.

There is the possibility that the MDC-T could suffer a damaging split due to the alliance issue. Be that as it may, the ruling Zanu-PF party, which already enjoys positive ratings from pollsters, has its work cut out as it prepares to mount yet another election campaign.