PhD’s will not solve economic depression

By Bishop Happison Chikova

Sociologists define societal values as being assumptions, beliefs or principles that guide people’s decision making and actions. A Social value is created when resources, inputs, processes or policies are combined to generate improvements in the lives of individuals or society as a whole.

Values can be defined as broad preference concerning appropriate courses of action or outcome. Values tend to influence attitudes and behaviour. A personal value is absolute and ethical the assumption of which can be basis for ethical action. A value system is a set of constant values and measures. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based. (Adopted from Rokeach 1973)

Zimbabwe has tried many economic blueprints since 1980. Soon after independence, the government embarked on an economic blueprint based on growth and equity that was based on the National Development Plan. The National Development Plan was succeeded by the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme from 1990 to 1995. This policy was espoused despite having case studies for its failure in Africa.

After the failure of ESAP, the Zimbabwe Programme for Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST) was crafted and implemented, this was followed by vision 2020 then the Millennium Economic Reform Plan (MERP).

The government introduced another economic blue print called the Six point plan, then the 2003 National Economic Revival Plan (NERP) followed by the 100 day Plan and the Medium Term Plan and the National Economic Development Priority Programme.

After the July 2013 elections, the ZANUPF led government submerged the nation into another economic blue print known as the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET).

These economic blueprints failed to transform the economy but rather we had a gargantuan economic slide coupled by poverty. Zimbabwe has one of the best thinkers and well educated people who can work anywhere in the world as captains of industries. One is forced to think, where have we gone wrong as a nation.

Can we classify our problems as being economic, social or political? I have heard many crying about the economic problems that are bedevilling our country, and some have emigrated as economic refuges. What are our real problems?

Our economic problems are mainly indicators of a society whose value system has been wrinkled owing to an imbalanced society where the rich get richer and the poor get more poorer creating variances in the scales of economics. Inequality in the form of gender, resources and wealth is an abysmal system of a social misfit, a factor that triggers poverty.

Our nation as a people is built upon the principle of values which are a three tier system for any prosperous African nation which include UBUNTU / HUNHU, the Godly values and the values of the liberation struggle. This three tiers system is a pillar upon which Zimbabwe should be built upon thereby creating a value system which is a fertile ground for developing our nation.

However, in order to come up with a nation that is focused and with a vision, there is need for leaders with personal values that feed into the societal value system. The three tier system feeds well into Godly values which are hinged upon uprightness giving birth to society that upholds the justice system.

The prosperity of any nation is embedded in its societal fabrics, the economy being an indicator and a reflector of a social model upon which the nation is built. The political aspect is the ability by those entrusted to govern the value system so that the economic gains of a nation are realised.

The first step towards restoration and recovery to the Zimbabwe economy is to re-establish and build a society whose societal value system is based upon a three tier system that is Ubuntu, Godly values and the ethos of the liberation struggle.

Most of the failed or nearly failed national economies are due to a crooked value system that gave birth to corruption, looting of resources by a few, greediness, theft and selfishness.

In such countries you just hear about corruption at nearly every institution but you don’t hear about the remedies and corrections to such ills. In such societies people get into position of authority in the social strata being poor but after they retire from those positions they will have accrued millions of wealth for their families.

The three tier system that is a standard measure of righteousness and Godliness in our society pushes us to a conclusion that Zimbabwe needs upright people who are God fearing, upholders of Ubuntu and working on restoring the values of the liberation struggle in order to restore the economy.

The struggle for economic restoration should be led by people that are upright. Any average person with personal values can be used by God to put Zimbabwe back as an economic star in the continent and be able to compete with other economic giants that developed from ashes to economic powerhouses such as China and Malaysia to mention but a few.

The economic blueprints that we have witnessed for the past decades is a clear indication that we have thinkers in this nation but what is lacking is a foundation on which to lay these blueprints that is a society with a value system whose ethics are built upon a principle value.

The bible in Proverbs chapter 14 verse 34 says that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.

When one talks about sin, it has a lot to do with societal relationships, how one relates and conducts himself/herself and incline to a certain value system. When a person sins, he does not sin to God but he sins to his/her surroundings which act will condemn the spirit which is identified by the Spirit of God. In this verse, God was concerned by the social value system.

When Moses was sent by God to deliver the people of Israel who had been trapped in the land of bondage for about 430 years in (Egypt), he was sent with a specific message to the Israelites that was concerning their freedom from social injustice that was prevailing in the land. The message had a promise of inheriting a nation whose economic systems would aid them into a prosperous nation. It was a journey from oppression (social injustice) to economic prosperity (development).

In a bid to address the social injustice that is a result of a corrupt social value system, a national vision should be cast for the nation, a vision that should benefit generations to come.

God was concerned about the social injustice that was prevailing in Egypt upon his own people the Israelites; however, there was an economic vision that was promised to the Israelites that is milk and honey, which was only achievable as long as the children of Israel had celebrated their Jubilee from the yoke of bondage and slavery from king Pharaoh.

The AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY -ADP is pretty aware of the root causes to our economic quagmire which is mainly the social, moral and ethical decay whose values are divorced from the three tiers system.

The party is quite aware that any struggle that is fought should bring prosperity upon the land complemented by fighting for a system to restore moral and societal values.

ADP is on a mission to empower Zimbabweans at every level of society through a fast paced developmental strategy that will launch Zimbabwe into developed status in 15 years through an inclusive economic blue print.

Our ideology of restoring and cultivating a value system as a foundation for building a prosperous nation has led the party to ignore calls to join demonstrations for jobs although it is a legitimate right to hold peaceful demonstrations.

The main reason is, the party doesn’t believe that a system whose value system is decayed can produce two million jobs for the nation. If we believe in the current governance system, we would have joined other politicians in the demonstrations for jobs that still have faith in the current system.

If the party was formed before the year 2008, we would not have participated in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) whose globalisation was only between the three political parties as the party do not believe in the existing governance system.

In conclusion, our problems are social, we have had brilliant economic blueprints since independence but there was and/or is no foundation of uprightness to lay these economic blueprint upon.

The ZIMASSET will die a premature death. Signs for its burial are clear, because as the nation is being told about grassroots projects that include illegal vending as part of this national economic blue print.

It is not in PhD’s or sophisticated economic theories that will take Zimbabwe out of its economic depression. The nation should invest in a moral value system whose principal foundation is uprightness. May God bless you all!!!

The author can be contacted on [email protected]. Bishop Happison Chikova is a Man of God who was called in 2001, herding cattle at his rural home in Ngundu. He was ordained as a pastor in 2008 and has preached in the Great Rift Valleys in East Africa. . He is a holder of a BSc Honours Degree in Geography and Environmental Studies with the Midlands State University. Bishop Chikova is a researcher who has presented papers and published books on Climate change. He was once a research fellow with the University of Dar es Salaam.