MDC must march against sanctions

By Mabasa Sasa (24/01/08)

THE adjective "dissonance" is used to describe that which is harsh and inharmonious. Naturally, it is often used within the context of music and musicology to define that which is "harmonically unresolved", or more simply something that lacks harmony.

Those who are into music will tell you that though there are vital physical and neurological factors that go into defining dissonance, it’s precise definition is culturally conditioned.

This means something that is dissonant to one person could be rhythmic to another and hence some people will actually find heavy metal music entertaining while others will prefer museve.

In a nutshell, the state of being "dissonant" is subjective and will be determined by one’s sociological and physical environment.

But even then, there are some more or less universal aspects of dissonance that will be found in all musical traditions and that is there are sounds that make babies cry regardless of their race while other sounds will lull them into sleep.

Not incidentally, the adjectival use of the word "dissonance" has grown beyond the confines of music to the extent where we now generally use it to describe anything that is out of sync with popular opinion, expectation or ambition.

Perhaps this is because "dissonance" is, in a way, an antithesis of something else as opposed to being a definition in its own right.

Without its antonym, consonance (from the Latin root consonare, meaning "sounding together"), dissonance does not and cannot exist in the same way there cannot be darkness without their being light somewhere.

Similarly, the use of the adjective "dissonance" outside the confines of musicology is also subjective in that it is shaped by people’s opinions as formed by their psycho-social upbringing but there are still some things that will be generally dissonant with people everywhere.

In this context, everyone accepts that murder, theft, rape and arson are dissonant forms of behaviour that cannot and will not be tolerated anywhere on earth regardless of race, colour, sex or creed.

There are, therefore, forms of behaviour that are economically, politically and culturally dissonant and the goal of politicians — as the primary shapers of social policy along with business leaders — is to strike a consonant chord with the majority.

Politics that has no resonance with the greater populace is like a river running into the desert: their end is predictably short and mercifully short.

Zanu-PF, from inception, has always managed to strike a consonant chord with the populace and that is why from the days of the liberation struggle the party — in its various forms — to the present day has been able to command widespread support across the country.

It is common knowledge that in the late 1990s there was a lack of harmony, to carry on with the musical allegory, and the population reacted by gifting the newly formed MDC some 57 seats in the 2000 parliamentary polls.

The ruling party read the signs well, revisited its politics and put into motion policy directives that had resonance with the majority as captured in the Fast Track Land Reform Programme, the indigenisation drive, and, now, the Farm Mechanisation Programme, among other similar initiatives.

That is why the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association could call for a Million Man and Women March and hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country converged in Harare to show solidarity with their leader, President Mugabe.

At the same time, the MDC has failed to find the chords that play the sweetest music for Zimbabweans.

That is why the so-called Final Push flopped dismally, why the MDC’s share of seats in Parliament started dissipating from the moment the very first by-elections were held after the 2000 poll and why there is an unprecedented panic in the opposition ranks ahead of the harmonised elections.

And then to top it all Morgan Tsvangirai’s faction believes that it can attract crowds to this thing called a "Freedom March" and that they will rally behind them because he says the walk will highlight the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe.

Yes, people are suffering. Basic commodities, when available cost more than what those who have jobs earn, electricity comes on and off without notice, fuel is scarce (and also very expensive) and education is once again becoming the preserve of the rich.

There is no denying it, people are suffering.

But the burning question is, "Why are they suffering?" and it is on this point that Tsvangirai strikes a dissonant note with the populace.

The opposition can deny it all it wants, but illegal sanctions — both declared and undeclared — have taken their toll on this economy and it is the ordinary people who feel the pinch first.

Tsvangirai should be rallying his motley troops into a march aimed at bringing to the attention of his backers in the US, the EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand that the blockade they have erected around Zimbabwe’s economy has resulted in the suffering of ordinary folk.

The MDC called for sanctions and if they really want to stop being at variance with the majority, that majority that instigated the Fast Track Land Reform Programme that, in turn, instigated the sanctions, they should hold marches to tell their buddies in the West to leave Zimbabwe alone.

Those close to the talks between Zanu-PF and the MDC being facilitated by South Africa are aware that the opposition has not been playing its part in trying to come up with a nationally acceptable political settlement.

Apart from trying to foist a constitution down the people’s throats without recourse to a referendum or some form of national consultative process (another example of the MDC’s dissonance), the MDC has refused to make any public statements that are pro-people.

The MDC is simply being asked to publicly condemn the sanctions regime and speak out in support of Zimbabwe’s revolutionary land reforms and for some reason they have found this a bitter pill to swallow.

What is so difficult about having a political agenda that has resonance with the people? Pray, what is so hard about making an official announcement to the world that Zimbabwe is a sovereign country and as such its peoples must have first right of refusal when it comes to the important issue of sharing national resources?

Perhaps for the MDC there is pride at stake. After all, Tsvangirai is on record urging South Africa to cut transport and energy links with Zimbabwe while Fidelis Mhashu has promised to return all land acquired for the purpose of the Land Reform Programme to white commercial farmers. So why can’t those in the MDC just swallow their pride (it contains no extra calories lest Tsvangirai thinks swallowing his pride will add to his already significant girth) and March in support of the people?

The MDC should march against the cause of the peoples suffering rather than the symptoms. They should march for Zimbabwe’s freedom from undue foreign interference.

Maybe only then will the opposition start on the path to enunciating policies that have resonance with the majority.