We want elections next year – elder

Nickson Kamwendo (79) of Yellow City is a respected senior citizen across the political divide. He says since the GPA gave people an opportunity to learn what both MDC-T and Zanu (PF) are capable of delivering to the nation, the constitution making process must be speeded up for elections to be conducted early next year.

Kamwendo commended his wife, whom he described as extraordinarily brave in face of challenges posed by politically intolerant people.

SADCC and three principals in the GPA must honor their signatures so that people go to the referendum by September, for elections to be held before end of the GNU. The GPA is a product of SADCC not people of Zimbabwe. We are not interested in extension of the GNU.

The constitution must be people-driven. Discriminatory clauses barring some categories of citizens from exercising their birth right to choose national leadership on basis of clumsy citizenship status must be removed from the supreme law. The supreme law must not be drafted to punish personalities but guide conduct within institutions. All people over 18 years old were allowed to elect their leadership in democratically conducted 1980 elections. The same must apply to the next polls.

I felt bad when I was turned away from the ballot in March, 2008. How could a self- respecting government bar people who have lived all their lives here from voting on grounds that they were aliens? We spent our active years developing this country only to be embarrassed at the polling station by polling officers. When I was barred from casting my vote, I assured polling officers and police details at the polling center that Tsvangirai would beat Mugabe with a wide margin. Mugabe thought he would benefit from the discrimination. Unfortunately, his miscalculation backfired and he lost the election big time.

Following a poor showing by Zanu (PF) and Mugabe in the election, police attempted to arrest me from my house one June 2008 midnight. They accused me of being MDC-T. I admitted I was a chairperson and my mission was to put together an economy destroyed by Zanu (PF). My wife braved imminent death and stood by me during interrogations by the cops. I refused accompanying them to the police station as being MDC was not a crime. One of the cops instructed his colleagues to live me as they would pick me up the following day. They never came back.

The following weeks were characterized by sleepless nights in bushes, as we feared abductions at the hands of our self declared enemies. Life became unbearable for the family.

I advised strong Zanu (PF) supporters to ride on the tide of change. People were experiencing unprecedented economic hardships at the hands of Zanu (PF) misrule. Every right thinking citizen wanted political change.

A whole generation of born-frees was lost. Education had become a preserve for the haves. Industry and agricultural activities which made the backbone of the economy were driven underground by Zanu (PF). There is no longer an economy to talk about. Our dollar became valueless. Imagine a $ billion buying a single banana. Such low levels of inflation were unheard of anywhere world wide.

The GNU though failing to perform due to squabbles among the three principals gave the electorate an opportunity to evaluate capabilities of the MDC-T, to deliver as government. Everything points to successes of Morgan Tsvangirai and his ministers as head of government and lieutenants respectively. Voting Mugabe and Zanu (PF) to power, is bringing back 2007-2008 economic hardships to haunt the nation.

We must give due commendations to people like Tsvangirai who excelled in whatever he did. People overwhelmingly voted Mugabe to power in 1980, but alas, he turned our lives into hell and drove the once vibrant economy underground due to mismanagement and corruption among his officials.

Imagine an administration which casts a blind eye when people are being maimed and killed. Agriculture and industry which are pillars of development were destroyed. How can we expect our children ever getting employment when agents of development are destroyed?

New farmers must grow enough crops and supply the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). GMB will in turn deliver to processing companies like National Foods, which create employment down the line. Major employing companies such as Cold Storage Commission (CSC), collapsed following crippled production on farms.

According to the GPA, no party should decide ministerial candidates for other parties. Zanu (PF) is bound by GPA to respect selection of Roy Bennett by MDC-T, as Deputy Minister for Agriculture. MDC-T realized only Bennett would revamp the ailing ministry. Recycled Zanu (PF) ministers failed dismally in the agriculture ministry, which is the central nerve to the economy.

Insincere partners in the GPA fearing humiliation at the polls are stalling progress in the constitution making. I traveled wide and far into rural areas. People already know where to cast their vote; they can not wait any longer before they confirm their preferred presidential candidate. For some of us the aged, we will only die peacefully due to age after writing a people driven constitution and voting a democratic government into power. A people driven constitution would be a life time bonus for generations coming after us.

I hope some presidential candidates will be human enough and be ashamed of fighting to slide the country back to famine which characterized 2007-2008. People also want their liberty restored as they have suffered enough under dictatorship. Political parties cropping up will also fall by the way as they are of no significance to the countys politics.

As we move closer to the constitution making, independent media must maintain current high standards of objective and balanced reporting. This media has assisted people make informed decisions regarding voting patterns. God bless Independent media to live forever. State controlled media such as television, radio and some newspapers, are no longer a pleasure to rely on for news. We are sick and tired of propaganda churned out of the state controlled propaganda mouth-pieces.