The results of elections in Europe, most recently, in Italy – and to some extent, the United States (US) – have shown the steady rise in anti-establishment sentiments – whereby, people are rejecting mainstream politics, and opting for non-politicians to lead their countries.
People throughout the world are fed up with politicians, as they have proven time and time again, that they are greedy and selfish individuals, who do not care about anyone else, except themselves.
Politicians are just after the gratification and intoxication of power and to line up their own pockets with the nation’s wealth, whilst they could not care less where the people that voted them into office slept, or if they had anything to eat.
The bottom line is that politicians simply do not give a hoot about us, the ordinary people.
They merely regard us as fools and their tickets to power and riches – to them, we are just objects and tools to be used to further their own ambitions, and then discarded and forgotten until the next elections.
Zimbabwe is not any different – as we witnessed, with disenchanted hearts, the vicious and shameful infighting in most of the major political parties for power, whilst the ordinary people just watched, yet continuing to wallow in poverty, as no one cares enough for us.
Those in mainstream politics are more interested in who is in power; as they would rather spend most of their energies not to improve the lives of the suffering, but prefer fighting for dominance in their respective political parties.
Is it not shameful that those who claim to care for us in parties such as the ruling ZANU PF, and the opposition MDC prefer fighting for power, than fighting for the people of Zimbabwe?
For them, it is more important to attain, secure and consolidate their own political fortunes, than it is to expend all their energies on ensuring that the people of Zimbabwe have a better lifestyle, and are taken out of the poverty they have had to endure for decades.
Let us not forget that, one does not necessarily have to hold political office to improve the welfare of the suffering – so why do these people believe it necessary to prioritise political power over the welfare of the nation?
Remember, some of the greatest philanthropists were not politicians, but ordinary individuals who cared about other people more than they cared about their own welfare.
Here in Zimbabwe, I believe that the great Jairos Jiri did far much more for this nation than most politicians, yet he was just an illiterate domestic worker.
I would rather Zimbabwe had 100 Jairos Jiris, than 10 000 Mugabes, Mnangagwas, Nelson Chamisas, Thokozani Khupes, Tendai Bitis, or Welshman Ncubes – as this would be catastrophic for our nation.
Mainstream politicians have no excuse whatsoever for putting their own interests above those of the ordinary people, except that they have never genuinely cared for our lot, and will never care.
They will, of course, frequently come to us – as it is close to elections – and use us, as usual, whilst pretending to care for us – yet, all they want from us is our vote that will ensure that they enjoy the wealth of the nation, and we return to our suffering.
The people of Zimbabwe now have to wake up, and learn from the latest trends in Europe, and to a lesser extent, the US.
Mainstream politics is being rejected, as Europeans and Americans have wised up to these self-aggrandisement traits of politicians – and vote for anti-establishment non-politicians, such as the Five Star Movement and the League (formerly, Northern League) in last weekend’s elections in Italy.
The same trend has been witnessed in other parts of Europe in recent elections.
Europeans have been quick to realise and acknowledge that politicians are nothing but a bunch of greedy liars, who would sell their own mothers for some power and riches.
It is about time that we in Zimbabwe also quickly realised this fact and took action by choosing our own people to be in government.
We need to get together amongst ourselves in our own communities, and choose from our own – the suffering people – those whom we can vote for in the upcoming elections.
We do not need established political parties anymore – all we need is to choose from amongst ourselves who to vote for…it is as simple as that.
Those who are suffering with us understand better what we are going through, and since we would have chosen them to represent us in Parliament, they are answerable directly to us, not to a political party.
The people we have been electing over the past 38 years had their allegiances towards their political parties, and only used us so that they attain office in order to serve the interests of their parties and their leaders.
If you voted for a ZANU PF candidate, all it meant was that that person would serve his or her political party and its leader – then it was Robert Gabriel Mugabe, and now Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa – more than they would serve the ordinary people.
The same if one voted for the opposition MDC – the candidate would serve that party and its leader the late Morgan Richard Tsvangirai above all else.
We, as the voters, would just get the crumbs from their wealthy tables, so that we do not forget to elect them again in the next election.
These politicians would start – or continue – amassing riches at our expense, whilst we continue wallowing in poverty.
If we continue in this same model of politics, then we have no one else to blame, but ourselves, as we would have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are a bunch of fools.
As one very clever man, Albert Einstein once said, ‘insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result’.
For how long are we to complain that politicians are liars and are only out to use us?
How many times have we heard people say that their local Member of Parliament (MP) or councillor only remembers them at election time, but disappears soon after?
So, what are we going to do about it?
I am reminded of an abused wife, who is constantly beaten up by her husband, but stays with him – or leaves, but keeps coming back, hoping that he has changed, only to find out that he is still his old abusive self.
Let us not be like that, as there is always an alternative.
Government and governance is not limited to, or a preserve of, a certain type or group of people only.
Any one of us can be a president, an MP, a councillor, or a mayor – as the country’s constitution makes it very clear.
As such, we need to stop looking down on ourselves, and leaving our plight in the hands of those who simply do not care – and never cared – about us.
One does not need mainstream political parties or politicians for a better life.
We have the power to take full charge of our own destiny, and we need to fully exercise that power.
The ordinary suffering people of Zimbabwe have had enough of the shenanigans of these mainstream parties, and we need to divorce ourselves from them.
We ourselves know and understand our own suffering, and we are the best people to govern ourselves and take us out of that poverty.
Therefore, let us learn, adopt and adapt the European anti-establishment and anti-politics model of government, and get together in our respective communities to choose from amongst ourselves who we will send to Parliament to represent us.
We do not need to form any political party, as that will be going back to the old system, but those that we choose stand either as independents or we choose a name for them to simply use for electoral purposes.
Better results can be attained when our MPs and councillors are only answerable to the people that elected them, and not a political party and its leadership.
Let us now forsake the ZANU PFs, MDCs and all others, and elect to choose ourselves – as only we are the best managers of our own lives.
Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and speaker. He is the Programmes Director with the Zimbabwe Network for Social Justice (ZimJustice). Please call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, email: zimjustice@gmail.com. Please also ‘Like’ the ‘ZimJustice’ page on Facebook.
