Race for State House:
Democracy or too many cooks?
These three presidential hopefuls have come up with undeliverable policies meant to hoodwink the electorate. They should not cause confusion among the electorate. They must give voters a chance to choose well tried and tested politicians in the mould of President Mnangagwa to lead this country into a political and economic Canaan.
THE nomination court witnessed a record 23 presidential candidates successfully filing their papers ahead of Zimbabwe’s 2018 harmonised elections. Indeed, this was good for democracy as all who met the criteria were able to file their papers. However, the issue which now calls for attention is how they are spoiling the electoral broth through childish policies.
Topping the list for saying the unthinkable is the New Patriotic Front (NPF) leader, Tendai Munyanduri. He promised a “100 percent access to a balanced diet to all citizens and food on the table for every Zimbabwean, at least an egg, beacon and milk for every breakfast”.
One thing Mr Munyanduri should know is that it terms of balanced diet, Zimbabwe is not really lagging behind, but all that people need is sound infrastructure, employment, energy production and resuscitation of industries. He pledged to see to those upmarket houses for first time home seekers costing $1 000.
Divine Mhambi Hove, leader and presidential candidate of the National Alliance of Patriotic and Democratic Republicans (NAPDR), decided to take a swipe at key national security institutions for the wrong reasons. He proposed to disband the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and replace them with new units purportedly to combat corruption.
It is important here and now to draw Mr Hove’s attention to Chapter 11 of the Constitution, which provides for the existence of Security Services. Section 207 and sub-sections 1(b) and (c) deal with the police and the intelligence services. This presidential hopeful exposed his lack of appreciation of the basic operations of the country as he does not even know that the two services are already seized with combating corruption. The Zimbabwe Republic Police, in addition to its normal policing duties, has formed an anti-corruption unit, which demonstrates its commitment to tackling corruption.
Instead of calling for solutions on matters which are already being addressed, Mr Hove should have called for the financial strengthening of these institutions so that they can effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional mandates. Testimony to the two institutions’ work is the prevailing peace which is being enjoyed in the country.
MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa is another culprit. Each time he gets on a stage and is handed a microphone, he utters laughable things. While addressing a rally in Murehwa early this year, Chamisa promised local communities that he would construct airports for them for the airlifting of their horticultural produce to markets and whilst still fresh. In Chinhoyi, he promised bullet trains which take 30 minutes to travel the over 400 kilometre distance from Harare to Bulawayo.
Chamisa has developed a penchant for making outrageous promises to vulnerable communities. When he visited Binga District, he promised them a university for fisheries. Although the people of Binga draw their livelihood from the Zambezi River, it demonstrates the height of Chamisa’s childishness to suggest building a university based on that. He went further to lie that he would develop the entire district in six months.
Like any other country in the 21st century, technological advancement is the in thing. But with Chamisa, the level of day dreaming is out of this world. Recently at one of his rallies, he was heard shouting: “We will introduce a digital government to offer instant passport (and) birth registration documents. People will pay lobola online, rusambo online and trap mice using cellphones.”
Chamisa has been quoted in some sections of the media blaming President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the rise in prices of goods in the country. Chamisa should be reminded that in September 2017 prices of goods were increased in an unjustified manner. Most political analysts pointed out these increases were political strategies by the opposition in collusion with business to push ZANU-PF out of power.
In light of the prevailing cash shortages, Chamisa claims that he can solve the issue within two weeks of assuming office. In all honesty, in economic terms, what miracle does Chamisa think he can effect to turn around the cash situation without following economic stages such as improved industrial capacity and export of goods as well as fresh produce?
These three presidential hopefuls have come up with undeliverable policies meant to hoodwink the electorate. What they should remember is that they should not cause confusion among the electorate. They must give the electorate a chance to choose well tried and tested politicians in the mould of President Mnangagwa to lead this country into a political and economic Canaan.