Someone once said, people get the government that they
deserve. I would go further and say that people get the political aspirants
that they tolerate, that they allow and that they choose to turn a blind eye to
by not participating in the voting process.
A curious question that has become a fad among Zimbabweans
as we approach election season is, "Well, who will I vote for?" This
is a common excuse for people who choose not to register to vote. They do not
see the point because the candidates before them are either 'more of the same',
deeply uninspiring or altogether not winsome.
This question belies a misunderstanding of the importance
of political participation. Widespread participation in the political process
means that more people are watching who is running for office, more people are
asking who is a credible candidate, more people are asking about the respective
candidates' plan for progress and more people are scrutinizing the motives of
those seeking public office. When more people are involved, the pool to choose
from improves dramatically because those with no record or a poor record and
those who have insufficient credentials end up falling through the cracks. All
things being equal, candidates of good quality and competence rise to the top.
Poor candidates are the direct result of a citizenry that
does not participate. When people do not participate, terrible candidates
manage to get elected because nobody is watching and nobody cares. It is a
chicken and egg scenario in the classic sense - except the apathetic citizen
comes before the terrible candidate. Why are we afraid to ask tough questions
of those who choose to run? Why are we so ready to offer blind support? Why do we
not run ourselves? Why are we so fixed on the problem of there being no-one to
vote for but completely unwilling to solve the underlying problem?
We forget too, that registering to vote is not just about
the Presidential election of 2018. It is registering to make your voice heard
for every election that comes thereafter. It is about forcing yourself to
consciously scrutinize who will represent you at local government level - who
will be responsible for fixing your roads and providing clean water to your
area. It is about knowing who your Member of Parliament is - who will
deconstruct complex legislation for you and who will place your views before
the august house on matters of national and societal importance.
It is about
who will steer the grand ship of this nation to safe harbour given the turmoil
of the last number of decades. When you choose not to vote or not to register
to vote, you are turning your back on your right to have your voice heard on
matters that will eventually become your daily struggle.
So instead of asking - "who do I vote for?" Ask -
what are the candidates offering? What is their strategy? Demand that they
align their agenda with yours. And if need be, throw your hat into the ring
having answered all the foregoing questions for yourself.
Finally, always ask - if I don't register to vote and I
ultimately do not participate in the electoral process, where will that leave
me? Will it lead to better governance, better services, a strong economy and
solid public health.
Or does it play straight into the hands of those who seek
to appropriate this country for their private benefit at the expense of the
public, to those who will pour champagne down the drain while you are
struggling to access tap water, to those who play political games with your
livelihood while you struggle to pay school fees, to those who will make poor
civil servants pay for their excessive gatherings to promote their personal
projects, to those who will charter your aircraft to fly around the world while
you can barely get a decent flight to Joburg...
Never forget who wins when the citizens lose the will to
participate. #BeTheChange #RegisterToVote. Advocate Fadzayi Mahere via Facebook
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