Desperation is no excuse for electing failed leader - have we no learned from Mugabe

"AT the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T)'s 17th anniversary celebrations last week in Bulawayo, party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was in high spirits," reported Bulawayo24.

"He exuded a spring to his step which has not been seen in a long while and his shoulders were held up high."

The worsening economic situation has made the people of Zimbabwe become desperate for change so desperate they will vote for anyone as long as their name is not Robert Gabriel Mugabe; they will not look at the candidate's past record. Of course if you are someone like Morgan Tsvangirai or Joice Mujuru whose political CV reads like of the devil's Chief of Staff's CV full of failures, corruption and betrayal of the innocent; you would be pleased to hear that your past record will never be considered.

 The latter bit is bound to rouse a great deal of interest in someone like Tsvangirai given his political CV is a catalogue of failure, corruption, betrayal, incompetent, etc.

"It's multiple factors at play; people have short memories and we have forgot about those shenanigans or flirtations with different women. In light of the imploding economy, people will not be preoccupied with such issues," was UZ Professor Eldred Masunungure's explanation for Tsvangirai's renewed political vigour. He is spot on there!

The Zimbabwe electorate have very short memories of simply get easily swept away by the occasion; a fatal weakness. The people were swept off their feet in the euphoria of independence in 1980 the could not wait to remove the racist white colonial regime they did not even give the CVs of the black nationalists whom they elected to take over as much as a cursory check.

We are stuck in this hell-hole today because the nation has had the great misfortune of being ruled by a corrupt and tyrannical gang of thugs. We elected in a hurry and for the last 36 years and counting we have been stuck with the regime unable to dislodge them from power.

The 36 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have taken a heavy toll on the country's economic wellbeing sending it into a terminal economic meltdown. The worsening economic hardships haven given the up to now docile populous the voice to demand change. Even the ruling elite have not been spared the ill-effects of the worsening economic depression; Zanu PF is imploding as party members fight each other over the shrinking national cake like starving hyenas fighting over scraps.

The worsening economic meltdown has forced President Mugabe and Zanu PF to loosen their iron grip on power. For the first time since independence in 1980 there is real chance for meaningful political change and regime change! The million dollar question is: what kind of change will it be this time?

Both Joice Mujuru and Morgan Tsvangirai have already proven beyond all reasonable doubt that they are incompetent and corrupt; to elect them leaders will only prove that we have learnt nothing from the mistake of 1980! As a senior member of the Mugabe's Zanu PF regime for 34 years the former has played her part in landing us into this economic and political mess. As for Tsvangirai, by failing to implement even one democratic reform during the GNU, he has forced us to to remain stuck in the hell-hole.

If there is to be one lesson Zimbabweans must learn from the tragic, tragic national events of the last 36 years then it must be the realization that no matter how euphoric the moment or desperate the situation we must always be diligent and thorough in our selection of leaders. It will be sheer folly for the nation elect corrupt and incompetent leaders to replace Mugabe especially those with proven track records as failed leaders no matter how desperate the present situation happens to be.