The Sunday News
Nqobile Tshili, Sunday News Correspondent
POLITICIANS need to be educated as the enemy they are dealing with has become more sophisticated and tactfully consulted experts in the field of politics.
The Minister of State for Matabeleland North Affairs, Cde Cain Mathema, said this on Thursday in Lupane where the province was commemorating the Day of Prisons.
He said it was sad that some of the country’s political leaders were not educated yet they hold positions of influence. Cde Mathema said education was key as the dynamics of politics are always transforming.
“You can’t have a politician who does not understand political science and history. Politicians need to understand political science and history. You need to practise research based politics because the enemy has become more sophisticated and relies on research from political scientists before crafting its plans,” said Cde Mathema.
“Once you hold a position of power go to school. Party leaders such as MPs and councillors must go to school. We can’t have leaders that are not educated.”
He said some of the uneducated politicians were retrogressive as they were sceptical about those who want to bring development to their areas. Cde Mathema said education in political circles has been made a taboo subject with uneducated politicians stigmatising the learned ones. He said most of the country’s founding nationalists were educated citing that most of them comprised teachers, lawyers and the clergy.
“Leaders need to be educated. We want to see leaders of the Youth League going to schools to teach the children. But how will you do that when you’re a Grade Five. How do you address the children?” he said.
Cde Mathema’s calls come at a time when Zanu-PF has embarked on Herbert Chitepo Ideological College where party leaders are being taught the country’s history and party ideology.
The college started with MPs who were conducting their lessons every Parliament session on Wednesdays in the morning.
The lessons have cascaded to provinces with Matabeleland North Province expected to have its teachings between 6 and 9 of this month.
Cde Mathema challenged members of the public to stop fearing politicians whom he said are nothing without the people.
He said he believed that members of the public fear politicians yet they put them in those positions of power.
“We didn’t get to positions to ill-treat people but to serve them. I sometimes get the feeling that people fear us. That’s where you hear people calling us abadala (elders) but in the party we’re all comrades, brothers and sisters and we should call each other that,” he said. — @nqotshili
