Opinion / Columnist
Age Comes With Wisdom
17 Jun 2014 at 14:19hrs | Views
It would be an oversimplication for a rather complex issue for the opposition parties in Zimbabwe, especially the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T), to just say President Robert Mugabe must go without proffering any meaningful reasons which justify their call, apart from the usual day-dreamer's paradise of wishing away invincible victors like Gushungo.
A gerontocracy is a rule by the elderly persons like his Excellency Cde Mugabe. Gerontocracy dates back to biblical times when the elderly could be banked on as the custodians of vast wisdom based on their years of existence getting exposure to life experiences. Thanks to years of experience on the part of our national leaders.
History has it in good command that, a number of governments have always cherished gerontocracies. Credit should be given to cultivation of respect for the elderly in our society.
In the modern world, the most notable gerontocracies are the governments of the communist nations where one's influence, and power is judged by the length of time spent in the party. As a result, power in these nations is heavily concentrated in the hands of the elderly.
Gerontocracies are political and social systems where power and leadership prowess increase with age, creating a situation where younger people cannot leap-frog into positions of power. For instance, the MDC-T where some of the so-called young Turks, like Tafadzwa Musekiwa ran away after being elected as a Member of Parliament for Zengeza in 2000, and other young corrupt officials in the local authorities.
The elderly may not necessarily hold official leadership positions, but they definitely control the power in their nations. They may act as advisers to public officials, or work behind the scenes in more subtle ways, and their influence is usually very easy to see and feel. We can have a quick, but shrewd glance at our war veterans of the liberation struggle of Zimbabwe who sacrificed their lives.
Certainly it's a folly to ignore them as we need their guidance and wisdom. Even the opposition MDC-T Renewal Team have publicly announced, and agreed that they respect and recognize war veterans as their mentors and indispensible source of inspiration, and they cherish their contribution to the Zimbabwean cause.
It is common knowledge that the elders have experience and wisdom, and therefore, we should respect and take advantage of them if we are to succeed as a nation. We should respect statesman like President Mugabe who have continuously won elections since independence. Some may argue that there is no democracy in Zimbabwe, but the country
has met the tenets of democracy which include the periodic holding of free and fair elections. The opposition MDC-T have shown that it is not a democratic party as it is characterized by bickering and imposition of candidates. Hence the split of the party into numerous editions.
As evidenced by their visible political incapacitation, the young Turks have now ceased to have relevance as epitomized by their lack of direction, and political immaturity. The MDC –T party is now swimming into disarray and it needs to revamp itself if it has to act meaningfully on the Zimbabwean political landscape.
Source - Stewart Murewa
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
