(Last Updated on August 8, 2013 by Editor)
THE British media have sounded the death knell for the embattled MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, urging him to resign saying he had failed as a politician. This comes in the wake of the MDC-T leader’s third but most devastating defeat by President Mugabe in the just-ended harmonised elections. The Telegraph which is one of the largest circulating newspapers in the United Kingdom and a strong supporter of the MDC-T said Mr Tsvangirai’s short stint in Government had exposed his immeasurable shortcomings as a leader while the BBC said the MDC-T leader now stared political oblivion.
“And what about Tsvangirai’s performance as Prime Minister from 2009 onwards? Sadly his period in office – if not power – showed up all his shortcomings. A few MDC ministers made an impact but Tsvangirai personally made almost none.
“Despite having a majority in Parliament (if the two MDCs could have worked together) and a majority of ministers in the Cabinet, he failed to use these levers of power. (President) Mugabe outmanoeuvred or just ignored him time and again,” reads the Telegraph.
The paper described the former Prime Minister as a poor political tactician and strategist.
“When not making empty threats, Tsvangirai can say things that are plain foolish. I could cite the occasion in 200 when he talked about toppling (President) Mugabe ‘violently’, thereby handing the regime an opportunity to charge him with treason. I could recall the time in 2002 when he fell for an obvious ruse and was filmed discussing Mugabe’s ‘elimination’ with a ‘shady’ ‘political consultant’, who turned to be on Zanu-PF’s pay,” added the paper.
After failing thrice to dislodge President Mugabe and Zanu-PF, the Telegraph argued that Mr Tsvangirai had no reason to remain at the helm of MDC-T let alone remaining as a politician. The paper described Mr Tsvangirai as a poor leader. “Anyone bidding to remove a politician as ruthless and determined as Mugabe must be an exceptional figure. In particular, his words must carry weight. Friend and foe must take him seriously. Put simply he must mean what he says. Does Tsvangirai fit this mould, or he has always been a man of empty word?”
The paper said Mr Tsvangirai tore his personal credibility into shreds since it was now clear that there was no link between what he said and what he does. In this regard, The Telegraph said Mr Tsvangirai was not a consistent leader.
The BBC, a long time defender of the MDC-T said Mr Tsvangirai was facing political oblivion. “Today Zimbabwe’s thrice failed presidential contender Morgan Tsvangirai, must surely be facing the real possibility of political oblivion following his party’s crushing defeat in last week’s election – and there are plenty of people who feel he deserves it,” said the BBC.
The BBC said Mr Tsvangirai legitimised elections that he went on to describe as a farce.
MDC-T’s local media sympathiser The Daily News also weighed in by urging Zimbabweans to move on.
The Telegraph said the new Zanu-PF government should work to improve livelihoods.
Analysts yesterday said the sentiment in the British media indicated that they had identified a successor to take over from Mr Tsvangirai, a view buttressed by self-exiled treasurer Mr Roy Bennett – the party’s point man to its western overlords – who last week queried Mr Tsvangirai’s suitability to continue as MDC-T leader.