Why political apathy is a damaging downward spiral for Tanzania

It is important to talk about this because our nation is heading towards elections, a crucial and decisive event that will affect our shared life and resources as a country for the next 5 years. For the most part right now, there is a lot of allegedly false politicking sparse all around the country, an issue that creates mistrust towards those who vie for public offices, their deeper motives as well as the future Tanzania they envision.

Politics should not be considered as far away from the people or as a no-go-area for common people. It should actually be a rightful engagement for everyone, with an assurance that opinions will be countered with better opinions, and not with bloodshed, and that those in public offices can be questioned by unwavering standards and called to accountability where need be.

Normalising fear and flight from engaging in politics as the safer option is of no good to us as a country. This is because everyone has the right to be heard and to be taken along in the affairs of the country.

Political apathy is dangerous also because it kills patriotism. People who once loved their country feel betrayed and hold back to care for other things and no longer feel the need to bring themselves up into politics given the existing imbalances and risks.

In the same way, political apathy comes with personalisation of political faux with politial institutions and persons in a way that is potentially damaging and vindictive. In recent times, for example, certain political personalities have died, yet people appeared to celebrate their deaths.

Such flourishing negative sentiments are a result of people being pushed to the wall with obvious zero accountability for lives of people said to have been disappeared and the political caricature that enveloped the comments of those who should even care more given the trust vested on them by those who elected them. The result is what we see where such inappropriate political comments given at times when what was needed was consolation are thrown back as if they are the normative response.

This is unfair to the dead, as it strips them of their rights and culturally accrued dignity as members of our society; but people will never grieve for leaders when serious matters are taken for granted and power is used as a tool of oppression.

When our political situation reaches a level of non-engagement where people refuse dialogue or any political action such as voting, we would be close to a historical destruction because people would begin to be violent and difficult to lead. A reversal from such a state of affairs would take many years and historical regret.

It is important that we remain within the provisions of our constitution, where no one sits above the law, and various governmental bodies retain their independence with regards to operation and jurisdiction, keenly observing the principles of fairness and justice.

It is also important to have matters investigated, especially now that the media feeds us with information from all over the country. When there are concerns such as corruption and rigging, breach of process, deceit, nepotism or family-oriented leadership, and many others, especially now that we are in elections, it is important for the appropriate bodies to prove to the public that they are built on integrity and can uphold justice and hold people accountable.

Integrity is not standing on podiums, looking smart, or/and giving soothing statements when the systems and structures remain deeply corrupt and unjust. True integrity ought to manifest in taking appropriate action to matters of concern to the people.

Unless that is done, political apathy will grow even deeper roots, a situation which in the long run gives chance to a few people to determine the affairs of the nation, and which compromises representative leadership.

Shimbo Pastory is a student of the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. Website: www.shimbopastory.com