Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy
rates in the world. It’s believed to be well over 80%, a figure that is very
impressive in any context. But with all the education our economy managed to
shrink into levels that have landed us a spot in the pages of history as the
nation with the worst inflation rate in the history of economics.
So with
all such an educated population how did Zimbabwe fail to avert this
catastrophe that she endured in 2008? What did she miss as a nation? l strongly
believe that we can and must draw lessons for future generations from our
past. I believe that although Zimbabwe’s
people had a lot of knowledge they lacked in the area of wisdom. We knew “how
to” do but we didn’t know ”why” we were doing it.
Upon
obtaining a vibrant economy ensconced in an inherited colonial system after a
long and hard fought liberation struggle, leaders failed to take the necessary time
to chart the way forward, for the fledgling nation. There was no one painting a picture of the
future because for a long time the only future was one of trying to attain an
independent Zimbabwe.
Upon doing so, there was no new vision.
Where
there is no vision society stagnates, and tomorrow looks a lot like today and
today looks a lot like yesterday. Things remain as they were and change is only
a political slogan, maintenance is left for the future, which means it will
never come and the infrastructure and system begins to decay.
The bible
declares, “Without a vision the people perish”. Without anything to attain to
people resort back to the lowest form of behavior, that is usually a selfish,
short term, and almost animalistic instinct. Culture, family, future all must
wait for the immediate plundering of the spoils. The only problem is that we
are not thinking of the future of generations to come and in so doing are
locking our sons and daughters into a future that will need to be rebuilt from
the bottom up. Hopefully they will build with values and principles that can be
touched by the wisdom of heaven and a hope for those who will follow them.
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