Monday, 23 July 2018

Chipinge District Candidate Profile Series #8

Name: Canfred Pambuka Sithole

Party: National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)

Beliefs shape a person's socio – economic and political view and that affects their character, their treatment of issues and relationships. It is just one part of understanding a political candidate. Canfred Pambuka has been with the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) since its inception rising to be a key member of the organisation’s National Taskforce.

He was a representative of the residents in the National Taskforce and was responsible for educating them about their legal rights and obligations, and incorporating various residents’ views into one common vision. He has an understanding of the needs of the residents that involve social and economic upliftment, social justice and equal opportunities. During his tenure as the representatives of the residents, he worked with groups of residents from varied backgrounds and experiences. Canfred Pambuka derives his entire concept of service from his upbringing in an environment of staunchly held United Church of Christ faith views especially the cost and joy to be a trustworthy and honest servant in the service of people. With his experience in the national taskforce and his belief system, Pambuka is now of the strong opinion that this is the time to put what he has gained to the political test. 

Political office is a specific form of advocacy on socio – economic and political issues in order to bring about the much needed transformation of a community. Canfred Pambuka Sithole’s campaign is premised on solidarity and accountability to those on whose behalf he hopes to be given a representative mandate. He promises to identify and confront the structures that are causing injustice and suffering to the people of Musikavanhu Constituency. 

In Musikavanhu Constituency, the poor and the marginalised have grown to daunting levels. There is rampant unequal sharing of resources and a serious lack of political will among the previous and current representatives, a situation that has continued to stymie efforts to address hunger, poverty and underdevelopment. Years of successive drought have brought its toll on the local people. In the 2015/2016 season, Chipinge district saw 2000 cattle starving to death and the majority of them were in Musikavanhu Constituency. Livestock are an important asset in the community, helping improve the nutritional status of their owners and contributing to economic growth. 

In response to the numerous challenges bedeviling the constituency, Canfred Pambuka intends to organise a sustainable community development initiatives, cultivate social cohesion and promote participatory democracy. This he believe can be achieved through creating an environment where people are free of political intimidation, the erosion of economic inadequacies and the eradication of gender barriers. Pambuka believes that an ethical perspective is now needed in order to have a clear understanding of the magnitude of the challenges facing people in Musikavanhu constituency, and this ethical perspective is embodied in him being visible in the constituency.

His best impulse is to care about the disenfranchised members of the community and his values are on the adage that a society is responsible for its people. He hopes to create a caring society. This is in sharp contrast to what the traditional politicians in the area have been adopting as an approach where concern is more on control than caring, with devastating results of people becoming more dependent than empowered. The people in the constituency require political leadership that can institute genuine self-determination of the disempowered community. The current political narrative has produced an increasingly stratified community controlled by politicians who wield more power on the vulnerable community. The consequence of such a set-up is felt in the quality of their lives. 

In the context of sustainable community development, this issue is practically unexplored with respect to the political environment of community development. Therefore, this particular candidate profile series introduces and posits that the political environment is a necessary enabler for implementing sustainable community development. It becomes so important for political parties and their candidates to understand how residents' positive and negative perceptions of community development impacts in determining their satisfaction with life in the community.  The root causes of poverty in the constituency is associated to a number of factors, including inter alia the uncertainties related to the political narrative that creates high vulnerability and distress among the people. 

Canfred Pambuka (NCA) will battle it out against Pishai Muchauraya (Independent), Joshua Murire (Zanu PF), Simon Simango (PRC), Sifiso Sithole (MDC Alliance). 

PYD is urging all candidates to campaign in peace and subsequently vote in peace, for without peace there cannot be sustainable development. 

No comments:

Post a Comment