Zimbos ” Act” on social media whilst Zanu PF work on ZTV : Nation worlds apart !!!

By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo

Everyday they are launchs on ZTV, with figures ranging from 2 Billion and 18 trillion, and whilst you are seated in the comfortable zone of your house, you will be enjoying ZTV, wait until you open your curtains, and face the northern suburbs, and check the sewer flowing on roads, with lack of sanitation, and clean water. You then wounder which 18 Billion stimulus package are they talking about ?

Few years ago the then Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa, the current Zanu PF Spokesperson, opened a bin in Rusape, all the way from Harare, with aides and personal assistants around him, managed to grace the occasion , and many people were around the bin, when he was cutting the ribbon.

When the program was broadcasted on ZTV, it appeared it was a big project, and it had attracted huge investments which would go a long for Zimbabwe in the next few years. The next day drive to the bin you will get so many surprises whether there was an official opening of a bin the previous day.

A fortnight ago, the second Vice President, Kembo Mohadi, opened a bridge, which was made news on ZBC Online, Herald and ZTV @ 2000 hrs, forcing ZTV to adjourn some programs to pave way for the VP’ s program who was officially opening a bridge , some 45 km away from Harare. Everyone was surprised with the gestures on ZTV considering the size of the bridge and the expenditure of state funds evolved around the state function.

The program could have been done by a mere councilor, when worse comes to worse, perhaps maybe a Provincial Minister or a District Administrator. I don’t know who whispered into the VP’ s ears that it’s possible to have a top VIP man offering such gestures and embarrassing himself on such a small bridge.

Muthuli Ncube, the Current Treasury boss made some stunning remarks on ZTV, just three days after second lockdown, he was unveiling a total 18 Billion stimulus package to ailing companies, to resuscitate the economy, the issue died a natural death. When I listened to the man on ZTV , he was speaking in confidence, and by the time you walk to Finance Ministry offices, you will be told there is nothing like that, you have to be patient for sometime.

My simple question, what are these launches for? Are they for political expediency? Shortly before 2018 elections, Herald flighted a banner which was well decorated inscribed ” Free education for Primary pupils”.

Today, as we speak, we are parting with at 30 USD per month for extra lessons, the Ministry of Primary education is silent about this, no clear policy clarification on what is on the ground. The following day, the Education Minister was on ZTV, insisting that Government is going to act, and put proper regulations on the e- learning and virtual meetings taking place for primary pupils.

When they seat on those well ventilated offices, addressing press conferences, you will be clapping hands, as soon as they leave those offices, it will be a closed chapter.

Recently, the President launched the Covid – 19 programs spearheaded by the then Perm Secretary for Health, who is now the State House director for Covid – 19, Mahovha, on ZTV, you will almost say covid – 19 is gone when they are talking on ZTV, I quote in their own words ” Government is working hard to combat the pandemic, and working tirelessly to ensure there is enough resources and all health workers are catered for.

Next day , I went to Parirenyatwa Hospital, I was surprised to see empty ward and buildings with no ventilators. On ZTV, there were ventilators, and Natpharm company, offloading drugs and other health equipment. That’s ZTV work in progress.

Coming to Zimbos, we are alover, today we are unliking ED page, tomorrow we have Zimbabwelivesmatter, next we have July 31, the next day we have hashtag, the other day, we have Zimbos, this other day, we have the flag, the other day we have tajamuka, the other day we have MDC Alliance, the other day, we have these posts from famous academics, what exactly do we want as Zimbabweans?

Coming to social media rants, everyone was supporting Hopewell Chin’ono, he has more than 500 000 to nearly 1 million likes, he exposed corruption, today he is languishing in prison, noone is prepared even to be near Magistrate Courts, and social media rants continue, it’s water under the bridge.

Even those who wrote statements like, we will die for Hopewell, the day he was arrested, they were texting on social media from their comfortable zones, and in their offices.

Zimbos language in the social media. These are the following rants :

1. Eish Hopewell Chin’ono apinda mukati?

2. Hakuna zvakadaro, toita Hondo

3. Takupinda mu road

4. Vakuda kutijairira! This is a statement from 80s after Independence, Zanu PF is in charge

5. Let’s mobilize

6. Gore rino haripere

7. We are now acting

8. Chakuzoputika manje

9. Saka guys hapana action

10. Zvanyanya

NB : most of these rants are from people in Diaspora, particularly we call it in Shona, ” Kukuchidzira”. Ngarivhume Jacob and the leading award journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono are languishing in prison, Zimbos are already on other hashtags, life goes on like that. Today we have Itai Dzamara, it water under the bridge, Zimbos have almost forgotten, and they only fight for someone on social media.

We as ZIST, our recommendations are as follows :

1. Zimbabwe needs a new path of thinking

2. We need strategic Thinking around the current trajectory

3. Cultivate the culture of solution focused thinking

4. We must be Solution oriented

5. We must be practical

6. We must leave footprints of success

7. We must breed a new dimension of thinking culture

8. Mindset Transformation is key to rebuild this nation

9. Propaganda must be killed

10. Strategic stakeholder’s engagement

When Ngarivhume Jacob called for national protests slated for July 31, everyone on social media, particularly those in the diaspora promised to be on the ground, come July 31, noone was there except Ngarivhume and Chin’ono who were already in the remand prison. On Twitter, they will be on the ground .

This is why the regime, are very relaxed, they know very well that these are mere social media rants which have no effect on them.

What exactly do we want as Zimbabweans?

Soon after 2018 elections, Mbeki flew to Zimbabwe, he met few leaders inclusive of Mnangagwa, Chamisa, Khupe and military commanders, and he went back, till to date, we haven’t heard of Mbeki story and what happened to the dialogue he initiated. Today, we have Mbete convoy appointed by Ramaphosa, after the State House dinner, they left for South Africa. This was as a result of Zimbabwelivesmatter, after that then what? We need strategic thinking

Conclusion

Zimbabweans are alover on social media which is a modern day tool for advancing any cause, but we have crowded solutions that are not positioned strategically. We are not practical with solutions. We lack solution focused Thinking. We have Re – load , we have JUICE, we have BUILD, we have SMART AGRICULTURE, We have COMMAND AGRICULTURE, We have ZIM ASSET, We have STEM, What is our problem? Crowded ideas. The very people who crafted these documents, they are working on new documents on daily basis.

We need to move away from document kind of thinking, and offer solution focused Thinking towards our country.

Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking – ZIST. He holds a BA from Solusi University, MA University of Lusaka, Zambia, Post grad in Project Management University of Zimbabwe and PhD – Cand Women’s University in Africa, B Science in Development studies – Zimbabwe Open University and he can be contacted at tinamuzala@gmail.com or zimstrategicthinking@gmail.com