A Cobbler to his last - JL Robinson

It has taken me a very long time to begin to understand why I generally have deep reservations about politicians. Stephen Covey has very clear guidelines about a business relationships (and other relationships) needing to be Win/Win - not Win/Lose. Politics is quite simply a Win/Lose game and mentality. That is what makes the stakes so high.

But Covey's words on applying silly policies in agriculture tend to sum up the situation in Zimbabwe.

"Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm - to forget to plant in spring, play all summer (chave
chimurenga?) and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest?(jambanja somebody else's crop)

The farm is a natural system.

The price must be paid and the process followed.

You always reap what you sow; there is no short cut."

It could well be that the politicians need to grab the nettle that Mugabe has used to prolong his stay and deal with it - the legality surrounding security of tenure or title in Zimbabwe. The longer that the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and their entourages dance around the real nub - legality of tenure - the worse the situation will become. There can be no meaningful progress for the country until this issue is resolved. At the end of the day we have a responsibility to hold the Prime Minister and his Deputy to account
- because, as of today - "they are the
government." If the President has indeed managed to deflect an internationally highly respected human rights lawyer to the Education Ministry - "to testing toilets at Tengwe Primary"- then we need remind these politicians that they have been hoodwinked again
- like Joshua Nkomo was. We simple, humble, peasants of the soil need to remind them of the importance of the saying "A cobbler to his last." When the legal brains available - apply themselves effectively in their field, and focus on the issue of legality with some clear visionary thinking to build on a solid legal foundation - then we will have found first gear instead of reverse. Until then, we can hardly take "this process" at all seriously apart from the mess they are all making by playing cat and mouse. We need to remember that the events of 11th November, 1965 culminated in an event now approaching its 30th anniversary - on 11th December, 1979 the BBC said "Rhodesia reverts to British rule - Lord Soames appointed Governor."

Covey might say "the legal process was followed."

To think that cobblers or lawyers could be instant farmers is as silly as thinking cobblers and farmers could be instant lawyers - but Covey has explained just how ridiculous Zanu has been with "Farm Zimbabwe" and "the process." Zanu would like Chinotimba to be Minister of Law and Order!

J.L. Robinson