THE perception that Morgan Tsvangirai, the beleaguered opposition MDC-T has seen better days as a political force reached full circle last Saturday at the Western founded party’s 16th anniversary in Chivhu if the poor attendance and woeful utterances by Tsvangirai were anything to go by.
The Patriot was there in Chivhu.
What was supposed to be an opportunity for Tsvangirai to confirm why he says he is the man who will ‘unlock’ the country’s economic potential turned out to be a big yawn, condemning his aspirations to the periphery of the wrong side of history where he belongs.
Not that anyone in their rightful senses expected anything meaningful from Tsvangirai, but it was his remarkable spewing of diatribes on everything that he opened his mouth to speak on that left even his followers dumbfounded.
Even Aliko Dangote, the great Nigerian who has taken Zimbabwe by storm through his proposed investments was not spared from Tsvangirai’s diatribe.
The Chivhu MDC-T ‘celebrations’ had been touted as a big affair that would ‘demystify’ the false perception that ZANU PF controls the countryside, but less than 2 000 supporters came for the event.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com recently, MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu had said it was a ‘myth’ that ZANU PF enjoyed the support of the majority, especially in the rural areas.
“It is a myth to say that Mashonaland East is a ZANU PF stronghold; so we are just going to demystify that myth,” Gutu said.
“You are going to see one of the biggest crowds ever in the heartland of rural Mashonaland East.”
What we witnessed, however, was contrary for both Gutu and the MDC-T.
When Tsvangirai opened his mouth it was attack after attack on ZANU PF’s alleged failure to develop the economy.
At Nharira Business Centre, Tsvangirai gave credence to the talk doing the rounds that the Zimbabwe senior national soccer team failed to beat Guinea in their 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifier because he attended the match and he is a leader the country will not want.
It was Brazil’s Romario who famously latched onto his fellow countryman, Pele’s penchant for going offside with his utterances with the following words:
“Pele is a poet when he keeps his mouth shut.”
The same applies for Tsvangirai, the burden the West gave this country.
“Ndakanzwa kuti ZANU PF yakavamba programme yeZim-ASSET, vanhu vakandibvunza kuti muZim-ASSET umu mune zita renyu here vaTsvangirai?
“Ndikati harimo.
“Hapana chinofamba munyika muno kana ndisipo ini (I heard that ZANU PF launched a programme called Zim-ASSET, and people asked if my name is included in this Zim-ASSET, I told them it is not. Nothing moves in this country without my involvement!),” Tsvangirai said.
Yet about 20 kilometres from the venue, massive construction of the road that links Chivhu with Murambinda is underway with the bridge having been completed.
In Harare, in the weeks preceding the Chivhu fiasco, there has been movement on efforts to revive the country’s economy.
Statistics released by the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) indicate that investments worth US$1,6 billion have been handled so far this year.
Last week, Zimbabwe and Japan signed a mineral exploration agreement that will see the two countries conducting joint geological surveys in the country.
Further investment deals will be sealed when President Robert Mugabe visits Japan after the Japanese Prime Minister invited the Zimbabwean leader for a State visit.
In India, where President Mugabe will join several Heads of State and Government for the India-Africa Summit, several deals will also be signed amid strong interest by Indians to invest in Zimbabwe.
Last week, the Government secured a US$250 million credit facility from Indian Bank (EXIM Bank) for the construction of 10 memorial hospitals for war veterans.
More deals in agriculture and water reticulation, among other areas, from Indians, are currently being negotiated.
And if there is one area that will keep Tsvangirai, the dull motor-mouth under check, it is the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge Road.
We have information to the effect that appetising proposals have been presented to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
We can inform the nation that Beitbridge is set to become a world class city as enshrined in President Mugabe’s 10-Point Plan during his State of the Nation (SONA) in which he emphasised construction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as a critical facet of national development.
The Dangote investment has been written about already and we will only inform the nation that his team is currently on the ground, doing geological surveys on the areas they will be setting their projects on.
But below is what one reader said on Tsvangirai’s attack of Dangote:
“This man is very shortsighted.
“Rather than welcome Dangote’s proposal as a positive move which will create employment for the same workers his party purports to represent, Tsvangirai decides to pour scorn on him.
“He obviously prefers and is content with investors staying away from Zimbabwe as long as Mugabe is in power.
“He has despicably revealed himself as a selfish politician who’s more interested in political power than the welfare of the people.”
We leave it there with the full knowledge that Tsvangirai is without doubt the ‘leader’ we will never have in Zimbabwe.
Let those with ears listen.