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Morgan Tsvangirai

Tafara Shumba Correspondent
Recent developments, among them, the vending issue, the alleged disappearance of Itai Dzamara and the Supreme Court labour ruling, have exposed MDC-T as a party that always attempts to flourish on crises. MDC-T will never tire to seek profit out of any development that happens to leave dissatisfaction within some people. The party’s reaction to the Supreme Court labour ruling and the attachment of its assets made interesting reading. Those two developments exposed the hypocrisy of the party that was purportedly formed to advance the interests of the workers.

MDC-T told the nation that it was deeply alarmed by the Supreme Court ruling that gives employers a blank cheque to fire employees willy-nilly. Only God knows if the tears shed by MDC-T were not of the crocodile.

“The MDC is a social democratic political party that solidly stands for the upholding and enforcement of workers’ rights in both the formal and informal sectors. The historical link between the MDC and the labour movement in Zimbabwe is well documented,” said MDC-T through its national spokesperson Obert Gutu.

That is an uncontested fact. Indeed MDC-T is rooted in the labour movement, for Morgan Tsvangirai himself was the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) while his former deputy, the late Gibson Sibanda, was the president of same.

However, the claim that MDC stands for the rights of workers is contentious, considering the party’s policies and other behaviours that have been at cross-purpose with the aspirations and hopes of the worker.

Of course, it is justified to pore over the Supreme Court ruling, as it gives the master-slave relationship between the employer and employee. However, MDC-T is the least qualified party to fight from the workers’ corner, more so with its tainted history of labour relations.

Ironically, Nelson Chamisa, a very senior MDC-T official who is also touted to be Tsvangirai’s heir, was one of the key lawyers who occasioned the Supreme Court ruling that the MDC-T is chastising. He actually had the guts to refer the ruling as “landmark.” As a sign of disorder and double standard, Chamisa went on to ask Minister Prisca Mupfumira if Government was going to make any policy changes to cushion workers. That is MDC-T for you, indicating left but turning right.

MDC-T should have reprimanded Chamisa for working against the founding principles of the party.

Instead, they attempted to shift focus from Chamisa and the employer to zanu-pf. ZCTU is already talking of demonstrations to force Government to redress the situation. Hopefully, the learned lawyers in MDC-T will advise their party and allied organisations to draw a line between the functions of the executive and those of the judiciary.

In shona they say ‘akanyangira yaona.’ zanu-pf is actually more concerned about workers’ plight than those who are making the loudest noise. The Government has already resolved to amend the Labour Act urgently to bring equilibrium in the labour market.

While debate on the sincerity of the MDC-T empathy on workers was still on, a fresh development cropped up leaving debaters putting two and two together. The labour backed party had its assets attached by the Messenger of Court over labour disputes with 13 former employees who were unceremoniously fired over untested allegations.

It is therefore, hard to believe that the MDC-T solidly stands for the upholding and enforcement of workers’ rights when it tramples upon the rights of its own workers. Charity begins at home. Unless the MDC-T starts treating its workers humanely, nobody will take it seriously. How can a party that professes democracy, fire workers for holding a different opinion from that of Tsvangirai.

MDC-T always sees the shadow of zanu-pf in every mishap that befalls them.

Luke Tamborinyoka and Douglas Mwonzora accused zanu-pf of attempting to embarrass Tsvangirai. In all earnest, why would zanu-pf expend energy on a person who does not participate in elections? He is not a threat in any way.

Tamborinyoka also castigated the Assistant Sheriff for attaching property belonging to Tsvangirai whom he said was never part of the dispute. He needs to be reminded of the resolutions they passed on their 2014 congress.

“Congress resolved to amend the constitution to allow the president to be the custodian of the party name, custodian of all party assets . . . ,” read part of the resolutions. So where has the Messenger of Court erred here? The writ of execution for the MDC-T is a writ of execution for Tsvangirai in terms of the MDC-T constitution.

Although the MDC-T was formed with a heavy labour bias, developments in the beleaguered party show that they have veered off course. To start with, the sanctions that the party called for have caused excruciating suffering to the workers. The current massive layoffs are being precipitated by the sanctions.

Japhet Moyo, the Secretary General of the ZCTU had to fire a salvo at the MDC-T during the latter’s policy conference in 2013, for shunning the founding values that gave the labour party a mandate to advance the working class agenda.

The former president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union, Lovemore Matombo once accused the MDC-T, at its third national congress in Bulawayo in 2011, of shunning the principles that led to the formation of the party in 1999.

“I also want to remind the MDC-T that the founding principles made some recommendations to the party, go back to the founding document, it defines precisely the purpose for which the Movement for Democratic Change was founded,” Matombo said.

Tsvangirai himself once scoffed at the civil servants’ demand for a pay rise. The civil servants unions had engaged him over the issue with anticipation of a favourable outcome since he had personally promised them during his inauguration as Prime Minister.

“In fact, he (Tsvangirai) told us that he is not government that puts food on the table for civil servants. He told us that we were expecting too much and for us to get anything soon was daydreaming,” said Manuel Nyawo, one of the leaders of the civil servants who had met Mr Tsvangirai.

Lucia Matibenga, the then MDC-T minister of Public Service, even refused to meet civil servants for discussions over salaries and working conditions. Moyo had to warn Matibenga during the policy conference that her indifference to the plight of government workers puts them in a difficult and awkward situation to justify their close link.

Tendai Biti, the then Finance Minister actually froze the paltry salaries of Government workers. It is too early for workers to forget that one of the arrogant MDC-T ministers challenged their leaders to follow him to the toilet and see if he could defecate money.

MDC-T abandoned workers as they pursued personal aggrandisement. It is, therefore, extremely hard to believe that MDC-T stands for the aspirations of the workers. Believing this is as good as believing that a prostitute is virgin.