IT is extremely sad seeing as it is that Zimbabweans, for all their heralded education, cannot see beyond political clowns and charlatans who only seek to use and abuse them during election time. The stupidity of some, among the electorate, make the work easier and much lighter for the lazy politician.
By Learnmore Zuze
There is little doubt that the bulk of fielded candidates in both parliamentary and council elections are largely people who have financial clout, but are bereft of ideas to make the country go forward.
In most urban constituencies it is now common place to see scores of people, especially women, queuing to receive t-shirts emblazoned with portraits of aspiring legislators or councillors. These people, it seems, are content with receiving these things of less value in exchange for their votes.
It is even discouraging to note that this sad phenomenon is cutting across the political spectrum. You will find it within the ruling party and opposition parties.
The electorate does not seem to care so much about the capabilities of these people who seek to assume office; their primary concern is the trinkets that they are receiving in the run up to the election.
Naturally, it is no wonder why service delivery remain in shambles; the people assuming influential offices have wealth, but no ideas. This shows clearly in most constituencies. The country has no astute brains running affairs.
There are many theories that abound in light of the shameless vote-buying going on, as we head towards elections. It could be a case of poverty that has reduced the electorate to a point where they can be bought for a bag of rice.
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Zimbabweans, at this juncture, must wise up and see wolves in sheep’s skin. No politician dishing out cooking oil and mealie-meal like confetti at a wedding today will be doing so after the elections.
Honestly, how can Zimbabweans, revered for their colossal intellect, be beaten by the same tired and worn out skills by these cunning politicians. The citizens of Zimbabwe must no longer look at political tags but at delivery. Some legislators have held seats for more than three terms, while everything continues to go down, yet they come back with a bag of mealie-meal every election time to deceive the electorate.
Of what value is a t-shirt with a political message compared to the development of a community? It is now time to measure the performance of those aspiring office. These people we keep placing in offices have nothing, in the literal sense, to show for their positions except big vehicles and oversized egos.
The question is: who will stand on the other side of the bridge and conscientise the electorate on what true servant leadership entails? Just a few statistics on the calibre of people seeking office in the forthcoming elections is very telling. Some of them are well known to lack the fundamental five ordinary level subjects. Some even have a history of violence within their communities.
Now, just because these people have wealth and can buy people bottles of cooking oil and mugs of beer, they have become choices for representing people. Zimbabweans must now rise beyond politics where a bag of farming inputs changes the vote.
It’s time for Zimbabweans to think of the future; its time dear Zimbabweans to think about the future of the children and it’s time to think of the ultimate future of the lovely nation of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is not worth the trinkets that are being dished out.
The country urgently needs visionary politicians; people who may not necessarily boast of any riches, but have the burning desire, accompanied by the necessary action to change the way of governing.
Most legislators around are merely people who have been around for years without any meaningful progress attributed to them, except petty debates on radio and television.
Zimbabwe deserves more and is like a sleeping giant of Southern Africa because of the competence of people we put in positions of authority. The same goes to the top echelons of power. Some people have been ministers from the 1980s and yet today they can still come and hoodwink the electorate using a bag of salt. This kind of politics must now depart the political landscape.
There is no way this country can move forward with the nature of politicians we have. The onus is so much on the electorate to fire all the pretenders. The liberation of this country is in our hands. Let’s not sell the country for a packet of sugar.
Learnmore Zuze is a law officer and writes in his own capacity. E-mail [email protected]
