Zimbabwe's future has always been in Zimbabwean hands

There is no argument that Zimbabwe is not leaving up to its potential nor expectations it had for itself at Independence, an African story but this piece is looking at Zimbabwe in particular. Zimbabweans once enjoyed the highest standards of living in Africa, the situation detiriorated slowly after independence, prices always rising, load shedding of electricity supply, then at the begining of the twenty first century the world witnesses what is going on now. Zimbabwe is in monetary terms one of the poorest countries in the world, how the mighty have fallen. Amazingly enough Zimbabwe still has the highest literacy rate in Africa, a quality that may help Zimbabweans in the future if a proper economic culture prevails.

An economy is there for the people, it is only when this fact is accepted that Zimbabwe will go beyond the imaginations of Rhodesia as an economy. A proper economic culture will mean Zimbabwe will be independent, or rather the people of Zimbabwe will be independent and free because as a country Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. It is the Zimbabwean people that need independence, they have never had the luxury of determining their own independence, of making their own decisions with the overbearing controls of the Zimbabwean government, controls that should have ended with the fall of Rhodesia.

The question a people need to ask themselves is what is freedom? It is when this question is answered that Zimbabwe, and obviously the rest of Africa will find unlimited economic prosperity because Africa has always been the continent that is ready for the future if the governments of Africa will allow the people to determine their future and freely interact. Obviously this is a different message than that coming from international NGO's, who see and enforce the idea that Africans are helpless, not as smart, should be agricultural. These same organizations used to tell Asian countries the same, IMF and others once told South Korea to concentrate on garlic and tomatoes, obviously Koreans never listened, today we have the likes of Samsunng, LG, aand Hyundai in South Korea. The African thanks the likes of Jeffrey Sachs for saying concentrate on onions and tomatoes.

 The perculiar quality of the African is that he wishes everybody succes, we want to see Europe reach its zenith, we want to see China, India, Middle East reach their zenith, we want to see America, Russia reach their zenith, why then do they not want to see the black man reach his zenith? We aide these societies in handicapping ourselves that when a Western economist backed by billions from the likes of George Soros comes to Africa and says 2 + 2 = 3.5 we readily accept it and denounce the black man who says actually, 2 + 2 = 4.

This is readily accepted by many, take the statements of Rashweat Mukundu, "Acting President Emmerson Mnangangwa hit the right note in a meeting with businesspeople as reported in the media, stating that Zimbabwe must focus on attracting foreign direct investment as well as relax a plethora of badly written, badly implemented empowerment laws, that has so far led to poverty and not prosperity." Why do people refuse the fact that the people who will raise Africa are strictly the actions of Africans. Zimbabwes duty is first to allow Zimbabweans to do, not to attract foreign investment. If conditions are good for Zimbabweans, foreign investment will come, you cannot prioritize foreign investment over Zimbabweans freedom. Conditions in America are good for Americans, foreign investment flows to America, not the other way round.

Priotizing foreign direct investment is same as saying 2 + 2 = 3.5, priotizing conditions for Zimbabweans is the same as saying 2 + 2 = 4 the correct answer. Governments in Africa, including Zimbabwe prioritize foreign investment because they believe this way they can have their cake and eat it too. The economy will chug along and government can remain bloated. However to free Zimbabweans, it means accepting equality before the law, no industry, no business is protected from competition. If the friends of the president can start a business, no license should protect them from competition, you have means to start a bank, start one, you can raise money for a tv station, go ahead, you think you can run a cellphone company better than econet, go ahead, why protect these friends, it does not work, look at Zimbabwe, look at Africa. Stop robbing other talented Zimbabweans to feed cronyism and call that freedom. Freedom means any can do or at least try.

Where is the electricity, the government has failed to deliver, allow private Zimbabweans to build own power stations and deliver, what is there to be lost, people don't have power, allow other Zimbabweans with the means to try and feel in the gaps. For example, people have farms, they put solar panels, or build mini sub stations and sell the power to the grid, who loses, nobody, there is a gain, there is more electricity. There is no money, its your land, seek investors from anywhere, including London and build on it, unlike them we don't hate. They truly hate, do not ever get that wrong.

The only real gift Zimbabweans wanted from the liberation movements was to be free. Free to be, to reach their potential, when individual reaches their potential the collaboration from other individuals allows the society to move foward. Freedom will allow Africans to exploit their own resources for the benefit of Africans.

As long as government has an overwhelming prescence nothing will work, you can have a look North policy, look east policy, look heaven policy, if the people are not free to interact in economic sphere freely, there is nothing that will realy change. Accepting that first Zimbabweans must be free means then Zimbabwe can deal with its currency problem, sound money aides freedom, sound money does not create freedom.

To free Zimbabweans means we must believe we are fully humans equal to the task. After 60 years of Africa making conditions good for foreign direct investment, why is Africa still so vastly poorer than other continents, it is just the likes of London and Paris pulling wool over the black mans eyes. Why are African's afraid of being who they are directly aiding those who wish blacks ill. A free African mind has more potential than can be imagined, that is why West encourages large governments and a stiffled people, as long as large governments do their bidding.

There is nobody superior to the black mind, it is an illusion created by racists promoting their own agenda. Culture stems from those at the top of society, racsim stems from those running society. Bill Gates believed there are too many blacks at one point, how on earth will he help Africa, racism flows from the top, they acknowledge nothing black yet scream global village, it is called fooling the people.

Zimbabwe's long term problems can be fixed at a stroke of a pen, every body is equal before the law, all have right to participate in the economy. Corruption is an obstacle, but nothing compared to the lack of freedom.

Bhekuzulu Khumalo is a social commentator residing in Canada. He can be reached at bhekuzulu.khumalo@gmail.com