Recent events in Zimbabwe beg us to ask this simple but powerful question. Are we too poor or are we too stupid? Why are we failing to find a solution to our problems? In 2008 former South African President Thabo Mbeki, at the cost of his own presidency, forced Zimbabwe’s political leaders to sit down and talk and they reached an agreement- though flawed- and Zimbabwe came back on track. Does Zimbabwe need an outsider to tell it again what to do? Here is the third part of my long essay which is also available as an ebook.
The shrill cry has not stopped. It has gotten worse. What is happening in Zimbabwe begs one to ask: Is this really the country with the highest literacy rate in Africa? Literate about what? Why can’t people see the opportunities in their own country? Does being literate mean being able to argue about anything and everything and not doing anything else at all?
Have all the brains emigrated leaving only idle minds with nothing or little to do except dwelling on petty issues like who is sleeping with whom or with which dog or which donkey? Why has such a literate country turned itself into a nation of death-wishers, people who speak so badly about their country and wish it the worst that you would think that they have another country to flee to?
This reminds me of a cartoon character now on Youtube entitled: Inside the secrets of a white man- how to rule the world. The white man, named Stan, tells blacks how they can conquer the world, thus: “Number One. The first step to taking over the world is unity. I know you have heard of this before but Black people seem to really struggle with this one. You just don’t seem to get it. You would rather fight against each other instead of your enemies. This is bad business and you will never get true freedom doing things this way.
“Instead do what we did to gain power. We divided and conquered entire countries based on their differences while holding true to our similarities. I am white there is no changing that. My God born tendency is to preserve my own. Nothing is racist about that. It is just common sense.
“You people are the stupid ones, going around trying to love everybody but yourselves. We kicked your asses here in America for over 400 years. And you still go around talking about Jesus loves everyone. While you have been doing all the praying and jumping around we have been buying up the world and making laws that you have to abide by. No offence. But everyone else has unity but you. I mean look at the business in your neighbourhood. The people that control it don’t even look like you. In fact everyone who comes to this country sets up a business in the black community, the Koreans, the Indians, the Chinese, the list goes on and on. Aren’t you tired of letting these other people supply all your food, nails…..”
I am a very religious person and I love Jesus, but what Stan says is quite true. Did we not notice that after a decade of decline and total collapse of the economy, when the MDC and ZANU-PF formed an inclusive government in 2009 our economy started booming despite the squabbling in the unity government and the fact that the policies of the three parties that formed that government were poles apart?
Did we not notice that our economy boomed without any foreign investment? Did we not notice that our economy thrived without any aid or loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund? Did we not notice that we were doing all the things for ourselves and Zimbabweans were happier than they had ever been for more than a decade?
Did we not notice that critics of the land reform programme were now accepting that it was a major success and not a disaster as had been preached for nearly a decade?
Did we not notice that, despite the squabbles within the inclusive government, there was no violence for at least four years, and that the country went for at least five years without any elections for the first time in nearly 15 years?
Was it not obvious that peace had paid off? Was it not obvious that elections were disruptive and partly responsible for the economic decline in the years 2000 to 2008 because the country was in perpetual election mode?
But less than a month after losing the 2013 elections, the MDC was already calling for fresh elections claiming that the July polls were rigged. Though not happy with the results, most people were happy that the elections were over. All they wished for was to go on with their lives as they had over the last four years. ZANU-PF failed to maintain the momentum. The MDC failed to capitalise on this and instead the party started disintegrating following calls for Tsvangirai to step down to give way to a new leader but Tsvangirai refused to budge.Recent events in Zimbabwe beg us to ask this simple but powerful question. Are we too poor or are we too stupid? Why are we failing to find a solution to our problems? In 2008 former South African President Thabo Mbeki, at the cost of his own presidency, forced Zimbabwe’s political leaders to sit down and talk and they reached an agreement- though flawed- and Zimbabwe came back on track. Does Zimbabwe need an outsider to tell it again what to do? Here is the third part of my long essay which is also available as an ebook.
The shrill cry has not stopped. It has gotten worse. What is happening in Zimbabwe begs one to ask: Is this really the country with the highest literacy rate in Africa? Literate about what? Why can’t people see the opportunities in their own country? Does being literate mean being able to argue about anything and everything and not doing anything else at all?
Have all the brains emigrated leaving only idle minds with nothing or little to do except dwelling on petty issues like who is sleeping with whom or with which dog or which donkey? Why has such a literate country turned itself into a nation of death-wishers, people who speak so badly about their country and wish it the worst that you would think that they have another country to flee to?
This reminds me of a cartoon character now on Youtube entitled: Inside the secrets of a white man- how to rule the world. The white man, named Stan, tells blacks how they can conquer the world, thus: “Number One. The first step to taking over the world is unity. I know you have heard of this before but Black people seem to really struggle with this one. You just don’t seem to get it. You would rather fight against each other instead of your enemies. This is bad business and you will never get true freedom doing things this way.
“Instead do what we did to gain power. We divided and conquered entire countries based on their differences while holding true to our similarities. I am white there is no changing that. My God born tendency is to preserve my own. Nothing is racist about that. It is just common sense.
“You people are the stupid ones, going around trying to love everybody but yourselves. We kicked your asses here in America for over 400 years. And you still go around talking about Jesus loves everyone. While you have been doing all the praying and jumping around we have been buying up the world and making laws that you have to abide by. No offence. But everyone else has unity but you. I mean look at the business in your neighbourhood. The people that control it don’t even look like you. In fact everyone who comes to this country sets up a business in the black community, the Koreans, the Indians, the Chinese, the list goes on and on. Aren’t you tired of letting these other people supply all your food, nails…..”
I am a very religious person and I love Jesus, but what Stan says is quite true. Did we not notice that after a decade of decline and total collapse of the economy, when the MDC and ZANU-PF formed an inclusive government in 2009 our economy started booming despite the squabbling in the unity government and the fact that the policies of the three parties that formed that government were poles apart?
Did we not notice that our economy boomed without any foreign investment? Did we not notice that our economy thrived without any aid or loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund? Did we not notice that we were doing all the things for ourselves and Zimbabweans were happier than they had ever been for more than a decade?
Did we not notice that critics of the land reform programme were now accepting that it was a major success and not a disaster as had been preached for nearly a decade?
Did we not notice that, despite the squabbles within the inclusive government, there was no violence for at least four years, and that the country went for at least five years without any elections for the first time in nearly 15 years?
Was it not obvious that peace had paid off? Was it not obvious that elections were disruptive and partly responsible for the economic decline in the years 2000 to 2008 because the country was in perpetual election mode?
But less than a month after losing the 2013 elections, the MDC was already calling for fresh elections claiming that the July polls were rigged. Though not happy with the results, most people were happy that the elections were over. All they wished for was to go on with their lives as they had over the last four years. ZANU-PF failed to maintain the momentum. The MDC failed to capitalise on this and instead the party started disintegrating following calls for Tsvangirai to step down to give way to a new leader but Tsvangirai refused to budge.
Click here to read part two or here to read the full story NOW.
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