Why People Close To The President Give Bad Advice

By Dr Masimba Mavaza

As Upton Sinclair pointed out, it’s very hard to get unbiased advice from someone who has a strong motivation for being biased about the issue at hand.
I understand why people give bad advice to a boss who’s comforted by the bad advice.
The American military, for example, advised President Lyndon Johnson about the Vietnam War: “We can win! We can win! More troops! We can win! We can win! … Oops! They lost”
No one wanted to deliver bad news to the boss — and he didn’t want to hear it — so they didn’t.
When the post-mortems are written about the third term in Zimbabwe I bet it’ll be the same: Twenty years of “ ED 2030 anenge aripo”followed by “oops,” when the country descends in the chaos.
I wonder what the President’s advisors are telling him now since he is speaking publicly on issues of the third term. Competent counsel generally advise clients not to speak publicly about pending decisions not yet made. Those trying to protect their positions by ill advising the president are digging themselves a bigger hole each time they speak about the third term. They should stop talking and allow the country to be guided by the constitution.
It’s entirely possible to give wrong advice even to a political candidate: “Talk about anything you like, other than the subjects of breaking the Constitution. Build a roads ; save our Zig do everything in 24 hours; But, when asked about the constitution‘I’m sorry, but I can’t comment on that the constitution is supreme and can not be changed to suit the selfish few. “ I am a lawyer and will take no wrong advice from anyone”
Of course the President said this five times. But is anyone near him courageous enough to urge him on congratulating him for being one of his kind the Constitutionalist. Perhaps they are, simply not listening. Or perhaps the advisers stopped giving that advice long ago, when they realized that it was them who will be away from the gravy train.
How about advice on more personal issues?
Should those calling for the breaking of the Constitution be charged with treason. Or they must resign their seats in the parliament and Senate? Of course. But I doubt anyone is listening. They probably do not want to hear the Constitutional advice, so it takes courage to deliver it. And, if you’re one of the choir members seeking to soil the Constitution the advice runs against your self-interest: You’re currently a high-level political activist and near the president use this time to respect his wish. Do not persuade him to break the law he dearly respects.
Should the president run for another term as president? He’ll be breaking the constitution and it does not make it good that you have miss-led him to change the constitution.
I wish my President all the best. But president Mugabe died at 95 and the last ten years weren’t so good. I know painfully few 85-year-olds who are still in both mental and physical shape to handle a job that’s awfully tough, even if you’re surrounded by top-notch aides.
But who’s telling our president that? Do you think that good leaders must be rewarded by soiling their legacy. Any presidential chief of staff, who’s currently one of the most powerful people in the country is telling the president to run for the third term they should lose their jobs?What do you think about any other high political aides, who are in exactly the same position and do not even see that they are wrong.
I’m not saying that the president’s position is crazy: The president is a hard worker and his work has been seen. Yes primary elections could easily nominate someone to the far left, who might not be as electable as ED. But I wonder how many people will stay home on Election Day in 2028 because they’re not enthusiastic about casting a ballot for a third term. Or how many can cast protest votes.
There’s only one person who might give the president honest advice on whether he should run again.
That person has already spoken and he is the president himself.
Intimidating people to vote for a third term is diabolical.
You don’t buy the love of the president by agitating for breaking the law.
We were counting on you cdes and I think you are failing us.