Opinion / Columnist
We need to reset Zimbabwe
7 hrs ago | Views
IT'S undeniable that Zimbabwe, as a country, needs change.
This is not about delving into politics, but rather about reaching a consensus as leaders and people where we agree to work together.
Our generation must leave the country better than we found it.
Today, we can start that journey.
I know some people won't be happy with my writings or thoughts.
This is not about whether you accept me, but about what's good for all of us.
Let's debate and get Zimbabwe working again.
Political mood
We are always in a political craze.
We think about how to gain political mileage instead of achieving economic emancipation.
It's all about who has the political clout, who has political access and who wins the most benefits.
It's about connections and allegiances.
The country is bigger than politics.
The country is so desperate that we have mastered political intelligence at the expense of our true success as a collective.
Strategic ambiguity
Strategic ambiguity is a common problem.
Because we are clouded by politics, we find it hard, if not impossible, to accept plausible insights from different political camps.
What is our country's strategy?
At times, we have no strategy and build our political careers around activities that gain more votes.
Lack of collective responsibility
We have developed an unAfrican-like culture where, if my life is going well, it does not matter if my neighbours suffer.
The attitude is: if my life is good, there is no reason for me to fight for others.
If my health is good, whether or not there is medicine in our clinics or public hospitals, it's not part of my business.
The Broken Window Syndrome
“The broken windows theory states that visible signs of disorder and misbehaviour in an environment encourage further disorder and misbehaviour, leading to serious crimes. The principle was developed to explain the decay of neighbourhoods, but it is often applied to work and educational environments.” (Psychology Today, 2025).
Simply put, the syndrome means no one cares and we can continue breaking even more windows.
The country needs people who care. We seem to have lost the feeling and the heart for caring.
The simplest evidence of this is the disorder and dirt in our streets. Who threw that banana peel?
The Stockholm Syndrome
“Stockholm syndrome, psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands.” (Britannica, 2025).
The captive depends on the captor for survival and sees small positive gestures as kindness, thus siding with the captor.
A relationship develops between the captor and the captive, with the captive becoming sympathetic to the captor.
‘Blame game' culture
One dysfunction in our country is that we always find someone to blame for our problems.
If it's not the political leaders, it's the sanctions.
If it's not the Minister of Agriculture, it's the shortage of rain. Leaders are stuck on blaming everyone else.
A “blame game” culture is a sign of learning disabilities.
Blaming leads to a toxic environment, creating more problems such as conflicts, misunderstandings, frustration, lack of trust and accountability.
Lack of action synergy
We have people working together, but not knowing or caring how their actions affect others.
This leads to poor communication, collaboration, and teamwork.
Not learning from experience
When we fail to learn from our mistakes, we are bound to repeat them.
To avoid this, we need time to reflect as a country.
Leaders must be willing to listen and demand feedback from citizens.
When citizens are not given a voice or allowed to make decisions, they will remain silent at the expense of the country.
Reactivity
We are playing catch-up as a country.
It seems we are always caught flat-footed by change, making us reactive rather than proactive.
Lack of learning agility
The ability and agility to learn is the greatest gift any country can have.
Learning agility is the ability to learn swiftly and adapt to new situations.
When a country lacks learning agility, it can't keep up with the pace of change.
Lack of research and development
Research and development are related to learning agility.
Research helps us gather the information we need to move the country towards development.
Does our country have significant research?
When a country does not invest in research and development, it cannot innovate.
No talent retention
Talent density determines the success of any country.
Great talent is fleeing the country in droves.
A country that does not retain its top talent will see the best talent leave and serve other countries.
When Zimbabwe does not invest in its people, it cannot attract or retain the best talent.
Parting point
We must learn to learn as a country.
We need a cure as a country.
To break the cycle of learning disabilities, we must be willing to change, break from our past, and accept and demand feedback from everyone.
This is not about delving into politics, but rather about reaching a consensus as leaders and people where we agree to work together.
Our generation must leave the country better than we found it.
Today, we can start that journey.
I know some people won't be happy with my writings or thoughts.
This is not about whether you accept me, but about what's good for all of us.
Let's debate and get Zimbabwe working again.
Political mood
We are always in a political craze.
We think about how to gain political mileage instead of achieving economic emancipation.
It's all about who has the political clout, who has political access and who wins the most benefits.
It's about connections and allegiances.
The country is bigger than politics.
The country is so desperate that we have mastered political intelligence at the expense of our true success as a collective.
Strategic ambiguity
Strategic ambiguity is a common problem.
Because we are clouded by politics, we find it hard, if not impossible, to accept plausible insights from different political camps.
What is our country's strategy?
At times, we have no strategy and build our political careers around activities that gain more votes.
Lack of collective responsibility
We have developed an unAfrican-like culture where, if my life is going well, it does not matter if my neighbours suffer.
The attitude is: if my life is good, there is no reason for me to fight for others.
If my health is good, whether or not there is medicine in our clinics or public hospitals, it's not part of my business.
The Broken Window Syndrome
“The broken windows theory states that visible signs of disorder and misbehaviour in an environment encourage further disorder and misbehaviour, leading to serious crimes. The principle was developed to explain the decay of neighbourhoods, but it is often applied to work and educational environments.” (Psychology Today, 2025).
Simply put, the syndrome means no one cares and we can continue breaking even more windows.
The country needs people who care. We seem to have lost the feeling and the heart for caring.
The simplest evidence of this is the disorder and dirt in our streets. Who threw that banana peel?
The Stockholm Syndrome
“Stockholm syndrome, psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands.” (Britannica, 2025).
The captive depends on the captor for survival and sees small positive gestures as kindness, thus siding with the captor.
A relationship develops between the captor and the captive, with the captive becoming sympathetic to the captor.
‘Blame game' culture
One dysfunction in our country is that we always find someone to blame for our problems.
If it's not the political leaders, it's the sanctions.
If it's not the Minister of Agriculture, it's the shortage of rain. Leaders are stuck on blaming everyone else.
A “blame game” culture is a sign of learning disabilities.
Blaming leads to a toxic environment, creating more problems such as conflicts, misunderstandings, frustration, lack of trust and accountability.
Lack of action synergy
We have people working together, but not knowing or caring how their actions affect others.
This leads to poor communication, collaboration, and teamwork.
Not learning from experience
When we fail to learn from our mistakes, we are bound to repeat them.
To avoid this, we need time to reflect as a country.
Leaders must be willing to listen and demand feedback from citizens.
When citizens are not given a voice or allowed to make decisions, they will remain silent at the expense of the country.
Reactivity
We are playing catch-up as a country.
It seems we are always caught flat-footed by change, making us reactive rather than proactive.
Lack of learning agility
The ability and agility to learn is the greatest gift any country can have.
Learning agility is the ability to learn swiftly and adapt to new situations.
When a country lacks learning agility, it can't keep up with the pace of change.
Lack of research and development
Research and development are related to learning agility.
Research helps us gather the information we need to move the country towards development.
Does our country have significant research?
When a country does not invest in research and development, it cannot innovate.
No talent retention
Talent density determines the success of any country.
Great talent is fleeing the country in droves.
A country that does not retain its top talent will see the best talent leave and serve other countries.
When Zimbabwe does not invest in its people, it cannot attract or retain the best talent.
Parting point
We must learn to learn as a country.
We need a cure as a country.
To break the cycle of learning disabilities, we must be willing to change, break from our past, and accept and demand feedback from everyone.
Source - newsday
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