What is the role of the citizen?

By Dereck Tafuma

26 April 2015

What is the role of the citizens?

Is the Zimbabwean government taking advantage of a silent electorate?

Citizens vote government on the promises made during election campaigns. The winning party forms a government whose role is to fulfil the promises made. It is the duty of the citizens to hold government accountable to ensure that they provide public goods and services for an environment in which citizens thrive.

In Zimbabwe this role is left to the opposition parties which are then labelled regime change agents. Every Zimbabwean should hold any government accountable using the existing platforms to communicate that message. What I have is that there is blind support for the party in government by its supporters even though they also suffer the same consequences due to an inept government accountable to itself.

So what are public goods and services and why should government be held accountable? Public goods include roads, schools, hospitals, and telecommunications infrastructure. Services include education, health care, public transport, and telecommunications. Private enterprises can also provide goods and services in accordance with their business interests and are accountable to themselves or to shareholders for listed companies.

There are various platforms in place that citizens can use to interact with government to address issues in different parts of the country. Members of parliament are the first port of call. They should represent their constituents in parliament by presenting issues in their constituencies for debate and for the attention of the ministries involved. The reality is that MPs appear during the campaign and disappear to live in leafy Harare low density suburbs or farms until the next campaign. The public and private media has a big role to play in communicating both government's position and citizen concerns.

The citizens must use all platforms available to interact with government and find common ground. The government of Zimbabwe has made it difficult for such platforms to work but with new media citizens are spoilt for choice. Social media platforms have made it easier for individuals to communicate ideas and make proposals for solutions. Government should embrace this and listen to the electorate. Government should not use social media networks for mass surveillance but for the public good.

In conclusion, the citizens of Zimbabwe should hold government accountable irrespective of whether they support the political party that formed government. Substandard provision of public goods and services affects all citizens which is why we should all use our constitutional rights to hold government accountable.