I hate politics

SO yes, I hate Zimbabwean and all politics in general. I hate how every five years we get into this circus about giving people with immeasurable riches and privileges the opportunity to get even more riches and privileges by making them the leaders of the country.

To be honest, despite that elections are meant to choose legislators, councillors and a president, most people are only concerned about the presidential vote.

Honestly, this year’s election has solidified my hatred for politics and has shown me more and more that our electoral system and political structure are all crap.

I am sure there are some people out there who are mad at me right now and saying: “You should not hate politics!”“Politics is important!”“You need to learn more!”

And to that I say: “No and no.” I hate politics because all this circus we are currently seeing is planned in advance.

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I am willing to bet my last dollar that the only reason MDC leader Douglas Mwonzora is doing what he is doing is to help incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa (ED) win this year’s election.

I am not even so sure that we, private citizens, are important in the grand scheme of things.

Politics is all about who you know, whose ring you kiss, who you donate to and who you are related to, and the majority of people who decide to go into politics do not do so to benefit the country, but for selfish reasons. I do not trust politicians who claim that they are revolutionaries, be it ED or Nelson Chamisa and I honestly do not want to be part of any of their politics because I have reached a stage where I am almost an apostle of the #cherozvazvaita (being blown by the wind) folk, who have decided to care less about who rules them and how they get to the throne.

I almost feel the anger I am rousing in some people for daring to support #cherozvazvaita people who do not exercise their right to vote.

They are probably asking: “Are you not aware that people died in the liberation struggle for your right to vote? How can you not vote? That is not what the Chimurenga war was about!”

I am, however, of the firm belief that heroes and heroines of our 1970s liberation struggle died for us to have the option to vote.

They wanted us to have the ability and right to vote, not vote for the sake of voting because we “have to”.

If our ancestors died just to ensure that we had to vote everytime the polls opened no matter what, is that not another form of subjugation? Is that not what they were against and died for?

We need to realise that as Zimbabweans our ancestors wanted us to have influence; they wanted us to have the ability to make decisions for ourselves and not be forced to do so.

We should not be forced to vote, go to a brainwashing school, be forgiving to people who wrong us, or anything like that, especially when the people in these establishments do not give a damn about us anyway.

People love telling us ghetto folks, or any marginalised groups what is best for us.

I am afraid to say ED will not scare us ghetto people enough to force us to vote for him or for Chamisa or any other politician.

Politicians will only be able to win the hearts of ghetto youths if they are part of us and genuinely concerned about our welfare.

Therefore ghetto youths are not going to be drawn into political games that force us to vote just because someone died for us to have the right to vote when contemporary politics will never really and truly benefit us.

The political structure has never been kind to marginalised folks (especially those from the ghetto) and honestly because of that I cannot blame a lot of people who do not care about politics.

Look at the ever-growing list of people being killed and maimed due to political brutality.

Look at how impunity is making the laws that are supposed to protect us from such brutality useless. Look at how classism and misogyny has been normalised in our world.

Tell me one president who has done anything to help their people?

I am no longer being hyped up by the politics of these rich people who just want to get richer when us the oppressed people become poorer.

Until this political system starts to care about the people who work to keep it moving, I cannot pretend to give a damn about it. As the saying goes: “Earn this vote or lose” and right now everybody is losing.

Kumbirai Thierry Nhamo is a writer, blogger, social commentator, social justice advocate, poet, researcher and freedom of speech and journalism activist. He can be contacted on +263 78 002 2343/+263 71 698 4317; or email: kumbiraithierryn@gmail.com He writes here in his personal capacity.