VERNON Mwaanga says the bitterness and hatred he hears and sees among politicians makes him cringe.
He regrets that, “we have far too many reluctant democrats in high government and party positions, who are confused and who don’t seem to understand their roles in our hard won democratic dispensation”.
The veteran politician and freedom fighter said in a statement on the occasion of “My freedom day”, that history has taught people that every democratic government needs the stimulus of criticism to perform better.
Mwaanga said opposition political parties were supposed to serve as a channel for people’s discount.
“Experience has shown that this obviates the need to resort to outdated extra-constitutional measures, which don’t fit into modern Africa anymore. Looking at what is happening in the mature, progressive and stable democracies, they recognise the need for a stable opposition,” he said. “A free press is another essential hedge against abuse of power and rampant corruption, which has become a pandemic. The press needs more room in order to perform their duty of informing, educating and entertaining members of the public, while focusing on providing checks and balances to the government of the day and the political system as a whole.”
He said freedom and development were as completely linked together, as were chickens and eggs.
Mwaanga said without freedom, no one can get development.
“Without democracy, you sooner rather than later lose your freedom. Firstly, there is national freedom, which gives citizens the right to govern themselves and to choose their preferred leaders, without interference from their opponents or outsiders. Second, there is freedom from hunger, poverty and disease,” he said. “Thirdly, there is personal freedom for all of us as individuals, which gives us the right to live in peace and dignity with all others. We also have a right to freedom of speech, freedom to participate in making decisions, which affect our lives and freedom from arbitrary arrest, only because one utters words which annoy someone in authority.”
Mwaanga said to fully understand the depth of freedom of citizens, there was need for enlightened leadership.
He said leadership does not mean throwing weight around.
Mwaanga said it does not mean shouting at people and using state power and institutions to abuse them, “simply because they express a different view from yours”.
“As a people, we must learn the discipline of accepting the freedom of others to speak freely, without fear of intimidation, abuse and arbitrary arrest, for expressing contrary views. In genuinely democratic societies, the minority have a right to be heard without fear of retribution be it in parliament, city, town and district councils or as individual citizens. They should be defeated through sound arguments and not by threats or intimidation,” he said.
Mwaanga said in a democracy, both the governing parties and the opposition, must learn to tolerate each other’s views even when they disagree.
He said it should not be a question of treating each other as enemies, but mere opponents.
“A muzzled or emasculated press is a charge to freedom of expression and does the government of the day a great disservice. My freedom as an individual, should not interfere with the freedom of others. Regrettably, we have far too many reluctant democrats in high government and party positions, who are confused and who don’t seem to understand their roles in our hard won democratic dispensation,” Mwaanga said.
He said some of them think that splashing and dishing out K100 notes to an impoverished population was the way to end poverty.
“This is too simplistic and pedestrian an approach. Development is about people. It is about making sure that people have jobs, food, affordable public transport systems, shelter, clean water, sound infrastructure by way of good roads, good medical facilities with medicine in their pharmacies, and clinics, a good education system and a growing national economy,” said Mwaanga. “Political service is not supposed to be about self. It is about serving the people faithfully and with integrity. It is not about self-enrichment. A threat to freedom anywhere, is a threat to freedom everywhere. Let us not forget the millions of people who have never known freedom, because they are victims of human trafficking, who are still being kept as slaves in this 21st century. They are part of our common humanity. We should also remember the innocent men, women and children who are living in deplorable conditions of senseless wars. My heart goes out to all of them.”