VOTE ZANU-PF KLEPTOS AND MANIACS OUT
Chinofunga
Ndoga
For
a long time the complaint in Zimbabwe has been the thievery of state resources
by politicians from a party that still claims relevance three decades after
proving it has no business steering this ship. And the thievery has virtually
become an official exercise.
One
will recall a time when local papers splashed the now Defense Minister’s wealth
valuing it at billions of dollars, a time when the Zim dollar was considered
useful. Of course it was asked where the hell he got that kind of money
considering the salaries of government ministers were – and still are – public
knowledge.
Time
was the Kumbirai Kangais grabbed news headlines with allegations of sweeping
clean the national GMB silos.
Time
was when senior government officials claimed incredible disability gratuities
from the War Veteran Compensation Fund, some claiming up to 100 percent
disability, never mind they continued to occupy such lofty positions as
government ministers and top cops. Talk about equal opportunity and the spirit
of “disability is not inability!” If only that were true!
And
then it took the woman who bashed lawyer Gugulethu Moyo, screamed profanities
about then opposition gadfly Morgan Tsvangirai’s manhood, to be scorned for
Zimbabweans to get a look see into the wealth amassed by Constantine Chiwenga.
Of course Jocelyn deliberately and vindictively made the public claims in order
to shock and awe and prompt us to ask where the heck all that wealth came from,
considering the scorned woman knew the kind of bread the soldier brought home
on his salary.
And
then the Vice President Mujuru’s point man Sylvester Nguni’s domestic troubles
also became what let us in on the kind of wealth that has been amassed on what
would be a measly government minister’s salary.
And
then Ignatius Chombo who seeks to rival real estate don Donald Trump and his
stupendous wealth that only became public after a bitter woman who all along
enjoyed the same trappings at the drooling of “ordinary” Zimbabwean.
And
then Obert Mpofu, who does not need hostile domestic waters to have his wealth
splashed ostentatiously, owning prime Bulawayo real estate and big business
(acquired on the advice of Saviour Kasukuwere to borrow from banks, he says),
feeding 10,000 people on his “birthday bash” and seeks to put to shame the
wealth of your typical amoral African politician.
Of
course there are many more.
And
then Finance Minister Biti complains about the kleptocracy that has become
rooted in the diamond fields.
One
would think these are issues that would inform voters and determine how they
use their franchise, yet Zimbabwe offers many bad examples about how the
politics do not necessarily have to reflect the people’s sentiments. A
politician can go on looting the people’s wealth and still expect those same
people to vote for him! Crazy isn’t it?
If
the people decide they have had enough and show this through the ballot, these
same people are accused of being influenced by external forces who are imposing
Western models of democracy that are not applicable here! But you still have to
ask what culture under the sun has ever accepted thievery, what kind of voters
gleefully embrace the kleptocracy of
their leaders when this kind of behaviour is impoverishing millions.
It
should be quiet a simple exercise really to connect the dots, and it does not
need any racking of the brain: if people complain about lousy amenities, raw
effluent on their doorsteps because of archaic water and sewer systems, living
with the threat of disease every day, school children failing to be looked
after by the State, pensioners being abandoned by the State, if the people see
the brazen posh lifestyles of the political elites, surely the only way to
address these and other issues must be to vote for someone else. But then for
some reason, it does not work that way here.
A
politician is a devil’s quilted anvil. He fashions all sins on him, and the
blows are never heard. John
Webster, English dramatist
