Popular musician Alick Macheso has been to Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam; President Robert Mugabe hasn’t, neither has Morgan Tsvangirai. Vice-President Joice Mujuru toured the affected area.
NewsDay Editorial
Macheso is Zimbabwe Red Cross Humanitarian Ambassador. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are considered the two most powerful people in Zimbabwe.
Macheso witnessed first-hand the suffering the people are going through. Their livelihoods have been destroyed by the floods; they have no homes, no fields from which to harvest food. They urgently need to be moved to higher ground. Most are being transported to safer ground in donkey-drawn carts. Their morale is at its lowest ebb.
But why have the nation’s leaders been so unresponsive to the people’s suffering?
Tsvangirai is fighting probably the battle of his life with his party on the brink of collapse. Senior party members have rebelled against him and many people fear the MDC-T will split as it did in 2005.
But his response or lack of it, to the Tokwe-Mukorsi humanitarian disaster is puzzling. Leaders should be seen to be with people in their time of need.
As the leader of the biggest opposition party, he should have been seen mobilising relief for the flood victims. The victims need food, clothing, shelter and medicine. Most of all they need moral support. Where is the MDC-T leadership when the people need it?
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Mugabe too has been found wanting in this. It is not difficult to imagine how his influence would have excited the donor community into the rescue effort.
He turned 90 last week and knows what it means for elderly people to be living in the open with all their worldly possessions at the mercy of the elements.
Over the weekend there were wild celebrations of his birthday, it is said a million dollars were spent and nearly a hundred beasts slaughtered in his honour.
Many business entities, including parastatals, spent thousands of dollars singing his praise through advertising in newspapers, on radio and television. But none of them came to the assistance of flood victims. What was needed was for Mugabe to instruct them to give their money to the flood victims instead of massaging his ego.
Many leaders around the world have been seen abandoning all else during times of national disaster to be with the people.
Recently in the United Kingdom leaders across the political divide were seen in knee-high wellingtons helping flood victims. Even if most of it was just to put up appearances, the people felt that their leaders cared.
Parliamentarians too should have been active in mobilising assistance to the people affected by the floods. This is the kind of time when they should have spoken with one voice as people’s representatives even if their own constituencies are not affected.
The Tokwe-Mukorsi humanitarian disaster has demonstrated the dearth of leadership in Zimbabwe and must waken the people to the importance of voting into office only people who care for them.
