History, progeny shall judge BDP MPs harshly.

| Friday June 24, 2011 00:00

It is allegiance to the nation that they will not betray the people who voted for them. And so our current crop of Ministers and MPs have pledged this to the nation and it is only fair to expect them to deliver on their promise.

The media, the civil society and all citizens have a right to and should hold these representatives accountable. In the presence of a strong opposition and/or civil society, the media as the mirror of the nation has to articulate the nation's concerns. In this country the private media plays that role.  We have said it many times and will keep warping around it for as long as we need to: democracy, respect for human rights, and some of the pillars that shaped this nation such as botho and consultation have been dumped. It is moot to discus any national concern without opening doors for dialogue, as is increasingly the case. It is wrong when force is used unnecessarily and people are murdered. The Kalafatis murder is a case in point. It is wrong when government refuses to sign important international right-assuring instruments such as the SADC Gender Protocol. We say it is wrong when people are dismissed willy-nilly - as in the case of the DBES directors, only for government to settle out of court and use the taxpayers' money to pay for its carelessness. It certainly is wrong when government issues ill-thought directives from time to time and takes away people's liberties and rights. We cannot afford to remain mum when we see our country going the direction of many failed African states.

And so we believe politicians equally should not remain silent. We have heard and know the position of the opposition MPs.  They are against it all. But they are very few in number and could not alone bring about change.

That leaves BDP members of Parliament... the government. Sadly in spite of all the criticism and debate around issues of concern government remains unshaken and determined in its push to erode civil liberties. Most of its MPs have crawled into their shells and are on mute mode.  The recent strike by public officers and the manner in which government dealt with it, and its decision to include teaching and veterinary workers among essential services workers - without consulting them is an indication of just how awry things have gone. Today there is much apprehension in the air.  The nation is unsure about tomorrow. People do not feel safe when they express opinion. BDP MPs must know that some things in life are inevitable. Among these are change and history. Even if BDP MPs keep silent and it is 'every man/woman is for himself', change will still come. Those who sit on the fence too should know that change shall come. In the end history shall judge them harshly who preferred cowardice and self-interest over national interest. And so shall the progeny of them that betrayed their oath and the nation judge them.

                                                  Today's thought

'Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty'.

                                                         - Plato