Barren political noises

Dear Editor, UP until now I had not paid serious attention to the saying which talks about “barking dogs rarely bite.” So the other day, I went to pick up my son from school on foot.

On approaching a house where the road to my house passes by, we were confronted by four barking vicious dogs.

My seven-year-old old boy almost wetted his pants in fear but I told him to stand still.

The dogs however kept on barking and harassing us but never attacked us and after a while they ran out of barking steam and left us alone to continue our journey home.

After the dogs went away I thought hard about the episode and quickly compared it to African politicians who talk too much but do nothing to help their people.

I wonder why politicians always promise voters heaven to gain public offices but fall silent as if there had been no elections once they assume offices of their dreams.

This is typical of all African leaders without exception and why this is so, nobody knows.

And if this will be the way to run politics, I am afraid it will be a while before Africa can achieve real social economic development.

Allow me then to agree with the late American writer Mark Twain who once wrote “Noise proves nothing. Often a hen that has laid an egg cackles as if she has laid an asteroid.”

I think this talk without action by our politicians to secure public jobs is shameful because it is us the good people that suffer the most at the end.

Maybe our non-governmental organisations should organise workshops for politicians to teach them the importance of keeping their campaign promises.

This, I think will help them appreciate the importance of being people of action.