The era of celebrating promises should come to an end

Fellow Zimbabweans, it is with great concern that I have to write this article. I have noted how we easily get carried away in face of promises. Herein, I try to demonstrate how unchecked belief in promises has undermined progress in our country. It is not to rule out promises as the starting point of progress, but to illustrate how all the priority has been directed to, and therefore revolved within the sphere of promises.

Let us start with ZANU-PF campaign manifesto of 2013 elections in form of ZIMASSET. One of the provisions in the ZIMASSET was that if ZANU-PF won the elections, economic growth will be stimulated, after which 2 million jobs were to be created. People celebrated the promises in the ZIMASSET, and indeed elections came where Zanu won. Did what was said in their manifesto come to pass? I think the answer is obvious to everyone. Instead, beyond the elections, the ruling party never ceased to be in the campaign mood. What bedevilled the party were internal factional fights that were perpetuated at the expense of the nation's welfare. Those in leadership positions never bothered do deliver as was outlined in ZIMASSET policy document but where in hyper hallucination of power struggles. Come 2018, a large number of people are still not employed, surviving through means way below the poverty line. If only we had waited until the results of the promises in the ZIMASSET to celebrate, the better.

The promise of land redistribution. When our forefathers went to war against the rule of the white minority, one major problem to be redressed was that of Land issues. In the wake of independence, the ruling part waited until when their political grip was under threat to act on it. Clearly, those in government were never proactive on the land issue from Lancaster negotiations in 1979 to the year 2000. In Lancaster house they had given in to a clause that protect the dominance of a minority race in the economy and land issue to be particular. Because MDC threatened to take over in 2000, on a reactive move, the government engaged in the fast tract land reform program that was carried in a chaotic manner. After all, a very few ordinary Zimbabweans benefited from that land reform program. It is only the elite that managed to grab multiple farms rendering the exercise elitist. That promise of land redistribution has ignored us as the youths. There is a time I wanted to apply for a land portion at Mhlahlandlela in 2015 and to my disappointment, I was told that I should have done so around 2000. Now the problem is that in 2000 I was just a primary school going child. Thus, we as youth are effectively shut out as possible beneficiaries of Land distribution. Because it has not yielded as was intended land redistribution remains a promise that was just celebrated.

Both the ruling party and the major opposition have continual professed to be parties that are eager to promote democracy. In that regard, the ruling party has failed dismal. We know how people were manhandled in the wake of 2008 presidential runoff. Our rights of freedom of expression are infringed even if we try to exercise them responsible. Is that what constitute democracy? Of late MDC-T has not been left behind. We read of the violence that took place at the People Hero funeral Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and the violence that took place in Bulawayo recently. All what it means is that democracy is a promise that has never materialised in our country. These parties should not stop at promising but should practise what they preach because the era of celebrated promises must stop.

The second president of the Republic has joined in, throwing his weight behind the world of promises that never materialise. As a new president, H.E set 100 days as a time frame in which progress will be kick started. We all got eager as we had a myriad of problems that haunted us from the era of the previous dispensation. There was no cash, no employment, the environment for running business not conducive. 100 days are over we are still engulfed by the same problems which our president promised to check out. One wonders if his promises will ever materialise. Is there any reason to celebrate them?

As a country, I think it is over for us to continue relying on promises as a means to determine leadership capacity. We should consider what one is able to do through his/her history of making things work in an altruist manner. If we are committed to building a better Zimbabwe, we should hold people accountable for what they promise (in reference to those that are in leadership) because the era of celebrating promises should come to an end.

Contact the author at mathewuniquedube85@gmail.com for further discussions.