EDITOR — When I think of the struggle for change, Morgan Tsvangirai’s face pops up in my head because at one time he was the face of the struggle of change.
He was indeed the exponent of the people’s evaluative viewpoint. Note that I am speaking in the past tense.
This is because over the years I just feel like he has lost the plot.
The “Mugabe must go” mantra faded along with the zeal to remove him from the state house.
When Tsvangirai became part of the GNU, I thought seeing the two together (Tsvangirai and Mugabe) would be nauseating because they represented conflicting ideals.
After sometime, it however became clear to me that the differences between the two were quite marginal.
In both men’s parties, there is great unrest over the issue of succession, both men are accused of maintaining a stranglehold on power and a certain measure of ruthlessness is associated with their personalities.
When you have a rival with whom you end up being likened, then the battle ceases to be about removing one person and replacing with the other — it becomes a question of ideals.
How is Mugabe different from Tsvangirai and how does removing Mugabe and replacing him with Tsvangirai change things?
And most importantly what kind of change do we really need as a people? I figure that the subject of change is overrated because change occurs at every stage of our lives and almost everyday.
When you change clothes after work, when you get into a different commuter omnibus on your way home, when you greet a different person where you stay and when you eat a different meal.
Change would have occurred but it’s too inconsequential to draw your attention.
I believe the change we really need is in policy, political ideology, economic trajectory and guiding philosophy.
If a different leader comes and maintains the same policy as the former, there is no improvement and the change is a nonevent.
If a different Finance minister assumes office and the economy doesn’t improve during his tenure, then it was just old wine in new wineskins scenario.
As a nation we ought to look at the broader picture, the future is determined by decisions we make today but the effectiveness of those decisions hinges on our complete comprehension of their ramifications on us both in the short and long term.
They say an unexamined life is not worth living but an examined life without any improvement is not worth talking about.
If you examine yourself and do not change what was the point of doing so?
Real change should come from you, when you influence people towards a selfless and people-centred policy formulation trajectory.
D Zvemisha
Harare