Opinion / Columnist
Let's do away with tribalism
31 Mar 2015 at 08:26hrs | Views
EDITOR,
I came across an article in some private website entitled "Block Shona products from entering Bulawayo". The story was based on the words by one Zenzo Nyoni, chairperson and leader of Bulawayo Youth Unemployment Agenda.
His reasoning was that the Shonas are making money at the expense of Bulawayo youths and Ndebele-speaking job-seekers. This is how shallow some of our so-called youth leaders have become.
I hope I may help him a bit to see light. Well firstly, Mr Nyoni, Zimbabwe is united and products from one part of the country can be sold in any corner of the country freely.
Secondly, Matabeleland as a region cannot cope with its demand for tiny things such as eggs.
The region currently produces 5o 000 eggs per day with a shortfall of 45 000 eggs coming from other parts of the country. If these eggs are stopped, as Nyoni suggests, he will be among the first people to complain of sabotage.
The reason for shortage in Bulawayo is not that Shona farmers can supply, but because there are simply very few farmers in the region willing to take up poultry farming because they think it's cumbersome.
Thirdly, Matabeleland is generally a dry area which makes it very difficult to grow our staple maize; hence banning maize because it comes from Mashonaland would be suicidal.
Mr Nyoni, farmers exchange products around the country, Matabeleland produces beef and Mashonaland produces maize meal, so we need each other's produce. The youths of Matabeleland will never be employed with such people leading the flock.
What needs to be done is to encourage Matabeleland people to actively participate in poultry farming and other ventures and improve the supply of products such as eggs rather than choose the suicidal method of cutting the immediate supply of oxygen simply because it is from another region without the solution of another source.
Mr Nyoni, Zimbabwe does import fuel because the oil rig is in Nigeria or America, but because there is a need for the product and that we don't produce it here, nor do we import maize from Zambia or South Africa because they are our neighbours, but because there is a shortage of maize and that has nothing to do with our neighbours, but lack of productivity by local farmers or drought.
Youths in Bulawayo must be careful of letting this "blind mind" lead the way and seeking advice from a man who has never run a tuck-shop telling you how to run a supermarket.
Remember, eyes are useless when the mind is blind.
This article was originally published by The Chronicle.
I came across an article in some private website entitled "Block Shona products from entering Bulawayo". The story was based on the words by one Zenzo Nyoni, chairperson and leader of Bulawayo Youth Unemployment Agenda.
His reasoning was that the Shonas are making money at the expense of Bulawayo youths and Ndebele-speaking job-seekers. This is how shallow some of our so-called youth leaders have become.
I hope I may help him a bit to see light. Well firstly, Mr Nyoni, Zimbabwe is united and products from one part of the country can be sold in any corner of the country freely.
Secondly, Matabeleland as a region cannot cope with its demand for tiny things such as eggs.
The region currently produces 5o 000 eggs per day with a shortfall of 45 000 eggs coming from other parts of the country. If these eggs are stopped, as Nyoni suggests, he will be among the first people to complain of sabotage.
The reason for shortage in Bulawayo is not that Shona farmers can supply, but because there are simply very few farmers in the region willing to take up poultry farming because they think it's cumbersome.
Thirdly, Matabeleland is generally a dry area which makes it very difficult to grow our staple maize; hence banning maize because it comes from Mashonaland would be suicidal.
Mr Nyoni, farmers exchange products around the country, Matabeleland produces beef and Mashonaland produces maize meal, so we need each other's produce. The youths of Matabeleland will never be employed with such people leading the flock.
What needs to be done is to encourage Matabeleland people to actively participate in poultry farming and other ventures and improve the supply of products such as eggs rather than choose the suicidal method of cutting the immediate supply of oxygen simply because it is from another region without the solution of another source.
Mr Nyoni, Zimbabwe does import fuel because the oil rig is in Nigeria or America, but because there is a need for the product and that we don't produce it here, nor do we import maize from Zambia or South Africa because they are our neighbours, but because there is a shortage of maize and that has nothing to do with our neighbours, but lack of productivity by local farmers or drought.
Youths in Bulawayo must be careful of letting this "blind mind" lead the way and seeking advice from a man who has never run a tuck-shop telling you how to run a supermarket.
Remember, eyes are useless when the mind is blind.
This article was originally published by The Chronicle.
Source - Chronicle
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