THE electorate in Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces has been urged to desist from voting non-performing politicians into office in the upcoming 2018 elections, amid revelations most of those in office since 1980 have failed to develop the region.
BY SILAS NKALA
The calls were made by Bulawayo residents, civic groups and political activists at a public meeting organised by the Women Institute in Leadership Development over the weekend to discuss the biometric voter registration (BVR) process.
Presenters were from various political parties mainly the opposition, such as MDC-T, MDC, People’s Democratic Party, Alliance for People’s Agenda and Zapu expressed concern over the low turnout in the BVR exercise in Matabeleland provinces.
Speaking during the question and answer session, residents said politicians who represent Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces were a big letdown.
“People here are not registering to vote because they have been voting for the same leaders since independence, but there is nothing to show that they have been having leaders,” one resident said. “Politicians from Zanu PF, MDC and MDC-T, what you give us is no, what we expect when we elect you into office.”
She said Bulawayo has leaders who do not represent residents’ concerns and interests.
“So today, I urge residents that in 2018 elections even if the candidate is from your party if that person is a non-performer, let us not vote for him or her,” she said. “Let us prioritise the quality of leaders than just names of the parties.”
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Habakkuk Trust director Dumisani Nkomo also posted on social media that the electorate must reject the legislators who are not performing in the 2018 elections.
“The electorate must reject non-performing Members of Parliament, non-performing councillors and people with no track record of capacity, leadership or potential regardless of political party,” he posted.
“Political parties must put their ideas on the table for debate and those with the best ideas must be voted in. This must be done with every potential Member of Parliament and councillor. They should not just address the masses, but the masses must address them by presenting questions on how these aspirants will address pertinent issues faced by the electorate.”
Responding to the remarks, MDC youth secretary-general Discent Bajila said: “Everyone from the age of 18 is eligible to contest for office and people must make themselves available to be elected as legislators and councillors to put an end to the poor leadership that people are complaining about.”
MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora defended his party, saying Zanu PF was to blame for the lack of development in Bulawayo.
“There is no development in Bulawayo because the government in charge is Zanu PF. They have run down the National Railways of Zimbabwe and Cold Storage Company. Do not blame MDC for that, blame Zanu PF. You can agree with me that when MDC was part of government during the unity government people’s lives were changed. The local authority here was run by Ignatius Chombo and later on by Saviour Kasukuwere as ministers responsible for local government, so they were in charge of the non-development.”
