THERE is an irresistible temptation to speak about Morgan Tsvangirai in the past tense, but then, it’s like writing the obituary of someone who has not died.
To overcome the embarrassing predicament, perhaps one has to look at Tsvangirai at two levels; one, as a politician and another, as another ordinary man from Buhera.
Morgan Tsvangirai is, or should it be, was a political disaster.
His political naivety begins with his absurd conviction that he formed the MDC, that he is his own political master.
And yet it is documented the idea to form the MDC was conceived at Chatham House in London in 1999 at a meeting that British foreign policy adviser Richard Dowden chaired.
Other options discussed to remove ZANU PF from power at that meeting besides the formation of the MDC were a) the possibility of a military coup b) the possibility of fomenting a popular uprising and c) the possibility of infiltrating and subverting ZANU PF from within.
All this is documented.
The tragedy is you have Morgan Tsvangirai going around with his head in the clouds, totally convinced that he formed the MDC; going around not only claiming the drum, but the tune too.
The British created the necessary context and provided the funding and all Tsvangirai did was to follow the plan and dance to the tune.
They say his health is now failing him.
Given the vicissitudes of his political life in the last decade, he is a strong man. We are talking about a man who booked half of the Meikles Hotel in 2008 as stop over on what he believed was his unstoppable march to State House.
This is the same man who underwent a hastily arranged crash training programme on etiquette and demeanour to prepare him for the day he would become head of state.
Many things about Tsvangirai must be understood in the context of his aborted dreams.
Other people with less fortitude would not have survived this far.
There are people who have taken their own lives for far less problems.
That is why his no-show at two consecutive MDC rallies the last two weeks must be viewed with a bit of sympathy.
There was a report that leaked to the press sometime ago about Tsvangirai making frantic efforts to meet President Mugabe in connection with the Highlands house he was living in; to discuss whether the property could be transferred into his name.
There was a veiled desperation about it one caught glimpses of the ordinary man from Buhera grappling with the basics of his life, fighting to continue holding on to some things that were beginning to slip away.
His first wife, Susan was different from the women who came into his life after her death, at the height of his fortunes.
He should have known once his fortunes began to diminish, some of them might not have the reason to stay.
But the bottom line is when all his naivety and foolishness has been talked about and exposed, Morgan Tsvangirai needs to be given a huge backside kick for his misplaced arrogance.
He deserves to stew in his boiling fat.