Shared vision needed to turnaround Zim

31 May, 2020 - 00:05 0 Views
Shared vision needed to turnaround Zim

The Sunday Mail

Vision 2030
Allen Choruma

ZIMBABWEANS are a hardworking and competitive people by nature and it is high time we unite towards a shared national goal as we have more in common than differences.

We need a common vision anchored on self-belief, unity of purpose and a desire to migrate to a new era of shared growth and prosperity and ending inequalities and poverty.

Zimbabwe cannot achieve Vision 2030 without all of us buying into this progressive national vision — from the country’s leadership to the ordinary man and woman across the country.

For Zimbabwe to achieve Vision 2030, bedrocked on attainment of an upper middle-class economy as propounded by President Mnangagwa, it needs visionary leadership in all sectors — be it politics, business, civic society, community, religious sector, traditional leaders, sport and so on.

We need a leadership across the nation that is dedicated, selfless, accountable, disciplined, innovative and results oriented.

We need a servant leadership that is willing to unconditionally serve its people and transform our beloved country into prosperity.

Resource base

Zimbabwe has a strong resource base, which is a “good head start” and strong leverage to build a rich and prosperous country.

God has blessed Zimbabwe with abundant resources, some of which are mentioned below:

Minerals: forty (40) different types of minerals. Zimbabwe has one of the richest diamond deposits in the world, second largest platinum reserves (after South Africa) and significant deposits of gold, chrome, nickel, coal and natural gas, among others.

Human capital: a population with a high literacy rate of 95 percent, coupled with a strong educational system that provides skilled human capital needed for driving economic development.

Wildlife: abundant wildlife resources, which include the big five (lion, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo and leopard), natural wonders (Victoria Falls, Nyanga, Vumba).

Climate: good and predictable climate.

Land: 10 490 square kilometres of arable land suitable for commercial agricultural production.

Land Reform: programme successfully addressed the skewed colonial land tenure system through transfer of land to the indigenous people thereby securing the people access and control of the key resource and means of production.

Indigenisation: black economic empowerment policy (if properly applied) lays the foundation for creation of an inclusive economy that empowers and enables all people to participate/play an active role in economic development.

Diaspora: Zimbabwe’s diaspora population is estimated between 2,5 and 3,5 million which is capable of providing enormous financial and human capital resources and networks for the development of the country.

Constitution: a progressive Constitution based on equality of all people and safeguarding of human rights for all Zimbabweans.

Peace: a peace loving, hardworking and competitive people by nature.

Blame game

Despite these abundant resources, why do we find ourselves facing economic and social hardships we are currently experiencing?

The country has sufficient natural and human resources needed to create a vibrant inclusive economy that can uplift the living standards of all its people in line with the President’s blueprint, Vision 2030.

Why we are failing to create this vibrant inclusive economy that we all want is because we are deeply divided as a nation and not sharing a common vision.

The polarisation in our politics and society is dragging us backwards as a nation.

We are also suffering from a blame game syndrome which we deliberately inflicted on ourselves as a nation.

We are quick and good at blaming something for our own failures — we even blame the moon and the stars.

Yes, external factors have a bearing to problems that we are encountering as a nation, but the blame game will not take us anywhere.

As Zimbabweans we should not be known as a nation of whiners — whining and pointing fingers on others for our shortcomings instead of getting up, dusting ourselves up and working tirelessly for the common good of this great country and for the benefit of future generations.

It is painful to accept this about ourselves but if we are honest, these observations cannot be denied.

There is a Sotho proverb that goes: “The child of a crab walks sideways like his/her mother.”

If we continue with the blame game culture, we risk passing it to our children and future generations, with disastrous outcomes to the development and social transformation of our great country.

History is full of examples of other countries, who faced similar situations and problems like ours, but were able to put aside their differences, unite and work towards a common goal of developing their countries, creating jobs and wealth and uplifting people from poverty.

Until as a nation we self-introspect and take responsibility or our own actions, we will remain stuck in the trenches of underdevelopment, inequality and poverty and fail to create the Zimbabwe we all want in line with Vision 2030.

Outlook

We should not be stuck in the past, rather we should learn from it and use it as a compass that guides us on how we can overcome past and current challenges and move our nation forward.

We should look inwards to mobilise Zimbabwean resources that we already have, at home and in the Diaspora, to finance
and accelerate our economic transformation and development agenda in line with Vision 2030.

When the going gets tough many Zimbabweans are heard saying “kiya kiya” — loosely translated to mean — “improvise or make do with what is there”.

This idea of settling for second best should be discarded.

Fellow Zimbabweans, we deserve the best and should insist for the best — quality, perfection, excellence, higher standards, good living, happiness and joy, not poverty.

 

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