RECENTLY I saw “Kuno zviri kufaya!” videos doing some rounds on social media.
Those in the UK post videos demonstrating their good lives and latest achievements and state reasons why they would never return to Zimbabwe: “kuno zviri kufaya, munoti ndiuyeko?
“Handiuyeko!”
The achievements range from eating five course meals (mostly genetically modified foods bought on buy-one-get-one-free promotions); driving latest models of cars mostly bought on finance (higher purchases); and living on welfare benefits.
One video shows a disabled Zimbabwean man displaying his disabled badge and saying he won’t go to Zimbabwe because Social Services bought him a latest car model to drive around because of his disability.
“I get disability allowance, drive around in latest cars because of my disability,” he says.
“Why would I go to Zimbabwe?
“Kuno zviri kufaya handiuyiko!”
Another video shows a Zimbabwean woman growing vegetables in flower pots and declaring that she won’t go to Zimbabwe because “kuno zviri kufaya, handiuyeko.
“Munoti farm ndinoidii?
“ Keep your farms and grow muriwo une nhata.
“Wangu ndinorimira muma pots neorganic soil…!”
And in another video a Zimbabwean woman surrounds herself with many dishes of meat, makuru, beef and chicken etc and says only in the UK can one eat meat without sadza.
She picks her teeth (with a tooth-pick) after eating a few makuru.
She declares: “kuno zvirikufaya nekuti tiri kudya nyama pasina sadza!”
Really!
To counter, some Zimbabweans back home have been posting videos showing their achievements on farms, or celebrating their mortgage-free homes; the cars they buy cash (not through higher purchase).
They condemn Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to “stay there in servitude” because “kuno zviri kufaya garai ikoko!”
Beyond these humorous videos, one cannot ignore the fact that probably there is now a huge rift between the Zimbabwean Diaspora and its roots.
But are we really happy here?
The rift is not necessary, not with the English Defence League (EDL) carrying out marches in towns and condemning foreigners.
And the British police subjecting our children to disproportionate stop-and-search under the racist Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984; a law that gives the police powers to stop and search any person they believe to be acting suspiciously.
A recent news report highlighted that the UK police is disproportionately stopping and searching black and minority ethnic children and young people.
It said: “The report said the data it collected suggested that stop and search was used ‘disproportionately’ on black and ethnic minority children and young people.”
So can we really say zviri kufaya?
Last week I met a Jamaican Rastafarian friend, Jah Immanuel, (I have written about him before) at our local shopping centre where he is a permanent sight. He was basking in the sun, eyes distant, his dreadlocks now the colour of ashen ash.
I shouted to him that I thought he was now in Jamaica.
“But Dread, I thought you were now in Jamaica?” I called out to him.
“Cum yah mek mi tell yuh sumn.
“Mi still ah trying to raise a lickle money fer mi small business down in Jamaica, seen!
“But mi can’t work.
“Mi can’t do a lickle ting, becau’ dem will deduct mi benefit.
“So mi sit in de sun and ponder I, what mi gonnah ah do now.
“Becau’ mi no want to tief.
“Mi no want to go ah jail.
“No man!
“All a wi is doomed in dis country.”
(“Come here so that I can tell you something. I am still trying to raise some little money for a small business in Jamaica. You see. I cannot go to work. I can’t do some small thing on the side to raise money because my benefit money will be reduced. So I am just sitting here in the sun pondering on what else to do. I cannot go out and steal. I don’t want to go to jail… No Man! All of us are doomed in this country”).
I walked away from Jah Immanuel wondering how many of us Zimbabweans would be in that very same situation in a few years’ time.
Is there something with these colonial countries that draw us to them like mice or rats going for bait?
The colonial system uses you and dumps you when you are vulnerable.
Many Zimbabweans in the UK risk being doomed here as what my Rastafarian friend Jah Immanuel said.
Many people have started families, and the majority have children still in primary schools.
Some expect to go back only when their children start their university education, while others whose children are in Universities speculate that they would think of returning only when their children finish their university education and get jobs.
People have taken 25-year mortgages binding them to 25 years of hard labour.
Some have bought cars on finance (higher purchase), condemning themselves to at least three years of back-breaking jobs!
Every year, we raise the bar for going back to Zimbabwe.
We look for every flimsy excuse to stay longer.
But the other issue to consider is, will we fit in when we return to Zimbabwe? Because the longer we live here the wider the rift between us and those back home, as demonstrated in the zviri kufaya videos.
The Zimbabwean Diaspora can play a big role in helping to rebuild our country, in the implementation of the economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET).
Zimbabwe now needs collective responsibility between its Diaspora and those at home to help rebuild the country shattered by 15 years of economic marginalisation as a result of the sanctions.
Yes we send some remittances to our families back home, but we can still do more.
Ghanaians based in the UK do some fundraising work for their country.
Last year I was invited to a fundraising dinner organised by Ghanaians who wanted to raise money to buy uniforms for their police force back in Ghana. Israel and India too have benefitted a lot from their Diaspora.
Instead of posting videos celebrating false glory we can think of ways to help our country, for example, raise books and school fees to help the children in Zimbabwe.
That way we can certainly say kuno zviri kufaya!