Chronicle Editor
Stephen Mpofu
Perspective
BUT contrary to this discourse’s heading above, gurus of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) must hang their now no doubt beleaguered heads for their dismal failure to supply local Government ballot papers in time to various constituencies, most of them urban, and thus compelling President Mnangagwa to issue a Statutory Instrument extending voting originally scheduled for Wednesday August 23, a public holiday to Thursday for completion of the harmonised elections.
Economic and other national development projects became casualties as workers who failed to cast their ballots during the Wednesday holiday, returned to polling stations to fulfil their national voting mandate while behind them development suffered as a result because of ZEC’s sloven commitment to duty.
But surely ZEC must have known the precise numbers of voters, say in Metropolitan Harare and even in other areas to have adequate ballot papers delivered in advance of the polls, or is an I-DON’T-CARE attitude by ZEC leaders something on display here?
Under the circumstances, therefore, lavish praise must be heaped on Zimbabweans for displaying their unflinching commitment to the country’s electoral processes by not venting their anger at the delayed voting through anger expressed in violent protests as external, particularly imperialist enemies of our beloved country would have wished for, to declare our electoral process not free, fair or transparent, in order to continue their illegal economic sanctions against the incumbent Zanu-PF Government for reuniting our people with their land usurped by foreigners in colonial Rhodesia.
The peace prevailing during the two days of voting must continue, after all the electoral results have been announced, regardless of who, or which party, is triumphant when all the votes are tallied.
The reason for peace, tranquillity and unmitigated love, must continue as Zimbabwe will remain one landmass for future generations after most or all of us are gone and should therefore not be annexed neo-colonial by self-anointed human gods from beyond many waters.
It thus behoves on those defeated in the elections just gone by to emulate the example set by former Norton Constituency Member of Parliament Mr Temba Mliswa who was man enough to openly announce without vengeance his loss to CCC’s Mr Richard Tsvangirai in the elections.
Other MPs or councillors defeated in the elections must not become a laughing stock but deserve to be complimented by the public for the roles they played before surrendering to their new conquerors.
Which is what the philosophy “A country is built/developed by its own people’ means — exchanging roles peacefully to take a country forward politically, economically and socially in unity, peace and tranquillity.
Therefore, in a nutshell this discourse especially to cocked ears of international election observers still around in our country, all aspects of development in Zimbabwe as well as in other developing countries on the African continent should be informed, nay, driven by the revolutionary ideology that for sixteen years nourished the armed liberation struggle which gave birth to the independence and freedom that we in Zimbabwe and other free African states enjoy today.
Which in essence means that no neo-colonial bridles in the hands of foreign imperialists but illumination by Uhuru MUST guide us here in Zimbabwe as well as other self- liberated brothers and sisters on the African continent into brave new futures.
Online Reporter