POLITICS deals with the administration of societal affairs through promoting harmonious and progressive interpersonal interaction among the people towards a peaceable co-existence in adapting to the environment.
So, basically, the role of politics is to create, provide, maintain and develop an environment where people interact in a way that respects the values of fellow human beings through the freedom of making choices out of an informed mind. This is basically done through devising, promoting and respecting the rule of law as enshrined in a constitution that is adaptive to the ever changing times.
Based on this reasoning, Primitive politics is when the mechanisms that are being adopted for the administration of human affairs are no longer relevant and effective in addressing the contemporary societal challenges.
The economic situation in Zimbabwe is a typical product of primitive politics since it is continuously degenerating as characterized by an increase in company closures, perennial water and power shortages as well as the constrained cash circulation. This is then compounded by unprecedented and alarming levels of political immaturity being showcased by politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties.
The active political players in Zimbabwe have displayed the least attention to solving problems bedeviling the economy as has been shown by the shocking revelations of corruption and power struggles. When politicians are busy on each other’s throats in an attempt to assume power and to block the exposure of corruption, it means there will be no one to create, promote and protect a conducive environment for interaction.
In this case there is no longer any justification to respect these politicians’ academic qualifications and experience anymore since they are now irrelevant to the contemporary Zimbabwe. This therefore confirms the notion that when the information that you learnt and accumulated is not able to help you solve real life issues it means you are merely a conduit of error and a reservoir of ignorance regardless of your academic qualifications.
The majority of active political players on the Zimbabwean political landscape have very limited understanding on the anatomy and dynamics of the contemporary institution of governance as displayed by their non-progressive approaches. Their primitive, redundant and irrelevant political philosophies are generally a result of Political Illiteracy and Vague Information and Communication Mechanisms.
Political illiteracy is generally the failure to read and interpret the political signs and symbols especially those that constitute the roles, functions and responsibilities of the government institution in the ever changing times. Zimbabwe’s politicians still have the primitive belief that politics is about the demonstration of power, superiority and dominance; thus they devise laws that entrench power in themselves rather than creating a conducive environment for interaction. They fail to realize that politics is merely a consequence of division of labor rather than the surrendering of fate into the hands of others.
When access to real information is being limited by imperialistic and colonialist legislation it means the people will take long to respond to opportunities and threats thus making them to miss out on both ends. In Zimbabwe, the main media channels have for a long time, and even up to now, been congested and blocked by political propaganda, which means that people are made to follow fake opportunities and guard against fake threats.
This results in the depletion of resources and the worsening of the standard of living as people will be investing their hard earned money and energy based on wrong information. If interaction is determined by a non-adaptive laws it will interfere with co-existence and this means that some people will not be afforded an opportunity to access resources and exercise their rights and this makes it difficult for them to survive.
When people are given the relevant information concerning opportunities, their security and the feedback on their concerns they are likely to make long term plans which therefore keep them occupied and thus promoting development. The various national laws and bylaws in Zimbabwe are non-progressive since they safeguard redundant administrative mechanisms at the expense of the people.
Unfortunately, according to the law, there will be institutions that are set up and there will be people in those institutions (police and judges) who are paid to monitor, safeguard and even enforce these archaic and irrelevant administrative mechanisms.
When the law determines and enforces a non-relevant communication platform which make it difficult for societal issues to be discussed and to be addressed efficiently and effectively it means the economic situation will get worse. This therefore shows that the same law will be automatically but subtly providing a protective and conducive environment for the flourishing of poverty in the community as is clearly demonstrated in Zimbabwe.
Brian Kazungu is a Christian, media practitioner, IT administrator, entrepreneur and an opinion leader. He can be contacted at kazungu.brian@gmail.com and @BKazungu-Twitter