adminforthcoming elections in 2012. In Africa, what has been the major issue of these elections? Besides parties vying for power, there has been no tangible issue that would improve the living standards or touch the hearts of the people. Yes, in North Africa, it has been the novelty of just going to cast their votes for a party of their choice.
Events in North Africa have been clouded by the fact that religion seems to have played a major hand at the polls with Islamic parties winning more seats than the secular parties. What has come out clearly from these elections is that the majority of the people see religion as a way to a better life without western cultural influence. Others see this trend as radicalism.
What about the economic issues? Most parties in North Africa blame the excesses of the ruling elite for their poverty, which is lack of jobs or any means to sustain life. Coming home to Zimbabwe, what are the major issues involved in the forthcoming elections?
At least, religion will not play a part in the body politic since the freedom of belonging to any church or sect has been accepted for the past 31 years of independence. What is the talking point in buses, at growth points, clubs and beer halls? What runs deep in people’s expectations is how they can sustain or achieve a better standard of living. Besides a few who think that the only way to a better life is to steal from others, the majority want the means to attain or to work towards a better life.
What means are people talking about? Some say they want jobs. Those with jobs say they want better remuneration from their jobs. Those without jobs but are on pension, say they want improved pensions to sustain a better standard of living.
I remember what one old man from Chiweshe said: “I cannot go on strike nor do I want to beg from the government. What I want are the means to do my work efficiently using my own hands. I want a road to use to go from my homestead to the growth point to pick up supplies with my ox drawn cart.”
Wherever I have engaged people about politics, the thread that runs everywhere is to find the means to make money. It could be as mundane as selling airtime, running a flea market stall where clothes may be sold at US one dollar for two, as they say, to end poverty or in Shona, kupedza nhamo.
Some would like to see that their crops should fetch better prices at the market. What is unacceptable is that farmers deliver their produce to the marketing authorities and yet do not receive their money early enough to use to plan for the coming season.
Others bemoan the unacceptable bureaucracy in the civil service where they cannot be satisfied with the service they get after paying so much tax to the government. In short, people are looking for the party that can run the government efficiently. Everybody knows that no party can promise resources coming down like manna from heaven. Everything has to be worked for.
What then is preventing the people to work harder in this political environment? Some seem concerned about political violence rather than the issues in the forthcoming elections. One mother said she wants her son out of the country to study law because she is afraid of political violence during elections. She is not alone. If the whole purpose of an election is to get into power through violence, then people are afraid to debate the issues affecting their lives.
What makes it worse is that there is no culture of debating issues on television or in the print media or on radio. People are not swayed by arguments on the issues but the threat of violence.
One top politician, when questioned on what his platform was for the forthcoming elections, said that he was not interested in the issues but on the removal of the present government. The same is true here in Zimbabwe. How can we solve the 101 problems this country faces if the wish is to get into power by any other means without selling the party’s programmes to the electorate?
The theme of this coming election should be how to get the means for people to better their lives and provide a better and efficient government service for the people.
Online Reporter