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Violence — physical, verbal and emotional — is destructive, primitive and degrading. It is criminal as well.

Yet, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was preaching it at the weekend. His party held a 17th anniversary celebration at Bulawayo’s White City Stadium where he told his supporters that if security forces curb opposition demonstrations and the Government introduces bond notes his party would resort to violence.

As a leader of a political party, particularly one with some representation in parliament and at local government level, Mr Tsvangirai must be careful to always guard his mouth and promote peace in word and deed. He must be advised that this sort of belligerence is only counterproductive.

He is spoiling for a fight that he is sure to lose and lose heavily for the Government has declared it will not tolerate violence as a way to addressing political differences.

However, his violent rhetoric is not really unlike him. Mr Tsvangirai has, over the past 17 years, spoken violence and his supporters have obliged.

We remember his feared “democratic resistance committees,” that wreaked havoc countrywide ahead of the 2008 harmonised elections. We remember the bombings of police stations in Chitungwiza, Harare, Mutare and Gweru that were executed by MDC-T hoodlums, causing lifelong injuries on some officers and the death of Petros Mutedza, a former inspector, in June 2011.

MDC-T has not benefited anything from this.  Ordinary law-abiding citizens have lost a lot of property, have been injured, some actually losing their lives in violent activities he incited. They have been greatly inconvenienced in the unrest. The economy has suffered a great deal.

In recent weeks, the opposition, under the National Elections Reform Agenda (Nera) that has MDC-T as the largest and most influential member, has staged violent protests, part of a broader strategy to render the country ungovernable and pave way for the removal of Zanu-PF from power.

Opposition militants, most of whom belonging to Mr Tsvangirai’s party have damaged property and looted supermarkets in Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo and Beitbridge.

No political party can campaign for electoral reforms through undemocratic means. Elections are the essence of democracy. They define democracy, so when Nera pretends to be seeking electoral reforms through systematic violence as they have been doing in recent weeks many differ with them on that strategy.  It is evident that Nera is just a smokescreen to hide their real evil intentions to stage a power grab.

“This country can no longer afford [President] Mugabe a day longer than is necessary,” we recall Mr Tsvangirai telling a rally at Rufaro Stadium on September 30, 2000.

“We can’t wait for 2002 because he rigs elections.  What we would like to tell Mugabe today is that please go peacefully, and if you don’t want to go peacefully we will remove you violently.”

It is revealing that the 2000 rally at which Mr Tsvangirai made this irresponsible statement that attracted a treason charge, was a first anniversary celebration of his party. Exactly 17 years plus one day later, he was in Bulawayo for yet another anniversary rally and makes yet another remark calling for a violent confrontation between his party and the Government.

Fortunately for the millions of Zimbabweans who abhor violence, the government has declared its readiness to defend the constitution and the country’s hard-won democracy.

State Security Minister Kembo Mohadi said:

“It has been known as far back as 2000 that MDC-T has been training bandits and they still do; if they continue training these militias and attack the Government we are there to defend. We will defend the country at all cost.”

Mr Tsvangirai must understand this message and adopt a civilised approach in his quest for higher political office. The Government is on record saying if the opposition has suggestions to improve the election management system or the running of the economy, they are free to forward them through various platforms available to them. Parliament where MDC-T has a substantial representation is a possible forum for any suggestions to be made. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has demonstrated that it is open for suggestions relevant to its mandate.

On Saturday, Mr Tsvangirai threatened violence if the Government introduces bond notes. The token currency is on its way by the end of this month, an initiative by authorities to boost exports and stem the liquidity shortage and hard currency externalisation.

His party doesn’t like them, as do other opposition outfits. It is their democratic right to speak out against the notes.

However, a serious opposition party must not just condemn government policies and programmes without offering alternative solutions. MDC-T, Zimbabwe People First, MDC and others have not made any proposals on how the cash shortage can be ameliorated. Theirs, as expressed by Mr Tsvangirai on Saturday, is to perpetrate violence against the notes. Thereafter, in his warped logic, the economy would be awash with cash and bank queues immediately disappear!