By Tinashe Muzamhindo
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
Leadership is to accept reality, walk the talk, and address people’s concerns. Share views with others before rubber stamping hogwash material. Leadership is going to the ground, talking to the people, hearing their plight, and taking note of them. Leadership is humility, responsibility and also accommodating other people’s views.
Leadership should show maturity by accepting criticism and not seeing analysts and academics as their enemies. Leaders should be consultative and allow divergence of views and allow flowing of information smoothly. Leadership is God given, accompanied with wisdom and bring reality and confidence in people.
There is need for politicians to sit and discuss the way forward so as to save this country from further collapse. Injecting opponents with poisonous substances because they have touched real issues at stake shows how desperate leaders can be. Leadership is rubbing shoulders with the minority, the poor, bringing pro-poor policies, reaching out to everyone.
IS ZIMASSET A REALITY OR A POLITICAL GIMMICK
When ZIMASSET was introduced everyone had hope in the document not knowing this was just a mere political gimmick to hood wink people into believing the document. The truth of the matter is that the ZIMASSET document requires approximately $10.5 billion to fund.
There is a problem with Zanu PF leadership because they are out of reality and they have policy inconsistency. How can you implement such things without capital? They are concerned with pocketing themselves and making sure that their stomachs are full. In fact ZIMASSET is transforming their lives, looting ZIMDEF funds, ZESA and NETONE funds. In 2013 campaign they emphasized the need to create 2 million jobs and nothing has happened so far and the economy is biting them.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
The unemployment rate has reached unprecedented levels and no one cares much about what is going on. Reality will speak for itself. According to research done by Mcleans Mzumara (Professor Bindura University), people living under poverty datum line are 96.7% which is unexpected of. The problem is people who lie to Mugabe giving him wrong information of what is on the ground.
The truth of the matter is people are suffering. It’s high time leadership should stop politicking about the situation on the ground and begin to work for the people. Zanu PF promised 2.2 million jobs in 2013 yet they have only created up 3 jobs. Currently Zimbabweans no longer trust anyone because everyone is after his stomach and anyone can do anything to save himself from poverty and hunger.
The truth of the matter is people have resorted to vending activities and criminality particularly in urban places. What is shocking people is that the national leadership is pretending as if nothing is happening. The level of prostitution in this country has increased by 100% according to academics and analysts.
IMPACT OF POVERTY IN ZIMBABWE
A study research has been carried out on the issue of poverty and as we lament, ZANU PF and the entire leadership has gone below the belt by turning the whole citizenry into destitutes. Who cares? No one.
Most parts of the country have been seriously affected and most people have resorted to eating baboons in rural areas for survival. People are sleeping in shacks and the number of streets kids is rising at an alarming rate. My question will then be who will address these issues? According to research, Zimbabwean women living under the datum poverty line are 65% and most of them are vulnerable to HIV conditions and malnutrition. One of the goals of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is to eradicate poverty by 2030 but then it’s not an issue of just talking, real issues need to be addressed, we need a leadership which has people at heart.
PEOPLE DIE OF HUNGER AS POLITICIANS GO FOR A BANG IN OVER SEAS
Most of these politicians don’t care about people, but they only care for themselves and their families only. Most senior government officials, top Zanu PF elite, opposition leadership, civic society leaders and top executives will be hibernating in Hongkong, Dubai and Washington DC whilst back home the majority are suffering. Do our leaders care for the people? Most of these politicians who pretend to love people go to rallies driving the most expensive cars, top range vehicles whilst the majority will spend hours and hours waiting patiently for their leaders to arrive.
They call for people to attend rallies without anything to eat, after those rallies they go to places like Sheraton, crown plaza and Pandari lodge for dinner whilst the majority will have to travel more than 8 kilometres on foot. They sleep in comfortable houses whilst the ordinary people are squatting. These ministers are already booked in the most fancy, luxurious and expensive hotels in overseas which is contrary to their manifestos when they were campaigning for power.
PARLIAMENTARIANS ARE ENJOYING PERKS AND ALLOWANCES
The majority of our MPs have spent more than three years without attending to the needs of their constituencies. Many of them resurface only when it is time for elections. Previously I’ve stated that we need MPs with a university qualification so as to provide quality debates.
These opposition MPs have resorted to bringing funny jackets in parliament with national colours whilst the nation is languishing in poverty, some try to be funny by bringing under garments and funny stuff when there are real issues that are affecting the majority. We need to tackle national matters in a serious manner. MDC leadership should advise their MPs to preserve their dignity by bringing touchable debates and show their relevance by addressing real issues.
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal opinion as the Director of Mentorship Institute of National Development and Sustainability. MINDS is a civic society organization responsible for policy research, gender and development studies, public finance, sustainable development through Agriculture and rural development. He is also a consultant in Development and Capacity Development and Institutional Building. He can be contacted at [email protected]
