Is democracy effective in Zimbabwe?

In the words of Panel Mlotshwa, "allowing politically illiterate people to vote is like giving a five-year-old a loaded gun."

I do not just share the sentiments but believe that the 'illiteracy' iterated, includes social and economic illiteracy. I understand that such views are seen as absurd and contradict the constitution, but the same constitution that gives every being equal voting rights ends up being violated ten times over due to failure to have basics.

The Opposition in Zimbabwe recently lost elections, and I strongly believe that the numbers of the people who do not contribute to our economy were against them. At law capacity is an important aspect in any case, yet we forget all this when it comes to people's five years' fate. Company leaders have standards; you cannot run a Bank or a Pharmacy without a certain affiliated qualification, and the Political leaders' requirement is to be 18 years and have a political following. How is it that the Roman Dutch Law that is the foundation of our constitution has led to the power being given to individuals who neither contribute nor understand the effects of their decision on the economy? No wonder inexperienced college graduates are running cities in Zimbabwe. Is this not why people in some city councils are supplying undrinkable water?

Four decades have passed since Zimbabwe got independence from white minority rule, yet there is little to show for the freedom from suppression. We gained unlimited access to our land but forgot to maintain the loot we inherited from the white people in terms of infrastructure. We boast of the right to vote when the majority of our people do not have an understanding of the impact of our act, casting votes on the ballot paper. As a people, we do not understand the power of real democracy. Choosing our leadership and holding them accountable because we have the power to do so.

By 1979, Rhodesia Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of Africa. Africa looked up to our economy and marveled at our feats. There was an upper trajectory in terms of development for the economy. Infrastructure was invested in and sustained the economic growth. When we gained political freedom, the first years we thrived, off debts, building schools, and trying to maintain infrastructure. The so-called investment crumbled under pressure for the government to cling unto power, paying mostly the illiterate. This led to massive government spending on the unproductive.

'Once bitten, twice shy' clearly counts for nothing as the masses are captured psychologically. How is it that the general populace can fall for the same trick over and over again? A section of the populace has no capacity to elect but are given the power to.

If the right to vote is given based on the capacity to make a decision, we improve the quality of the decisions taken. This is the sole reason why in professional organizations, decisions are taken by qualified personnel. The countries we adopted this right to vote from had monarchies, and the American rich forefathers were not chosen by the illiterate in the industrialization of their countries. A couple of centuries of underdevelopment, American democracy uses college votes for Presidential elections. Donald Trump won in his first term without the majority of votes. Different states have different college vote weights. Until we have an educated electorate from the education reforms, which are to take generations, people will suffer and continue to be bought cheaply towards casting votes on the ballot every five years.

Democracy does not work in Zimbabwe. Unless we change the laws that accept voter buying and sway the electorate vote to a single party. Our future should not be decided by people who do not contribute to the Economy directly. Adopting similar systems to college votes that give higher votes to people contributing to the economy is the answer.

The views above are my own. It is an exercise of the freedom of speech. Do not persecute freedom of speech.