The 2017 coup came with a wave of optimism amongst the youths of Zimbabwe, it was so cute man. Everyone thought things were going to change because the people had been convinced that they were stakeholders in the restoration of "legacy". Things did change though, it depends on which side of the transaction you were in.
Zimbabwe is a country that boasts of a highly literate population, literacy in terms of having undergone basic education hence being able to read and write and speak English, maybe even have a polished accent which can work to your favor since people will have this bias about you and assume that you're intelligent. This isn't a bad thing considering how much clout this gives us as a nation, we're known for producing hard-working individuals who become valuable to other countries which necessitate them to express their potential since our dear nation has almost become an empty basket over the years.
People just come for Christmas with some groceries, chump change from their salaries, stories of how good their host countries are, and a borrowed accent from the host country so it is known that they don't associate with Zimbabwe anymore. A few of them bring along ideas and investment capital because they have no intention to return home so why bother.
All skilled labor meant for Zimbabwe is exported to other countries, innovative ideas never make it home because those who go to foreign universities never come back in most cases and what remains is potential. Countries don't develop by sitting on potential but instead, they develop when policymakers decide to allow room for the potential to grow and in Zimbabwean case, the system in place doesn't allow for a significant number of young people to fully mature to the best of their capabilities. I'll be fair and acknowledge the available platforms for a few young people like the junior parliament where high school pupils assume parliamentary roles and acquire leadership skills in the meanwhile but it's not everyone who gets a chance to be part of junior parliament. What happens to the rest of the youths who'll go through a school system that doesn't empower them, going through a local university and be part of the unemployed lot, raising poverty levels in the country. They can't be entrepreneurs or innovators because they were barely encouraged to think outside the box. At school, you think within the curriculum, a curriculum set by politicians, some who've never even spent a day teaching in a classroom but somehow they know what's best for schoolchildren.
One key thing is the glorification of the liberation war, even Grade 3 kids are supposed to know their heroes and recite the national pledge. Honestly speaking the war was a good cause but I think in 2020 we should be more focused on the problems that the country faces and come up with solutions. It's good for one to be patriotic towards their nation and I'm not against that but should we really make everything about the past instead of focusing on the present and building a better future because while we sing praises of the liberation struggle many more people are subject to poverty, while our politicians try and rekindle the memory of something that all the youths in Zimbabwe never experienced the young people are losing touch with their country and seeing it best to just leave for the diaspora. Let's start singing praises about a war that we all have to engage in, the war against poor social structures that have run down Zimbabwe for years.
I wouldn't suggest an attack against our government because what is needed is a collaborative effort against a system instead of individuals. At the end of the day, we can change presidents but still have the same system that doesn't cater to the young people who are the future of Zimbabwe.
MDC isn't the solution because what is needed is a shift of the mindset, and looking at Chamisa I wouldn't dare assume that we can have a better nation if he takes charge because since his election loss he's been hellbent on proving that he won the election. All there is about him at this point is the satisfaction of his ego instead of counting his losses and taking proactive steps to contribute something to his country. If he was cheated then what, politics has never been a transparent game and that's why I will never vote in my life. I'll only vote the day we have an election to eradicate politics from society and encourage the independence of the individual citizen instead of assuming that politicians are messiahs. And please do understand that I'm not being harsh on the opposition party, I'm simply being critical of the fact that the solution isn't to change politicians but shift the mindset of the population and that's something none of these politicians have encouraged.
Zanu Pf has consolidated its position over 4 decades by using any means necessary and this country has been directed towards accomodating the interests of the party more than that of the majority of the population. The people are good enough as voters and that needs to change and I believe it is possible if everyone is to find common ground. The common people don't want to attract trouble, they just need to eat and if the president can stay in a mansion why can't he bathe all those street kids and give them comfort as the "father of the nation".
All that the young people need is to be allowed to play a key role in building the future of Zimbabwe. Our leaders went to war when the colonial government didn't allow them to have a say in their future and upon attaining their desired goal they promised a Zimbabwe where everyone is equally represented but now the young people are almost excluded. One can only negotiate for a certain period before they are pushed to the edge and I have a feeling that the same could happen with our young people once they reach a breaking point and demand that their voice be heard. It's nothing new and it's something highly possible.
On a lighter note though, special mention has to go out to the young people who are trying to make it out against all odds by expressing themselves through their creativity. Even without sufficient resources, they are willing to display their talent. We've seen this through the emergence of many young artists and the sudden wave of wannabe entrepreneurs. Our parents believed that one-day things are going to magically change and they've reached a point of defeat, they've put their faith in institutions like politics, church, and school which will not bring solutions.
In her words, Nothabo Ncube who is contesting for Miss Career Africa says "Grab every opportunity that comes your way and make the best of it. It starts with you. It only takes you, it only takes determination to stand for what you want because you're the one who's in charge of your future. They say that 10% is just life and 90% is what you make out of life."
Nothabo is a veterinary nursing student at the University of Zimbabwe and she believes that everyone should aim to be the best version of themself and talks of how your insecurities actually "make you beautiful and give you a mark. At the end of the day, I want someone to say they succeeded because of my inspiration. I'm not aiming to be greater than anyone, I'm not in a competition. I'm here to inspire young people who have so much potential but are giving a lot of excuses as to why they cannot start. There's no better time to start than now because the excuses will always be conveniently there and if you keep on making excuses you won't start. The young are the future, they got so much energy so why not chase the dream NOW!!. Start small and grow every day"
follow Nothabo Ncube on all social media platforms,@nancydevinne on instagram and do vote for her by tapping on the link below!!
https://misscareerafrica.org/candiateVoters/150Many children can't afford decent education in Zimbabwe and that needs to be addressed. What's even worse though is that many go to school and even get "A"s in their academic reports but they are learning irrelevant material. Our school system is still in the industrial age where formal education was meant to pump out obedient employees. It was good because at least there was some guarantee of a job but now there's no guarantee so what will become of the thousands of graduates our universities produce yearly. We have to start promoting critical thinking and creativity because that is how problems are solved. Most of these graduates aren't open-minded because they think they know better, these are the people who always engage in those political arguments about who's a better leader between Mnangagwa and Chamisa instead of focusing on problem-solving. We need creative critical thinkers, those are the most relevant people. The graduates have become too common and they aren't doing much for our country, after all, they were trained to just be workers. How can you be a worker when there's no industry? I'd suggest that young people start reading critical material on entrepreneurship and innovation and apply the knowledge in bringing about change in our country.
There is a Financial Literacy and Wealth Accumulation school in Harare called "School Of Wealth". We need more people going there so we have as many people who'll make moves to reform the economy instead of those who want to wait for politicians to fix things for them. As young people, we might not take up arms to fight the current establishment and I'll never recommend that but we can shift our mindset and stop thinking that we are at the mercy of politicians, they won't save us. Politics is a very dysfunctional system that preys on the average citizen. Whether MDC or Zanu Pf it doesn't change the fact that it can not move without manipulating the people to a certain degree and at this point in time I encourage young people to detach from political affairs. The old people have their unsettled conflicts amongst each other, focus dear young person, on what will help you grow, and through self-mastery can you then serve your country. Violation of basic freedoms isn't good but for a population like Zimbabwe, neither bullet trains will be the solution I'm sorry
cover image taken from zimbabwesituation.com
Comentários