Tsvangirai: Please grow up

[XXPANTHAXX]

MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, the man aspiring to lead a nation of 13 million enlightened Zimbabweans is at it again, grandstanding for a foreign audience while pretending to be doing it for the benefit of the people.

On Sunday, Tsvangirai announced at a Press conference in Harare that he was withdrawing from the presidential run-off slated for Friday citing concern for Zimbabweans he claimed were bearing the brunt of violence at the hands of Zanu-PF.

The violence, Tsvangirai said, did not bode well for a free and fair poll.

We agree with him that violence is anathema not only to politics but to basic human decency, and it was high time he condemned the barbarism being visited by his supporters on innocent people countrywide.

We, however, can’t help but smell a rat in the timing and reasons for Tsvangirai’s announcement.

Two factors stink to high heaven.

Firstly, it is a fact that since his party’s launch on September 11 1999, Tsvangirai has always aspired to curry sympathy from international gatherings which is why his announcement came just days before two such events: The African Union heads of state and government summit that begins in Cairo, Egypt next Monday and the European Union meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

Secondly, the United States, which has been at the forefront of trying to get Zimbabwe on the agenda of the Security Council, assumes chairmanship of the organ next week.

What better way to abet the regime change agenda than by finding Zimbabwe in the crisis in-tray?

For the sceptics, what was Tsvangirai after in making an announcement that he knew very well was a nullity at law unless he first wrote to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission if not to grandstand for the foreign media and their audience?

Furthermore, what was the point in making such an announcement only to say the ‘‘final’’ decision would be made 48 hours later, if not to deodorise the myth of a crisis?

Isn’t it ironic that a man who has traversed rural Zimbabwe, a Zanu-PF stronghold, in his ‘‘victory buses’’ emblazoned with his image and slogans can claim he fears for his life in his stronghold of Harare to the extent of fleeing to seek refuge in the Royal Netherlands embassy?

We are sure all progressive Zimbabweans are sick and tired of Tsvangirai’s childish games and can’t wait to give him the message on Friday.

That is the real fear that has gripped the man, not the purported concern for the people.

If he really cares for the people, why hasn’t he condemned the sanctions that have brought so much suffering to the people he claims to love so much?

If anyone had a legitimate reason to boycott the run-off, it is President Mugabe who is going for an election in an environment heavily polluted by illegal sanctions, a rabid international Press and activist diplomatic community.

Tsvangirai must grow up. Politics is serious business.