By Abraham Mabvurira

THE first thing necessary to successfully solve a problem is identifying and acknowledging it as such.

In the case of Zimbabwe, President E.D. Mnangagwa has confirmed and acknowledged the presence of various problems that include corruption.

His acknowledgment of the numerous problems that we face indicates his willingness to confront them head on.

However, being the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe does not make him the only person  responsible for dealing with the cancerous disease of corruption.

It is every Zimbabwean’s duty and obligation to come up with strategies, ideas, means, methods and ways that will bring to an end the scourge of corruption that if not decisively dealt with impedes the massive development we are enjoying as a nation.

The fact that our President has always reiterated that nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi is a reminder that every citizen of Zimbabwe has a duty to build this country, and this does not exclude the duty to generate progressive ideas and mechanisms that can be useful in containing corruption by anyone.

Apart from debilitating illegal sanctions that were imposed on our country by the US, Zimbabwe is admittedly grappling with the challenges of corruption which require a collective effort.

Whining, pointing fingers and cursing will never help solve the problem.

Instead, let us chart the way forward by generating and contributing solutions to corruption.

Since we have been blessed with a visionary leader who is also a listening President, we should use this opportunity to share with our President anything that we think might help move Zimbabwe forward.

A real patriotic citizen does not need to get into power first before he/she can put forward ideas and solutions that are necessary to deal with the country’s problems, many wrought by the illegal sanctions imposed by the US and her allies.

From where you are and with what you have, you have the responsibility and capability to help Zimbabwe realise Vision 2030.

Rather than engaging in useless social media fights, gossip and trivial discussions, let us, the citizens of Zimbabwe, discuss strategies, ideas and possible solutions to the challenges we are facing today as a nation.

Great ideas build a great nation and, as such, by committing ourselves to continuous seeking of new ideas that are relevant to the ongoing nation building process, we can easily transform to an upper-middle income society as envisioned by President ED.

Instead of making ourselves enemies of progress, let us be proponents of development and unofficial advisors to the listening President of Zimbabwe.

Instead of being reservoirs of destructive criticism and toxic opposition, let us offer constructive criticism and positive ideas that build Zimbabwe.

Let us talk about a convalescing Zimbabwe that is run by unanimous forces seeking prosperity and continued peace, rather than a beleaguered nation that is run by ever opposing forces whose bad fruit is disunity.

Let us talk about strategies that we can use to overcome sanctions and corruption in Zimbabwe.

Through our representatives in the Parliament, the citizens of Zimbabwe can  think of amendments to the current Constitution or the enactment of new laws that can be put in place to deal with the deepening problem of corruption and, by doing so, we will give a strong legal basis to our fight against corruption.

For instance, the enactment of a law that imposes harsh, strict and deterrent punishment to corrupt public officials specifically on public funds and the country’s mineral resources might scare away offenders engaging in corrupt activities.

And, as a warning and lesson to would-be offenders, any public official found guilty of engaging in corrupt activities must face the wrath of the law and be tried, sentenced or punished and made to return all ill-gotten wealth.

Apart from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, more complimentary anti-corruption bodies can be formed to ensure increased efficiency in the fight against corruption.

Just like how we are overcoming the challenges posed by illegal sanctions, the issue of corruption can also be defeated and overcome only if Zimbabweans are willing to put their minds together.

My understanding is that Zimbabweans are literate and well schooled, hence they are in possession of brilliant ideas and solutions that are useful in solving the challenges we are facing as a nation.

We are in dire need of those ideas and solutions now, and sharing them now is good for our country, people and future. 

The fact that we know the diseases bedevilling our economy means we can cure them sooner rather than later.

We look forward to meaningful debates and discussions that generate new strategies, ideas and solutions to the problems of the day.

Let us, therefore, put aside a culture of toxic fights, verbal wars, destructive criticism, complaining and finger-pointing, for these do not build a nation.