Many would view politics as a calling and not work. No job seeker would go to his prospective employer and address the whole company to vote for him by making speeches and bringing their team to ululate, dance and sing to convince the employer that they are the best person for the job.
They would not, for instance have a manifesto and run by such slogans as ‘God is in it.’ Yes, some job seekers do declare their religion on their CVs, but they would not then run with a slogan that goes ‘God is in it’ because they face the risk of meeting an interviewer who does not believe in God.
They would not, during the interview, throw insults at their opponents to say ‘Musoro wambuya vako’.
What is interesting is that these are processes of applying for the job of president or any other political positions that comes with a salary and many benefits.
Presidents and members of parliament are workers who are employed by citizens through processes that include addressing those citizens in rallies almost the world over.
They receive salaries and other perks such as cars just like any other employee in the workplace. They attend meetings to discuss and formulate laws and are expected to work for their communities and come up with projects in Zimbabwe specifically. This is work is it not?
Another very interesting and big point of interest is that these job seekers called presidential aspirants need supporters who are expected to vote for them and belong to their political parties if they are running as a party.
These supporters rally behind them and are displayed as optics by the campaigners to make a statement to everyone about their following.
These supporters do not attend rallies to listen to the presenter and indeed make up their mind about whether they want to vote for the speaker or not but usually go there as a supporter to sing, display their colours, and show off.
The speaker speaks in such a manner that they titillate the ear buds of the supporters to get all sorts of rounds of applause. They would then get regalia to show off and of course in some instances to make part of their wardrobes since most of those who have time to attend such rallies are the poor.
The supporters become members of the party and even get to register and receive cards and become card holding members and not just citizens who are looking for a leader to employ through votes.
Once they have become a member it is assumed that they will vote for the party they support and are a member of. They, however, do not receive a salary. All their pain, blood and sweat ends with their candidate being voted into power and forming a government, which under normal circumstances, is separate from the party they support.
In Zimbabwe, as we know, the party and government lines are blurry. It is not clear who is government and who is the party and what government can do that a party cannot do constitutionally.
It is not clear, after elections whether government is for everyone or just those who hold party cards.
The late president Robert Mugabe was once quizzed by the late vice president Joshua Nkomo, his nemesis then, about which organ of government was the most powerful, to which then president Robert Mugabe responded, ‘the central committee…’
Funny, but very telling in terms of where we are as a country regarding governance and such principles as separation of powers and other checks and balances that make fairness and justice possible.
Going back to the issue of the supporters getting almost no material benefits after running as foot soldiers for their candidates.
We will remember that in the previous election some were shot dead as they protested against their candidate’s loss which they believed was not a correct representation of the people’s wishes.
So, yes some have lost their lives defending their candidates so that these candidates become leaders and their party gets referred to as government.
This, if really considered closely has an element of abuse of citizens by political parties and political positions aspirants.
It’s a lot of work if you come to think of it, for one individual to just get a job, go the state house thereafter and enjoy the benefits that come with their job description.
In Zimbabwe, supporters do get little crumbs for holding cards and one wonders if the new parties fighting for power intend to form governments for all citizens and not just members of the ruling party.
After using their supporters as optics, will these new parties go ahead and say, now that the elections are over, we are going to form a government for the country to develop and lead all areas in our country?
Will they allow opposition politicians to lead the constituencies they have won and allow them to develop them?
It is clear right now for anyone interested to see that being an opposition member of parliament is just decoration.
It is a job for the MPs since there is so much lack of employment in Zimbabwe but a losing job that spends five full years with no clear deliverables.
It baffles the mind and defies logic that we have these opposition MPs continuously running for office only to protest for five years that they are not being given room to develop their constituencies.
So, what then is the logic for running for office? Most likely for employment and the pecks that come with the job of MP.
There has also been a plethora of presidential aspirants being followed by just one or two members of their families and friends, but they still run so that they enjoy the benefits of Polad. The benefits of Polad are tempting, said a friend of mine one day. These benefits do not translate to anything for the general follower or supporter but it’s all a game for the aspirant. They even get funders for such campaigns, for whatever reason.
Politics, therefore, as a workplace is a dismal swamp that seems to leave the general populace badly exposed to be used by those with political ambitions.
It would be prudent for Zimbabwe as we grow as a democracy to consider promulgating into law, things that protect citizens from working for T/shirts for example and just a lift to go to a rally and listen to someone they already like.
It would be interesting to consider laws around whether a political party can have members and supporters because this exposes the whole governance system to abuse.
Would it not be good for political parties to do their own campaigns alone and fund their own run the way any other employee writes their own CV?
- Bhekilizwe Bernard Ndlovu’s training is in human resources training, development and transformation, behavioural change, applied drama, personal mastery, and mental fitness. He works for a Zimbabwean company as human capital executive, while also doing a PhD with Wits University where he looks at violent strikes in the South African workplace as a researcher. Ndlovu worked as a human resources manager for several blue-chip companies in Zimbabwe and still takes keen interest in the affairs of people and performance management. He can be contacted on bhekilizweb.bn@gmail.com