Please Zitto live up to your words

“You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time,” Abraham Lincoln. Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe (CHADEMA) is at it again.

If anything, Lincoln wisdom is exactly what’s going on regarding Kabwe. If I got it right, I must say. Truly, politics is a dirty game in which all tricks in the book and gimmicks can work. Given that Kabwe didn’t repudiate such news it is true that he’s scheming about staying in the game. Interestingly, there are those who think he fooled all of us that he’d resign from active politics come 2015. He even fooled some before saying he’d serve one term in Mjengo. After testing the yum Yum and goodies of being one of the high and mighty in the hunk, he jumped a smoking gun. He’s in his second term contemplating to run for the third and possibly the fourth.

Now that time is too close to call for his pitch, Kabwe wants to fool some of us saying that he’s contemporizing about rescinding his promise. Why? He says that he found that people’s destitution in Igalula and Sikonge constituencies needs him to continue getting more dosh!  What’s he done to alleviate this destitution in the first place? Are people in Kabwe’s constituency more affluent than those in Igunga and Sikonge he says he’s concerned about?  Methinks people abject poverty is a sign that he did not deliver. Is Kabwe using the same deceit many politicians use saying that “people wanted me to run?” ask them to mention or show you those people wanting them to run. They’ll start giving you hoo- has and all sort of lies.

 I’ve no dispute with Kabwe’s itch for more ulaji.  Why doesn't he expressly say so instead of gallivanting and mooching for the love for people he had nary loved? Again, why jabbering instead of keeping mum and eating your dosh sir?  Is it easier said than done? Is it another trick of gaining popularity or what? Point to note, people look for what’s been left out but not what one says he or she has done.

Seriously, I must admit. I admire Kabwe hugely especially for his courage of the mad. Looking at how he backed Kafulila as opposed to his party’s stance, it needed the courage of the mad so to speak. Again, he proved that he backs the winning horse. The other day Kabwe showed his political clout is when he accompanied President Jakaya Kikwete in various trips abroad. He didn’t bother with the fact that his party has always opposed Kikwete globetrotting malady.

Opposition as well as detractors have always blamed president Jakaya Kikwete for not living up to his promise of bring better life for all. Let’s now turn tables against those who condemn Kikwete for not living up to his word but act exactly like him--- not living up to their words.  The golden rule has it: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Again, politicians’ safest and strongest weapon is integrity. When integrity is amiss or shaky, count yourself as a political cadaver.  It doesn't take long for the constituency to unearth whatever public myth you’ve always employed to get away with it. Kabwe reminds me of his promise to name names of those who stashed our dosh in Swiss Banks. Sadly though, the man has always played ping pong as far as naming names is concerned. Tukueleweje mheshimiwa?

Moreover, sometimes abaft Kabwe became a threat not only to the ruling party but also his own party. It’s when he started eyeing presidency. He didn't only eye the presidency but also party’s ticket. Again, wise men sat down and put the jinie back to the bottle. Now that Kabwe wants more of representation of the wretched of the earth, such a move can’t be treated as happenstance or love of the people but love of oneself by using people. If I’d give you a nugget of wisdom, I’d strong say: Please Zitto live up to your words. Retire from active politics as you willingly and openly promised.  Failure to do so everything good you did ends up becoming zilch. Thus, let others try where you failed. There are many out there who can do better than you did. If anything, this is true democracy whereby one allows others to try where he failed.

Source: Business Times Nov., 15, 2013.