MOST of the Western media has, in the past, sympathised with Morgan Tsvangirai to the extent that if Europeans and Americans voted in Zimbabwean elections, Tsvangirai would definitely win with a landslide.
It seems he no longer has the support of some of his previous (Western) admirers.
For example, on May 30 2014, The Guardian Newspaper published a story calling for Tsvangirai to go because he has failed Zimbabweans.
The writer said: “He seemed to have lost the fire in his belly.
“Power had tamed him.
“While other opposition figures were making real headway in government (think Tendai Biti’s miraculous economic reforms as Minister of Finance, or David Coltart’s vital resuscitation of the country’s failing schools), Tsvangirai was more often in the headlines for his messy love life, or for his obvious affection for the trappings of office.”
The writer accuses Tsvangirai of changing the MDC constitution to remain the leader of the party while at the same time praising Tendai Biti (for turning the economy of Zimbabwe around when he was the Finance Minister for the unity government).
But within the same breath, the writer acknowledges that ZANU PF won the July 31 elections resoundingly.
“By the time the next elections rolled around, in July 2013, Tsvangirai had lost much of his appeal,” he wrote.
“The opposition, led by his faction of the MDC, fared poorly.
“Even though widespread reports suggest that there was some element of vote-rigging from ZANU PF, it probably wasn’t necessary; voters returned to Mugabe’s fold in droves, giving him undiluted control once again.”
The question is who did Tsvangirai fail? Zimbabweans or the West’s bid to force a regime change in Zimbabwe?
It is true that Tsvangirai must go because he failed Zimbabweans, but not from the point of view of The Guardian newspaper’s writer’s.
Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans endured 15 years of economic hardship because of the sanctions called upon the country by Morgan Tsvangirai, Biti and the like.
Both should go.
Not so long ago, on April 28 2014, Tony Hawkins (of the Irish Times), wrote an article sympathising with Morgan Tsvangirai soon after he was expelled by Biti and company.
Hawkins was worried about the effects of the MDC split on foreign interests in Zimbabwe; in particular Tsvangirai’s opposition to indigenisation.
Hawkins wrote: “Mr Tsvangirai has opposed the policy, which in theory will affect miners, including Impala Platinum, a South Africa-based group and the biggest foreign investor in Zimbabwe, and manufacturers Nestlé and British American Tobacco.”
So is Biti now their new man?
The article published by The Guardian coincided with the MDC renewal meetings held in Luton (UK) and Diesploot (Johannesburg in South Africa) on May 31 2014.
Calling for leadership renewal and democracy within the Movement for Democratic Party, the renewal team said: “With Tsvangirai as our leader we have been like eggs for 15 years and it seems we will remain thus as long as he is the leader.
“What we are saying therefore is that we are not willing to go on indefinitely being just ordinary, decent eggs.
“We must hatch or go bad and by all means that is how life should be.
“We do not see it as democracy to continue to give Tsvangirai endless chances to quench his own thirst for power the same way the leader of the regime the MDC was formed to unseat has done.” – (New Zimbabwe.Com)
In South Africa, one member of the renewal team is quoted to have said: “We do not hate Tsvangirai, but love him and think he has to step aside and put in his place a person who is hungry for freedom.
“We are doing door to door campaigns and people are welcoming the renewal team’s ideology.” (New Zimbabwe.Com)
But how popular is Biti within the MDC grassroots?
I understand the MDC renewal meeting was attended by a few people contrary to what some of these newspapers reported.
My efforts to talk to some of the people who attended the MDC renewal meeting on Saturday were fruitless as my calls were not answered.
However, I managed to speak with ordinary Zimbabweans in the UK to find out who they would back between Morgan Tsvangirai or Tendai Biti and also why.
Below are some of the comments that I got from a few people.
I will use their first names as they said they would not want to be victimised.
George (Birmingham): “Paya ndipo pasina zvavari kuita vese, Biti naTsvangirai wacho.
“Biti must know his strengths and weaknesses.
“He might be intelligent, educated and clever, but he lacks the stamina to pull a crowd.
“He has no leadership qualities.
“As a lawyer he may be good, but this is as far as it can go.
“He is not a leader.
“The few seats and votes he got in 2008 were a result of confusion of where to vote because of the two MDCs.
“So Biti is making a very big mistake to think that he can have support from the grassroots to challenge Tsvangirai, let alone Mugabe?
“Kana zviri zvema scandals evakadzi, well, I don’t think ordinary people would be bothered by that.
“But Sarudzayi, having said all this, I don’t like both of them Tendai Biti naTsvangirai wacho.”
Pamela (Yorkshire): “Personally I would go for Biti.
“Tsvangirai, ummm!, he put me off Tsvangirai nenyaya dzake dzemadzimai idzi. “He has no respect for women.
“As a woman it was painful to see a fellow woman achirambirwa munewspaper.
“He should go and allow Biti to take over.”
Joshua (London): “I was invited to attend the MDC renewal, but I didn’t go because to me both of them are liabilities.
“They should both go and make way for people like Lovemore Moyo or Tapiwa Mashakada to take over.
“Tsvangirai may be commanding a lot of support at grassroots level, but he has lost three consecutive elections.
“But Biti is not the right person as well.”