Reflections on the state of Zimbabwe on the Memorial Day of late President Banana

 

 (5 March 1936 – 10 November 2003)

It didn’t matter whether we met often or not, what mattered is that your advice helped me connect my life’s dots. It didn’t matter whether we spoke every day or not, what mattered was that you loved me a lot. Dad, I miss you.RIP

The 10th of November is my late father's Memorial.

My father was a member of Zanu PF who volunteered to step down from office before the end of his second Presidential term after the signing of the Unity Accord on December 22 1987 to facilitate peace and unity between the two liberation political parties Zapu and Zanu that were embroiled in a bitter struggle for power.


This emanated from the dissident insurgency in Matabeleland and Midlands and the subsequent deployment of the dreaded North Korean trained 5th Brigade to quell the conflict. Sadly the indiscriminate use of force even on unarmed innocent civilians led to the infamous Gukurahundi resulting in the senseless killing of thousands of innocent civilians across Matabeleland and the Midlands areas. This should provide context to the idea of the Unity Accord which led to an end in these hostilities.

My personal take on the Unity Accord is that it was a political strategy by Robert Mugabe and Zanu to consolidate power seeing that Zapu was a formidable opposition party, with a similar liberation war background and strong national structures. In spite of the 1987 Unity Accord being seen as a major achievement in ending the so called 'moment of madness' (Gukurahundi), I believe it mainly benefited the top leadership of Zapu whilst leaving the people from the region victims of the new system of government.

There is indeed some hope for national unity with the recently announced Road Map Manual on the Gukurahundi community engagement process led by Chiefs. It is however encouraging to see the new President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, taking this very bold step to move past our historical differences and work towards bringing equality, justice and peace for all. I think it is of utmost importance for Zimbabweans to make every effort to try and resolve some of these outstanding issues on their own without external interference.

 

While I appreciate and respect the sacrifices made by my parents and many others towards the liberation of Zimbabwe, 42 years have passed since Zimbabwean attained its independence and I now find it a bit monotonous and patronising for some of those in positions of power to continue using those liberation efforts as justification to remain in power and control of a nation that could have done better.

The most disappointing aspect in all this, is our failure as people of Zimbabwe to come together and play our part in both national development and the fight against what has now become open abuse of power and privilege by some elements in government who have access to resources to pursue self-interests. Corruption needs to be dealt with firmly otherwise all the well-intentioned economic development initiatives will not trickle down to benefit the many disenfranchised citizens of our once great Zimbabwe.

Each of us, in our little circles of influence, has the ability to create our unique comfort zones. I wake up each morning exploring ways to make a living and continue to explore ways to unleash my full potential without worrying about what the person next to me thinks. What is FREEDOM when that freedom has conditions and limitations to what one can do? Is the love for one's country of origin taboo? Should we be punished and stripped of our dignity for demanding that freedom and justice? Why have so many of us become so selfish and uncaring about where we come from?

There can never be a right time as time waits for no human being, our time is now and we must stop being critics from a distance but constructive critics who are also practically involved in offering alternative solutions. We can't cry about foreigners grabbing all the lucrative economic opportunities at our door steps when we now have the relevant qualifications, experience and knowledge to equally take on those opportunities. We need to move away from individualism and start working as a collective of patriotic citizens pursuing a  common national vision that can improve our way of life.

If I could change the world alone I could, but I am not naive and know that the only and realistic way to change our environment is when we all come together in our diversity and stand up for the greater good. The liberation of Zimbabwe did not end in 1980 with political independence. As I see it, the struggle for economic empowerment of the many should intensify, we have to step up and make uncomfortable choices and sacrifices if we truly love and believe in human progression in our collective journeys as citizens belonging and wanting the best for our beloved nation.

"I write in my individual capacity as an advocate for the empowerment of Africans globally. I strongly believe in Afrocentric approaches and a desparate need to decolonise our education system but use the positive tools from colonial influences to innovate and acome up with value systems that serve African interests best."

Generation 50

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My Generation Personal Reflection

Most of my generation [Generation 50] were too trusting of the generation before us (my father's generation), so much that we left the role of leading our country all in their hands out of respect for their efforts in the liberation struggle. This was also as a general principle of respect for elders which is a strong characteristic of African value systems which made it difficult to challenge their decisions as one may have been viewed as a rebel or lost cause.

The trust based on their colonial conquest milestone which has unfortunately left most of us divided, under resourced and almost toothless to take over and clean up the mess they have created largely because of the influence of the partisan nature our politics has been modelled. I believe this partisan model has created a very toxic business and political environment where ordinary citizens seem more focused on our minor differences than the more positives that could be harnessed in pursuit of common interests.

My awakening to the reality of the rot in our socio political and economic environment was unveiled to me during my 2018 political campaign that I lost as a result of several factors, partly which were based on a poor strategy based on a very short and under resourced political campaign to other factors like lack of access to media platforms like Newspapers, Radio and T.V that seemed to favour the more established political platforms and leaders. In spite of the unsuccessful campaign, I still wanted to find other ways of giving back to the country that helped start my journey of life and therefore decided to extend my stay in Zimbabwe from both a business and community projects approach perspective.

It will be incorrect for me to claim to have all the answers to all the issues that Zimbabweans are facing right now, however that does not mean that I can't start doing something positive about fixing just one of those many issues where I feel change is needed. Change is a process and normally may not reflect immediately or in one's life time but be of benefit to future generations..

I am not sure why some of our elder members of society are hanging on to roles in both public and private institutions that should in progressive societies be retired and allow opportunity for the next generation to take over. Could it be because not enough has been done to groom future leaders and prepare them for those high profile responsibilities that come with national leadership? Or perhaps not much value has been placed on other roles and functions of society to an extent we even have some highly qualified professional who would better serve our nation in their professional capacities in the private sector but choose to be political aspirants or public servants because corruption has made it look more lucrative.

Our politics has become a lucrative opportunity for most professionals because of the deep rooted corruption that now exists in our public institutions that clearly lack transparent systems for accountability. However with the right leadership mindset and will power I do believe Zimbabweans can make every role in society attractive and more appealing if we start promoting a leadership culture that builds and leads our society guided by strong moral values and principles of servitude.

In short we need better and more responsible leaders with integrity in all our public and private institutions who have people interest at heart rather than self interest and greed. This is however not a solution that could be implemented overnight but one we can start working on building now so it benefits for future generations.

Yes We Can, together in our diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

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Reflections of subconsciously living with Mental Health

Meet the Banana brothers aka O'Ncube

"In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it .

Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you're frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with. This can feel just as bad as a physical illness, or even worse .

Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year. They range from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Experiencing a mental health problem is often upsetting, confusing and frightening – particularly at first. If you become unwell, you may feel that it's a sign of weakness, or that you are 'losing your mind'. 

These fears are often reinforced by the negative (and often unrealistic) way that people experiencing mental health problems are shown on TV, in films and by the media. This may stop you from talking about your problems, or seeking help. This, in turn, is likely to increase your distress and sense of isolation. 

However, in reality, mental health problems are a common human experience.
Most people know someone who has experienced a mental health problem. They can happen to all kinds of people from all walks of life. And it's likely that, when you find a combination of self-care, treatment and support that works for you, you will get better. " (https://www.mind.org.uk)

I have never really stopped to consider checking if I may have mental health issues and I am pretty sure that 99% of the people out there have had the same attitude towards the issue because most of us think just because we are in gainful employment or running a successful business and fit in the social and public definition of success or contentment we are therefore very normal beings.

The truth is most of us live a lie in that we are in most times disconnected from our own realities and actually live imagined realities that we want those around us to view in good light. Perhaps the very reason most of us would never think about nor associate ourselves with issues related to mental health. In Africa the mere mention of the reference is a very sensitive subject as it can easily stigmatise ones personal image amongst their close circle of associates.

I guess migrating to more tolerant societies and perhaps more developed in terms of understanding mental health issues has in a way helped me appreciate the challenges many face in terms of living with mental health issues. On reflection I can see that our family background and experiences may have actually triggered some of the symptoms associated to mental health issues, but because of pride and the general African perception which frowns on individuals identified with mental health issues in our vernacular languages they would say "uyahlanya" or "anopenga". These are usually very strong references that usually tend to have a much stronger meaning of being "mad", basically meaning someone has lost total control of their mental compass.

I think my return to Zimbabwe in 2018 put me in a situation where my mental wellbeing was tested and triggered to a certain extent. There were many times where I would ask myself why should I try and adjust to what had become a very confusing life caused by factors that were just beyond my immediate control. I would tell myself that this is all part of the struggle to get things right in Zimbabwe and try find solace from the courageous stance I was taking in joining many in trying to make things work (normalise the abnormal) in the very complex socio-economic and political environment. I would tell myself that if others can survive under the same conditions why should I fail to also embrace the conditions, not realising that most had no other options to move away from the hostile environment like I did.

I guess I would consider myself as a self-care patient. I think my mental health has not started with my return to Zimbabwe but possible from the time my late father was President and we as children had to adjust our behaviour as children to emulate those of staff members, official's and members of the public in terms of having that fear respect for our dad rather than having a love respect for a fatherly figure who was not just a head of state but head of our family. As a child of a prominent public figure one's child freedoms were also limited as 'behaving' in any childish way that would attract criticism towards the image of President was something that was made very clear in terms of what was expected of us in terms of how we behaved.

Living Statehouse and beginning to work amongst members from the general public also brought it's own psychological challenges as naturally people expected that the son of a President or former President would have certain privileges and command a certain kind of life style. Our late father believed that doing us any favours in terms of requesting certain privileges be accorded to us in his capacity as President or former President would bring his image and name to disrepute and be viewed as abuse of power and position.

All that played into our mental well-being as children of a former Head of State as we were unable to live up-to the expectations from members of the general public, obviously oblivious of the fact that we did not have to live up to anyone's expectations. As a result we often form our meagre salaries lived beyond our means in order to try and live up to those expectations and create an image with status labels. I left Zimbabwe to live and work in South Africa in my quest to live a life away from the status image and reference of being the son of a former President whom the ordinary people had high expectations of which I could not live up to as in reality I never had any resources to live up to their wishes.

It was as if we were expected to live a life style like the Royal family where we could be involved in public projects sponsored by tax payers money. All that I am sure not only played into my conscience but also that of my siblings. So what exactly have I just narrated? Well we all suffer from a bout of madness in our lives and one of the best ways to deal with mental illness is to be open about the issues that affect your way of life to those that you can confide in. Obviously not everyone close to your circles has your best interests at heart but remaining silent on some of those very personal isles can be counter productive and affect your heath and life style.

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close.

Beyond Partisan Politics towards a Politics of Nationalism

The more I try hard to pull away from the toxic politics in Zimbabwe, the more I find myself being pulled back into the discussion irrespective of the direction that I have chosen to focus on the business and investment arena.

I however find myself more aligned to nationalism more than political party identities, though on reflection I can see how certain political party policies favour a nationalist approach on paper but somehow are still reflective of the inherited capitalist system that tends to benefit a minority few in positions of power and influence reflective of the Rhodesian government model of governance only this time economic beneficiaries are partisan based and to some degree also nepotistic (family appointments) in nature.

Whilst on the other hand the other political parties are more liberal and embracing an open kind of democratic dispensation that has no clearly articulated framework to protect the sovereign interests of the indigenous citizen of Zimbabwe but relies heavily on being guided by the influence that comes from the so called superpowers of the world with permanent interests in Zimbabwe.

That said in most political platforms looking from outside inside, I see how moral and ethical standards have been eroded in terms of being guided by values like 'ubuntu/hunhu' that represent who we are as African people.

This is not to suggest that we must throw away everything that was brought and taught to us by foreigners. I still respect certain aspects of western democratic models but have also realised that not all aspect can be applied to African political environments because of our unique cultural history and leadership style.

Most of us perhaps because of the influence that comes from a largely globalised political environment, we find ourselves naturally being attracted and looking up to foreign influences, moreso also because of our heavily inherited colonial education system that makes academic, visual and shared information on online resources appear more superior based on those indoctrinated foreign concepts, ideologies and value systems.

I guess finding the right balance in terms of where to draw the line with regards to protecting what serves the interests of African society/people over what is presented as helping develop African society can be a very complex task especially when there seem to be subtle hidden agendas designed to serve and benefit foreign interests more African people nor a sincere partnership for uplifting African nations.

I guess some will argue that it's also a double edged sword in the sense that most our so called leaders have embraced a culture of corruption which makes the whole quest to empower ordinary citizens (self emancipation) counter productive as the same crop of  leadership seem to have a great admiration of western propagated 'status symbols' which are a byproduct of the dominant global capitalist system as reflective in their life styles.

It is African authors like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o that should inspire young African's to wake up and believe they have what it takes to take our continent out of this negative label of perpertual poverty. Surely African nations and their abundance of untapped natural resources can unite and be equal partners amongst the great nations of this world. Nothing is impossible as long as we believe we can rise above those artificial barriers some imposed by others and some that are just part of the natural creation of life.