Tendai Ruben Mbofana
Indeed, no one can begrudge those desiring to fend for themselves and their families – more so, being economically-independent, since they would be self-employed.
There is definitely nothing wrong with standing on one’s own two feet in business, being your own boss.
What I, however, find extremely disturbing is the deplorable tendency of deceiving and misleading ordinary impoverished Zimbabweans into believing that this is some form of ‘empowerment’, which can get them out of poverty.
There is nothing further from the truth that this pathetic yarn!
Surely, how many of these people who are producing homemade detergents, or street vending, or engaged in some other ‘projects’ are now swimming in wealth, or the very least, enjoying a genuinely comfortable standard of living?
This is especially so under the dark cloud of the unpardonable and unbelievable gross mismanagement of the country’s economy – characterized by the rampant looting of our national resources – mainly, at the hands of those in power and their equally crooked cronies.
My heart sank as I watched a group of predominantly female recipients of ‘income generating programs’ in Masvingo, yesterday – expressing unrestrained exhilaration at what they sincerely believed was their newfound road to riches.
Surely, how can President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa administration be so cruel as to fool the nation into a delusional sense of success?
These people will most likely, at best – under the current socio-political dispensation – remain poverty-stricken and suffering, whilst still struggling to barely make ends meet.
However, the dream of finally escaping their daily struggles, as they enjoy the best that life can give, will remain a mere pipedream.
Mnangagwa and his regime can not run away from the brutal fact that, their monumental failures in governance can never, and will never, simply be eradicated through the doling out of so-called ‘empowerment projects’.
If anything, this is an undeniable sign of desperation and cluelessness.
Let me take the nation back to over four decades ago.
Our parents were not highly educated.
My own mother, for instance, only holds a primary school education, and late father a JC (junior certificate, or form two).
Nonetheless, they managed to train as a nurse and teacher, respectively – who were able to purchase a beautiful low density house each, in previously ‘whites only’ suburbs – one in Redcliff, and the other in Masasa Park (Kwekwe).
I will not even go into the cars and other creature comforts they managed to acquire, on top of sending me (their only child) to what were very good schools at the time.
These were a mere nurse and teacher.
Fast forward to Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe!
What is a nurse or a teacher taking home as a salary today?
What can they possibly afford with those paltry amounts?
Mind you, most of these are now holders of university degrees – yet, they are largely renting houses, or ‘lodging’ in a few rooms – while finding it nearly impossible to send their children to good schools, or afford the bare basics of life.
They are then enticed by the Mnangagwa administration to partake in these so-called ‘empowerment projects’ – reduced to vending all manner of wares – but, still unable to break free from the shackles of misery and poverty.
Where is the ‘empowerment’ when these people continue living in squalor, struggling to put food on the table, or unable to send their children to good schools – let alone able to purchase their own houses, or motor vehicles?
Let us be truthful to each other – which was better: being a teacher or nurse more than four decades ago – or, supposedly ‘empowered’, today, through all these ‘projects’?
All those young men and women actually had a far better chance of a relatively good life more than forty years ago.
In fact, had they chosen to enter any profession during that period – today, they would have been owners of beautiful houses and other properties.
Yet, due to the merciless destruction of our country and economy by the ZANU PF regime, they are driven into a life of destitution and despair – lacking any real prospects for a bright future.
The very fact that the same supposedly ‘empowered’ people have to queue for so-called ‘title deeds’ (which are actually ‘deeds of grant’) from the president himself proves just how Mnangagwa is exploiting the nation’s suffering for his own benefit.
In fact, is it not shocking witnessing civil servants actually praising him for building them a few government-owned residential flats, or providing busses to ferry them to and from work?
Yet, our mothers and fathers able to purchase their own houses and cars decades ago.
That is when today’s generation is made to believe that selling wares on the streets, or making substandard homemade products, or some other ‘project’ is there way out of poverty!
Out of poverty, my foot!
Surely, should the proper order of life not be that newer generations perform better in life than their parents and grandparents – as more opportunities are availed with the passage of time?
Nonetheless, in Zimbabwe it is the complete opposite!
Each generation, in spite of achieving higher levels of learning at school, end up actually worse off than their parents.
Is it not an utter disgrace to the Mnangagwa government that over four decades ago, even someone with a mere primary school education could become a nurse, and buy a huge low density suburban house – yet today, a university graduate has to sell second-hand clothes on the streets, whilst ‘lodging’ a room or two?
Those who are ‘fortunate’ resort to leaving the country for foreign jobs – most of which are even far lower than what they studied for at tertiary learning institutions.
If anything, our parents’ lives were eventually destroyed by the ZANU PF regime – where, despite toiling and sweating for this country all their adult lives – today, they are given sickening amounts in pension and social security benefits, most of which are not even enough for a loaf of bread a day.
Our young people should wake up and refuse to be deceived by a ruling elite that has nothing meaningful to offer the nation – and, now wants them to believe in a delusional life.
They need to reject the mediocrity which they are being forced to accept under the discredited guise of ‘empowerment’.
As long as this oppressive confused kleptomaniac cabal is still in power, then there will never be any hope for ordinary Zimbabweans.
There is no ‘empowerment’ in a situation where they will continue to languish in poverty!
The Mnangagwa administration has become experts at taking advantage of the nation’s suffering for their own political expediency.
They are benefitting from conditioning an impoverished nation into believing in a pipedream!
- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate, writer, researcher, and social commentator. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com