THERE comes a time when spelling a departure from the normal is the definition of strength and character.

There are moments when one who wants to survive and make a difference must come up with radical propositions of running the course differently.

Zimbabweans have not been deaf to the revolutionary party, ZANU PF as it spells out its way of doing things beyond the manifesto.

The most audible voice has been that of the party’s national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo.

He has spoken loudly advocating an unusual way of doing things as ZANU PF serves the masses in Government.

Members of Parliament will have to submit performance appraisals every quarter.

These are to be used to assess how they intend serving the people with notable results.

While Parliament monitoring mechanisms are not really a new phenomenon around the world, ZANU PF has taken an important step in ensuring that the party harnesses its members in the House by demanding performance appraisals.

There obviously will be a lot of questions to be answered.

For example, if a member is found not to be executing his or her duties diligently in a manner which prejudices the electorate, what sort of action must be taken?

Can that member be fired?

What sort of discipline should be carried out against that particular Member of Parliament?

Thinking clearly of what it might mean if the member of the House is expelled or fired at the extreme case, what will happen next?

Of course those are some of the technicalities, which need looking into and ironing out but the most important issue is that ZANU PF has taken a very important bold step.

Its message to the elected representatives of the electorate is very clear in this context.

The party wants to deliver service to the people and the only best way of doing so is asking those elected to stand on the electorate’s behalf to submit clear tangible programmes of action.

Sometimes members of the House don’t deliver because they do not have an idea of what they are doing in Parliament.

The issue of performance appraisals therefore becomes even more important not only in the present, but in future.

It means that even in future elections before one can throw in his or her name into the contest ring, they will have to ask themselves what exactly they intend to do for the people.

Government is a product of the party and the party is a product of the people.

All business conducted in government must therefore reflect what the people at grassroots are yearning for.

The moment Members of Parliament, ministers and councillors lose track of that fact, the people will reject the party.

So the crucial factor in these performance appraisals is again emphasised in that they will serve to cement the link between the electorate and the elected.

The days of Members of Parliament, who are elected into office and then disappear till the next polls have long since gone.

Performance appraisals are therefore crucial in this regard as they are an important check mechanism that the elected stays with the people who voted him in and addresses the challenges they are facing.

The people are the reason why he ends up in Government as their representative.

To a wise individual, being elected is not a reason to celebrate, but a moment when one must take deep introspection by realising that the responsibilities associated with that job are mammoth.

Being a people’s representative must create in one a slave rather than a master mentality because bequeathing service to people is no small job.

The crafting of the performance appraisal idea is also a window into where the nation is heading.

The ZANU PF manifesto flew off the shelves during the election period. It was a manifesto that excited everyone because it contained a programme of action which desired to take the country forward.

Now beyond the manifesto work has to begin.

There is no better way of beginning that work than by bringing those elected to office to account for how they will work.

The Members of Parliament are the ones upon whom the success of turning the people’s manifesto into a going concern hinges upon.

The success or failure of that manifesto will lie solely upon the shoulders of the Parliamentarians.

It is therefore imperative that the party makes a follow-up on its elected members to ensure that they deliver results, which are tangible.

Those results will be an important benchmark to the people of Zimbabwe who are awaiting a rejuvenated life after many tears under the illegal sanctions regime.

The people will therefore be looking up to the party to bring back smiles on their faces.

The manifesto must be implemented in its fullness and the elected officials in Government are the ones upon whom the success of its implementation is grounded upon.

Crafting a work programme therefore is not enough.

That work programme must be followed up to check its strengths and weaknesses.

It must go through a test of sustenance exercise because it is about delivering results to an anxious people.

That is when the quarterly performance appraisals will have to come into the picture.

They will play an important role in ensuring that besides coming up with programmes, there is need for implementation that brings results. Results are what the people want to see because those results are about their lives, which need urgent attention.

While the people wait anxiously for policies and programmes which will influence their discourse in the next five years, this obviously will be hinged on constant feedback.

The Member of Parliament must tell what he is doing, how he is doing it, with who he is doing it and finally with what results.

The constituencies will await answers, which the party must provide without fail.

Leashing the elected officials will therefore play an important role in that regard and even as this monitoring mechanism is underlined, the major reality is that ZANU PF is on a delivery path and is leaving nothing to chance.