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Democracy is about tough choices
Luxon Zembe, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
March 13, 2011

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/opinion/28803-sundaopinion-democracy-is-about-tough-choices-.html

Should citizens be so scared of their own national elections like what l see and hear? Should we be told by other nations when and when not to hold our elections?

Should we be held to ransom by some greedy and self-preserving individuals who deliberately create chaos for their own selfish motives? Should we be so afraid of national elections to the extent of having paranoia and paralysis?

It pains my heart when I see citizens stripped of their rights and power, beaten to submit to unconstitutional manoeuvres or plots, and made to feel hopeless and helpless by some political malcontents.

There are no hopeless situations but only hopeless people who surrender their citizenship and constitutional rights to forces of evil.

Any system, people or individual who deprives bona fide citizens of their God-given rights and freedoms is a force of evil irrespective of their nature, appearance or origin.

The most resilient, brave and fearless freedom fighters were the mothers, fathers, boys and girls who fought and supported the armed struggle for freedom without guns or grenades in their hands. We should never demean their role.

We can-t be seen to be taking them back to evils of war. For our old folk in their twilight years, this is the golden time for them to enjoy the fruits of their struggle and the blessings of freedom and independence before they pass on.

Denying them this right and privilege is denying them true independence and freedom.

Coming back to the pending elections; there are two main likely scenarios; one driven by evil forces of violence, hatred, selfishness, one partyism, and the zero-sum game (shaisano).

The other scenario is that of a mature political and national democracy characterised by inclusivity, creation of democratic space for all bona fide citizens to exercise their rights and freedoms without fear or capitulation. It tolerates diversity, peace and unity of purpose.

Political ideologies are mere policy instruments to achieve a national shared vision or future. However, their effectiveness and efficiency differ according to the given situation.

Hence the need for the people to exercise their democratic right of choosing the ideological framework that they freely perceive as the best for them and our national agenda without fear, force or duress.
We have all had live experiences of violence over the last two national elections.

We have gone through the horrendous consequences or outcomes of such a scenario over the last eight years.

No one needs to educate or remind Zimbabweans- about it. It is evil and satanic. It devours and maims innocent lives. It destroys our economy. It destroys and consumes our hard-won wealth.

It brings curses, suffering and poverty upon all of us except the few perpetrators of the violence and their masters. In fact, its effects are worse than those of the Rhodesian regime.

Independence does not mean poverty to the majority and riches to a few chosen ones. It does not mean unemployment, deindustrialisation and loss of own sovereign currency. It does not mean loss of our national pride and human dignity whereby the best educated African brand becomes hewers of wood, garbage collectors and old age minders for the very same people who used to oppress and deprive them of their rights and freedoms.

If this does not bring sleepless nights and deeply troubled freedom conscience on our leaders, then shame on them. If this does not awaken us all to the evils of violent and intolerant behaviour, then shame on us all Zimbabweans. In business they say insanity is continuing to do the same thing or thinking the same way over and over again and expecting a different result.

We had a taste of the fruits of inclusivity during the subsistence of the GNU and GPA.

Within a month of it, the worst hyper-inflation in the history of this world was collapsed to below zero! Commerce and industry came back to life. Jobs were preserved. Food was back on our tables.

If the taste of such sweet outcomes of national unity of purpose and action and some democratic market policies cannot inspire hope and action in the right direction for us Zimbabweans, then shame on us.

We must reject leaders who promote violence, hatred and intolerance. We must categorically and fearlessly reject leaders who have no respect for human rights, citizens- freedoms and the sanctity of human life.

*Luxon Zembe is former chairman of Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce

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