By Francis Mufambi | It is common sense that a legitimacy crisis of a sitting government emerges when there is a relationship breakdown between the rulers and the ruled. In Zimbabwe the crisis is in sync with the Zartman theory. While it has never reached the ripe moment, at irregular intervals it approached climax point.
The current civil service Salary Crisis is a pointer to a crisis that is more likely to cause unrest and render your government absolutely illegitimate Mr. President.
Cde Mugabe, let me educate you on the exemplified political panoramas which ended up in violent clashes between the rulers and the ruled and in many cases the rulers lost the war. By analysis of social psychology as done by Scholars such as Heywood (2012), all government removals and overthrows are caused by a particular motivation. In this vein relative deprivation or in simple terms the inability for a government to meet rising public expectations leads to political instability.
In our national case, the expectation of benefiting from two million jobs, the expectations by civil servants to receive 13th cheque bonuses and salaries on time especially during the traditional December festive season can be the spark to the end of your long and increasingly unpopular rule.
It takes no rocket science to understand that public dislike of a government begins when the public recognises a weakness and tendency towards deliberate dishonesty in the affairs of government.
We have recognised that your government is a mere recycling system of tried, tired and failed politicians who have no snowball’s chance in hell to appreciate modern systems of governmental innovation and service delivery. We have realised that Mr. President, your personnel is simply a club of gluttonous piranhas who want to milk the proverbial cow until it drops dead to the disadvantage of the less powerful citizens. It is crystal clear that while you have done more harm to Zimbabwe ever since the day you took office you are oblivious of the image of decadence and failure staring back at you in the mirror and if left to your devices you will take this potential filled country to your afterlife.
These are facts which even your gardner will confirm to you and my humble submission is that you should avoid driving the country into destructive nationwide demonstrations that will destroy infrastructure and cause loss of lives.
If we are to delve into history books we can see where we are heading by what befell France and Russia. In France the ensuing fiscus crisis and economic woes as a result of conflicts with England coupled with severe droughts pushed Louis XVI to meet with State General authority creating expectations among the peasantry for reforms. Such an expectation and its failure to produce results was the reason for the revolution that saw Loius XVI and his extravagant Marie Antoinette ouster.
In Russia, the war she fought against Germany drained most of the strategic resources and fiscus, in the process worsening conditions of the general citizens. The rising expectation as a result of promised reform in the 44 years between 1860 amd 1904 led to the realisation of a weakness and in no time a revolution took place.
The main challenge Mr. President is that you are failing and have always failed to do an honest self introspection as well as an unbiased analysis of the manpower at your disposal and this more that anything else has made you the chief protagonist personally millitating against development.
Lets take for instance the present reality. You have taken your yearly leave and flown to the comfort and tranquility of Asian countries in search of better personal medical care or so the nation believes. But back home government workers have not been paid and thus can’t afford an ordinary chicken, rice and salad meal for Christmas. These are your direct employees as the head of state and His Excellency. Are you aware that almost all youths across the social strata are jobless as you take your vacation in the far east? Why dont you take your leave and go to Rural Zvimba by bus and whenever you want medical check up you visit Kutama Rural Hospital?
Mr. President Sir, Zimbabwe geographically and in terms of population is very small. This being an undeniable fact, why do we have such a big cabinet, parliament and security personnel. Are you aware that India on its own has a population bigger than Africa as a whole but it is run by one Prime minister and a cabinet less than that of Zimbabwe? Cde President, Costa Rica is performing very well as a nation without an army.
We have a problem with your penchant for seeking to please and reward your friends through duplication of ministries. It is shocking that a very country like ours which is beset by crisis of enormous scale can continue to have a Ministry of Primary and Secondary education, a Ministry of Higher and Tertiary education, a ministry of Psychomotor and a Ministry of Sports and Culture all of which can be collapsed into one ministry to save resources.
In short Cde President, I am saying Zimbabwe is becoming poor because of poor planning and stale leadership. Decisions which are made under your watch are not progressive.
It is good for the future of the nation and for what remains of your legacy as founding president for you to resign and stop holding the nation at ransom.
Please take a minute and listen to the voices of Zimbabweans and not those of the cabal which is holding you hostage, this includes your wife. They’re only interested in keeping you in office while they scheme and gain advantage in the race to succeed you. All of these have no consideration for the suffering masses or your legacy. I can assure you that given a chance they will be the first to deny you three times before the Jongwe’s third crown and if needs be deliver you to the justice system set up by the vapambepfumi.
I hope you heed my words Mr. President Sir
I fear that if you don’t then your grave will be spittle covered by future generations.
Francis Mufambi is a political science amd legal scholar writing in his own Capacity. He can be contacted at [email protected]