Editorial
Whether he had presidential ambitions when he joined politics, we are not sure, but what we know is that the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe has been good-naturedly in the periphery of the presidium for many decades. He was ever at ease with the positions and assignments allocated to him by his superiors.
That patience saved to mould a calibre of the President that Zimbabwe is proud to have today. He has been in the corridors of power, learning one or two tricks from his superiors. He did not only learn from those who were on the throne of the presidency but also learnt from some mistakes that he is mending today. Think of opening Zimbabwe to business and the re-engagement efforts after more than a decade in quarantine.
Even at a time when his turn to lead drew close, he watched unwearyingly while some vultures snatched the baton stick from his clutches. Today he is the president who has managed to change the perception of those who had severed relations with this nation. We have increasingly witnessed a paradigm shift from the west, who traditionally bankrolled anyone who opposed Zanu PF. The MDC has been complaining about this shift in relations.
Everybody has his own time that must not be jump-started, lest you make some regrettable political boobs. This is the lesson that the youth of Zimbabwe must learn, be they from the opposition or from the ruling party. While generational integration is the new desired political formula, the youth must respect the elders the way the likes of the then young Emmerson Mnangagwa et al, respected their elders in the mould of Hebert Chitepo and others.
The MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa is one person who must learn to be patient for it is virtue in politics. Age is still on his side and he would do better if he gives himself a little bit of time to learn the ropes from the elders. He seized power from Dr Thokozani Khupe, Morgan Tsvangirai deserving heir. Dr Khupe was unanimously elected at the party’s elective congress, thus, according to their party’s constitution; she is the legitimate successor to Tsvangirai.
If ever Chamisa is to pose a serious political challenge to the incumbent, maybe 2023 can be the year. By then, Chamisa would be 45 and probably mature enough to present himself as a serious presidential candidate. This is, however, must not be misconstrued as a ploy to shut out the youth from the corridors of power. The presidential position calls for a mature and sober person due to the sensitivity of the responsibilities the holder of that position is expected to undertake.
Sparing an hour to attend Chamisa’s rally will leave one in total agreement with the arguments being advanced here. Most of what Chamisa promises the electorate is pure hogwash that betrays his immaturity. Even BBC’s news anchor, Stephen Suckur had to tell Chamisa in his face during a grilling interview, that he was making electoral promises that were nonsensical.
Chamisa seized power in February and four months down the line, he wants to be the president of this nation. That miracle ceased to happen during the era of Jesus Christ. It is folly of him and his gullible followers to tell the whole world that they would not accept any results that are not in their favour. One wonders what Chamisa has done in the four months that he has been illegally in power, to guarantee him a whitewash.
The young leader must first all learn to lead a small institution such as the MDC Alliance or a constituency such as Kuwadzana East. As it is, the youngman has failed on both fronts. There is chaos within the party that Tsvangirai left intact and there is mayhem in the alliance that Tsvangirai formed. Entrusting the whole country to an individual who is failing to run small institutions is treacherous.