Taking responsibility – Part 3

For a country, organisation or family to prosper you must take responsibility for what you have to do. I have covered a lot on the subject;

Are You taking Responsibility – Part 1 | Part 2

In this; my last article I am highlighting why we (Zimbabweans and other Africans) are not progressing.  I have proposed the main reasons and solutions thereof.

Denial

Most of us are in denial, we even deny that we have responsibility. The solution is we must admit that we must do something. Stop the denial and move on.

Curse of religion

This is the main challenge of all the challenges the way I see it. The biggest challenge in Zimbabwe and the whole of Africa is religion, Christianity in particular. The way many have accepted Christianity and what they believe is wrong. Having faith does not mean you to sleep and when you wake up all challenges are solved. Like everything is on remote control. So on the remote, there is a button for health, when you press it you are healed. There is really not such a remote control but the majority live as if it exists.

God loves everyone wherever they are, sadly the majority think that if you believe in God all things will work and the opposite is true. The reality on the ground is not like that. Evidence on the ground suggests that whoever, wherever their religion succeeds if they do the right thing. What is the right thing? Hardworking, focus, persistence, education and do much more.

Countries succeed anywhere in the world as long as they do the right thing. God set laws that operate in this world and its unchangeable. The sun rises daily and sets, we all have the same time: 24 hours in a day. We all have brains though we choose how to use them. We have gravity, rains apparently it rains less in Israel but they do the less and where it rains they have hunger it

We all have resources wherever you live or the country is located. We have the same universe the difference is how we take responsibility. Others send rovers to Mars others don’t. Others work to develop medicines and train doctors while others are relying on herbs and traditional ways of diagnostics. While the majority are praying to God for solutions. The truth is God gave us all the thinking capacity to deal with daily challenges. We are not robots let’s take responsibility for our future and that of our children and their children.

Lastly, religion has brought so much division, one God worshipped in different ways people can’t work together because of faith. There is a need for unity to achieve things. That gets me to the next subtopic.

Polarisation

This has remained a big challenge is Zimbabwe for a long time, this was the case since Rhodesia:  Are you Shona or Ndebele, are you black or white, though these challenges remain, the biggest today is are you Zanu or MDC. The truth is not everyone is Zanu or Mdc however the polarisation is so strong that those who are not members or supporters of the two are forced or believed to be one, depending on what they say. I don’t like it because I am perceived to be the other depending on my position that day. 

It’s so toxic that anything you say on social media can get you into serious trouble. The comments are all political despite the motivation of your post.

For us to move forward this polarisation must stop, we need unity. If you have a solution please add a comment at the end and take responsibility to motivate friends and family towards unity.
I have already highlighted the challenge of religious beliefs. This polarisation is also strong in the church either on political lines or doctrines, the division is so strong to think some meet every Sunday.

Science

When Jonathan Moyo came up with STEM the majority criticised the idea on the basis he was a member of Zanu.  His reason was simple and it remains the same. Without science, the country will not move forward.

As I was finishing this article Magufuli died and he is popular for saying that Covid 19 does not exist causing the death of many, rumour is he succumbed to the virus. He did not respect science as a leader further it’s also in Tanzania and northern Malawi where Albinos are killed for superstitious reasons. Embracing science is so key to development. A few years ago enginers failed to connect pumps and blamed it on mermaids in Bulawayo. Rituals were done and nothing worked until some engineers were called in from South Africa. Let’s embrace science for the development of the country. Something is happening in the education sector but more must be done.

Because of science and technology my son now knows things I didn’t know till I was in secondary school. He is only 5. So today was the first day at school so I asked him what did you learn? and he said “everything that I know” YouTube and tv are the main drive.

SuperstitionsBecause science education is very low people will remain in superstitions like witchcraft, demons, mermaids, miracles, conspiracy theories, and much more.

When a person dies all we need is a post mortem not theories of things that can’t be proved. In short look at your life clear it of all superstitions to make progress.

Culture and traditionColonisation changed our culture and traditions, there is nothing wrong with abandoning the bad ones. However, I think we abandoned everything.

This is another area with a lot of confusion with the majority of Christians believing that everything cultural is evil. Why I think culture is important is because culture has the capacity to unite people.  We need to find a commonplace that unites us.

Curriculum

This is being changed at a fast pace in Zimbabwe at all levels; from the lowest level to university. That is key to  success because the way a person thinks is shaped at school. There has also been addition of Early Childhood Development (ECD). The government has done a lot but more still needs to be done. Polarisation is causing resistance to the much-needed change. Other countries have moved and now talking about the 4th and 5th industrial revolution while the first is still to happen here. This and STEM mentioned above will at least ensure that in 50 years time there will be new thinking. The truth be said the change that many desire to see happening in Zimbabwe and Africa will not happen soon. The majority may die before that change takes place, some may see it.

Conclusion

The issues raised are not exhaustive these are simply a few examples. Stop blaming God, others and yourself, stop the complaints and take responsibility. Do the right thing no matter to who or with who. The day we unite and not say I am Zanu or MDC but say I am Zimbabwean or we are Zimbabweans we will prosper. What do you think please add your comments below.