POLITICS OF BOOTLICKING AND PRAISE SINGING

I know of young people in my constituency and beyond who have tainted their vibrant careers with politics of patronage. Spending most of their time being hired to settle political scores that they have little knowledge about, just for a few bottles of opaque beer and a plate of isitshwala lamangqina. Shame!

On the same note, politicians especially those from Matebeleland have developed into hyperbolic praise singers, hero worshippers and seasoned bootlickers. Even some sections of the media have followed suit with their flattery and well choreographed utterances praising the leaders of the land. It is as clear as a pikestaff that this has become a survival strategy for many. They are singing for their supper while people they claim to represent are slumbering in a vacuum of poverty. They are concerned about furthering their nests and creating wealth even for their unborn children. Yes they see politics as their means for survival and it had become evident that they gained their enormous wealth through patronage. A cursory perusal on the list of politicians from the southern part of the country indicates that Obert Mpofu perhaps one of the richest people in Zimbabwe, Simon Khaya Moyo, who holds a very influential position in the ruling party, Jonathan MOYO, Sithembiso Nyoni, Kembo Mohadi, Absalom Sikhosana, Jabulani Sibanda, Angeline Masuku, et al have been part and parcel of a system of patronage where they have been rewarded handsomely for their deft services to such an extent that it has become unattractive for them to fight against the plight of their people.

I have had the privilege of attending political rallies, focus group discussions, press conferences, and other social and political gatherings where I learnt of the services that are offered some of our politicians varying from bootlicking, sycophantic praise singing and showering of often undeserved accolades to incompetent government officials. It is a sad reality that Zimbabwe has blindly fallen victim to hyperbolic praises and sychophathic flattery. Our problem as a region[Matabeleland] in particular and as a country in general can be summed up as leadership deficit. Zimbabwe has fallen victim to hero worshiping. Our leaders are driven by power politics and the exude a self goddess attitude. It boggles the mind how a young and enterprising politician can turn into a hyperbolic praise singer describing Tsvangirai Morgan Richard as a replica of a biblical Moses sent by God to liberate the people of Zimbabwe from political bondage. That is blasphemy. God forbid! I feel sorry for the young MP.

I also have realised that there is nothing tangible that policians from Matabeleland have done for the region even those from the opposition who served in the inclusive government except describing Morgan as a hero and a God given leader and pumping their leader with praises. Talk of Thabitha Khumalo, Thokozani Khuphe, Dorcas SIBANDA, Lovemore MOYO, Thamsanqa MAHLANGU, Joel Gebuza, Felix Mafa, et al.
Let me borrow the words of Christopher Dell;
"You can not have a serious leader surrounding himself with sycophants, bootlickers and pimps. Such leaders are bound to fail, and fall."