Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe's great war
17 Oct 2018 at 07:21hrs | Views
There are many benefits to the study of history. While granted, some episodes of our past provide for great entertainment, the main benefit in my view is the ability to calmly examine historical events without the noise of the constant chatter that accompanies us in today's instant world. This allows a truly objective view on these events and to form a bias-free opinion (as much as is possible, of course).
When studying World War II, one of the things that always stood out to me was the reaction of the British Government during the bombing raids by Nazi Germany on their capital. They printed posters which were distributed all over the country, which proclaimed in capital letters: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.
I never quite grasped what was so special about this message, and how this could have added anything valuable to the war effort.
But in extraordinary times such as those we are currently experiencing, I can now fully understand the genius of the British government.
We are living through a rollercoaster of political and economic news in Zimbabwe. Prices go up, the black market for Forex freezes, people claim there is rationing, people show pictures of full shelves – it is hard to keep up with the latest rumours spreading from one part of the country to the other, and harder still to know if they are true.
Yet, if one takes a step back and reflects on all the news we have been hearing since the new dispensation, history's lessons come to mind.
While there are some hard times right now, and rumours on the street fuel the uncertainty, it is paramount to trust the experts in government. World financial leaders, represented at the forum in Bali last week, trust them. They surely have a better economic understanding than some murky account on Twitter. Don't buy into a panic that will cost you dearly.
In this war for our economic future, the order of the day is quite simple: Just keep calm and carry on. Ignore the rumours and the speculators. Trust the experts. Give the reforms time to work. This too shall pass. And on our people's stoicism, patience and iron will, our new Zimbabwe will be built.
When studying World War II, one of the things that always stood out to me was the reaction of the British Government during the bombing raids by Nazi Germany on their capital. They printed posters which were distributed all over the country, which proclaimed in capital letters: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.
I never quite grasped what was so special about this message, and how this could have added anything valuable to the war effort.
But in extraordinary times such as those we are currently experiencing, I can now fully understand the genius of the British government.
We are living through a rollercoaster of political and economic news in Zimbabwe. Prices go up, the black market for Forex freezes, people claim there is rationing, people show pictures of full shelves – it is hard to keep up with the latest rumours spreading from one part of the country to the other, and harder still to know if they are true.
Yet, if one takes a step back and reflects on all the news we have been hearing since the new dispensation, history's lessons come to mind.
While there are some hard times right now, and rumours on the street fuel the uncertainty, it is paramount to trust the experts in government. World financial leaders, represented at the forum in Bali last week, trust them. They surely have a better economic understanding than some murky account on Twitter. Don't buy into a panic that will cost you dearly.
In this war for our economic future, the order of the day is quite simple: Just keep calm and carry on. Ignore the rumours and the speculators. Trust the experts. Give the reforms time to work. This too shall pass. And on our people's stoicism, patience and iron will, our new Zimbabwe will be built.
Source - Jealousy Dutiro
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