Ethical practices help breed healthy nation

Mutonono’s article was centred on personal enrichment and greediness of some political leaders.
This writer decided to compliment this article by elevating it or bringing it to issues to do with “ethics.”
Many people think professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and university lecturers are naturally ethical by nature of their academic postures.
Far from that, some have practised their operations in the most deplorably unethical manner.
Examples that come to my mind include the Dr Gladwell McGown’s unethical medical practice that caused death under the cover of medical experiment.
The other example is that of a University of Zimbabwe lecturer who wrote a report demonising Zimbabwe under the guise of the report being based on a scientific research.
In fact the research was never carried out and all that was reported was grossly falsehoods that would be treasonable in other countries.
The other example is where some of our political leaders behave in an unethical manner calling for illegal economic sanction under the cover of targeted sanctions.
Whether targeted or otherwise, sanctions are unethical.
Another good example is where Nato kills millions of people in Libya, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe under the cover of protection of civilians.
The list is endless and what is surprising is that the unethical, those without morality, speak the loudest about democracy, rule of law, governance and human rights.
But when one does a clinical surgery of their preach of these good tenets of democracy, it is found infested with a lot of virus.
When one digs further deep into the asymmetric preach of democracy one is shocked to find that              their main objective is neo-colonialism which is unethical.
The unhuism/ubuntuism theory has its foundation at the family level where “Amai vanoti kumhuri musabe” and the same is complimented by the Bible when it says “Thy shall not steal.”
The first book of the Bible (Genesis) spells out issues to do with respect.
“Kudza amai nababa vako kuti mazuva ako awande panyika.”
All these are ethical practices that enhance good human behaviour.
When does nurturing of ethics start and for what reason?
How is it developed and for what purposes?
Fellow Zimbabweans’ nurturing starts at family level.
The process then traverses through the neighbourhood, village, district, the school, college, university, place of work, social relationship etc.
The question of personal enrichment and greediness comes in when an individual violates the good tenets of ethical behaviour as taught and guided by ubuntu.
Mutonono makes an interesting observation when he wrote: “by the time some politicians leave, they intend to have taken their pound of flesh from the people. Instead of helping the people these politicians seem to want to heartlessly feed from the people and get as much as they can”.
This practice is prevalent in Zimbabwe as evidenced by the recent call for exit packages by some MPs and their continuous call for Treasury to increase their packages.
The main objective of nurturing unhu/ubuntu is to grow a well behaved society that is responsive to people driven solutions.
When debate in the house is on packages                         and salaries, the MPs more often that not unanimously agreed to pressure Treasury to honour their demand.
However, the same unanimity is not seen on issues to do with provision of inputs to agriculture, lifting of illegal sanctions, land reform and supporting the Indigenisation Act.
The same unanimity is not heard during debate to strengthen Government institutions and transformation of people’s views into legal language.
When MPs fail to put programmes that benefit the majority who voted them and only agree on personal issues the practice becomes unethical.
In modern day Zimbabwe what amount of ethics are taught at family, village, school, college, university and business levels?
My feeling is good ethical behaviour has been relegated to family, village, and primary- secondary school levels.
When the pupils graduate to colleges and universities that’s when the demons for unethical practice manifest under the cover of freedom of speech, freedom of association and academic freedom.
The question is how free is your speech when it does not respect elders and others?
How free is your association if it does not embrace your cultures, values, principles and overally your unhu/ ubuntu?
How academically free would one be when he despises his history and embeds foreign history and cultures?
How many of us believe in the British history of colonising the world and even of books that suggest the first and second European wars were First and Second World wars?
How academically free is one when you celebrate the “Poppy day” on 11 November under the guise of remembering world war heroes and heroines?
How many of our own heroes are celebrated in legion clubs in the manner they celebrate UDI under the cover of donating to Poppy day.
These questions beg ethical answers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is implored to investigate the Legion Clubs’ unethical behaviour which is highly treacherous.
Fellow Zimbabweans, if the ethical behaviour that a mother, primary and secondary teacher nurtures in every youth is enhanced at college, university and business level the amount of disrespect, corruption, nepotism, regionalism, lack of patriotism that is highly prevalent at these high institution of learning and working places would be reduced.
The above-mentioned institutions have become breeding areas of misbehaviour, disrespect, lack of patriotism and hate of one’s nation.
People need to visit Tanzania and China and see how proud the citizens are to their countries.
Due to knowledge of the history of their country and the love for their country, these two nations have survived the unethical onslaught from the West.
Their rallying point between these two nations is the respect and love of their cultures that breeds a sense of nationalism.
The fundamentals of our culture in Zimbabwe are mainly nurtured by parents at familyhood and neighbourhood levels then by teachers at primary and secondary levels.
“Catch them young is the adage that motivates parents and teachers to embed good ethical behaviour to Zimbabwean youths.
It is at this stage that we see the majority of Zimbabwe’s young citizens being taught respect, discipline, familyhood and good neighbourliness.
In the majority of cases, parents and teachers endeavour to impact various aspects of traditions, cultures and values as enshrined in our traditional theology.
It is the time when the young citizens are taught “kushata kwengozi kana munhu akaponda mumwe munhu.”
All facets of cultures ranging from “tsika nemagariro” to the history of the family, including inheritance, are taught to the young generation by parents and teachers at these levels.
The elementary history of Zimbabwe is introduced to the young citizens at these lower levels of our social life.
It is critical and fundamental that the young are clearly enlightened on unhu/ubuntu and tsika/amasiko and how important these cultural tenets are for one to always practice humanism.
It is also the stage at which emphasis is made on how valuable and important these aspects of humanism are in modelling the overall good character of a person’s behaviour.
This is what made Africa a God fearing continent and this is what makes unhu/ubuntu a world view philosophy that is not selfish and individualistic.
The challenge that Zimbabwe needs to overcome in today’s modern life is the wholesome embedding of Western cultures that has invaded African ethos and value systems.
These uncontrolled invasions are creating space for unethical behaviour that in some cases are causing serious calamities.
Once the foundation of our ethical value chain has been infested with the impurities of Western cultures, cases of unethical behaviour increase.
It is important that parents, teachers and                     government reconstruct the curriculum at these primary levels of cultural development with the             objective of re-igniting the vibrancy of our African ethical practices that is endowed with high respect of humanism.
As I continue to add value on Mutonono’s article, I will endeavour to further explore how ethical issues are eroded at college, university, business and social places in the next article.
Do not miss it. Icho!
Every Zimbabwean is challenged to do introspection on whether what you do is ethical and adds value to the well being of Zimbabweans.