'Laughter the best medicine'

Zimbabweans are a happy lot. Being educated and innovative as we are, we always find our own 'home-based solutions' to our predicament.

Faced with the unrelenting economic malaise and the liquidity crunch, Zimbabweans have either turned to church or just simply to jokes about their situation.

They say 'laughter is the best medicine' and indeed it is for the hard-pressed Zimbabweans.

There is a 'cyber war' which is currently going-on on social media.

Zimbabweans who are in the diaspora and those at home are currently embroiled in a tussle of bragging rights.

"Zviri Kufaya" suddenly becomes a buzz word for locally based Zimbabweans and those who are abroad.

While it is true that both are struggling to survive, the people have decided to joke about their situation.

The video clips are posted on a social page "Zviri Kufaya" where people tackle difficult social issues in a humorous way.

For example, the students at Peterhouse School decided to tackle the issue of constant power cuts with their own video where they are shown bragging about the school's solar panel.

"Who said in Zimbabwe things are tough. Zviri Kufaya. We no longer have power cuts because we have our solar panel. We also have our own version of escalators, the ladders, here," the students are seen in the video taking turns to talk.

The jokes have transcended racial barriers as a white man is seen in another video bragging about eating sadza.

Videos produced by Zimbabweans in the diaspora are strikingly similar: nearly all of them carry the words "Hatidzokiko" as citizens vow never to return to Zimbabwe, while Zimbabweans at home are hitting back by saying "Hatiuyiko" suggesting they will never go to the diaspora.

Zimbabwe is fast becoming a circus with Vice-President Joice Mujuru openly admitting the ZimAsset economic blueprint mooted by government needs 30 years to be understood. Uncle Ritchie of Zviri Kumbofamba Sei fame came up with the rib cracking joke on the economic blueprint.

The comedian wants government to appoint him minister of ZimAsset. It is not the first time that Zimbabweans have joked about the seemingly hard to grasp government policies.

During 2008, the acronym Bacossi became the most said word. Faced with the daunting economic meltdown, the then RBZ governor Gideon Gono introduced Basic Commodities Supply Side Intervention or simply Bacossi.

Vexed by what it meant, the ordinary person on the street joked about the word and referred to anything that was cheap as Bacossi.

During the 1990s when the government introduced the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (Esap) which had severe social effects on the ordinary person on the street, people joked about the government blueprint.

The late comedian Philip Mushangwe joked about Esap in one of the ZBC TV episodes. Even musicians sang about the foiled blueprint.

Sociologist Pardon Taodzera said it was good people were joking about their predicament because it was a way of reducing stress.

"Humour is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body," he said.

Medical doctor Mike Vhareta said Zimbabweans have mastered the art of lowering their anxiety levels through laughter.

"Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humour lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others and keeps you grounded, focused and alert.

"With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems enhancing your relationships and supporting both physical and emotional health," he said.