An appeal to the politicians’ conscience:

BY MUSA NYASHA

By the corner of Baines Avenue and Colquhoun Street in the Avenues area of Harare is a clinic. There is a burst waterpipe that has been spewing water along the clinic’s wall for weeks now. ZINWA is fully aware of this burst pipe. The reason for the failure of the workers to plug the leak is said to be a need for an old type of pipe that is no longer available.

This situation is typical of the workings of the Government of Zimbabwe and its various departments. There is a clear lack of ability and a complete failure to find solutions to problems. The Government is preoccupied with creating unnecessary departments and organisations like ZINWA and NSSA, not to mention the creation of a senate, increasing the number of MPs, introducing governors and other expensive and bureaucratic nonsense that does nothing to improve the lot of Zimbabweans.

Whenever elections come up, the amazingly optimistic Zimbabweans hope for a complete change of regime or a least an improvement to how the nation is governed. The reality of elections is supposed to be a reminder to elected officials that they are accountable to the people and should therefore shape up or ship out. Zimbabweans continue to be betrayed by the people they elect.

Sovereignty not food?

Zanu (PF) continues to tell hungry people that what they need is not food to eat and the ability to plan their lives, but instead we need “sovereignty”.  Zanu (PF), without carrying out a referendum, also proclaims that Zimbabweans are “prepared to suffer” for this sovereignty. The MDC on the other hand hopes and prays for the Western world or SADC to intervene by kicking Mugabe out of office and thrusting the opposition party(s) into power. Meanwhile Zimbabweans continue to pray for a miracle.

Has that miracle come in the form of Simba Makoni? What can one individual achieve? If he does win, how is he going to work with Zanu (PF) and MDC MPs? If he does lose (which is more likely considering the circumstances), will that be the end of Simba Makoni and possibly the hopes of many Zimbabweans?

Simba Makoni, the ‘new kid on the block’ has a lot of work to do, in very little time. The time to convince people to register to vote has been lost. He must now urge people to actually make the effort and go to exercise that right to vote. Makoni must help people understand how he can effectively make the different arms of government work if he, without a party and MPs aligned to him, wins. He must also help people see what his role in Zimbabwe’s future will be if he loses. After all, he won’t even be an MP.

Does Makoni plan to form a political party as once rumoured? With whom will he form this party? It has been rumoured that he plans to join forces with the likes of Professor Jonathan Moyo.  

I am one of those people who believe in Jonathan Moyo’s effectiveness if kept on a tight leash, but the truth is, the Professor is one of the most unpopular people in Zimbabwe, having personified everything that people hated about Zanu (PF) not so long ago.

Strangle-hold on media

Jonathan Moyo’s effectiveness is one of the reasons why Makoni will struggle to make people know and understand him. Zanu (PF) has such a strangle-hold on the media because of Jonathan Moyo with help of Tafataona Mahoso. Radio and television are virtually closed to those who challenge Zanu (PF). Apart from the fact that newspapers have become a luxury to poverty-stricken Zimbabweans, there are no independent dailies on the streets.

Access to the media is just one of the many challenges facing Simba Makoni. Added to this, he has to quickly assemble a campaign team. Apart from being politically savvy, that team must be prepared for the thugs that will inevitably be unleashed to disturb his march to State House.  

I would like to appeal to the conscience of all politicians to refrain from abusing the good people of Zimbabwe. We are the most governable people on the planet. Nowhere in the world can you find such a peaceful people. Where else in the world would people tolerate the imposition of people of Sekesai Makwavarara’s calibre? Where else do you have so many incompetent bootlickers as those in our cabinet?

Zimbabweans deserve better. Treat us with the respect we deserve.