We need an attitude shift Zimbabwe

By Tatenda Kunaka

A lot has been said about the Zimbabwe of yesteryear. The Zimbabwe of the ‘80s into early ‘90s. The Zimbabwe that fed Africa. ’The bread-basket of Africa’, they called her in her prime.

Virtuous, grounded Zimbabwe was that village virgin maiden you reluctantly give away to the charming suitor, mukwasha! They all envied us! And she belonged to us, rightfully so! Indeed, we had a thriving economy-‘the jewel of Africa’, most called her! The Zimbabwe we all yearn for.

Remember the pride our police officers had in donning that khaki attire? How nurses at Parirenyatwa shined in those saintly whites? The pride our teachers had as we inched towards February?

February being the month Exam Results would be timeously announced-and the fierce competition that engulfed school campuses thereafter as teachers competed to produce the best student for onward admission to the esteemed University-the University of Zimbabwe !

’Ndine vangu 6’, they would brag the following year, in the meantime industry humming quietly, the agricultural sector feeding our hard-working populace. The Hobbs, the Freethes- farmers in the Mash West belt would be competing on hectarage in the meantime. They meant business.

Isn’t this the Zimbabwe we all yearn for Zimbabwe? A lot of this success has been attributed to a prudent leadership, the leadership of the ‘infallible’ Robert Mugabe, Gushungo, I call him! A thriving Agricultural Sector anchored by the Commercial farmers. Industry humming too-just an afternoon drive into Workington, into Coventry Drive would leave one satiated. Today, we drive for $1 sadza!

Granted, those sectors ‘drove’ our economy but have we ever stopped to ponder how much of that was due to our collective mindset at the time, Vana VeZimbabwe? How much we can attribute to our National Psyche of that time-the diligence, the work ethic, the moral aptitude?

It is my humble opinion that most of those successes were due to our work ethic, our pride in producing the best for our families-and as a consequence, the nation. Granted, we had the Willowgate Scandals of the time but this was an exception rather than the rule! Zimbabwe, we were hardworking then. We meant business!

Most have said our present situation, the alarming corruption levels, are as a result of the economic downturn. The argument is made that had the economy not faltered we would largely be a corrupt-free society!

Had Mugabe not mismanaged the economy, had sanctions not been imposed, the choruses go on. I beg to differ. Before sanctions, or anything else we have let Zimbabwe down. Yes, you and me. We have accelerated this downward spiral in our society. I explain.

No rocket science is needed in observing just how much has been leaking daily in corrupt transactions.

How much revenue has ZRP lost in those $5, $10 bribes we pass to officers daily in the streets? Ditto ZBC. Ditto Harare City Council. How much has Treasury lost at Marange through the enablers also known as ZMDC? How much work productive hours have we lost through our ‘extended 2-3hours lunches’ across all sectors?

Have we really paid attention to the damage that we are ‘collectively’ doing as we bribe that Headmaster for a Grade 0 place for our ‘little ones’ or that police officer we bribe as we conveniently pass through the road-block during rush-hour?

This is now our ‘new-normal’ and we conduct these transactions as effortlessly and normally without a care as to how much it has hurt our National Conscience!

How then do we sum up the courage to confront the Chombos, the Mpofus of this world-for buying entire towns-when we ourselves are guilty of the same albeit on a smaller scale? The moral decay is frightening and scary and I humbly believe our current predicament is as a result of this, Zimbabwe.

The damage we are doing to our society is immense and have we ever thought of the damage we are sending to our kids (indeed, the future leaders!) as we bribe that officer at the Passport Office? We have made this so normal as long as it’s conducted outside the purview of the newspapers, the media. Tasiyana pai nana Chombo, Zimbabwe?

The recent Dudu Manhenga case caught my attention. How many of us celebrated her eventual release from custody because ‘the chefs are getting away with bigger crimes everyday’. Is this what we have become, Zimbabwe?

This case I believe is a microcosm of everything that is wrong with our society today. This is something that Robert Mugabe, a mere mortal, will not be able to fix nor Morgan Tsvangirai, the democratic giant. It has to come from deep, deep down within ourselves.

The situation has indeed worsened by the emergence of the charismatic pastors on the National Scene. The folk that preach all is well as long as you drive a Range Rover in a potholed country.

That there is something wrong with your spirituality if you are not, at the very least, driving an Ex-Japanese vehicle. How could you? How is that God is not blessing you, they ask every Sunday. We have become a materialistic society, Zimbabwe without an ounce of core values, Unhu!

‘Be the Change you want to see in the world’, the immortal Mahatma Gandhi implored us. The Change we all yearn for, the change we feel has been delayed has to start from deep within ourselves, within our households.

Only then can we sum up the courage to ask where our diamond revenues are being repatriated to if Treasury is dry. I am not advocating for a society of saints (even the Vatican can’t attain this) but I deeply feel we have aided and abetted this decay with our actions.

Pinning our hopes on the demise of Robert Mugabe, the man, the collapse of ZANU (PF) the organization, will be the greatest charade of our generation. An illusion of historical proportions. How is a new leader going to suddenly restore our work ethic?

Will civil servants suddenly stop taking ‘3-hour lunches’ because we have a new incumbent? How is a new leader going to suddenly restore the moral integrity of 13 million people-that it’s never okay to bribe a Passport Officer at Makombe?

Are the police officers suddenly going to stop asking for bribes because we have a President Mujuru, President Tsvangirai or President Mnangagwa? No set of laws will ever restore what we have lost Zimbabwe-no Constitution will do that-but it has to come from deep introspection.

Having lived in the 1st world for close to a decade now I have observed things that are intolerable but would be perfectly okay in my society. Like, it’s never okay to take an extended lunch/tea/smoke break-this reflects itself in the production levels sooner than later.

Should it then surprise us when these Western countries determine our destiny, through sanctions or otherwise, because they have more leverage on the world economy?

It is the small things that matter and this statement cannot be truer when it comes to nation-building, building a formidable economy or society. We need an attitude shift Zimbabwe and only then will we start to notice the change we all yearn for.

God bless Zimbabwe.

Tatenda Kunaka is a Zimbabwean student based in Dallas, Texas. You can contact him at [email protected]