Eddie Cross’s response to ‘More questions than answers’
Eddie Cross has responded (by email) to our most recent article sent to our subscriber list. The article (dated 4 April 2006) is titled ‘More questions than answers’, and is available here on our blog, and here on our website. Mr Cross’s response is published below, in full:
Thank you for the publicity for my weekly news letter - I hope you will post this reply to your most recent missive onto your website and perhaps distribute it to your readership.
A few minor points.
1. The Zanu PF conference (it was not a Congress) at Esigodini in December was attended by about 1500 people - they had planned for 2500 but did not get the numbers they expected.
2. We held - as is required under our old constitution, the Women’s and Youth Assemblies concurrently with the main MDC Congress. About 4000 registered delegates were accredited to attend these events which were held on Saturday evening after the main Congress closed for business at 18.30 hrs.
3. That aside, we have 12 Provincial delegations - each of about 24 - 288, 120 Districts - also about 24 each, 2 888,1900 ward chairmen and 4500 branches. That takes us to 9 560, delegates plus the 4000 from the Youth and Women’s assemblies, plus the National Executive, National Council. We expected to have 10 000 delegates out of a estimated 2 000 possible. The total number eligible to attend were 17 000. The National Sports Centre only seats about 12 000 so we had serious capacity constraints. For this reason we had to restrict the numbers of women and youth delegates. There were no restrictions on the main MDC structures. Rural districts had much larger delegations than the urban - because of the numbers of wards and branches in those areas.
4. Accreditation on Friday was supposed to start at 10.00 hrs. In fact, with the very large numbers arriving - over 2000 arrived in Harare on Thursday, many from the most remote areas of the country like Binga, we only got underway at about 15.00 hrs. It took 6 hours and we were able in the process to weed out about 5000 people who were not delegates. It was in fact interesting that Harare - the host Province, had the smallest delegation in terms of numbers and this shows how effective the screening was.
5. On Sunday a team from civil society (Open Society and the NCA) were asked to conduct the elections - 36 candidates for 5 posts. They insisted on conducting their own accreditation to ensure that all who were voting were properly accredited - this took another 6 hours as anyone who attended the Congress would know. (It is clear from the text of the Sokwanlele letter that the author was not present). After this second accreditation process - more than 15 000 delegates were allowed into the venue and voting was conducted on a one man one vote basis with the results being reported by the numbers voting for each candidate and the number of Provinces where the candidates gained a majority.
6. By the time we are finished settling all bills, the MDC Congress will have cost us about Z$35 billion. The caterer in fact charged us Z$80 000 per meal which I thought was an outstanding price in the circumstances. We were able to pull those costs down a bit with donations of maize meal and beef. Only one major donor who was not in the MDC was involved and his contribution was about Z$400 million. The rest came from our ordinary members. Many delegates paid for themselves to get to Congress - we were able to help only 4 Provinces in this way. The cost of getting them home again was about Z$5,5 billion.
7. We are left with debts totalling about Z$14 billion which are now being addressed. Professionals are in charge of our accounts and I am personally satisfied that all donations were properly accounted for and used. We are determined that the MDC will be more accountable and transparent in this area than before.
It was a great celebration of democracy and people participation. Discipline and security was excellent and all those responsible for the success of this event worked hard to make it so. We opened bang on time and closed 30 minutes late - we were well within budget and had 60 per cent of the funding in place before we started. We are well aware of the fact that if we are to be taken seriously as an alternative government in waiting, that events like the Congress must be well run and managed. I think we demonstrated that to all who were there and in addition, we again demonstrated that we do have real structures in all parts of Zimbabwe. Stronger in some parts than others, but there are no “no go” areas in Zimbabwe as far as the MDC is concerned.
Warm regards
Eddie Cross
Chairman of the Institutional Reform Committee 2006 MDC Congress.
Sokwanele responds: We thank Mr Cross for his email. However, we maintain that one of the central questions raised in our article remains unanswered; namely, why did only 5000 people vote if 15,000 were duly accredited delegates? The absence of a response to that leads to the inevitable conclusion that 10,000 people attended as observers enjoying a few great meals in the process.
April 6th, 2006 11:30
I don’t get what the big deal is about the numbers…? So what if 5,000 voted and 10,000 ate meals…? What’s the point here…?!?!
April 6th, 2006 12:52
… glad to see you aren’t above publishing critical feedback. If you were incorrect on the first point (congress vs conference) then you are not alone:
In Esigodini at the Zanu PF congress last December the president complained about the late delivery of agricultural inputs saying there were “serious shortcomings in government planning”. (via Zimbabwe Independent)
War veterans had to act swiftly to quench a possible revolt at Zanu PF’s congress rendezvous in Esigodini. Villagers were incensed by the apparent ‘feasting’ of Zanu PF members while they were scrounging for food. (via ZimDaily)
Zimbabwe’s ruling party wraps up its annual congress today, secure in its political domination, but facing the daunting task of pulling the economy out of crisis and overcoming factionalism. (via SABC News, South Africa)
“Happily our people can see the real character of the MDC,” Mugabe told senior members of his Zanu-PF party on Friday, gathered for the annual congress in Esigodini, in southern Matabeleland province. (via News24)
April 8th, 2006 11:05
Five thousand, or ten thousand, or maybe fifteen thousand at an opposition Zimbabwean political congress, and not a single picture for the world to view.
By the way - When did Mr. Cross’s printed use of the extremely American phrase, “real McCoy,” become part of the lexicon of Zimbabwe?
April 8th, 2006 13:38
To answer your question Zimbabwean in the US:-
I think the point is that the two factions are in competition with each other. So if the one faction can show that they can draw a lot of people to their congress then they can claim that they are the most popular faction in the country and so on and so on.
I think that the bottom line for all zimbabweans who want democracy is to get rid of Mugabe, and I think that many zimbabweans will probably choose to support the faction or party they think is the most likely TO GET THE MOST VOTES AT ELECTION and GET RID OF MUGABE regardless of the party’s policies. No 1 priority is to get rid of zanu because they’re DESTRYOING the country and No 2 priority would be to get the party of their choice.
It’s a big debate and the arguments I’ve heard tend to be either ’support tsvangirai because he has the support of the people, and then the minute he’s in power take him to task over the things he does wrong and hopefully with a democracy the right guy will get in’. Or, ‘what if tsvangirai is another mugabe and doesn’t allow a real democracy and then we’re stuck with him forever’.
So, back to the numbers … a good way to convince people that your party will get the most votes is to have the biggest crowds. I’m not sure that I agree that it is only about claiming to be the REAL version of the party as the Sokwanele article tries to say. I think it’s probably more about trying to get people to believe your party has the biggest potential regardless of whether it is the genuine party or not!
But how does a political party get people to swell the crowds if they aren’t really that interested in politics anymore? You offer them an incentive to come - free meals in a country where people are starving would probably do the trick.
So I THINK the suggestion is that 5000 people were delegates (because they voted) and the 10,000 were there for an entirely different purpose - propaganda, spin, call it what you like.
As for me, I don’t trust either faction.
April 8th, 2006 16:51
Who cares? Is this the biggest issue facing zimbabweans right now? I just heard on the news today that Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy in the world 37 for men and 34 for women. As someone from the US I would have thought that writing about things like that would be a better way to get the international community involved in what’s happening in the country. I doubt that this sort of childish debate is going to become a political solution so maybe it would be better to get the world ready for the inevitable massive aid campaigns because it won’t be long before pictures of the dying starving children covered in flies start appearing on our TV screens. I have some kind of connection to zimbabwe (my husband’s family are zimbabwean) and I care about the people there, but I have contempt for politicians who spend their time arguing over petty points while people are dying. Don’t spend too much time on this sort of thing Sokwanele - your efforts are obviously needed elsewhere because the politicians aren’t bothering.
April 6th, 2006 09:56
[...] This is Zimbabwe publishes the response by Eddie Cross to a series of questions posed on their blog regarding the governance and politics of Zimbabwe and in particular to the MFD congress that recently took place. [...]