THE FAILURE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON BILL 7 IS NOT ABOUT CONTENT OR PROCESS – NEVERS MUMBA
The failure to reach some form of agreement on Bill 7 has very little to do with its content or the process surrounding it.
The truth is that there are deep seated trust issues between the government and the opposition. These issues have developed over time and have been shaped by various events and experiences under both the current and previous administrations. What we are witnessing is a classic case of political rivalry taking precedence over national dialogue and ultimately preventing national consensus at all costs.
To illustrate this point, even if the government were to announce that a major earthquake was imminent and that residents of a particular district needed to be evacuated, I am certain the opposition would neither believe nor support such an announcement. Instead, they would argue that the government was attempting to seize land under false pretenses.
This same dynamic plays out across many national issues where we fail to resolve what should be relatively simple differences in opinion.
At this stage, there is nothing either side can say to convince the other on the issue of Bill 7. We can debate the content and the process for another ten years and I still do not see us reaching agreement.
As a mature democracy, we must reach a point where we respectfully agree to disagree and allow the legislature to make the final determination.
After all, that is precisely its role.
Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba