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Opinion / Columnist

'If it ain't broke don't fix it'

02 Sep 2019 at 16:06hrs | Views
Societies operate like vehicles.  A normal society constitutes the military, the police, the political system, the economic system, the educational system, the judiciary system, the banking system, the civil service, the media, etc.  A simple vehicle is an amalgamation of systems: ignition system, fuel system, electrical system, cooling system, transmission system, suspension system, brake system, as well as other systems. Each institution has a specific function to fulfill and should not be cross matched with different functions.

To change the system, one has to understand puzzle solving - modifying or tuning a society requires puzzle solving skills. I find MDC-A's celebration of people's suffering, coming out with songs to celebrate hardships or barking empty threats disgusting. An opposition political party that claims to have majority support in the country and that raises doubts about the legitimacy of the sitting President must not find it hard to modify the society.

If you boast to be the biggest political party on the land and claim to have the biggest support, why not go the Tunisia way. It took Tunisians six days after the ouster of dictator Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali to realize that they had gotten rid of the dictator but not dictatorship. There were massive street protests against the make-up of the interim government. The protests resulted in four opposition ministers resigning, Judges going on the streets demanding that the entire bench be cleaned up. Even the police joined the demonstrators, demanding that the interim government be disbanded.

Why does MDC-A, the biggest political party as they claim, never have Judges, Security forces, Lawyers, some civil servants breaking rank and supporting their efforts? In my opinion, they don't understand a simple amalgamation of the society. To understand the society, they need to understand how a vehicle works.

For vehicles like societies, each system is designed for a specific purpose and must be in good working condition for it to operate efficiently. When a system breaks down, it must be repaired promptly. Parts designed for one system cannot be used to repair another. Oil, a lubricant, cannot be used as a coolant in the radiator. Periodic maintenance and repair are imperative for optimal operating efficiency of each system BUT you can't replace a system that is still working.

To be blunt, MDC-A blundered when they sidelined cadres like Douglas Mwonzora for recycled leaders like Tendai Biti, Job Sikhala , and Welshman Ncube.

Source - Sam Wezhira
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