EDITORIAL COMMENT: Politicians letting us down

ZIMBABWE’S politicians are a disappointing lot. It is often said that Zimbabwe’s notorious kombi drivers behave as if they were born out of the same womb; the same could be said of our politicians.

Zimbabwe’s politics is hardly centred on articulating bread and butter issues, which matter to the generality of Zimbabweans who struggle daily to put food on their tables. Neither does it promote nation building and unity across Zimbabweans irrespective of their race, tribe, religion and gender.

The brand of politics that has taken root in Zimbabwe is not just pathetic, but counter-productive.

It’s a brand that is steeped in hurling insults upon anyone who dares to think and behave differently and thrives on leading the electorate down the garden path through election promises that are never fulfilled.

With general elections  in 2018, Zimbabwe is already in election mode. Instead of tackling issues at the heart of each and every Zimbabwean, politicians are busy preaching hatred against opponents, which might ignite violence and instability if not nipped in the bud.

By the time we get to the much awaited polls, polarisation among Zimbabweans could have reach dangerous levels.

Thirty-six years into our independence, Zimbabweans cannot continue to blame colonisation for the backwardness that characterises our politics.

Across our borders, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and elsewhere, politics has matured to a point where election contests are considered as battles for ideas.

Zimbabwe can also take a leaf from the United States where electioneering is all about debating policy issues with candidates being accorded fair coverage to enable them to put their views across and defend their positions without resorting to violence.

What strikes outsiders is that there is absence of robust debate in Zimbabwe, which has more pressing issues.

We have allowed politicians to produce manifestos which are ignored the moment they assume power. Anyone who dares to bring them to account, is treated with contempt and violently silenced because our politicians are too sensitive to criticism.

The socio-economic crisis gripping the country is, in the main, a result of seeds of disunity sowed by politicians decades ago and have been watered, tendered, and fed with organic fertilisers over the years in the name of  advancing political agendas.

Charting a new course in our politics must start at the top with the political leadership across parties speaking and acting in ways that bring the divided nation together.

In the absence of a mature brand of politics, we might as well brace for tougher times ahead because we cannot expect to reap roses after planting thorns.