I know Zimbabwe's democracy has been teetering and staggering for a long time. However as of this moment I believe, it is not in intensive care, but in the mortuary.
While Zimbabweans leaders go through the mechanics of democracy, they do everything to make sure the spirit of democracy is defeated. The way the ruling party and the opposition have conducted their internal elections makes it blatantly obvious that none has the democratic spirit at heart.
I do not know if people have noticed the congruency of methods how Tsvangirai eliminated his challengers before the MDC congress and How Mugabe is eliminating his own before the Zanu-PF congress.
Tsvangirai was declared the only presidential candidate long before the MDC congress. Mugabe has similarly been declared the only presidential candidate. Any suggestion that the leader be challenged is treated as treasonous disloyalty warranting severe penalty including expulsion from the party.
The reason why democracy is dead in Zimbabwe is not just Robert Mugabe, but the political culture. Leaders give themselves absolute power like chiefs and village heads. Once a chief always a chief, is the mentality. As they say you can take the African out of the village......
Challengers, perceived, real or potential - are harassed, haunted and intimidated, often violently. Rather than waiting for the elective day for the outcome of the democratic process no stone is left unturned in the effort to make sure the outcome is pre-determined.
Steps are taken to ensure that there is no viable alternative on the elective day. The brave are eliminated while the remainder are cowed into singing praise tunes for one person. What is the purpose of holding an elective congress, if you already know who you want to be leaders?
For a long time I had hoped that since the systems for democracy are in place, Zimbabwe's democracy would grow. My hopes are in vain. Despite the gains brought by the liberation war, democracy is in serious regression in Zimbabwe. A leadership culture that fosters democracy is simply absent from the body politic of the country.
I have been watching the unfolding Zanu-PF leadership tussle with keen interest. What depresses me is that the debate has not gone beyond personal attacks and insults. None of the contestants has presented a coherent case on how they see the future of their party and our country. To me that is a sign that leaders are not thinking beyond themselves.
Claims are now surfacing that some have been visiting witch-doctors and prophets to enhance they chances of landing leadership. That should not surprise anyone. African leaders are well known for seeking supernatural intervention to guarantee their ambitions. Nigeria's TB Joshua had been a very popular destination until his building collapsed. Morgan Tsvangirai and Malawi's Joyce Banda visited him several times.
Perhaps an indication of the levels of selfishness is that none of these leaders ever visits prophets and n'angas to ask for better fortunes for their country. It is always about better fortunes for themselves.
There are a number of serious developmental issues dogging Zimbabwe. These are not being debated. Not once have I heard anyone mention the poor state of national roads, the potholed urban roads, the collapsing health system or the persistent blackouts. These issues were not discussed in the Zanu-PF leadership tussle nor in the preceding MDC leadership tussle.
This suggests that those seeking leadership in the country do not have any ideas on how they want to solve these things.
Maybe I have been too optimistic. What sort of ideas should anyone seriously expect from people who believe that diesel will just flow out of a rock to solve their energy supply problems. People clearly do not know that they need to have meaningful ideas on how to develop a country apart from visiting a witchdoctor or a prophet and then hope that everything else will just fall into place after that.
I also doubt that such people have got any idea on why democracy is crucial and how to foster it in a country.
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