Stop it! Just respect the party and country!

By Bernard Bwoni

Whilst it is true that social media can be a great asset if managed appropriately and effectively, it is also true that it has the potential to turn into a political disaster if not managed. The ruling party has recently been afflicted by the absence of restraint and control on the conduct and behaviour of some of its members and this has seen indiscipline rooting itself. The violation of deep-rooted core values, ideals, directives and regulations governing the behaviour of all party members is the indiscipline that comes with it. The ruling party has a constitution and it is this constitution that guides the behavior and conduct of any of its members. Any departure from these core values, beliefs, principles, rules and regulations must be dealt with decisively and this must be across the board. The rules and regulations must be followed accordingly and in line with the ZANU-PF constitution and members who overstep the line as set by the constitution must be directed and redirected so as to bring them under the authority and premises of the constitution of the party. This will enable all party members to work within their individual and collective remits as set out within the party constitution. Any party constitution has a very specific purpose, to regulate, to keep all party members in check and under control so that party objectives, goals and ideology are fulfilled. There must be no exceptions; each and every member of ZANU-PF must stick to rules and regulations as set out by the Constitution. No sacred cows.

President Mugabe is a man of principle and he has stuck to his principles from a very young age since the inception of the ruling party, so what is wrong with some of the party youth who brazenly present an image of disrespect and indiscipline in public forums? President Mugabe recently made it very clear for them when he had this to say, “Let us also respect decisions and procedures of the party. We have witnessed lower organs of the party or cadres heading them challenging superior organs appointed to lead them. Such actions amount to insubordination and indeed a challenge to authority. That is indiscipline at its worst. That has to stop.” The message must have been very loud and clear for those who have been devising their own party constitutions and running wild in media sources and social media.

There is everything wrong with deviating from the core values, rules and regulations as set out by the constitution that directs the ruling party. There is everything wrong with party officials and members posting videos and interviews saying demeaning things about other party officials. The private media in Zimbabwe is indeed having a field day from such indiscipline. This just reflects very badly on the party rather than that individual. As President Mugabe stated,  “…But we were not born yesterday and so we know how to take these jibes, allegations and lies that are manufactured every night and published every morning. We take them for what they are- rubbish for the dustbin”. If the party directive is that legislators, party leadership and party members must not publicly engage is media spats, then any departure from such is nothing short of indiscipline and amounts to fermenting instability within the party.  The cases of senior officials running amok on social media and news sources and some youth leadership cadres running their mouth with no restraint has brought a lot of negativity to the party.

These errant individuals must be reined in and refocused on the party direction and agenda. The Party Constitution is not just a display document, it is there to guide and those who ignore constitutional and party direction must face the same fate as those who did not heed the same call in the past. The ruling party is not a celebrity entourage where people throw tantrums and post them as video ‘selfies’ on Facebook. The integrity of the ruling party must never be sacrificed for the egocentric wants of some unstable and reckless individuals at the expense of the majority.  All party members and party officials must be made to account for their own respective responsibilities or recklessness. Each individual is responsible for his or her own doings and must never be allowed to drag the name of the revolutionary party into the mud. Cool heads are often an embodiment of real power focusing on action instead of words, and having the ability to present maturity and develop loyalty in unique ways. These childish social media pranks and associated tantrums are just unacceptable in an ideologically rich and composite structure like the revolutionary ZANU-PF party.

It is that fundamental belief in a cause that separates the real bona-fide heroes in the Robert Mugabe mold from the chaff and debris of the mudslinging youth on social media. Zimbabwe is a country that was founded on the backdrop of the sacrifices of the heroes and heroines who gallantly fought on the side of justice and triumphed. These are the men and women who have shaped Zimbabwe and will forever have the country at heart. They derive satisfaction of their sacrifice not from the achieved victory and glory, but from their totally selfless commitment to the people for the greater good of the country. They only serve to remind us of the higher purpose of self and society. President Mugabe reminded party members this when he told them “We all know from the days of the struggle that when challenges mount, when people face hurdles, this is the time to be with them. That is the ZANU-PF way and the party must go to the village to be at one with the hungry, to be at one with the farmers. We are here to serve our people and we are doing our best despite our limited capacity”. These are such profound and meaningful words from the man of principle who should be emulated.

President Mugabe is the glue that binds the nation and the history that will inspire future generations. All youth and all party members must take cue from this great son of Africa. It is unfortunate that there has been this self-seeking shift towards jostling for positions and power at the expense of real purpose of policy. Zimbabwe is currently facing economic challenges of a magnitude that requires those entrusted into positions of influence to have sleepless nights yet for some the main preoccupation seems to be on personalities rather than real policy. As President Mugabe has articulately put it, this is the time for all party leadership to be ‘at one with the hungry’!

It is a telling sign of misplaced priorities that under the current disabling economic conditions in Zimbabwe that one’s preoccupation is about posting video ‘selfie’ online rather than addressing the immediate challenges facing the ordinary man and woman. When you have youth leadership aspirants mocking each other on public forums about who is gay and who is not, then you know the party is facing genuine challenges of indiscipline. There is an urgent requirement to reorient the youth of the party to rules and guidelines that govern the party. The indiscipline that party youth presents on public forums and social media directly and negatively reflects on the party name. There is an urgent need to redefine the construct of politics in Zimbabwe from being a trade (where young people feel overly important and indispensible) to that tireless readiness to serve the people as President Mugabe has done throughout. This cannot be emphasized enough that public office positions are a public duty and with this duty comes responsibilities, accountability and caretaker opportunity to serve those who voted the politicians into power. Your importance is measured on the outcomes the electorate derive from your service as a public official.

Politics is not just a gateway to celebrity status on Facebook or other social media sites, but requires those who enter into this service for the people to have that simple respectful and genuine acknowledgement for the electorate. Public spats between officials and the recent demeaning statements from some youth cadres are not only disrespectful to the party but also the electorate. As President Mugabe said, we have a duty and responsibility to the citizens of this country and must address those pressing issues that affect the ordinary person on the street daily. It is that simple and that is why people vote. President Mugabe has led by example, our heroes led by example and all these new youth aspirants must learn from them. Now is not the time to seek more followers on Facebook, but the time to hit the ground running and tackle the basics that drive up the nation. Just stop it and respect the party! That simple.

Zimbabwe: nowhere near the poorest country in the world

By Bernard Bwoni

On the 13^th July 2015, news website Newzimbabwe.com posted an article entitled “Zimbabwe now poorest country in the world, Survey, http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-23697-Zim+now+poorest+country+in+the+world/news.aspx “ The article claimed that a ‘Global business magazine had ranked Zimbabwe one of the two poorest countries in the world in a damning verdict of President Robert Mugabe’s 35 year rule”. The report claimed to have used a “Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) analysis, which takes into account the living cost and inflation rates in order to compare living standards between different countries”. The report made some spurious claims that on average people in Zimbabwe earned US$589.25 per year, which is roughly US$49.10 per month on average. Any right thinking Zimbabwean will tell you those are ridiculous claims. Zimbabwe is nowhere near the poorest country in the world.  It makes you wonder why a Zimbabwean would even think of publishing such nonsense from an online Global business magazine probably being run and edited by a young internet hacker in his bedroom and probably still living at home with mum and dad somewhere in suburbia.

PPP is used to compare income levels in different countries and it aims to determine the adjustments needed to be made in the exchange rates of two currencies to make them at par with the purchasing power of each other. What this means is that the expenditure on a similar commodity in Zimbabwe and Botswana for example must be the same in both currencies, for example a bag of fertiliser in Zimbabwe cost roughly US$32 and then it should cost BWP327.93 when the exchange rate is 10.25 between the US$ and the Botswana Pula. It means equalising the purchasing power of the two currencies taking into account the cost of living and inflation differences between Zimbabwe and Botswana in this instance.

The 2014 data from IMF indicate that Zimbabwe’s income per person per year is in fact US$2046 and that is nowhere near the poorest country in Africa claim as indicated by Global business magazine in his mum’s basement. The use of wealth per capita calculations can be misleading and do not necessarily reflect the general state of wealth of the ordinary person. ‘Per capita wealth, which is the means of the people in any economic unit is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income on the aggregate such as GDP and dividing that by the total population’ Archer, 2008. In Zimbabwe there is a thriving informal economy coexisting alongside a formal economy yet not contributing towards national fiscus and GDP figures. The reason why we have such flawed analyses as this ridiculous Global Business claim rating Zimbabwe as the poorest in the world is that the country has billions in the country but not circulating in the economy. It is either some people have buried their money (Narcos comes into mind) or shipped it out. There is no precise set of economic data indicative of present realities on the ground and an accurate estimate of the size and structure of the Zimbabwe economy. The size of the Zimbabwe economy is not currently correctly measured and hence these inaccurate and mischievous rankings we end up having.

Brand Zimbabwe versus the self-loathing Zimbabwean

By Bernard Bwoni

Brand Zimbabwe is phenomenal and needs patriotic and the right ambassadors to fly that flag all over the world. Every Zimbabwean is a foot soldier with a very important and birth right responsibility to enhance the overall image of brand Zimbabwe and help change the distorted perception the world has been presented with about this extraordinary country. The REAL Zimbabwe is a peaceful, an intriguing, a friendly and an inviting place. It is a country with values and roots that go deeper than the ocean. The warmth and welcoming nature of Zimbabwe, the place and Zimbabweans, the people, has always been admired worldwide. It is the responsibility of every Zimbabwean to take the country’s brand image and culture across our borders and present it in a manner that does not demean, disparage or destroy. Every Zimbabwean has a responsibility to market this beautiful country for the benefits of doing so are immense and country defining. We have a gem of a country, God-given and our only responsibility is to respect it, to honour that name Zimbabwe and sell it and sell it good. There are many takers out there and every Zimbabwean should be brand ambassador with an embodiment of the country’s identity, the values, the culture and the ethics of this brand called Zimbabwe. There is value and relevance in selling and presenting Zimbabwe in a positive light. It cannot be emphasised enough that the responsibility lies with every Zimbabwean citizen wherever they are, be it in Zimbabwe or outside the borders.

However, it is very disappointing that there are some Zimbabweans who find it okay to portray their own country negatively. There is no denying the fact that there are many challenges in Zimbabwe, there are many things that could be better and there is a lot of work that needs to be done to revive the country’s economy and battered image. However consistently painting a negative picture about the country is only going to repel business into the country. It is going to send the wrong message to those who want to come into the country. Zimbabwe has always been one of the top tourist destinations in Africa and still remains so. There are many people who make informal enquiries about travelling to Zimbabwe and the expectation is that they should be presented with the true picture about the warmth and beauty of the place. There are tourists, backpackers, business people or just wanderers who have money to spend making such enquiries. It is unfortunate that there are many who will just not find anything positive to say about this intriguing country. There are those who have become persistent and perennial whingers and many seem to derive pleasure from dishonestly painting Zimbabwe in a negative light. That is just disappointing and will never make things right for the country. That is just substandard patriotism if at all.

To degrade and demonise your own country is to degrade yourself.  Those who publicly and persistently discredit Zimbabwe clearly have no awareness of the profound implications of the negative speculation they constantly present to the world. The world has become way too interconnected and with the advent of the Internet and social media, anything and everything is now available online for immediate perusal. It does not matter whether it is the truth or not, but that is exactly what the world would read about Zimbabwe. The negativity that is being presented about Zimbabwe has far-reaching and damaging effects on the country as a whole. It just boggles the mind why anyone would have such deep-rooted negative views about their own country to the point national defamation.

There is this failure to separate party politics from the politics of national development among some people in Zimbabwe. Whatever some perceive to be the shortcomings of the ruling party must not be used to defame Zimbabwe the country. The problem many is that they have no idea when to draw the line and separate country from party politics.

Zimbabwe has both victors and victims of the trauma triggered by colonialism. The same can be said of many if not all African countries. There are those who have managed to deal with the physical trauma and shackles of colonialism and there are those who have failed to do so. In Zimbabwe there are those who took up arms against the unyielding colonial establishment and dismantled the hurdles the system created. They physically and psychologically deconstructed the colonial construct and enabled all Zimbabweans to be counted as first class citizens in their own country.

However many among us have struggled with pulling down the veil and the psychological scars inflicted by the trauma of colonization and imperialism. These are the victims who still express sympathy and empathy with the Rhodesian system, have publicly expressed positive feelings towards the architects of the system to the point of defending it and identifying with it while putting down the system that liberated them. There are many Zimbabweans, especially in the diaspora who present such negative traits. Some victims have called for the ‘escalation of the economic crisis’ to further that very system which subjugated Zimbabwe and many other African countries.

It is defeatist and unpatriotic to consistently put your own country down. Every citizen has a duty to defend their own country, their own nationhood and their pride as a people instead of devoting energies to trampling on the name of Zimbabwe and its people. Why is it that other nationalities do not always air their dirty laundry in the public and never present their countries in a negative light? There are many countries worldwide that have it much worse than Zimbabwe but you rarely hear their nationals parading it to the world that their country is the definition of disaster. There is no denying that things could be better in Zimbabwe but perennially naysaying your own country is not going to make things any better.

Those who denounce Zimbabwe claim that President Robert Mugabe forced them out and that they did not have a choice in the matter and hence the bitterness. Choice is a very big word that should be used carefully for we all make our choices and we have to live with them. People have migrated and moved around the world since time immemorial and for anyone to blame President Mugabe for their nomadic ways is nothing short of comical and preposterous. People are all over the world for various reasons and Zimbabweans are no exception. Most people had a choice to either leave or stay. Some chose to leave and others chose to stay.

There are many Zimbabweans who decided not to leave the country and they are carrying on with their lives. Many chose to stay and are doing better things than the majority who diced with the diaspora. Nobody is saying that things are easy but life goes on in Zimbabwe. Whatever each individual’s circumstances are, the choice is often theirs to make unless of course if they are children.

It is easy to try and abdicate responsibilities for the consequences of the choices we make to try and blame it all on President Mugabe. In Zimbabwe there is there is land to farm, there are opportunities if you exert yourself, and most importantly there is peace. Most if not all of us have a choice to either stay in our peaceful land called Zimbabwe or move to other parts of the world to face the unknown.

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