Zimbabwe's intelligentsia are to blame for the mess - they used their degrees for decor only

Zimbabwe has become a hell-on-earth and 90% of the blame of what has happened must be laid on the door of the country's intelligentsia; they could and should have stopped the country's descend into hell but failed to do so.

The intelligentsia had the advantage of getting a good education whilst others risked their lives and many died in the fight to end white colonial rule. So the nation attained her independence in 1980 it was their turn to put the national interest above their own individual and keep Mugabe and his cronies who emerged to rule the nation on straight and narrow path. If someone had held these leaders to account from the word go the nation will have never been dragged into this mess. Of course Mugabe, being the tyrant he is, would have objected to being held to account and thus made the intelligentsia's lives very difficult, to say the least.

Good governance, like everything of this worlds, comes with a price tag; freedom and independence has come with 300 000 lives lost throughout the wars, good governance would have meant Mugabe harassing the intelligentsia. So instead of standing firm in defence of the nation's newly acquired freedoms, liberty, human rights and human dignities the intelligentsia, who should have understood the values of these treasures better than anyone else by virtue of their better education; they abandoned their posts. They were tripping over each other to sing Mugabe's praises on the basis of if you cannot beat them join them or at the very least go along to get along!

When it became evident that the nation was in serious political trouble and economic ruins; the intelligentsia packed their bags and left country in droves. Those who had not had the benefit of a good education or could not leave the country for some other reasons were left to face the music of the tyrannical oppression and economic meltdown alone.

Even from the comfort of their new found homes outside the country, many Zimbabweans' indifference to the tragic events back in the in Zimbabwe has been disheartening. Take last year's rigged national elections for example; it was the Americans, Australians and Canadians who were quick off the mark in condemn the blatant vote rigging and yet Zimbabweans in the diaspora who still have relatives and friends back in the country hardly noted the rigging.

How readily many Zimbabweans both inside and outside the country have accepted the Zanu PF position of on the 2013 elections "produce the evidence of vote rigging"! It is a nonsense position because the regime is sitting on the evidence by failing to release the voters roll. But if the intelligentsia do not point this out is it any wonder then that those, for whatever reason, did not have a good education and exposure and experience to know and understand the niceties of what free, fair and credible elections should therefore accept the Zanu PF position as correct and factual?

Zimbabwe like to boost as having one of the highest literacy rates in Africa but it also has one of the highest percentage intelligentsia – 13 formal education plus a minimum of two further education of professional training – per population. You would not see what benefit the intelligentsia has been to the nation to look at the speed with which the country has descended into chaos, lawlessness and despair!

I and a group of other boys got hopelessly lost on a camping trip. We had a map and a compass but it turned out the older boy entrusted to lead the group did not have a clue how to use these aids. After 34 years of independence there is no doubt that the nation is hopelessly lost. Those the nation had entrusted with the responsibility to rule the country – the intelligentsia – did not have a clue what they were doing. And the man who has led the nation throughout, President Robert Mugabe, has himself no less than seven university degrees!

I am not saying we should stop investing resources in education; we need a well-educated population just as much as one needs map and compass on a camping trip. But just the map and compass are useless unless there is someone who knows how to use them, we need to shift emphasis of our education system from producing wall paper to decorate offices to produce graduates who will make a productive contribution to the nation.

What good was it to the nation to have President with seven university degrees when he has failed to apply the knowledge he learn at "O" level much less any of the many degrees! Now some people with, reportedly, no "A" level certificate are being awarded PhD!