Tanonoka Joseph Whande in his SW Radio Africa programme, THE HEART OF THE MATTER on Thursday 9 July 2009 claimed that there are quality leaders in Zanu PF and MDC. He was responding to my claim that there were no quality leaders in either party.
I challenge you, Joseph, to name one, just one, quality leader – dead or alive!
Each generation has its challenges and the true measure a quality leader is how he or she define and solve these challenges with the clarity of vision, with courage and commitment that surpasses that of the ordinary man and woman. For a nation lost in the wilderness of corruption and serious human rights violations; a quality leader with a moral compass that will remain true and not wobble in the face of temptations.
The challenge before independence was how to end white colonial exploitation and repression of the blacks. Mugabe and his fellow nationalists did very well to mobilise the nation to achieve this goal. But independence in 1980, brought its own different challenges; how best to deliver the promises of freedom, liberty and economic prosperity to all the people. It was here that Mugabe and Zanu PF fell flat on their faces.
In thirty years Mugabe has turned a once promising country into economic ruins. Even the most basic services such as education and health have completely collapsed and 80% of the population is dependent on food aid, for a nation that used to grow enough to meet its needs with enough let over for export. On the political front, Mugabe has been ruthlessly repressive, he has murdered thousands of people for his selfish political gains.
Mugabe’s dictatorship would have collapsed long time ago if it was not for the clever individuals like Professor Jonathan Moyo, Dr Simba Makoni, Dr Gideon Gono, the late Bernard Chidzero and Edson Zvobgo, who help him create and run the dictatorship; the countless journalists who brainwashed the nation and the judges who have used the law to undermine the rule of law. Mugabe used those who have/had very little grey stuff between their ears to do the dirty work of terrorising and killing his opponents; people like Air Marshall Perence Shiri, Police Commissioner Chihuru, Dr David Parerenyatwa, the late Boarder Gezi and many others.
Mugabe did not “subdued and pushed to the back of the room” anyone in his ruling party, Zanu PF; as you said. All these people have all remained active members of the party even in the face of mounting evidence of corruption and brutality by the regime because the system paid them well. Zimbabweans have rightly rejected the nonsense from people like Dr Simba Makoni that there was nothing he could have done to end the Gukurahundi massacres for example. Of course he could have voiced his concerns and ultimately resign in protest. A quality leader should lead in doing what is right and difficult and not have to wait in the back of the room for ease tasks.
If there is one thing Mugabe has done without ever faltering it is paying those who have helped build and run the dictatorship. He has paid them well and no expense spared. Last year when Cholera was spreading like forest fire because the people were forced to drink dirty water, the country had no money to buy the chemicals to treat water, and yet Mugabe was buying new Mercedes Benz, Plasm TVs, etc for the country’s Judges! Zimbabwe’s economic melt down is unique in that it created mass poverty and a filthy rich ruling elite; Mugabe allowed them to loot everything!
MDC joined Mugabe to form the GNU but, more significantly, they joined him in the looting. Mugabe dangled the keys of the ministerial Benz in the face of Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti and the others MDC leaders and they all starting speaking in foreign tongues! Tendai Biti called Mugabe a “Victorian gentleman” who should be “knighted”! A knighthood for the man who only last year conducted one of the most outrageous election campaigns in human history and has fresh blood of over 200 Zimbabwean on his hands!?
A repressive political system will encourage scam to rise to the top be it in the ruling party or opposition parties; as contrast to a democratic one which will the best, the cream, to rise to the top. The Zimbabwe Times, SW Radio Africa and a few other independent media have done a great job in fostering freedom of expression, a key requirement in a functioning democracy. If this was extended to include Zimbabwe’s public print and electronic media, then there will be real hope of a democratic Zimbabwe.
In a free and fair election, a well informed electorate will never elect any of the scam ruling Zimbabwe today!
Zanu PF and MDC like are glasses of milk toped up with sewage and in both parties the scam has risen to the top. The exact proportion of milk to sewage in each party is of no consequence; one drop of sewage in a glass full of milk equals a glass full of sewage, period. So whatever cream you will find in Zanu PF and MDC, Joseph, it will be highly contaminated and not fit for purpose!
Zimbabwe has the potential to become a great nation but that will never be until we the people seek quality leaders and never settle for nothing less. “Kwete kungoti makudo namazvere!” as one would say in Shona.
No comments:
Post a Comment