Desperate times call for desperate actions

The call by opposition parties for repentance by the ZANU-PF ruling party, as a pre-condition for the nation to receive some rainfall at this trying time when there is a national calamity facing the agriculture and energy sectors, are signs of desperation by these parties which are thriving to keep their heads above water. These are times of their extreme desperation when they are staggering to restore their relevance which has been waning over many years of non-contribution to public interests.

At this point in time, Zimbabweans are not looking forward to useless political populist statements, but action which can extricate and serve human lives which are facing famine, and a pending devastating period of starvation from this plight threatening to exterminate humanity.

When the nation is confronted by a national catastrophe, like this imminent drought, dysfunctional political contests should be suspended, and all energies should be re-aligned to focus on ways of rescuing the struggling population. Unnecessary divisive statements are detrimental in the crafting and weaving of unity during crisis times of need such as this.  

It is surprising to note that some novice politicians are fond of peddling misinformation on issues which deserve scientific factual analysis. The issue of the looming drought is attributable to simple scientific principles linked to global warming, contrary to the call for confession as fortified by the opposition political parties which seem devoid of concrete party ideologies which seek to promote things or offer a viable alternative for the good of the citizenry.

Global warming is the gradual heating of Earth's surface, oceans and atmosphere due to emission of toxic gasses which impact negatively on the ozone layer. The immediate effect is reduced precipitation.

Scientists have documented the rise in average temperatures worldwide since the late 1800s. Earth's average temperature is estimated to have risen by 0.8 degrees Celsius over the past century, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Temperatures are projected to rise another 1.133 to 6.42 degrees over the next 100 years. These are indicators of changing climatic conditions which are provoking the natural occurrences of droughts, not only in Zimbabwe, but across the region and beyond.

Surely, the call for repentance is a sign of buffoonery as it is outrageous and wicked. In fact it amounts to blasphemous or sacrilegious bickering by slender minded people masquerading as politicians with peoples' interests at heart. Such off-tangent thinking defeats the national pride of being the leading state with the highest literacy rate in Africa. It reflects frail mental faculties which do not have the capacity to save the nation from its current problems.

One would want to incline this call for repentance to the cheapest propaganda peddled by oppositional parties which have run short of supply of ideas, and are choking to death before they are swept to the political dust-bins. Scientific principles and propaganda are do not mix, just like water and oil. So such distorted assertions should be dismissed with due contempt they deserve.

If ever there is need for repentance, they should demand it from the developed world which is leading in the industrialization processes which emit vast gases into the atmosphere daily.

However, this is not time for finger pointing when the house is on fire. We need to cluster our ideas collectively, and find a universal position on how to determine possible solutions to the drought-menace be-facing the nation at this point.