Chamisa u-turn on Khupe comes late

Published: 04 July 2018

As we report elsewhere in this issue, MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa has withdrawn his court challenge against Thokozani Khupe over the use of the MDC name, symbols and logos.

Had this occurred at another time, which is not towards elections, Chamisa's decision would have been sweet music to the ears of thousands of the opposition supporters who have for many years believed that they could finally get over Zanu PF and govern this country.

Sadly this is not a reason to celebrate as the surprise withdrawal of the case comes after the Nomination Court had set and closed after approving candidates for the July 30 harmonised elections.

Despite calls for Chamisa and Khupe to heal their party as a result of a rift which followed the death of their founding president Morgan Tsvangirai, the two politicians failed to heed the advice.

There are so many interpretations that can be made from Chamisa's withdrawal but the most appropriate but not so flattering one is that his failure to pursue dialogue in preference of a legal battle exposes his leadership frailties.

From the beginning, escalating the row with Khupe over the use of the party's name and symbols when issues around his ascendancy which is the source of the damaging power tussle, had not been resolved, characterised him as an indignant power hungry politician.

Unfortunately it is such acts that divide people and consequently cast doubt about choosing the opposition as a viable alternative to Zanu PF.

Why sense didn't prevail in the first place?

Allegations and criticism that Zimbabwe's opposition contrives to set its own electoral defeat appear justified taking this case as an example.

It boggles the mind to try and figure out why a group of educated, seemingly competent lawyers and chartered accountants who decided to become politicians, fail to agree on things that are detrimental to their own futures, if left unresolved.

Regrettably in the case of the leadership in most of the opposition parties, it is a case of failing to distinguish the difference between a forest and trees in that forest.

If the opposition loses the July 30 national elections, it must not look further than some of the costly mistakes it has made such as failing to agree on a single presidential candidate, mutilating internal guidelines on its primary elections and choosing quarrelling over unity.

The Chamisa case typifies that.

- dailynews