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Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
POLITICAL analysts have said the failure by opposition parties to come together and form a coalition to challenge the ruling Zanu PF shows that, outside their “Mugabe must go” mantra, they lack any collective cause that binds them together.

The proposed combination of opposition parties under the banner of Coalition for Democrats (CODE) suffered a false start after only five little known parties signed the agreement to unite against Zanu-PF which has dominated the domestic political scene since the country attained independence in 1980.

In a sign that the coalition is headed for a stillbirth, only five parties, namely Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD) led by Simba Makoni, Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ) fronted by Elton Mangoma, the Professor Welshman Ncube-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment (DARE) led by Gilbert Dzikiti and Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) fronted by Farai Mbira last week appended their signatures to a coalition proposal to face Zanu-PF as a collective unit.

However, MDC-T, the Tendai Biti led People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First and Zapu and the National Constitutional Assembly did not sign the document putting the entire process in a quandary.

This paper, reported last month that the coalition was in limbo with indications that the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC-T, after its demonstrations in Harare, were dragging their feet on the idea of a coalition with senior leaders arguing that they could go it alone.

Sources within Mujuru’s party also confided that they were still organising their structures and were confident that they could make an impact on the political scene on their own leaving little known parties to sign the coalition agreement.

However, analysts insisted that the lack of a clear ideology was the major stumbling block to the coalition.

Political analyst Richard Runyararo Mahomva said the opposition parties lack an ideology to bind them together and also appeal to the masses.

“Most of these parties that want to have the coalition are entities of individuals who broke away as reactionary elements and are pushing reactionary agendas.

“It’s not a matter of ideology only but political ideology of the land which is reviving decoloniality and emancipating the black people from the colonial legacy of oppression and deprivation,” said Mahomva.

“These parties lack the ideology that resonates with the political culture of Zimbabweans which is Afrocentric hence they fail to ring in sync with the majority of the people in the land. Instead, they are pursuing selfish personal interests and not national interests that would then form an ideology that the people identify with.

‘‘Whenever there’s a particular culture in a contested terrain, people define themselves with particular ideologies and in the Zimbabwean case, the majority have identified themselves with the ruling Zanu-PF party whose people-oriented policies have made them a party of choice for all these years.”

Academic, Nhlanhla Landa echoed Mahomva’s sentiments saying that the opposition parties are likely never to form a coalition as they would never agree on anything.

He said the MDC-T in particular, has been rocked by internal fighting that has seen the party splintering into many formations leaving the political organisation weakened.

“Principally, the reason that the likes of Welshman Ncube broke away from Tsvangirai are the same that the Biti group left and the internal fights continue and we can’t rule out another split before 2018. Even those who have broken away still have that MDC DNA as they have been rocked with serious infighting within their parties,” said Landa.

“The opposition parties in general have no concise message for the people but just to remove Mugabe.

‘‘None have ever shared how they intend to move the country forward should they take over from Zanu-PF which is problematic because it shows that their agenda is that of regime change but nothing for the people of Zimbabwe.”

Another political analyst, Bukhosi Dumoluhle Mpofu said the opposition parties have no clear vision for the country hence cannot be bound by anything.

“Most of them have been rocked by internal fights leading to splits over the violation of democratic principles within their respective organisations, the same violation of democratic principles that they accuse the government of.

‘‘The irony is very clear here. The fragmentation of these parties shows that they lack a precise cause that can bind them together,” said Mpofu, a lecturer at Lupane State University.

“The MDC, Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, Zunde, Dare, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn and the NCA are all small fish trying to swim with the sharks in a political sea that has seen Zanu-PF being the champion of it all.”

Mpofu predicted that the opposition parties would spend the following years to the 2018 elections squabbling on the principles of the coalition with the coming polls set to confirm the continued dominance of Zanu-PF.

“The difference between the ruling party and these opposition parties is that Zanu-PF is more orderly and organised.

‘‘They’ve mastered over the years the art of operating as a unit to achieve their goals something that has evaded the main MDC and all the parties that have emerged afterwards,” he said.

“There is also a perception that these parties are funded from outside the country to carry out an agenda not to benefit Zimbabweans but those foreign arms that hold the purse.

‘‘This has largely alienated the opposition in the country as they’ve failed to connect with the people.”

Zanu-PF, buoyed by the recent successful One Million Man March in solidarity with President Robert Mugabe, is on record that it would not be bothered by political novices.

The party’s spokesperson, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, said the revolutionary party would not lose sleep over a coalition of nonentities.

“We don’t have time for hallucinators and by the way, we’re a democratic country so people must be free to dream.

‘‘As the ruling party we’re engaged in very serious developmental programmes under Zim-Asset because that’s what matters,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.

“We’re addressing issues of economic emancipation so that our own people can take full control of the economy as well as addressing the issue of El Nino-induced drought by ensuring that food reaches everyone who is in need. Those are the things we’re interested in.”