Skip to main content

Zimbabwe... What is in it for the next generation

I am part of the group of Zimbabweans called the "born frees", essentially we are the ones born after independence. For us born just after independence (1980 - 1990) I believe we benefited greatly from what Zimbabwe had to offer good education system, health was accessible and a large number of our parents were able to improve themselves so as to do better than their parents.

Well for our generation I believe it will be very different. A lot of us will not be able to better what our parents did, it will be a miracle if we do as well.

I have have been lucky to meet some big names in Zimbabwe whilst growing up Moses Chunga (he was a great Zimbabwean footballer) at a Dynamos game in Mbare, Mumwa Mawere at an NDA talk in the 2000s in Mutare. I met a number of politicians; some I liked and some I didn't. But the common thing a lot of them believed was that us the born frees were not doing enough to look after our birth right.... Zimbabwe.

Now I do not know what could have been done to fight for our birthright more than what we do, but I think our elders have not been fair on us. Yes we have been educated. Yes we have been brought up with many freedoms and opportunities not available to many on the continent. But the elders are not correct in continuing to bemoan the next generations shortfalls.

I mean we cannot continue saying the youth are not looking at developing the country when opportunities for us to display our talent are limited at home. I would love to have the opportunity to work for the civil service or start my own company in Zimbabwe. I will probably start something in the near future anyway, but it is difficult to take up ones birthright when one is not allowed to. For a father has to admit his son is grown and allow him to make his own decisions.

I do not think that the elder generation are in anyway obsolete, they must still have a seat at the table and guide us so as to not make the same mistakes as they did, but at some point you got to get away from micro managing and leave that to those you have trained and groomed. i mean can it work if the chairman in a company is involved in day to day running? doe this not destroy the authority of the Managing Director?

I know a lot of this will probably fall on deaf ears, but it is worth it to just have it out there. I mean we cannot continue to have forty somethings being regarded as "Youth" when these people are at the peak of their mental capacities. Should these people not be leading and being advised by senior people? Right now it is the other way round. Things have to change or we will miss out on the economic boom that usually follows the growth in population currently being experienced in Africa.

Just a thought methinks!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The new world order

I have been following my favorite team, The Arsenal and it dawned on me, just like everything else you cannot win without the fundamentals.. The game against Manchester United showed that if you don't get the fundamentals of a balanced team right you concede two goals when you have just equalised and looking to take the lead. Today we have seen the fundamentals of a truly competitive squad being ignored and we have subs who come on and give a tepid performance. Now if these players understood that every game is a test, they would never have the word defeat on their mind. Everytime they put on the shirt they should be playing to impress.. too many coasters. The same needs to be said of too many leaders on the African continent when it comes to the governance of their countries. I am no politician but what I have seen in my home of Zimbabwe is enough to make a young economist wonder what their intention is? Do people intentionally want to destroy the place of my youth? Are these
Post a Comment
Read more

2012

Happy new year! Not much changed from the last.. Arsenal got beaten again. I guess you get used to it to a point you no longer feel the pinch. We were spoilt in the past to expect excellence at all times. We are slowly becoming a mid table team at this rate. I worry that if we fail to make Champions league this season we can become like liverpool or worse Tottenham.. At least the Africa Nations cup is there to distract us. This year is expected to be the last year of man's existence (if you follow the doomsayers) so maybe that is the thought behind Zambia removing three zeros from their currency that if it doesn't work- who cares. Take it from someone who actually participated in currency revaluation, it is an exercise in futility which has very few benefits except the pride at saying our currency has near value to the more established currencies. I believe that this revaluation will just push inflation on. The cost of a revaluation far exceeds its benefits. I believe Zambia
Post a Comment
Read more

New year

I hardly have treated this blog well as I have not been very consistent. I will attempt to do so now. This year's struggle for me is to get purchase my first accommodation. This is a difficult feat all over the world, but this is made doubly so in Africa with lack of credit, or should I say affordable long term credit. Don't get me wrong, I thank God everyday for being African and being blessed in some of the most difficult economies in the world. However, I think we as Africans need to have a true debate over what economic dispensation we want. I went to my bank the other day after feeling a little confident about my financial position (both my wife and I finally have a little left over every month after bills), and asked my banker for a loan to begin my quest to purchase a flat in Harare. The banker looked at me and indicated this was not possible to secure a property in Zim with a loan in Zambia (being an expatriate in Zambia) and I would have to bear ridiculously high inter
Post a Comment
Read more