Cutting off the nose to spite the face

From BaZezuru, to resident of Suping to vendors in Gaborone, communities with an axe to grind against government have used the general elections as a cause celebre, hoping to bring attention to their grievances. In as much as some of these grievances are absolutely credible, the rationale behind the boycott threat is not only flawed, but more importantly betrays a deep-rooted fallacy within some sections of the electorate.

It is incorrect to believe that boycotting the general election will “fix” government or punish it in some way. In the latest incident as reported in our issue yesterday, McCarthy’s Rust residents resolved not to vote because government had not recognised them as a settlement due to their small population. Thus, McCarthy’s Rust residents believe withholding their participation on October 24 will send a strong message of their unhappiness with the Local Government Minister’s decision.