One then wonders why such a country has been left to stagnate and grind to a painful standstill. A closer look reveals that the country has endured actions, moves, ideas, policies and inaction (call them acts of commission and omission) from its citizens that do not befit such a supposedly educated and enlightened nation.
Economic sanctions aside, Zimbabwe suffers, despite protestations to the contrary, from an irresponsible educated elite. I know this is a bold statement but it is one that best describes Zimbabwe’s under-achievements in a number of spheres of life despite having Africa’s highest literacy rate. The education has benefited other countries and economies; those with the means and knowhow to tap it.
Take Zifa for instance; while Zambia’s Chipolopolo have achieved the seemingly impossible in winning the Africa Nations Cup 2012 edition, and thereby becoming African champions, Zimbabwe’s Warriors have developed infamy for lining their pockets instead of scoring goals on the field of play. Instead of clearing the whole rubbish that is Zifa and put up a commission as Chombo would have done if it were a municipal council, the Sports Commission watches as Zifa patches old rags onto new cloth.
If laundered, this cloth will look new, we are promised. We are even made to hope against reason that the Warriors will qualify for Afcon South Africa 2013. What nonsense! —In the meantime Zimbabwean soccer fans conveniently steal the Zambians’ success for their own (through the back door) declaring, “they are our neighbours and brothers”. Success-starved Zimbos cheered more than the Zambians themselves. It has become a joke in Zambia. No heads rolled at Zifa.
None at all. All Zimbabwean newspapers have carried write-ups on what can be learned from the Zambian experience. None has said the rubbish that Zifa is and that it must go.
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The same is happening at Air Zimbabwe. The whole nation of intelligent people does not see anything amiss in celebrating the arrival of Emirates, as opposed to mourning the demise of the national carrier, Air Zimbabwe. This situation is still unfolding. Let’s see if Emirates will stay after being asked to indigenise. The more reason to kick-start Air Zimbabwe instead of celebrating the arrival of Emirates!
Then there is the Zimbabwe dollar. Anyone remembers it?—We are a nation without its own currency and we appear to be celebrating the fact that we are using a multiple-currency system as if the existence of the Zimdollar would impede that. We have always been a multi-currency system. Most enlightened countries are. What we are celebrating is the demonitisation of the battered and now buried Zimdollar. Banks have failed to pay the banking public their Zimdollar bank account balances.
Pensions have been wiped out. Some among us have visited poverty upon our people. The architects of such mayhem are rewarded with extensions to their employment contracts. They are now toying with the newest toy, the 51% indigenisation policy. Banks are already teetering on the verge of collapse in the multiple-currency era! We will never get it right under the stewardship of the same skipper who led to the demonitisation of the Zimdollar. Are we that short of skilled personnel?
While Walter Muzembi (Tourism and Hospitality minister) and Karikoga Kaseke (Zimbabwe Tourism Authority) are busy trying to make a success of the co-hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation conference in August next year, some of their colleagues in government are putting spanners in their works. They are unleashing farm invaders onto tourism establishments. No one in a position of power and responsibility admonishes them. No-one gets arrested. People power— We glorify this lunacy!
The Global Political Agreement is another dysfunctional mess. A government of losers, winners and no-hopers cannot succeed. It’s a wrong mix. Simple! Each party is trying to get strategic advantage. It will never serve the nation as it is intended. Let’s move fast to a new workable dispensation and prove that we are an enlightened nation. You do not show enlightenment by stalling progress.
As a nation, we have tended to celebrate national lunacy and under-achievement by national leaders. We ululate when they spew venomous nonsense in the media instead of engaging them meaningfully and proffering solutions to national problems.
BY LAITON MKANDAWIRE