Who needs experience to ruin a country?

There is talk about lack of experience for some of Swapo's chosen 'pot' candidates. Honestly now, who needs experience to destroy a country? What education is required to mess up?

History is full of very educated people who, as leaders, ruined their countries. One sign that experience and education have nothing to do with politics.

This is why nobody is required to submit an application for a governmental ministerial job. Or for the state presidency. There are no interviews done.

In most cases all one is required to do is outdo the other person vying for the same post. It does not matter how the race is run. Intimidation. Character assassinations. Threadbare lies. Underhand dealings. Anything as long as the race is won.

If there were interviews done, would Jacob Zuma of South Africa have passed such an interview? As what? To do what? We all know how Julius Malema pushed for Zuma's ascendancy.

Maybe and most probably, Michael Sata of Zambia would also not have made it. Maybe and maybe, President Hifikepunye Pohamba would also never have made it. Even Joseph Kabila of the DRC would not be there. All of them. But they did. And are.

And maybe, just maybe Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe with his bagful of degrees would have made it. But again look at what he has done to the country and his people.

This is why talking about experience in politicians is like looking for virgins among sex workers. You will not find any because politicians and sex workers have one thing in common – hard-doing everything in sight. It does not matter how they do it as long it is done. And both do it very well such that when they are done, anything left intact is fortunate.

This is what Mugabe – with his bagful of degrees – and a cabinet full of experienced politicians have done to Zimbabwe. Once the African jewel. A virgin at independence in 1980. An inspiration to many. An education system that sits atop continental lists. An example of reconciliation.

President Robert Mugabe. Very well educated. A bag of degrees. Articulate. Thirty-four years experience as a leader. A teacher. A guerrilla leader. A prime minister. A president. Attended several conferences over 35 years. Gained more certificates of attendance.

The politicians. Thirty years experience. Most of them. Been shuffled from one ministry to the other. Jacks of all trades. But masters of none. Sat in while making laws. Amending some. Repealing others. Even laws they had no idea of.

Zimbabweans. Very educated. Sought after experts. Undoubting performers. An unfaltering determination. A people that refuse to go down with the economy. Smiling even when the pain bites deeper. Limping along on one leg. Eyes set at tomorrow. Most are polite. But we have been shat on big time by our well educated and experienced leaders.

If indeed experience matters, Mugabe would be the best leader in the world. For leaders are measured by what they do and do not do for their people. Zimbabwe, the most developed country on the continent. Zimbabweans, the happiest people in the world. The Zimbabwean economy, bursting on the seams with surplus money and goods.

But nay, with all his education and experience, Mugabe gropes. Stumbles. Blames. Accuses. Thinks he is right. That there are forces against him. That he will prevail. He is unaware of the sinkhole he has dug for the country and his people.

Mugabe blames sanctions and not corruption. He accuses the West except himself and his lot that loot at will. They plunder as if there is no tomorrow.

With all their experience, Mugabe's ministers sit oblivious of the decay enveloping them. They sleep in their graduation gowns while half the population has fled. They are unaware that the industries have gone dead quiet. That the country is on death row.

Today, we most of Mugabe's children are refuges across the globe. Even in Iceland. Fleeing a ruined country. A mauled economy. A country run on borrowed currency used to buy imported commodities.

Aye, we Mugabe's people, educated as we are, scattered all over the world wonder what happened. Wandering lost in time and events. Seeking relevance. An assurance that somewhere humanity still exists. Disbelieving that such experienced and well educated leaders can ruin such a beautiful country.

Aye, we Mugabe's people, experienced as we are, could not do anything to stop the educated and experienced politicians from messing up the country. Eating up the economy. Hard doing us.

Aye, for all what has gone on. Going on. Will go on, Zimbabweans will still vote for the same people. Even when it is clear that the 2,2 million jobs promised last year, not a single one has been created.

The same old men and women will still be there – using their wrong experience to destroy the country. And the educated ones will still be running to vote and defend them.

So never fool yourself, politics has never been about experience and education. It is purely a dumb business. - This article first appeared in The Namibian.