Why Zimbabweans cannot wait any longer

Why Zimbabweans cannot wait any longer

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By Sindiso Mazibisa
Posted to the web: 18/01/2009 20:05:15
IT’S gone beyond a joke. The political impasse in the Zimbabwean political theatre occasioned by Zanu PF and the two MDC formations is a sick and nauseating game that is killing people more than the cholera outbreak and the AIDS pandemic pulled together.

We are looking at a nation that is on its knees, literally, and would do to have just three level headed and mindful people who put Zimbabwe first and tackle the crippling economic crisis.

It is common cause that there is no food countrywide, the major hospitals have virtually closed. Schools, colleges and universities lie abandoned without teachers and lecturers. Pupils and students do not see the need to go to school. There is nothing to learn and there are no teachers to teach.

There is no industry and commerce to talk about, the shortage of foreign currency to move industry forward is a known fact and yet these political parties and politicians want the whole nation to wait on them until they collectively narrow their self-serving political interests.

Zimbabwe has self respecting and respected citizens. It’s not a crime deserving punishment to have voted or not have voted for MDC’s and Zanu PF in the past elections, and citizens must not be treated like some infants that the politicians can do as they please and the suffering masses and business will just wait and wait.

Delays in forming a government raise several questions of a legal, political and practical nature. Where does the current crop of ministers derive their legal legitimacy, and do politicians see or hear of the hunger that is killing people everyday? Are they collectively aware that the purpose of their choice is to deal with socio, economic and political challenges affecting the people?

The honeymoon days are over the politicians must know. Being the centre of world attention has gone with the wind or the times, if you so wish. The Zimbabwean political games and childish disputes have been overplayed in the international scene and we are now stale news. The Somali pirates and General Nkunda in D.R Congo make better news. The global economic crisis has made many vocal nations to retreat and think of their countries’ needs first and deal with bail-out plans for their companies and the credit crunch.

The whole of last year, our leaders squandered a lot of political and financial goodwill by refusing to agree and put the country first. Of course the people in government and the leadership of the opposition have access to food, foreign currency, the best schools and the best things in life for themselves, their families and friends but what of the peasants and suffering workers in Beitbridge, Nkayi, Mutoko and so on?

The agricultural season is here and besides reading in the newspapers about seed and fertilizer for the people, we have on the ground seen nothing. lt has been a big story gone in the path of Baccossi .What a shame!

Maybe we don’t need politicians to represent the people but technocrats to run this country. Maybe we don’t need political parties to divide the people and cause the chaos and mayhem we are witnessing. We just need serious and honest people to represent their wards, constituencies based on content and merit. We must consider this when we draft the new constitution which is hopefully coming our way.

Sindiso Mazibisa is a Zimbabwean lawyer
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