Wednesday 20 June 2012
Who should Zimbabwean vote for next time?
Who should Zimbabweans vote for in the coming elections if Tsvangirai and MDC are no good?
Well first things first we, the electorate, should have a serious debate about where we are politically and economically and then where we want to go. Voting is about electing the best person most likely to take us where we want to go. In 1980 we voted for Mugabe because we wanted to get rid of Ian Smith. We really did not have clue where we wanted to go beyond that and look where Mugabe has taken us. In 2008 we voted for Tsvangirai because we wanted to get rid of Mugabe well not only did that fail but Mugabe is stronger politically than he was in 2008 thanks to blundering Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai is confident he will have our vote regardless of how badly he has performed in the last four years. In other words there is no incentive for MDC to look for better leaders than the party has right now.
An electorate that has a better understanding of the issues affecting the nation will force those vying for their vote to work hard to address those issues to win the vote. Zimbabwe has a lot better man and woman than those in leadership positions at present but when one is faced with an electorate that does not have the foggiest idea about what makes sense and what does not - it is the idiots who will get elected. In other words it is the quality of the electorate that determines whether the cream or scum rises to lead
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5 comments:
If you want Ncube for president then you must be desperate! Ncube has been in politics for the last 10 years plus; name one thing he has done of note in that time beside fight over crumbs falling off Mugabe's table? And that is the man you still want to go on and become President.
A man's reach should be beyond his grasp, some sage said. He sure as hell was not talking about a people who have their heads stuck up their arse, people who simply refuse to think even when their very lives are on the line! Ncube for President, what a sick joke!
You are right Tsvangirai is a disaster. And yes you are right too, we are truly "Fukked". There only good we can salvage out of this as a nation is that we learn from our mistake and use that knowledge to get out of this mess! The biggest lesson we should learn from this is not to be naive. We were naive to have trusted Mugabe and blindly followed him even when there was growing evidence that he is a tyrant. We have been so desperate to get rid of Mugabe we failed to pay attention to the man who were electing to carry out this important task. To move forward, we must take a few steps back - to get rid of Mugabe we must first agree what kind of men and women we need to carry out that task and not just dive in and vote without thinking!
I agree, Mugabe, Nkomo and all the other national “heroes” never believed in granting the ordinary citizen - you and me - a meaningful vote. If they did then they would have never subscribed to the notion on one-party state. Zanu PF wanted a one-party Zanu PF state and PFZapu wanted a one-party PF Zapu state. Before and after independence each of these two tried their damnest to knock the other off the perch by hook or by crook, yes including their opponents and their supporters. Professor Jonathan Moyo was right to say in his book that the 1980 elections were about “ending the civil war” and not electing the best individuals to govern.
When the two parties signed their unity accord, member from both Zanu and Zapu were quite happy to press ahead with the one-party state agenda.
It is difficult to argue looking up the business end of an AK rifle. Still the electorate should have never given up hope to asset that their too had a right to a meaning say in the governance of the country. We actually accepted the totalitarian overtones of Zanu PF provided the party delivered on its promise of mass prosperity. And for many years many Zimbabweans believed Zanu PF was delivering. Indeed the Zimbabweans who have been benefiting from the corruption and looting still believe Mugabe’s serious human rights violations are “excusable” since they are benefiting.
The starting point is that Zimbabweans must now realise that the right of every citizen to have a meaningful say is the basis of good governance and that is a right worth fighting and dying for.
There is one important dimension we should not forget if we are to understand why tribe allegiances have played such a major and may I say destructive role in Zimbabwe politics; all of the political players were intellectually challenged. They had nothing to offer the nation or their political followers, they did not have the foggiest idea how they would deliver a just, peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe the nation was yenning for; they had no vision. They one thing they all had in common and in great abundance it the consuming desire for power, absolute power. They all wanted to be Chef, drive a Mercedes Benz, live in a big house, live in unthinkable luxury, have povo grovelling before them. Since they could not compete intellectually they competed on who could coerce the biggest grouping round him on the basis of tribal or regional allegiance - it is less mentally taxing than ideological or vision thing.
“You from Zaka; join me, I am from Gutu!” What else would you expect a simpleton like Simon Muzenda or Sidney Sekeramai to say to a new political recruit?
Do you know why Mugabe has stifled all meaningful debate in the country and within Zanu PF itself. Even before independence there was never any meaningful debate of any subject anywhere! All those long nights at “pungwe” were about singing, slogans and more singing. Nothing of substance was ever discussed. Because Zanu PF is not a party of substance and the leadership will get edged if anyone ever asked them anything!
I sure hope we have learnt something from Mugabe and Zanu PF and forums such as this one are used to promote a vigorous exchange of ideas and, ultimately, we learn to use our political vote because of the vision the individual is offering and not the village he comes from!
We should not rely for our strength on those things that divide us the most - tribalism is one of the most divisive start points.
I thought we were talking about what we, black Zimbabweans, have failed to do to ensure we got the Zimbabwe we had dreamt of during the struggle for freedom. The white Rhodesians, British and the West's role in the this process is small and insignificant. Even if it was big; we should be concerned with what is within our power to change, what we ourselves can and cannot do.
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If someone spoke "Chivitori" he stood out like a sore thumb. I have heard about the "Chana chavatete" story but it was never said as a proof of Karanga pride but more to make funny of them. I would serious challenge the validity of your 93% of the Police before independence were Karangas.
I thought this article was to serve the very useful purpose of bringing to the front the very deep tribal divisions Mugabe's rule had created. We should be careful that we do pull the people apart even more especially with half-truths and exaggerations. We already have two vice presidents, a practice Zimbabwe will now find near impossible to shake-off. We do not need them of course they are there to maintain the tribal hegemony. Zimbabwe can soon be like Lebanon where the need to maintain the religious balance has overshadowed the need for good and strong government. We must avoid that!
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