Zanu PF’s candidate for the Pelandaba -Tshabalala Constituency in the February 3 by-elections, Joseph Tshuma, says people must collaborate with the ruling party to push for development.
In an interview with CITE’s The Breakfast Club, Tshuma stated that if he is elected as an MPhe will be able to articulate the challenges that people in Bulawayo face and will push for solutions.
Tshuma became MP for Mpopoma-Pelandaba in June 2015 after the MDC-T recalled Bekithemba Nyathi for joining the MDC Renewal Team.
He is now running again after the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) MP for Pelandaba -Tshabalala, Gift Ostallos Siziba, was recalled.
He dismisses the notion of deliberate marginalisation, attributing regional challenges to the election of passive representatives.
“I always thought that the government deliberately doesn’t want to develop Matabeleland until I discovered that no, it is the people of Matabeleland who send mute people to Parliament,”
By mute, Tshuma said the elected MPs “go sit and keep quiet in Parliament.”
“Are you aware that some MPs have gone there for two or three times, about 15 years and have never said anything? They simply don’t care but are job seekers,” he claimed, adding some elected officials go to Parliament to reap the benefits.
Tshuma urged the electorate to prioritize vocal and proactive leaders for effective regional development.
“In terms of development, all those ministers there are MPs and have their constituencies. When there’s that cake of development, they will want to pull it to their constituencies. It takes a strong MP from Matabeleland, Bulawayo or wherever to say, ‘no, no minister you can’t take everything, we also want something,” said the MP aspirant.
“The minister will say ‘sorry’ and let something come and trickle this side as well. That’s why I say development has to be demanded and sought after. It will not just come. If you wait and say, ‘it’s the government’s mandate to develop Matabeleland and if they don’t, we are going to crucify them,’ you are playing!”
Tshuma added: “That’s why we have MPs in Zimbabwe’s constitution. They are to represent you and talk about issues that affect you at grassroot level.”
It seems Mr. Tshuma has his head buried in the sand and he wants the constituents to do the same. Nothing to see here. Blame the victims. There’s nothing new that he is offering. If it is true that the MPs that represented the constituents in Matabeleland were going to parliament to “…go and sit and keep quiet…” in what he dubbed “…passive representatives…” what exactly did he do when he was elected in 2015? Wake up people! Americans have a saying, “You can dress up a pig and put lipstick on it, but it still is a pig”, meaning making superficial promises is a futile attempt to disguise the true nature of what is being promised.