Ethics champions emerge

An ethics revolution is building up and for those who believe in the fullness of time revelations to this effect are manifest. Ethical transformation is an idea whose time has come.

An ethics revolution is a fortress for those who seek to wipe out corruption and its societal effects. It is a passion for those who crave for the empowerment of the economically marginalised and wish to see their unconditional involvement in nation building.

An ethics revolution seeks to rout unethical practices and coalesce the nation to focus on economic development and bringing
prosperity at the doorstep of the poor. An ethics revolution is about shifting from words about ethics and moving to real action about ethics.

The quiet revolution in our midst is rehearsing for a period of dramatic and intense change in the way we conduct business and public life.
It is preparing for a future that will be characterised by the rapid proliferation and acceptability of ethical ways of doing things, including the creation of an ethically empowered society.

The ethics revolution will bring together Government and business to champion ethical business practices by making massive investments in ethics governance processes in the economy.

The quiet revolution signifies the emerging new assertiveness of the people of Zimbabwe as they seek genuine social transformation anchored on a concerted fight against corruption and the popular participation of the common people in national development.

Revolutions are by nature about breaking away from existing societal ills. Fortunately, or unfortunately, such paradigms inevitably tend to trigger fear and apprehension in the hearts and minds of those profiting from the malpractices, who may impulsively respond with a backlash including pontificating and frothing as the reality of their demise starts to set in.

In societies riddled with corruption, people associate power with the manipulation of processes and those who benefit from such malpractices. People believe that those who are corrupt are the true holders of power.

They are thus tricked to think that power rests with the unethical. But power of this nature is delusional and bogus as it even exposes the holder to endless paranoia and apprehension particularly when the tide finally turns against them.

Real power rests with those who are ethical. It is in the hands of those who support and work for the future of their societies.
Genuine power lies with those who are fervent about growing responsible citizens. It is a character of those who use power to transform societies and change the people’s lives.
Real power anchors ethical practices. It is practised for the sake of the common good.

So ethics is power because it is there for the benefit of the common good. Ethics means living for posterity and growing a nation that takes care of the present and the future. Ethics fosters the development of integrity, honesty and hard work in citizens.

Societal change is a natural phenomenon that must be embraced by all well intentioned people. Without change nations perish.
Attempting to resist it is counter-productive and inhibits the evolution of nations to responsible business conduct and modernity. To think that 13 years after the advent of the land reform we still have landholders who doubt ownership of the land they occupy is unbelievable.

And it is even more astonishing that among these doubting Thomases are some Government ministers and other well-to-do people who by virtue of their positions in society and the resources they possess, were supposed to be exemplary in their farming operations.

Because of doubt, these people have been using the farms they occupy as mere conduits to siphon financial resources availed to support their farming activities, and investing it elsewhere particularly in real estate and foreign bank accounts.

And because of such errant behaviour, year in and year out there has been token agricultural activities on their farms, and infrastructure on these abused farms today lies obsolete and completely run down because of years of neglect and non-renewal.

While we have a few of these pseudo-farmers sitting on vast tracts of arable land and unashamedly using it to harm the economy, it is heartening to note that we have those who have emerged from the land reform programme as powerful black commercial farmers who are in the mould of Mr Mutami Zishiri, a farmer in Beatrice.

Over the last decade this new crop of vibrant black farmers has shown what it takes to be a successful farmer, coming out of the doldrums of economic marginalisation.
Mr Zishiri is a man who, equipped with nothing but his passion for farming, was in 2002 allocated a piece of land and never looked back or doubted his new found treasure as he thrust himself straight onto the ground, investing every cent he got from the various agricultural support schemes towards farming and infrastructural development on his farm.

And because of such ingenuity and great insight, the man has transformed a desert land once called Albion Farm in Beatrice into a river of life where they all come to feed and quench their thirst.

He is an example of economically empowered indigenous Zimbabweans whose exploits in the farming industry must be documented and used nationally to inspire children in schools, the youths, and all those who yearn to be successful farmers ready to contribute towards national economic development.