BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA
When Leaders Lose Their Grip on power they become very desperate.
Power is a key concept in leadership. Power is defined as the capacity or potential to influence others’ beliefs, attitudes and courses of action. With power comes the responsibility and accountability to others for a leader’s decisions and actions. Power comes in many forms. The essence of power requires the influence of a leader to motivate a follower to respond or act in way that is acceptable to the leader. Leaders who exercise power judiciously become the role models that many of us may strive to become. Leaders who abuse power, however, lose favour in the eyes of those they lead. Eventually, their abusive behaviour leads to a diminished leader-member exchange that eventually erodes and power is lost.
Chamisa having grabbed power from the trembling hands of dying Tsvangirai sought to consolidate his power by sidelining and firing those he perceived as his enemies. Nelson Chamisa’s unashamed power-grab was both unconstitutional and damaging to Democracy. MDC was formed on the corners of Democracy and the death of Tsvangirai wiped out the resemblance of any democracy in the MDC.
Chamisa much to the chagrin of the founders of the MDC aligned himself with the sworn enemies of Tsvangirai. If Tsvangirai is to wake up today he will collapse back into his grave with shame written all over his face.
With Biti’s advice Chamisa has stumbled from one mistake to another. His school boy’s mistakes are well calculated in order to discredit him.
The reality is Biti is planning a come back in MDC and this time he is thinking big. He is simply waiting for a time when Chamisa embarrasses himself out of power. Like a vulture his hands dripping with blood Biti is waiting for a chance to deliver a final blow on Chamisa and take over the party.
Biti has already done his home work well. His public relations machine is in full swing. America already has a soft heart for Biti hence issuing threats to Zimbabwe if they do not stay all the prosecutions of Biti.
Chamisa sits there like a lame duck. In order to make his job easy Biti has persuaded Chamisa to disregard the constitutional dates of the congress. Now MDC will have congress in May and in the meantime its dog eat dog. The way the congress is planned is such that anybody who challenges Chamisa will be labelled a traitor or ZANU PF member.
Intimidation and threats have characterised Chamisa’s eight months on the helm of the MDC- A.
Slowly and well planned by Biti Chamisa is being isolated and soon he will be a lone soldier.
Within politics, leaders possess position, power granted by their role, rank and title within an organizational structure and personal power that is earned through a demonstration of integrity and the establishment of trust in the leader-member exchange. In this case Chamisa has got the people although not enough to win him elections.
MDC has an executive leadership team with members who represent various functions of the organization. With over twenty years of experience in politics MDC did not present a leadership behavior as they only had one leader. Just like dictator Tsvangirai, Chamisa elbows those who pose a threat.
Tsvangirai fired Welshman Ncube, Sibanda who was his deputy and a lot of many big wigs. The way Tsvangirai did it was tribal and this is the same way Chamisa is doing it.
Chamisa has indicated that Bulawayo must be barred from attending the congress. This is because Chamisa is aware that Bulawayo has refused to endorse him as a candidate. When MDC experienced a change in the Chief Executive Officer role after the long tenure of the departed incumbent. The new CEO is focused on power and to be felt and he has not energized what was becoming a complacent organisation.
Each member of the executive leadership team is all senior vice-presidents directly reports to the new CEO. He made unconstitutional appointments making Biti a VP. This behaviour created a division in the party that was once vibrant. In the period Chamisa has been leading MDC has become the most divided party which will split again come congress. Political initiatives at the executive level of MDC are no longer managed through incentive based reward programs based on the strategic direction of the party strategic plans approved by comgress. Chamisa becomes both and his political life is hanging on the thread. With Chamisa on the helm there was an opportunity but the childish behaviour and the wrong advice given by Biti the opportunity flew away. What remains is the shadow of fame.
The over confidence of Chamisa also invites some extraordinary behaviours for those in high powered positions within MDC.
This has rendered strong leadership teams at Harvest House dysfunctional. In the dysfunctional team, many situations occurred where power is competitive at the highest levels of the party which has led to a highly volatile and dysfunctional organization.
In the situation created by Chamisa informal alliances were formed to counterbalance the individual aggressor. Other power exchanges occurred within subsets of the leadership team which exacerbated the conflict behaviour. The emotional fallout of the conflicts was often communicated downward throughout the management structure of the organization.
Chamisa lacks the emotional intelligence and maturity to know that maintaining the balance of the power is the most efficient way to effectively manage the party.
It is incumbent upon the MDC members that they call upon their leaders to exercise the use of power responsibly. Chamisa has been irresponsible. Leaders are granted power in service to those they lead but Chamisa has been abusing his powers. When power is mishandled, such privilege must be revoked.
Now it is up to the congress in April.
If MDC is still committed to democracy Chamisa must be reigned in. Come congress Chamisa will be history all senior MDC members are plotting to show Chamisa and his college partners in crime a red card. Mudzuri and Mwonzora are itching to take over. Chamisa’s political life is on ropes. He is now seeking relevance. The protectors of Democracy in MDC HAVE VOWED to push him out at any cost. Come MDC Congress Chamisa will be history.
Vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk.
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