Analyst says MDC divisions based on class not tribe

By Violet Gonda
24 October 2005

The crisis in the MDC, which seems to be split along ethnic lines, has opened old sentiments about tribal divisions in the country. The rebellion within the opposition seems to have taken a tribal element when candidates in the Southern region submitted their names to contest the senate poll in defiance of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

But political commentator Professor Stanford Mukasa disagrees that the divisions over the senate are based on ethnic lines. He said the issue is class based. The outspoken critic says an opinion survey in the Matabeleland region would probably show that few people would support the senate and that what is emerging is an elite group of people who want to be party to Mugabe’s gravy train.

Mukasa said the pro-participation camp may well be using tribal factors to promote themselves but he doubts that many people are supportive of this wasteful bureaucracy by Mugabe.

He said, “Nobody has done a scientific public opinion survey to find out what the people think. This is just the elite few who are masquerading as the people of Matebeleland.” He believes that people everywhere in Zimbabwe are suffering equally and that they know that the senate is just going to be an imposition on them and cause further suffering.

The political commentator said the problem in Zimbabwe is a class issue. “You have a small group of very voracious self serving elites who are campaigning for their own aggrandisement and they are not speaking for the people.”

With increasing problems in the MDC many are concerned that the country’s only viable opposition party may be forced to break-up. Professor Mukasa believes this will be a break-up of the leaders only as the people in Zimbabwe are still united because of their suffering. “When it comes to a break-up, the people who will go are the leaders only. It is not going to be extended to the grassroots movement and you are not going to see the people of Matebeleland fighting against the people of Mashonaland.”

The analysts said people are united and their enemy is Mugabe and his regime.