Are Political Parties' Public Protests Benefiting Zimbabwe?
"As an opposition party they cannot allow the situation to slide back to 2008, to an economic crisis."
WASHINGTON DC — Movement for Democratic Change founding president Morgan Tsvangirai was Monday discharged from a South African hospital after being detained for an undisclosed ailment. According to MDC-T organizing secretary, Douglas Mwonzora, Tsvangirai, who was supposed to have led a public protest in Bulawayo at the weekend, Tsvangirai is recovering well. The party says following the march that was held in Bulawayo at the weekend to protest a number of issues around the economy, another march will be held in Mutare in August. Last week the ruling Zanu PF held its own march to show solidarity with President Robert Mugabe. Independent analyst, Zenzele Ndebele, said, “It shows that there’s a crisis between both Zanu PF and MDC-T. “There’s a crisis within Zanu PF because if you have won a landslide victory in an election with a two thirds majority there’s no need to call people to come and endorse what you are doing.” He added that Zanu PF is calling people for endorsement because the economy is not firing and the two million jobs that were promised by President Mugabe’s party in the run up to the 2013 general elections are not in sight. Ndebele said there is a leadership crisis in the opposition. “As an opposition party they cannot allow the situation to slide back to 2008, to an economic crisis. This is the time that the opposition should be saying to the people you voted for Zanu PF, look at what they are doing.” On where they should be holding marches, Ndebele said the opposition should instead be going to the rural areas because they already have the support of the masses.