TWO poignant but potentially decisive events took place last week.
These events are critical in shaping the country’s destiny.
First was President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s visit to Zambia.
This was no ordinary visit.
It was a reconnection with the past.
A past that has brought us, as a nation, to where we are today.
A past from which our glowing history hinges.
A past that should form the basis of our national narrative.
Zambia is no ordinary country in so far as Zimbabwe’s history is concerned.
This is where our liberation fighters were first given bases during the struggle.
This is where the offshoots of the struggle emerged.
It was in this great country that the great Chairman Herbert Chitepo set up base.
Even President Mnangagwa was deported to that country by the Rhodesians.
So many lessons can be drawn from this visit.
In the first instance, this history must be documented.
We need to leave future generations with documentation of this critical chunk of our past.
We need to make use of this history to strengthen our relations with our northern neighbours.
We need to draw from this history in order to forge a common destiny with our neighbours.
We need to draw from this history in order to forge unity, peace and development.
Also, we need to do joint research and documentation projects for us to consolidate regional integration.
This joint documentation of history can be done with other liberation movements so that we can leave a legacy for future generations.
The second most important event that happened last week was the address by President Mnangagwa to the ZANU PF Central Committee on Thursday last week.
A critical point was raised during that address.
The President spoke about social media and how it is being abused.
If not regulated, social media can cause harm to a nation and a people.
We have seen in the past few weeks the blatant abuse of social media by some malcontents in our midst.
They have been posting images from other countries, all to create artificial shortages on the market.
The net effect of those images has been a phenomenon we call panic buying.
The shortages of basic commodities that we have witnessed in the past few weeks have been to an extent triggered by the recklessness from social media abusers.
But of significance is the role that the commodity producers themselves have played in contributing to this ‘crisis’.
There has yet to be an explanation as to how they could not suddenly satisfy the market when it is public knowledge that they have been receiving foreign currency from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
It is clear that they are being driven by greed and the profit motif.
We should be imbued with the values and virtues of patriotism.
This is one area that we have extensively touched on.
Patriotism is not a ZANU PF thing alone.
It is a national mandate for every self-respecting citizen.
It is a national obligation that every responsible citizen should be grappling with.
Those with itchy fingers must exercise caution, especially when they are on social media platforms.
Let us help develop this country together.