Back to confrontation?

A year has now passed since Zimbabwe's political opponents signed the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and concurred to work together in a Government of National Unity (GNU). In addition, the MDC, during the month of September 2009, celebrated its 10th anniversary at a well attended and enthusiastic mass rally in Bulawayo.  But how much there was to celebrate, remains in doubt.

It seems that except for celebrating a successful decade of survival and growing popular support under adverse circumstances, a confrontational mood is taking root among all levels in the MDC.

In an article, "Zanu-PF racism has gone too far" - authored by Eddie Cross, the MDC MP for Bulawayo South and the party's Policy Co-ordinator - which was published immediately after the MDC anniversary celebrations, a clear message was conveyed: The MDC is not only disillusioned, but is also rapidly losing patience with the insincerity and continued recalcitrance of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.

In the mentioned article, Cross referred to a decision by the MDC's hierarchy that the time has come "to toughen its stance in the GNU." At the same time, MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai was instructed to inform President Mugabe that the MDC national leadership has resolved to give its Zanu-PF counterparts one week to begin to implement the full demands of the GPA. MDC party structures have furthermore been instructed to go back to their constituents and ask them if participation in the GNU should be reconsidered.

The message that the Cross article drives home is that the MDC is tired and fed up to be expected to continue making concessions with no apparent quid pro quo. The MDC has also run out of patience with ZANU-PF persisting to ignore the other members of the GNU and acting unilaterally without consulting, misconstruing and lying about the real state of affairs in the country and continuing to harass and threaten MDC office bearers.

The unrelenting attacks on white farmers and the ongoing land evictions are not only completely unacceptable, but require a comprehensive review and change.

The decision by the MDC to commit to a tougher stance in its dealings with President Mugabe and ZANU-PF was also influenced by mounting pressure from within the party.

There is a growing concern among many MDC members that President Mugabe continues calling the shots and dictates proceedings with too little resistance from the opposition. The feeling is that the time has come to stand up to President Mugabe and tell him upfront that things have changed. He is no longer in complete command and must act according to the statutes of the GPA.

Should he continue to ignore the new realities of Zimbabwe, he should prepare himself for the wrath of a nation exhausted, traumatised and impoverished by transgressions committed by a group of people, led by the President, who has lost touch with reality.

There can be no doubt that the evading tactics and "head in the sand" approach that was predictably adopted in Kinshasa at the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit meeting, helped the MDC to review and change its policy. It must have, yet again, dawned on the MDC that that it is futile to pin much hope on the SADC to call President Mugabe and his followers to order.

There may be a degree of relevance to some of the arguments and excuses raised for the inherent inability of the SADC to take a stand firm enough to force President Mugabe to deviate from the catastrophic route he has chosen. But, unfortunately, that is unconvincing to the MDC and the party's leadership will increasingly find it impossible to pacify the growing restlessness among its members. The SADC will have to take responsibility for any negative fallout from a tougher stance adopted by the MDC.

Real politics also played a role in the MDC decision. With the rotating SADC chairmanship going to President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a known protégé and friend of President Mugabe and overwhelmed with his own internal problems, the MDC suspects that little can be expected from him to push for a more evenly balanced approach.

In the absence of the irrational and incomprehensible protection that former South African president Thabo Mbeki granted President Mugabe and his followers, the conditions for a tougher stance is markedly more favourable. This cannot be good news for the beleaguered Zimbabwean president.

Whether the MDC will give expression to its intentions will soon be put to the test. There is little doubt that President Mugabe will presently provide them with the opportunity.