By Charles T. M.J. Dube

“AIVA madziva ava mazambuko,” is a Shona proverb, which in short means what would otherwise have been deep waters of perennial rivers can over time transform into fords or shallow waters where even children cross.
Its cousin would be the one saying, “Ushe madzoro,” meaning leadership or ascendancy to chieftainship should be counted as a game of musical chairs or turns, the passing on of the baton.
The other time I wrote about my former political science lecturer, Prof David Kimble’s depiction of the African elite through a floating orange model.
Take a floating orange marked ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ in relation to water representing a person’s hierarchy in society or even the political elite.
When there is some slight windshake, part ‘A’ could find itself under water while ‘B’ rises above the water.
Depending on the severity of the windshake, ‘F’ could find itself in ‘E’’s position with ‘E’ getting to the bottom of the ladder.
Thus, whereas in European and other societies where the classes are more defined and rigid, in Africa, social mobility is very fluid and unpredictable as has been witnessed in Zimbabwe, particularly within the month of November to an extent it becomes wise not to judge a book by its cover.
A family generation of bosses and political elites could easily transform to servants and followers within the same or the children’s generation.
Social position is neither written in concrete nor guaranteed in our African societies, and perhaps the best that one should do is to be just good to everyone, not due to its praiseworthy, but because in the worst case scenario, you or your progeny could easily need the very person you could have despised before.
That is not the issue anyhow, especially for those guided by the Christian ethic and or even hunhu/ubuntu where the whole purpose of life is to serve the other and impact other people’s lives as you run yours.
The good book would say: “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.”
Thus, according to this principle, we are endowed with skills and attributes in order to positively impact others and not just ourselves contrary to the teachings of the so-called protestant ethic.
I trust the reader is not lost by now, but the bottom line is, we all have a social responsibility to prosper our nation. Some lessons have been learnt from what has been happening in the political fortunes and misfortunes of many.
The fact of the matter is we were on a downward spiral as a nation and we all have to put our energies in arresting the situation.
“Iwe neni tinebasa,” as the saying goes.
The unity of purpose we demonstrated in support of the ‘coup which was not a coup’ and the transition thereof even on inauguration is a good starting point.
Zimbabweans of all political and religious persuasions were active participants in all this and likewise, we need the same united front in tackling the economic comatose that we find ourselves in.
It is important that I also touch on topics so far exhausted in formal and social media, beginning with the Cabinet announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Some people expected to read much of the unravelling future from how it would be composed, with expectations of completely new faces to reflect a completely new beginning.
However, the following points needed to have been taken into consideration.
l This was not an after general election sort of Cabinet, but one to complete the former President’s term with only seven months left and as such, it had to reflect on continuity and reform in line with a new face at the driving seat. This was a Government to complete a ZANU PF mandate after the recall of their leader and as such, even suggestion for a transitional authority or all party Cabinet were out of place.
l Besides, the Constitution restricts the President free reign to only five cabinet appointments outside Parliament and yet he must still deliver even within this limited time span meaning the need for a well thought out balancing act between L-plate technocrat type’s Cabinet ministers and the hands on. Remember, incumbent would be expecting to get his own full five-year-mandate after holding fort for only a few months.
l He must also remember those who stood in his corner when the chips were done.
l Thus, the composition of the line-up must reflect a critical balance between continuity of somebody’s mandate, winning the next elections (which means delivery), and remembering those who were in the trenches with you.
l Our military is currently dominated by veterans of the armed struggle.
These are not just career soldiers, but a class of people who in their youth had a high and militant political consciousness that prompted to join the war, not for pay, but to deliver their people.
Consequently, it would not be a misnomer for such people to occupy political office because they found themselves in the army as a result of their political choices during their youth.
Besides, even as pupils at the time of their joining the armed struggle, they were invariably the cream of their classes making demands that they not occupy political office not only a dull proposition, but uninformed.
The new Government has been in office for only three weeks and before even giving it a chance through their first 100 days, some are already running like headless chickens shouting for accountability without any new interventions having been brewed and programmes put in place.
Last week Thursday gave a window to the new Government’s intentions and these largely point to action in addressing the populace’s plight.
I would not do justice to the budget by commenting about it at this stage of this write-up.
Suffice it to mention that it brought in radical changes to the way we will be running our economics as a nation.
The transformational changes that had been introduced into the educational curriculum should, however, not be put aside as they were in the right direction.
While there was need to streamline the indigenisation policies, the proposed thrust in the new budget could have been a dance to the whims of international capital which might need some further fine-tuning in line with the national interest.
Our compatriots in the opposition will need to redefine themselves in line with the new dispensation.
They are in politics not only to provide checks and balances, but also to shed alternate light and options to achieving our well-known national interests and agendas.
Thus opposition politics should not be on being a nuisance factor, but supporting the incumbents where people’s interests are best served and showing better alternatives when they go wrong.