Caustic rhetoric spoils expectations
We have many expectations stacked against the good faith of politicians with deals, and backs to protect.
Given the caustic rhetoric that is beginning to emerge from the incumbent following the political agreement, it is unfortunate to say that we are going to be in the doldrums for sometime to come.
The fact of the matter is that our politics, particularly that which is purveyed by our so-called liberators needs to undergo a paradigm shift.
This moment of opportunity appears to be slowly dimming, and one needs not look too far that the streets to get the opinion of the people.
Many people that I have spoke to see no real hope or change emerging from the political deal; the signing itself was an event but the process requires a shift in approach.
Instead, President Robert Mugabe has been labeling the whole event a “humiliation”. That is straightforward to show any right-thinking person that this whole thing was a farce.
The challenges facing our nation state are many: for example, as I write, many schools in Zimbabwe do not have any teachers. Children are just going to school to bask in the sun, that is if they go at all. A teacher’s salary is enough for only two bus rides. The situation is pathetic to say the least.
And any rhetoric that is caustic, that does not seek to move us forward is highly dangerous for long-suffering citizens of Zimbabwe.
Rhetoric is the foundation of nation-building. Nations are built upon words. As writers, its important that we remain aloof of all of all the political chicanery; in other words, we must observe it from a distance in order to produce narratives that are critical or celebratory. We must desist from being hoodwinked by political processes that are mere fodder for media outlets.
I must not saying that art cannot celebrate; it must, but it should not be propaganda. When art reduces itself to being a tool of propaganda its role becomes sterile in society.
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That’s true Masimba. It’s a dire situation here. Right now Mugabe is off to the UN and we still have no cabinet. This may turn out quite disappointingly for everyone involved.