Should sacrifice entitle people to power?

We still elect leaders based in their popularity or conspicuous consumption and not on their values.

"I suffered for Zimbabwe and therefore I am entitled to political power"; this has been the mantra that we have been hearing since the armed struggle and look at where it has led us. There is the belief that, because we have personally sacrificed for something, we are therefore entitled to positions of authority and political power regardless of our competency. For me, that is the reason why today, Africa is suffering from poor and incompetent political leadership.

Our case in Zimbabwe clearly demonstrates this, and we are even at a stage where individuals are refusing to let go, simply because they feel that they were appointed by God to cause the suffering that we have gone through. That is not acceptable.

In my opinion, as long as we think that sacrifice entitles us to leadership positions, we will continue to get people who may have the courage the confront situations and challenge the status quo, but are hardly competent leaders.

I have heard some really silly stories of why people think they are entitled to be elected. "I did this and that project so you must elect me" so said one lady I know. Others think that by giving out gifts and food at rallies, they are therefore qualified to lead.

This has shown me how politically backward we still are. For goodness sake, how can we give someone the responsibility to create our future simply because they started a chicken project or gave out air time vouchers at a rally? An example being the recent stampede recently at a rally in Highfield, where people where literally fighting for food hand outs, how shameful.

People like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi among others will always remind me of true leadership. They are people who sacrificed for principles and to the benefit of all without necessarily expecting to benefit personally, or to be worshipped for the role they may have played in causing change.

Of course, we have our own leaders here in Zimbabwe who deserve respect. These are the thousand of ordinary Zimbabweans who sacrificed during the liberation struggle but today are hardly heard of. We have war veterans who are mostly unrecognized today, who suffered tremendously during the war, but they were fighting for a free Zimbabwe and not for a position, how honorable. Unfortunately their sacrifices have been derailed.

As we move into a new political dispensation, we need to be circumspect on issues of leading our country into the next generation. We must be clear in our minds what personal values are required to lead a new Zimbabwe.

I worry a lot that our expectations will hardly be met, as long as we elect leaders based in their popularity or conspicuous consumption and not on their values. The kind of people who say "elect me because I did this and that for you" are most likely to quickly forget why they are power as soon as they attain this objective. This means that corruption, greed and non accountability will continue.

Zimbabwe does not need them.

Vince Musewe is an economist based in Harare; you may contact him on [email protected]

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