What characteristics does our president need to have?

It is now official; on July 30th Zimbabwe will go to the polls to decide who will be our next president.
 
It is a very exciting time and the dozens of nations and organisations who are sending teams of observers gives me hope that these will be free and fair elections.

Our voice will finally be heard.

So, my fellow citizens, we have to think about what we want from our president. What characteristics matter to you in our leader?

I believe that in Zimbabwe we need a true leader who can make the difficult decisions, who is not going to say things just to please us but to ensure that our country gets back on its feet and provides long term growth and progress. We need a leader with integrity who doesn't shoot his mouth off, but remains above slogans and petty politics.

I am sure every Zimbabwean has their own check list of what are essential ingredients that a leader must have to be able to govern our country.

Remarkably, one of the candidates, Nelson Chamisa, has put forth a very bizarre idea of what is an important element for someone to be considered worthy of being President of The Republic of Zimbabwe.

After being shown walking in his self-styled "Run for Change" program, Chamisa intimated that he was best placed to be president because of his ability to walk five kilometres.

"I'm not like Mnangagwa who is old, can he run like what Idid today?" said Chamisa.

Apart from the fact that Chamisa's only selling point for months now is his age, and it is getting very boring and tiresome, I fail to see how physical prowess is an important factor in being president.

It should be made clear to Nelson Chamisa that we get it that you are younger than Emmerson Mnangagwa, but it is time to tell us what type of a president you will be, what vision you have for Zimbabwe, how you will meet the challenges we face as a country.

If youth and your ability to walk (there are no pictures of him actually running) a few kilometres are the sole criteria to be president then I and millions of others will happily put our names in the ring. I am younger than you and I can actually run at least 10 kilometres.

When Nelson Mandela was released from prison and ran for president, did his opponents question his age and how much he can run or walk? Mandela was elected because he was the right person for the position, even though he became president at the age of 77, two years older than Mnangagwa.

Of course, there were a multitude of reason South Africans voted for Mandela, but his age or fitness were certainly not factors.

We need to think seriously about what we want from a president away from the slogans.
I, for one, will not vote for someone just based on their age because I know wise and able people of all ages, as well as knowing stupid and unfit people of every age.

In fact, if one candidate's only selling point appears to be his age and relative physical fitness then he makes it very easy for me to dismiss him. I need campaigns on the issues that matter, a focus on what their presidency will look like for us, the average citizen.

I need more, our country needs more. Our nation needs leadership, prosperity and progress.
As someone who has yet to make their mind up about who I will vote for, I don't need poor media stunts or ageist jokes; I need to see who meets my check list.

I think I speak for millions of Zimbabweans when I say, walking, or even running, a few kilometres is certainly not high on my list of criteria to be president.