THE 27 Zimbabwean MPs who were stranded in China after they went on a shopping spree to Beijing and missed their flight because they decided to travel further south after they were enticed by cheaper prices in that part of the Asian country are a shameful lot.
NewsDay Editorial
They have soiled the country’s name because of their shenanigans. It does not matter whether they organised the trip abroad on their own without the involvement of Parliament administration. The fact of the matter will remain that they put the country’s name into disrepute.
The fact that the lawmakers had the penchant to go on a shopping trip while the country’s economy is in tatters speaks volumes about the country’s political leaders.
What is revealing is that Zimbabwean legislators regularly plead poverty, claiming they cannot effectively discharge constituency duties or attend Parliament because the cash-strapped government has not been paying their allowances.
It is unfortunate that while they were blowing money so far away from home, some of their constituents, whom they purport to represent, were either battling to put food on the table or scratching their heads as to where their next meal was going to come from. It is now a fact that the good MPs from across the political divide were overwhelmed — perhaps it was their first time abroad.
It can be understood, but if they really admire other countries that much, they should ensure they enact laws that will grow the local economy so that they can engage in their shopping jamborees here.
The fact that Zimbabwe prides itself with having the most developed education system on the continent, although it continues to suffer from a contemporary decline in public funding linked to economic mismanagement, must itself speak volumes on the calibre of the country’s national political leaders.
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Perhaps missing that plane was in a way a good thing because it gave Zimbabweans an opportunity to see what kind of legislators they have. Yet, what happened to the 27 MPs, from another perspective, is a sad development. Is there no shame in what happened to them and their spouses? In politics, no, there isn’t — at least not enough.
Are there laws to enforce the right thing when our politicians’ own sense of propriety fails them?
In recent years, at every level of government, the citizenry has seen politicians either drag their feet when they should step aside or quit, if not outright refuse to go, even when optics demand it.
It is high time the country went back to old-school honour when politicians swiftly fell on their swords even for dumb gaffes, let alone shaming the whole nation like what happened in this particular case.
There is such a thing as due process and politicians are entitled to that. But there is a world of difference between having your day in court, or before the voters, and slow-poking it out the door or sticking around like golden syrup and only making a mess worse.
In other countries Parliament would charge them for bringing the country’s name into disgrace. They could also resign, but because the country’s political culture is bipolar, they will always act as if nothing happened. Whatever happened should give the electorate some idea on who to vote for in the next elections.
This does not matter which political formation that individual comes from, it is important to have at least educated representatives in Parliament. All things being equal, the MPs must explain to the nation their extravagancy at a time when the nation is burning and crying out for credible and visionary leaders who can pull it out of this political and economic morass. Or perhaps they should do the honourable thing and apologise!
Otherwise, what else will the MPs become except being MPs of shame?
