Job Sikhala, one of the founding members of Zimbabwe's opposition MDC, has returned to Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T after nine years of public hostility toward the man he once accused of hating him with an evil passion, according to Bulawayo24 News. The reunion, announced in November, has left observers asking whether anything has changed since the bitter falling out of 2005.
Sikhala helped found the MDC in 1999 as leader of the Students Constituency and quickly won the St Mary's parliamentary seat. His troubles began when he claimed Tsvangirai had received foreign funding from Nigeria and Ghana without remitting it to the party, a charge that triggered diplomatic rows and his suspension.
Why Sikhala's return is raising eyebrows
In his 2005 letter responding to the suspension, Sikhala launched a scathing attack on Tsvangirai that made the two men near permanent enemies.
“With all due respect, Mr President, your purported suspension is of no force or effect as it is illegal. I will continue carrying out the revolutionary duties as normal until such time when law proves me wrong.”
“Why do you hate me with such an evil passion? Will you be able to love the people of Zimbabwe if you hate those who worked, suffered and nearly died or died for you?”
He also rejected factionalism outright, writing that he had told Tsvangirai he would not back any faction but prayed the leadership would unite and fight as a team. Today, Bulawayo24 News notes, the questions write themselves. Has Tsvangirai's hatred disappeared? Has he abandoned factionalism? Has he finally seen the bigger picture of the struggle?
What going back to 1999 values actually means
In his return speech, Sikhala repeatedly said he was rejoining to take the party back to its 1999 values. The MDC of 1999 was born out of the Workers' Convention of 26 to 28 February 1999 and the launch of 11 September 1999, following nationwide consultations.
That founding MDC rejected personality cults, perpetual leadership, unconstitutional decision making, violence, bribery, and leaders who declared the party could not survive without them. It demanded accountable, corrupt free leadership renewed through democratic mandates.
Going back to 1999, therefore, means seeking a fresh mandate from the people and facing them to account for every value agreed at formation. Whether Tsvangirai is prepared to submit himself to that test is an open question.
The name he swore to fight
The party Sikhala rejoins still carries Tsvangirai's surname in its title, the MDC-T, something Sikhala swore to fight to his death. When he formed his MDC 99 in 2010, he demanded to know why the party appeared to be Tsvangirai's private property.
“It now appears as if it is the private property of Morgan Tsvangirai, that's why it's called the MDC-T. Why don't they remove the personalities around the name of political organisations?”
Nothing suggests the surname is coming off the letterhead. Sikhala has either swallowed his pride or abandoned his principles.
A pattern of political wanderings
Only months ago, Sikhala entered a short lived political marriage with Lovemore Madhuku's NCA. Sources inside that arrangement told Bulawayo24 News that Sikhala demanded the presidency, which Madhuku refused, and the union collapsed almost immediately.
Rumours from the Tsvangirai-Sikhala negotiations suggest Sikhala has been assured the Secretary General position, with incumbent Tendai Biti reportedly on his way out. How Nelson Chamisa and Douglas Mwonzora, who are already jostling for that post, will receive the newcomer is anyone's guess. And Tsvangirai, never known for crisis management, must now handle a furious Sikhala as an ordinary member until the 2016 congress.
Unity of convenience, not purpose
Zimbabweans across the political divide have long called for a unified opposition. All opposition parties agree on one thing: they want ZANU PF out of power. Yet unity remains elusive because the parties cannot agree on the how and the then what.
The people want a unity of purpose that brings back prosperity and freedom, not a unity of convenience stitched together to rescue sinking careers. Sikhala and Joubert Mudzume arrive at the MDC-T having lost political relevance, according to the Bulawayo24 News analysis, which concluded that Sikhala brings nothing to the party other than just a suit and a tie.
Tsvangirai is bringing a lean elephant into his room, one that will grow too big to drive out. Guaranteed, the two men will soon be at each other's throats again, deepening the crisis for a party that once stood closer to State House than President Robert Mugabe himself, and squandered it through factionalism.
FAQ
When did Job Sikhala rejoin the MDC-T?
Sikhala announced his return to Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T in November, nine years after his 2005 suspension and public falling out with Tsvangirai.
Why was Sikhala suspended from the MDC in 2005?
He publicly claimed Tsvangirai had received party funding from Nigeria and Ghana without remitting it, causing diplomatic rows. Under Zimbabwean law, political parties cannot receive external funding.
What position is Sikhala rumoured to be getting?
Reports from the negotiations say he has been assured the Secretary General post, currently held by Tendai Biti, who is reported to be on his way out of the party.