Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe's solution not necessarily in regime change but holding leaders accountable
18 Dec 2023 at 15:32hrs | Views
I have often told those around me this fact.
If truth be told, I actually do not hate Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa or opposition CCC party leader Nelson Chamisa.
In fact, I did not even hate former president Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
Due to the Holy Spirit who works in me, I do not have a single ‘hate bone' in my body.
I am simply incapable of hating, bitterness, or holding a grudge.
What I write or say is all out of holding our leaders to account and making them answerable to the people.
It is the only way to get good results from them.
It is never personal.
We need to mature in our politics as Zimbabweans.
The first thing we need to appreciate is that criticizing a leader is not some form of hatred or animosity.
That is how other countries managed to develop: by relentlessly and fearlessly holding their leaders to account, even if he is from the same political party.
That is why, last year alone, the UK Conservative Party recalled two Prime Ministers (Boris Johnson and Liz Truss), thereby forcing them into resignation.
In 2019, they had also recalled another Prime Minister, Theresa May.
This was not done by the rival Labour Party, but they were recalled by their own political party.
This was also not a result of some power struggles – but purely out of holding them to account.
It was not out of hatred or animosity.
This is why those recalled still serve the party today.
They know they failed to deliver on what was expected from them.
And, maybe next time, they will do better.
After losing the Brexit referendum in 2016, then Prime Minister David Cameron was pressured to resign.
Yet today, he is back as the foreign secretary – which shows that there were no bitter feelings or animosity.
It is all about political maturity.
The same has been witnessed in the opposition Labour Party.
Jeremy Corbyn was forced to resign in 2020 – due to his response to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission's report into the party's handling of anti-Semitism under his leadership.
His successor Keir Starmer is currently facing enormous pressure to face a similar fate over to his stance on the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Leaders should be held to account – and not blindly supported.
There is no room for bootlicking and hero-worshipping.
In fact, that is how they easily turn into the leaders we now witness in Zimbabwe – both from the ruling and opposition parties.
They have become a law unto themselves, as they have no one to hold them accountable.
It is most tragic watching how we have gone as far as even defending corrupt, incompetent, and dictatorial leadership – even justifying and making excuses for our leaders, whether from the ruling party or opposition.
There is an undeniable truth we all need to accept, no matter how unpalatable it may be.
It is very unfortunate that there are some who still believe in the existence of politicians who are in politics out of the love of the people.
Let me make this as clear as possible: every single politician is motivated by the love for power, wealth, and status.
It does not matter whether this is from the ruling establishment or the opposition.
That is why they will fight to the death, at times literally, for political positions.
Why kill each other merely for a chance to help your country and people?
They only talk about ‘the people' since their votes are required to enable these politicians to attain their real ambitions.
Once those goals are achieved, they all behave as if they were born from the same mother – irrespective of their political parties.
Anyone who still believes there are politicians who care about them and are purely motivated by a desire to uplift their livelihoods might as well believe in the existence of Father Christmas!
That is why I will never join, support, or campaign for any politician or political party – since they are all the same.
The only way to make sure politicians fulfil their promises to the people is to put enormous pressure on them by constantly holding them to account.
Which is the reason I write the things I write.
The main reason we end up with what ZANU PF is doing to us is that we (the people) do not hold them to account.
We even have those who bootlick and hero-worship the political leadership.
The same will happen even if the opposition were to take over the reins of power.
The sooner we accept this truth, the sooner we can develop our country and prosper.
All this bootlicking and hero-worshipping is what results in our political leaders reverting to their default settings of power, wealth, and status ambitions whilst ignoring the people.
Here is another truth that many may find hard to swallow.
Did you know that ZANU PF can still actually improve the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Zimbabweans?
Yes, ZANU PF!
The answer is in the majority of the ruling party members telling Mnangagwa to either shape up or ship out.
If most ZANU PF supporters today were to demand accountability from their leader and show that they will no longer brook any nonsense from him, he will easily transform into a good president who will finally serve the interests of Zimbabweans.
This has to be done by the majority in the party, thereby effectively making it impossible for Mnangagwa to persecute, or expel, or even eliminate them.
Actually, Zimbabwe can become a well-developed and prosperous country within months, had Mnangagwa been made answerable to the people.
The same logic applies to the opposition – their party could have made major inroads, maybe even be in power today, had they held Chamisa accountable.
What is preventing this, though, are those in these political entities who blindly support, defend, and justify every single thing their leaders do wrong.
The answer to Zimbabwe's persistent challenges is, in fact, not necessarily in a change of government.
It is in making our own leaders answerable to us.
Even if the opposition were to take over today, nothing would change for the people of Zimbabwe – as long as the same bootlicking and hero-worshipping continues.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
If truth be told, I actually do not hate Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa or opposition CCC party leader Nelson Chamisa.
In fact, I did not even hate former president Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
Due to the Holy Spirit who works in me, I do not have a single ‘hate bone' in my body.
I am simply incapable of hating, bitterness, or holding a grudge.
What I write or say is all out of holding our leaders to account and making them answerable to the people.
It is the only way to get good results from them.
It is never personal.
We need to mature in our politics as Zimbabweans.
The first thing we need to appreciate is that criticizing a leader is not some form of hatred or animosity.
That is how other countries managed to develop: by relentlessly and fearlessly holding their leaders to account, even if he is from the same political party.
That is why, last year alone, the UK Conservative Party recalled two Prime Ministers (Boris Johnson and Liz Truss), thereby forcing them into resignation.
In 2019, they had also recalled another Prime Minister, Theresa May.
This was not done by the rival Labour Party, but they were recalled by their own political party.
This was also not a result of some power struggles – but purely out of holding them to account.
It was not out of hatred or animosity.
This is why those recalled still serve the party today.
They know they failed to deliver on what was expected from them.
And, maybe next time, they will do better.
After losing the Brexit referendum in 2016, then Prime Minister David Cameron was pressured to resign.
Yet today, he is back as the foreign secretary – which shows that there were no bitter feelings or animosity.
It is all about political maturity.
The same has been witnessed in the opposition Labour Party.
Jeremy Corbyn was forced to resign in 2020 – due to his response to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission's report into the party's handling of anti-Semitism under his leadership.
His successor Keir Starmer is currently facing enormous pressure to face a similar fate over to his stance on the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Leaders should be held to account – and not blindly supported.
There is no room for bootlicking and hero-worshipping.
In fact, that is how they easily turn into the leaders we now witness in Zimbabwe – both from the ruling and opposition parties.
They have become a law unto themselves, as they have no one to hold them accountable.
It is most tragic watching how we have gone as far as even defending corrupt, incompetent, and dictatorial leadership – even justifying and making excuses for our leaders, whether from the ruling party or opposition.
There is an undeniable truth we all need to accept, no matter how unpalatable it may be.
It is very unfortunate that there are some who still believe in the existence of politicians who are in politics out of the love of the people.
Let me make this as clear as possible: every single politician is motivated by the love for power, wealth, and status.
It does not matter whether this is from the ruling establishment or the opposition.
That is why they will fight to the death, at times literally, for political positions.
Why kill each other merely for a chance to help your country and people?
They only talk about ‘the people' since their votes are required to enable these politicians to attain their real ambitions.
Once those goals are achieved, they all behave as if they were born from the same mother – irrespective of their political parties.
Anyone who still believes there are politicians who care about them and are purely motivated by a desire to uplift their livelihoods might as well believe in the existence of Father Christmas!
That is why I will never join, support, or campaign for any politician or political party – since they are all the same.
The only way to make sure politicians fulfil their promises to the people is to put enormous pressure on them by constantly holding them to account.
Which is the reason I write the things I write.
The main reason we end up with what ZANU PF is doing to us is that we (the people) do not hold them to account.
We even have those who bootlick and hero-worship the political leadership.
The same will happen even if the opposition were to take over the reins of power.
The sooner we accept this truth, the sooner we can develop our country and prosper.
All this bootlicking and hero-worshipping is what results in our political leaders reverting to their default settings of power, wealth, and status ambitions whilst ignoring the people.
Here is another truth that many may find hard to swallow.
Did you know that ZANU PF can still actually improve the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Zimbabweans?
Yes, ZANU PF!
The answer is in the majority of the ruling party members telling Mnangagwa to either shape up or ship out.
If most ZANU PF supporters today were to demand accountability from their leader and show that they will no longer brook any nonsense from him, he will easily transform into a good president who will finally serve the interests of Zimbabweans.
This has to be done by the majority in the party, thereby effectively making it impossible for Mnangagwa to persecute, or expel, or even eliminate them.
Actually, Zimbabwe can become a well-developed and prosperous country within months, had Mnangagwa been made answerable to the people.
The same logic applies to the opposition – their party could have made major inroads, maybe even be in power today, had they held Chamisa accountable.
What is preventing this, though, are those in these political entities who blindly support, defend, and justify every single thing their leaders do wrong.
The answer to Zimbabwe's persistent challenges is, in fact, not necessarily in a change of government.
It is in making our own leaders answerable to us.
Even if the opposition were to take over today, nothing would change for the people of Zimbabwe – as long as the same bootlicking and hero-worshipping continues.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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