Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe is a failed state. So, who will care for the carers when they are old?
01 Jun 2025 at 13:18hrs | Views

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? "Who will guard the guards themselves?" or "Who will watch the watchmen?" Asked Roman poet Juvenal.
Replace guard with political leader and you can see why democratic accountability is a pre-requisite for good governance.
Zimbabwe is a failed state because we, as a nation have failed to answer the question: Who will guard the leaders (guardians) if they should become corrupt? Zimbabwe is a failed state because our corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical leaders have become the runaway freight train.
Millions of Zimbabweans have left the country as economic and or political refugees. Many have accepted the low paying wages and are living from hand to mouth. We have become a nation living from hand to mouth.
By failing to deal with the curse of rigged elections and bad governance we have created an even worse problem for ourselves - we live for the day like a fruit-fly.
To paraphrase Juvenal; Quis curam habebit curatorum cum senes erunt? "Who will care for the carers when they are old?"
The problem of restoring the people's power to hold leaders to democratic account is one Zimbabweans must address with the sense of urgency the matter demands. As long as the leaders retain their carte blanche power to rig elections and get away with it, Zimbabwe will remain a failed state sinking deeper and deeper into the economic and political abyss.
Replace guard with political leader and you can see why democratic accountability is a pre-requisite for good governance.
Zimbabwe is a failed state because we, as a nation have failed to answer the question: Who will guard the leaders (guardians) if they should become corrupt? Zimbabwe is a failed state because our corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical leaders have become the runaway freight train.
Millions of Zimbabweans have left the country as economic and or political refugees. Many have accepted the low paying wages and are living from hand to mouth. We have become a nation living from hand to mouth.
By failing to deal with the curse of rigged elections and bad governance we have created an even worse problem for ourselves - we live for the day like a fruit-fly.
To paraphrase Juvenal; Quis curam habebit curatorum cum senes erunt? "Who will care for the carers when they are old?"
The problem of restoring the people's power to hold leaders to democratic account is one Zimbabweans must address with the sense of urgency the matter demands. As long as the leaders retain their carte blanche power to rig elections and get away with it, Zimbabwe will remain a failed state sinking deeper and deeper into the economic and political abyss.
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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