The Sunday Mail
Henry Makowa
And was it not disconcerting that these big bosses could not even make time to mourn with constituents when they lost a loved one, only making a show of grieving if they heard the President was visiting the bereaved?
If ever there is one thing that highlights the nationally and internationally accepted fact that Zimbabwe has entered a new era epitomised by democratic re-alignment of our body politic, it is the just-ended Zanu-PF primary elections.
The polls have seen several top party leaders and current ministers face unprecedented defeats at the hands of unknown political “upstarts” countrywide.
That such a large number of bigwigs were exposed to the democratic process of facing primary elections and then subsequently being overthrown is a stout fact that the revolutionary party has indeed entered a new age, rooted in democracy and the respect of and for all.
It goes without doubt that Zanu-PF under the old leadership was an opaque and a frozen institution which protected Cabinet ministers and top party officials from facing challenges in such a democratic manner.
But the current democracy levels must be commended as they exemplify President ED Mnangagwas’ vision of a transparent, egalitarian society in which public office is not a special enclave for the so-called top brass only.
But we have to pause here and ask: why did so many bigwigs fall so spectacularly?
The undeniable fact which answers this question is that many Cabinet ministers and top leaders of the party have a penchant for being poisonously arrogant.
It is something that was cultivated over the years as Zanu-PF and its Government under Mr Robert Mugabe, and infiltrated by ideologically undernourished individuals, became increasingly arrogant and unresponsive to people’s needs.
Many forgot that political power derives from the poor roots they treated with disdain.
We have seen for years how many of these bigwigs had no time for ordinary people and only opened their office doors to the wealthy.
They have a bad reputation of shunning appointments with the economically poor proletariat – albeit politically dangerous – subaltern members of our society.
They are clearly not accessible to the poor, totally making themselves unreachable demi-gods.
This, they do with the suicidal assistance of their politically immature secretaries who are so politically naïve that they think it is fashionable to block the public from accessing officials, the same public that votes and decides their fate come election time.
And was it not disconcerting that these big bosses could not even make time to mourn with constituents when they lost a loved one, only making a show of grieving if they heard the President was visiting the bereaved?
They only appear to be with the people when there are cameras present.
Voters see all this, and given democractic space will do what they did in Zanu-PF’s primaries.
They see the deceit and the arrogant postures of these politicians and they know when to play their card.
As a party of revolution; the people’s protector and defender, Zanu-PF must reorient its top leadership to know that the voice of the people is the voice of God.
They must learn to be humble and hardworking.
And now as the bigwigs lick their wounds, do they not find it ironic that it is their turn to beg for mercy?
